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The picture in the May issue shows the Tomb of the Unknown Native at the city cemetery in Punta Arenas, Chile. This monument is dedicated to the indigenous people of Patagonia. Locals who visit the cemetery offer prayers to “Indiecito” (little Indian) and leave tokens of appreciation for prayers answered.
What looks simply like a series of concrete steps descending into the Adriatic Sea at Zadar, Croatia, is actually a pipe organ that is played by the waves and wind. Located in the city’s Riva section, along Istarska Obala street, the 230-foot-long Sea Organ (morske orgulje) incorporates seven groups of five polyurethane pipes tuned to two chords and opening onto the sidewalk. There is no cost to visit.
At Baird Bay in South Australia, you can swim with sea lions in their wild habitat.
At the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany, a life-size reconstruction of a 33-meter section of the LZ 129 “Hindenburg” can be explored. The museum houses the world’s largest collection on the history of the airships.
€7.50 ($10) adult, €6.50 senior. Gift shop, restaurant. The Zeppelin Museum (Seestraße 22, D-88045 Friedrichshafen, Germany; phone +49 7541 3801 0, fax 3801 81).
Several of these six heritage cities in Britain have regular “ghost walks,” taking visitors to haunted places: Bath, Brighton, Chester, Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon and York. York offers ghostly walks every night, while in Edinburgh Mercat Tours searches for body snatchers. Visit www.haunted-britain.com or www.heritagecities.co.uk.
Go Pedal is a service supplying bikes to guests of any hotel in London. The simple hybrid bikes come with locks, helmets, maps and touring advice. Rental costs about £20 (near $39) per day (more for just one bike), including delivery and collection. Call 07850 796320, www.gopedal.co.uk.
During summertime (from mid-May to September), Helsinki offers Citybikes. Find one of the 26 Citybike stands in the city center, pay a deposit of €2 ($2.65) and tour as you please on one of the bright green bikes. After you have finished, return the bike to any Citybike stand and your €2 deposit is returned. There are well-marked bike paths throughout Helsinki and in scenic districts such as Töölö Bay. Visit www.hel.fi/hkl.
ITN subscriber Theda G. Kessler, a travel consultant for 35 years who has visited over 200 countries, has a booklet packed with practical travel tips. Although it was published in 1985, most of the tips are timeless. Among topics covered are baggage, insurance, personal safety and travel for the disabled.
The booklets are small enough to fit in a legal size envelope, and a sixth is free with every five purchased.
Montague Island, off the coast of Narooma, New South Wales, Australia, has a historic lighthouse and a nature reserve which seals and seabirds, including little penguins, call home.
Apartments and houses attached to lighthouses can be rented on the coast in Croatia. Locations of accommodations range from remote islands to populated mainland areas. Prices range from €299 to €859 (near $400-$1,156) per week in the off-season to €640-€1,299 ($860-$1,750) in high season.
For example, 30 meters from the sea, Savudrija, one of the oldest lighthouses in the Adriatic, has a 4-bed apartment at €729-€1,099 per week. Apartments can be rented daily only in the off-season.