January 2009

Founded in 1759, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (www.kew.org), celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2009. (Open 9:30-4:15. £13 adult; free for children under 17.)

Germany is celebrating the birth of the influential 20th-century school of design, the Bauhaus, throughout 2009. Many cities are holding exhibitions, concerts, theater performances and art installations (for instance, sculptures and paintings by Kandinsky, Klee and Itten at the New Museum in Weimar, March 28-May 7).

A downloadable PDF list of events is at www.weimar.de or contact the German National Tourist Office (212/661-7200, www.cometogermany.com).

The book “Venice: Easy Sightseeing: A Guide Book for Casual Walkers, Seniors, and Wheelchair Riders” (ISBN 1419698745) contains 14 sightseeing routes each a 3- to 5-minute walk from a boat dock. There are maps plus descriptions of wheelchair-accessible paths, elevators and bathrooms.

It is available from Amazon.com for $15.99 plus $3.99 shipping, or from bookstores.

Australia’s Simpson Desert parks in Queensland and South Australia will be closed until March 15, 2009, due to projected temperatures in excess of 122°F. Such temperatures can cause fuel vaporization, tire blowouts and battery failure. There have been deaths in the region.

Violators will be fined US$657, and rescue costs will not be covered by the Australian parks service.

Contact Tourism Australia (GPO Box 2721, Sydney, NSW 1006, Australia; phone +61 2 9360 1111, fax +61 2 9331 6469, www.tourism.australia.com).

Visitors in Israel now may dial *3888 from any cell phone or landline in the country for directions or to get information on local attractions, airports or visas plus assistance in emergencies. For more info, contact the Israel Government Tourist Office (New York, NY; 212/499-5650, www.goisrael.com).

Mystery solved! Really, is there anywhere ITN readers haven’t been? (And, in this case, any when, too!)