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March 2010

03

Staffordshire Hoard

Discovered in a field in southern Staffordshire, England, in July 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. It comprises more than 1,500 individual items, most gold and some decorated with precious stones. Items include sword fittings, a helmet fragment and three Christian crosses.

Eighteen objects are now on display at the British Museum (free) in London. Visit www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk or www.britishmuseum.org.

Rick Steves + Smithsonian

Travel expert Rick Steves and Smithsonian media are collaborating on a special edition of Smithsonian magazine that will hit the newsstands May 4.

Focusing on Steves’ 20 favorite things to see and do in Europe, Smithsonian Presents: Travels with Rick Steves will be written by Steves and edited by the staff of Smithsonian. The website www.smithsonian.com will have companion material, such as videos and audio guides. 

Mobile guide to Amsterdam

The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions has created a guide to Amsterdam optimized for mobile devices. For the iPhone and iPod Touch, there is the free Amsterdam Mobile Guide app, which contains the locations, descriptions and contact information for more than 200 attractions in the city, not to mention various itineraries and an interactive map with points of interest.

The app does not need a data connection to function; all information is stored in the application.

Michelin on Japan

The English version of the Michelin “Green Guide” on Japan (2009, $24.99) includes an introduction, a section on planning a trip and listings of nearly 100 tourism spots, using the 3-star rating system on all.

Also available are the “Red Guide Kyoto & Osaka 2010” ($16.99) and the Michelin “Red Guide Toyko 2010” ($16.99), which, unlike other Michelin guides, award stars to all the hotels and restaurants featured.

Copenhagen podwalks

Copenhagen X, a project of the Danish Architecture Center (Strandgade 27B, DK 1401 Copenhagen K, Denmark; phone +45 3257 1930, fax +45 3254 5010), offers free downloadable MP3 audio tours and printable maps of the city at www.cphx.dk.

The first, a two-hour tour, covers the recently revitalized inner harbor area. The second is a three-hour tour of new architecture in the city.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

The London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral (phone 020 7246 8357) turns 300 years old this year. Construction of the Anglican cathedral, designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren, began in 1675 and took 35 years.

Its restoration and cleaning of the stone interior has just been completed after four years at a cost of $64 million. One grimy slab of stone near the west entrance was left untouched. Open to sightseers 8:30-4, Monday-Saturday. £12.50 adult, £11.50 senior.

Africa

21-day, five-country tour, Aug. 3-23, 2010. Highlights: In SOUTH AFRICA, Pretoria plus Soweto in Johannesburg/Victoria Falls from both the ZIMBABWE and ZAMBIA sides; helicopter flight/game drives in BOTSWANA/elephant orphanage and Giraffe Centre in KENYA/Masai Mara. Land and intra-Africa air, $10,950. Single supp., $2,500.

Catch the Wind Tours (Boulder City, NV; 702/294-4365).

Photo Tour Of China

15 days/14 nights, Sept. 12-26, 2010 & Sept. 4-18, 2011. Highlights: Hutongs in Beijing/Simatai section of Great Wall/train to Xi’an for Terra Cotta Warriors/Sunrise over the karst hills of Yangshuo/photograph ethnic villages, rice terraces/Ghost Market in Shanghai. Land plus internal air, $4,100. Single supp., $800.

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