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In the year 2010, did you travel to any of the following countries: Guyana, Suriname, St. Vincent, Kosovo, Macedonia (FYR), Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo DR, Congo R., Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia or Sudan? If so, please be so kind as to e-mail me at armond@intltravelnews.com and let me know. Thanks!
The Furka Pass train route, which runs past the Rhone Glacier in Switzerland, was to be shut down with the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982, which made the route obsolete. Thanks to a private initiative, restored steam locomotives and reassembled original carriages from the early 1900s are traveling the route. The steam trains stopped running in 1968 and began again in 1999.
Leonardo da Vinci’s home for his final three years, Château du Clos Lucé (2 rue du Clos Lucé, 37400 Amboise, Val de Loire, France; phone +33 [0] 2 4757 00 73), is now a museum. It features 16 large, working models of his machines, reproductions of his drawings, audio and video presentations and a garden inspired by his botanical studies.
Day tours of historic locations under the city of Berlin are offered by Berliner Unterwelten (Brunnenstrasse 105, 13355 Berlin, Germany; phone +49 0 30 49 91 04 17).
Among six guided tours are “Dark Worlds,” exploring a bunker from WWII, and “Breaching the Berlin Wall,” looking at tunnels, subways and empty sewers once used by those fleeing East Germany.
E-retailer Minimus.biz offers over 2,000 travel- and trial-sized products, many not available for retail sale elsewhere. A few examples — in addition to shampoos, soaps, shaving creams, toothpastes, mouthwashes and lotions, it offers all-natural insect repellent towelettes (39¢ each), gluten-free Wild Garden hummus (1.76 oz. tetra pack for 87¢) and mini board games (travel-sized Scrabble, $7.60), plus reflexology socks to promote circulation ($5 per pair). All orders over $20 ship in the US for free.
The Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa (229 Moo 1 T.Wieng, Golden Triangle, Chiang Sean, Chiang Rai 57150, Thailand; phone [66] 02 877 5803 04), on the Mekong River in Chiang Sean, northern Thailand, is offering guests a “Jungle Yoga, Elephant & Spa Experience.”
“Florence: Easy Sightseeing — Easy Visiting for Casual Walkers, Seniors & Wheelchair Riders” by Donald H. Bowling (2011, CreateSpace — 256 pp., $16.95 on Amazon.com) offers advice on seeing the sights of Florence, Italy, for mobility-impared visitors.
In Copenhagen, the art installation “Your Rainbow Panorama,” by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, is like a giant halo on a building. A circular “hallway” sided with colored glass, 150 meters long, three meters tall and three meters wide, it’s permanently installed on the rooftop of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum (Aros Allé 2, DK-8000 Århus C., Copenhagen, Denmark; phone +45 8730 6600). Visitors can see Århus Bay while walking through the elevated pathway.
The “cOPENhagen Card” provides free and discounted access to city museums and attractions (including Tivoli); free train, bus and metro transport, and discounts at selected restaurants, shops and sights.
The card can be purchased in the city at the airport, major train stations, tourist offices and many hotels or online (www.visitcopenhagen.com) up to 10 days before you plan to use it. A 24-hour card costs €31 ($46) adult, €15 child, and a 72-hour card, €62 adult, €30 child.
Pousadas de Portugal (Lisboa, Portugal; phone +351 218 442 001, fax 442 085) is offering three- or five-night “Circuit Deals” with selected pousadas (traditional or historical hotels). No need for multiple bookings!
For two people (sharing), packages start at €285 (near $422) for a three-night circuit, including breakfast, or at €465 including dinner each night. Five-night stays, including accommodations, breakfasts and one dinner, start at €515.