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September 2011

09

DC-6 Diner, Coventry

At Coventry, England’s, AIRBASE Living Air Museum, a converted (and nonflying) 1958 Douglas DC-6 prop liner has been converted to a diner. The fuselage seats 40, and visitors can summon servers by pushing the stewardess call button.

The DC-6 Diner (Coventry Airport, Coventry CV8 3 AZ, U.K.; phone 024 7688 2604) serves dinner nightly and serves lunch Wednesday through Saturday. The bar remains open till midnight all week.

Narrow gauge in Latvia

Travelers to Latvia’s northern Vidzeme Province can ride the only functioning narrow-gauge diesel-engine train in the Baltics. The line was originally built in 1903 and covered 212 kilometers, but only 33 kilometers of the original track remain, connecting the towns of Gulbene and Aluksne.

Pack For A Purpose

Pack For A Purpose, a nonprofit founded in 2009, suggests that travelers to any of 100-plus destinations on five continents pack at least five pounds of helpful supplies in their luggage to be delivered to a community in need.

In the area you’re visiting, find a participating hotel or lodge and drop off the supplies at the reception desk. (You are not required to be staying at any of the lodgings, most of which are high-end.)

Rent a bike in London

The central London location of Hertz (35 Edgware Rd., London; phone 0843 309 3049) is offering rentals of electric bicycles, which increase pedalers’ speed. They are powered by rechargeable batteries that last for a day of riding. For multiday rentals, an ordinary wall outlet can recharge the battery.

A bike can be rented for £19.99 (near $28) per day, which is less than the full-day fee of £51 ($72) with the city’s bike-sharing program.

‘Visit Korea’ app

For iPhone and Android smartphone users, a free “Visit Korea” app provides Korea travel info, recommended itineraries and travel tools (including exchange rates and local weather). It is gps-integrated, so users can find the nearest tourist information center. By linking to the “1330 call center” feature, travelers can reach information and interpretation services. Download at the Apple App Store or the Google Android Market by searching for “Visit Korea.”

Paris flea markets

There are many flea markets in Paris, but the most famous is Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, or, as it is usually called, Les Puces (“The Fleas”). About 6.5 kilometers* (four miles) north of the Paris city center, just outside the 18th arrondissement, it’s located between Métro stops Porte de Clignancourt and Porte de St-Ouen.

Netherlands Fine Art Fair

The 25th European Fine Art Fair will take place March 16-25, 2012, at the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Center (Forum 100, 6299 GV, Maastricht, Netherlands; phone 043 3838383).

Paintings, antiques, manuscripts and examples of applied arts will be on sale by 260 art and antique dealers from around the world. Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. March 16-24 and 11-6 Sunday, March 25. Admission, €55 ($80), includes a catalog. Child 12-18, €20.

Panama Stop-Over

Passengers on connecting flights through Tocumen International Airport near Panama City have an offer from Copa Airlines (800/359-2672) in conjunction with the Panama Tourism Authority.

When booking through Panama to one of Copa’s 52 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, mention the “Panama Stop-Over” and you can break your trip for up to a week in Panama at no additional charge for airfare. When booking, request info on lodging deals and local activities.

Kunte Kinteh Island

As part of the 2011 International Roots Festival in The Gambia, James Island, the site of a fort once used by British slave traders, was renamed Kunte Kinteh Island after the main character in Alex Haley’s novel “Roots.” Haley traced his ancestry back to The Gambia.