January 2017

For information on upcoming events in Switzerland plus deals on hotels and transportation as well as help with planning a trip and tips for self-guided tours, visit Switzerland Tourism’s website: www.myswitzerland.com.

Tickets for the 72nd annual Prague Spring International Music Festival, May 12-June 6, 2017, went on sale Dec. 12, 2016.

The 2017 festival opens with a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic. The closing concert will feature modern Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki conducting one of his own symphonies. International orchestras, soloists and small ensembles will hold concerts throughout the festival. 

At St Martin-in-the-Fields church, on the northeastern corner of Trafalgar Square in London, England, free lunchtime concerts are performed throughout the year each Monday, Tuesday and Friday starting at 1 p.m. Concerts are classical instrumentals or chorals. 

Seating is first-come, first-served. A donation of £3.50 (near $5) is recommended. To reach the church by Underground, exit at Charing Cross station on the Northern or Bakerloo line and walk northeast.

The Hokusai Sumida Museum (2-7-2 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan; hokusai-museum.jp/?lang=en), opened on Nov. 22 in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, is now the home of works of the ukiyo-e (woodblock printing) master Katsushika Hokusai. 

Katsushika, born in Sumida Ward in 1760, is most well known for his print “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” on permanent display in the museum. Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tues.-Sun. Entry, ¥400 (near $4).

Citizens of US, Canada and the UK visiting the Persian Gulf island nation of Bahrain had their allowed visit periods extended on Nov. 22, 2016. For those travelers, the amount of travel time allowed on a 5-year, multiple-entry visa (costing BHD174 [near $462]) has been extended from 30 days to 90 days per year. A visa-on-arrival (costing BHD25) has been expanded to one month.

The Indian government suddenly withdrew 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes from circulation and made them no longer legal tender as of Nov. 8, calling the move a crackdown on corruption and illegal cash holdings. The two notes are among the most commonly used in India. 

New 500- and 2,000-rupee notes are being printed to replace the former currency. Indian citizens had until Dec. 30 to exchange their cash. Foreign banks and currency exchanges were not accepting any 500- or 1,000-rupee notes. 

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 491st issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine.

Those of you who regularly visit our website will have noticed that we recently took care of some technical problems that were occurring. Thank you for your patience while we got things straightened out.