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. . . but you wouldn’t want to live there.
May’s photo depicted the chapel in the penal colony on Devil’s Island, one of the three islands of the Îles du Salut (Safety Islands) in the Atlantic off the north coast of French Guiana.
Hampton Court Palace, the former home of King Henry VIII, has a new permanent gardens exhibition. Situated off the East Front Gardens, it shows how the palace gardens evolved from the early 16th century up to the present day.
On Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 26, 2004, costumed interpreters dressed as courtiers in the days when William III and Mary II were in residence will lead 30-minute tours of the East and South Front gardens.
Contact Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9AV, England; phone +44 (0) 870 752 7777.
Like the sunspot cycle, there is an issue that periodically rises up among our readers, so every five years or thereabout I address the topic.
For our 41st international junket (Aug. 30-Sept. 18, ’02), we traveled to Nice, France, with a side visit to Monte Carlo, Monaco. Our 19-day trip, with Grand Circle Travel (347 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210; phone 800/221-2610), continued with a Rhône River cruise on the 60-cabin MS Ravel (pictured above in Lyon).
In Travemunde, north of Lübeck, Germany, 70 sand sculptors will use over 70,000 tons of sand to create sand castle masterpieces at a beach festival, July 9-Aug. 22, 2004. In fact, 2-hour workshops in sand sculpting will be held twice a day, Monday through Friday.
Sand World itself is open until Sept. 5. Entry costs €6 adults and €3 children five to 11.
ATS Tours is offering discounted “Magical New Zealand” packages of 10 to 15 days, beginning at $1,299 per person out of L.A.
Orient-Express Safaris’ luxury tented safari lodges Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Camp and Savute Elephant Camp in Botswana now offer guests the use of high-level telescopes to view the night sky. Four of the larger moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, scores of galaxies and innumerable other objects are among the spectacles to see.
Two free guides provide details of 43 places to eat in the English counties bordering Wales.
The credit-card-sized Dublin Pass provides access to over 30 attractions in Ireland’s capital at reduced rates. And a “smart” chip in the pass eliminates the need for cash transactions at admission points, allowing the holder to beat queues and gain fast entry.
The pass gives the holder preferential rates at shops, theaters and restaurants; provides special offers such as museum guidebooks, complimentary coffee, etc., and includes Aircoach transfer form the airport to the city. Purchasers also receive a copy of a 76-page tourist information booklet.
In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the Neerlandia Building (part of the 17th-century Amstelhof building) is the first phase of the master plan for the Hermitage Amsterdam, which in six galleries will present small, temporary exhibitions drawn from the collection of The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Each exhibition will be on view for about five months.
To be shown Sept. 18, 2004-Feb. 13, 2005, will be “Nicholas & Alexandra,” featuring personal possessions, correspondence, paintings, photos and objets d’art owned by the last Tsar of Russia and his family.