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The valley near Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in northeastern Portugal, is home to extensive displays of underground and outdoor Paleolithic art — horses, aurochs (wild bulls), etc.
The site, which was originally to be covered with water from a dam, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 and opened to the public. In the center is the museum Quinta da Ervamoira, showing bread making and wine producing.
In England during WWII, Eden Camp housed prisoners of war. Today, the camp’s 33 huts comprise Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum (Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 6RT, U.K.; phone +44 1653 697 777, fax 698 243, www.edencamp.co.uk), presenting reconstructed scenes of Britain in the war years, complete with lighting, sounds and scents.
Among displays subjects are “The U-Boat Menace,” “Women at War,” “The Blitz” and “Civil Defense.”
Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, who has cooked for everyone from diners at the Eiffel Tower’s Jules Verne restaurant to ESA astronauts on the International Space Station, has opened a cooking school in Paris for nonprofessionals. Instructors are chefs who trained in Ducasse restaurants.
One of the classes offers ideas for the use of leftovers. Instruction is in French; the school will provide a translator at extra charge. Half-day course, €165 (near $236).
During late March, the area around Eilat, Israel, becomes a mecca for birds migrating south from Europe to Africa, and bird-watchers will flock to the International Spring Migration festival, March 18-25, 2010.
A basic festival package costs £615 ($1,017) per person (sharing) and includes seven nights at the 4-star Isrotel Agamin Hotel; guided birding tours in the mornings and afternoons; lectures, activities and banquet, and entry to the Eilat Birding & Research Centre. Single supplement, £155.
Visitors to Montserrat can rent 2-person inflatable kayaks with clear panels in the bottom for observing life around deep-water reefs. The collapsible, Hanauma-brand kayaks store in a mesh bag for transport by car.
Rental costs start at $15 per hour at Scuba Montserrat (P.O. Box 289, Brades, Montserrat, West Indies; phone 1 664 496 7807, e-mail scubamontserrat@gmail.com or visit www.divedestinationmontserrat.com).
The service organization Projects Abroad (347 West 36th St., Ste. 903, New York, NY 10018; 888/839-3535, www.projects-abroad.org), which specializes in volunteer vacations and short-term assignments, began as a way to help young people during their “gap” year (between high school and college) but now accepts volunteers between the ages of 16 and 75.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s “Yellow Book,” actually titled “CDC Health Information for International Travel” (2010, Mosby. ISBN 9780702034817 — 540 pp., $29.95 paperback), has comprehensive information on medical issues to help travelers prepare for trips and stay healthy while abroad.
Among topics covered are respiratory infections, drug-drug interactions and mental health. It is updated every two years; the 2010 edition was released in July.
Travelers on United Airlines now can add a package of amenities formerly available only to elite-level (loyalty) flyers. Premier Travel, which starts at $47 one way, can be booked online at www.united.com or purchased from an airport EasyCheck-in kiosk.
Perks include Economy Plus seating; early boarding; priority security line access (in the 15 US airports that offer this benefit; see website); premier check-in line access; bonus miles equal to 25% of flight miles, and the first two checked bags free.
Sake-no-jin, an annual sake fair held in Niigata City, Japan (130 miles northeast of Nagano), takes place March 13-14, 2010. Free admission, and guests 20 or older can pay ¥2,000 (near $21) for a cup to taste the sake of over a hundred producers. Niigata prefecture’s food specialties also are highlighted.
Japan National Tourism Organization (11 West 42nd St., 19th Floor New York, NY 10036; 212/757-5640, www.japantravelinfo.com).
The Kabuki-za Theatre (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan; phone, for info, 81 3 3541 3131 or, for tickets, 81 3 5565 6000, www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater), a landmark in Tokyo’s Ginza district, will be demolished and rebuilt, due to the structure’s age. The first theater on the site was built in 1889, and it was rebuilt three times, last in 1950 (based on the 1924 building destroyed by fire).
Farewell performances will be held January-April 2010, then productions will move to a new venue until the theater is rebuilt. Tickets cost ¥2,500-¥17,000 ($26-$178).