Travel Briefs
Staffordshire Hoard
Discovered in a field in southern Staffordshire, England, in July 2009, the Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. It comprises more than 1,500 individual items, most gold and some decorated with precious stones.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
The London landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral (phone 020 7246 8357) turns 300 years old this year. Construction of the Anglican cathedral, designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren, began in 1675 and took 35 years.
Air France and obese passengers
Air France encourages obese passengers to prebook a second seat at a 25% discount, and as of Feb. 1 the airline will refund the price of the extra seat if the flight is not full.
Bach Museum Leipzig
The Bach Museum Leipzig (Thomaskirchhof 15/16, 04109 Leipzig, Germany; phone +49 0 341 9137 202, fax 9137 205) will reopen March 20, 2010, following a renovation and expansion.
Projects Abroad
Projects Abroad (New York, NY; 888/839-3535) offers two-week learning vacations in 24 countries. There are projects in conservation, archaeology, language classes, coaching children’s sports, medical aid and care giving.
Bangkok layover trips
Travelers with layovers of six to 12 hours at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport can take any of 15 tours of four to seven hours from/to the airport.
Agatha Christie Fest
Torquay, birthplace of Agatha Christie, will hold its Agatha Christie Week, Sept. 12-19, 2010, with talks about the writer, street performances, creative-writing workshops and screenings of film adaptations of her works.
Torino + Piemonte Card
The Torino + Piemonte Card offers free admission to over 160 museums, monuments, castles and royal residences in Turin and Piedmont, Italy; free travel on above-ground public transport; 10%-20% off guided tours and tourist trains, and 20% off Avis car rentals.
London and Paris passes
The London Sightseeing Pass and the Paris Sightseeing Pass allow free entry to, respectively, over 55 attractions in London (such as Hampton Court Palace and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre) or 55 in Paris (including the Louvre and a Seine River cruise) plus discounts at selected restaurants and shops or on tours.
‘Cape Town Nature Reserves’
The 30-page booklet “Cape Town Nature Reserves” profiles each of the South African city’s 24 nature reserves and areas with a photo, activities available, types of species found, hours open and entry fees.
Theatre Passport, London
Available only online from VisitBritain (phone +44 020 7482 1500), the Theatre Passport offers savings on ticket prices in London for the best-available seats at participating musicals and plays like “Chicago” and “The Woman in Black.&rdquo
The Oxford Experience
For people of all ages, more than 50 one-week courses are offered at Christ Church College in Oxford, July 4-Aug. 7, 2010.
Danish royal residence
The rococo palace of Frederik VIII (Amalienborg Slotsplads 1, 1257 Copenhagen, Denmark; phone +45 2257 3020) is being renovated and modernized as a residence for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary
Dine with Danes
Experience Danish hospitality during a two- to three-hour visit, with dinner, in a home in Copenhagen or Arhus. The visit costs DK400 (near $80) per adult or DK200 for a child 8-15 years old and is free for children under eight.
Thai tourist hotline
While in Thailand, travelers now can dial the tourist hotline 1672 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for assistance as well as for information on accommodations, sightseeing and more.
Robin Hood audio trail
Visitors to Nottinghamshire, England, can follow a Robin Hood Trail that takes in seven locations associated with the legend, including Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest. A free audio tour is available on CD or, along with a map, can be downloaded to an MP3 player from the website www.robinhoodbreaks.com.
Lake Baikal charter
Travelers can charter boats to cruise on Lake Baikal, in southern Siberia, during summer season (June-October).
Nara at 1,300
Nara, the first capital of Japan, is celebrating its 1,300th anniversary in 2010 with a year of exhibits and events throughout Nara Prefecture.
Schumann at 200
In honor of Robert Schumann’s 200th birthday, a concert will take place at Schumann-Haus (Inselstraße-18, 04103, Leipzig, Germany; phone 0341 393 96 20, fax 96 22, www.schumann-verein.de [in German]) on June 8, 2010. Ticket, €12 ($18).
Orient Express retires
The 126-year run of the Orient Express* ended on Dec. 13, 2009. When the service was inaugurated in 1883 by entrepreneur Georges Nagelmacher, it ran twice a week from Paris to Varna, Bulgaria, where a ferry took passengers on to Istanbul. Later, the rail line was extended to Istanbul.