Travel Briefs

In Japan, Christmastime has some Western-style decorations, with many cities displaying elaborate light shows and tree decorations, but many Japanese celebrate Christmas on the 24th rather than the 25th.

For young couples, Dec. 24 is the most romantic day of the year, while many families go to Kentucky Fried Chicken for their dinner and later have a Christmas cake that can cost $20 or more.

New Year’s Eve is rather quiet, with no big fireworks celebrations or crazy parties.

The Lisboa Card allows free unlimited travel in Lisbon, Portugal, on Carris buses, trolleys and funiculars, the metro and the CP train lines Rossio-Sintra-Oriente and Cais do Sodré-Cascais. Cardholders also receive free admission at 25 museums and historic buildings plus 10%-50% discounts at some 40 restaurants and shops.

Available at many locations, including rail stations and the Lisbon airport, the card comes in one-, 2- and 3-day increments and costs €15-€32 (near $20-$43) adult or €8-€16 ($11-$21) child. Phone +351 218 4 50 660, www.askmelisboa.com.

In Porto, Portugal, the Porto Card offers free entrance or discounts at museums, monuments, shows, cultural institutions, restaurants and traditional shops and on tours and Douro River cruises. It also provides free travel on almost all metro connections and throughout the STCP network (buses, tram, aerobus and Guindais funicular) and on CP suburban train, Valongo-Coimbra.

The 125-foot motor yacht Parranda carries up to 16 passengers plus a naturalist guide and crew of seven on 8-day cruises in the Galápagos Islands. Walk on volcanic islands, snorkel with sea lions or paddle a kayak through mangrove lagoons. The ship is fitted with stabilizers, and cabins have private facilities with freshwater showers.

In 2009, cruises Feb. 19-28, March 19-28 and June 18-27 cost $5,295 per person, double occupancy (international airfare not included). Add round-trip Ecuador-Galápagos airfare of $410.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) revolutionized painting in Italy with his passionate style, and his works and life are the focus of a 13-day/12-night cruise of MS Columbus, Sept. 20-Oct. 2, 2009.

The Columbus, built to carry 420 passengers, will have only 236 on this cruise, which includes Rome, Naples, “Magna Graecia” (classical-era Greek colonies) and Sicily in Italy; Valetta in Malta, and Tunis, Tunisia. There will be private concerts, lectures on art and volcanoes, and chances to see Caravaggio’s works in their original settings.

In Oberammergau, Germany, the Passion Play has been reenacted every 10 years since 1633. The 41st play will be held May 15-Oct. 3, 2010, and involve over 2,000 actors, singers and musicians.

Tickets cost €49.50 ($69) to €165 ($229) and are charged a 10% booking fee unless bought in person the day of the play. Packages, which include a ticket to the play, are available: one night, €199-€575 (near $276-$798), and two nights, €275-€839 ($381-$1,164), depending on accommodation.

Halle, Germany, birthplace of composer George Friedrich Handel, holds an annual festival honoring his works. In 2009, the 250th anniversary of his death, it takes place June 4-14. Among numerous musical events is a performance of his “Messiah” oratorio on June 5, with tickets €15-€65 (near $21-$90). 

Contact Directorship of the Handel Festival (Stiftung Händel-Haus, Große Nikolaistrasse 5, 06108 Halle, Germany; phone +49 [0] 345 500 90 222, fax 500 90 416, www.haendelfestspiele.halle.de/en).

Sir Anthony van Dyck was the principal painter at the court of King Charles I. The exhibition “Van Dyck and Britain,” running in London at the Tate Britain (Millbank, London; phone +44 20 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk), Feb. 18-May 17, 2009, brings together many of his finest paintings. Admissions 10-5. €12.50 (€11.50 for 60+).

In India, a law went into effect Oct. 2, 2008, that prohibits smoking in public spaces such as restaurants, coffee shops, bars, shopping malls, cinema halls, amusement centers, hospitals and public offices, 

Restaurants seating 30 or more may reserve “smoking corners,” but the question remains whether hookah bars/restaurants will be regulated. Mumbai and Ahmedabad consider hookahs to be within the smoking ban, but Delhi has not decided.

The Channel Tunnel between Britain and France has been operating at reduced capacity since a fire aboard a train carrying trucks damaged the southbound section on Sept. 11 of this year. Access by passenger and cargo trains as well as automobiles has been restricted; ferries operating between Calais and Dover have been taking up the slack.

Chunnel repairs are expected to be completed in February 2009.