Orient-Express (20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PF, U.K.; phone +44 20 7960 0500) offers train trips and tours in England.
Example — on select dates until Oct. 21, a day trip on a British Pullman from London Victoria Station to Bath costs $650 and includes a coach tour of the city, a visit to the Roman baths and pump room and, aboard the train, brunch, champagne and dinner with wine. “Smart” day wear is appropriate — no jeans or trainers (athletic shoes).
You can print the deck plans of cruise ships at www.cruisedeckplans.com. Click on “Pack & Go Decks,” choose the ship and decks from the menu and print.
The organization Perlen der Klassik, or Pearls of the Classical (Berlin; info phone +49 030 43 60 53 90 or ticket phone +49 030 41 74 44 14 or visit www.berliner-schlosskonzerte.de [in German]), stages performances of classical music in ancient buildings in Germany. Venues include Berlin’s 16th-century Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) and Munich’s Allerheiligen-Hofkirche, a chapel in the Bavarian royal residence. Ticket prices run €21-€45 ($26-$56).
ITN reported on new entry fees being imposed by Argentina (Dec. ’08, pg. 19 & Feb. ’09, pg. 83) and Costa Rica (Feb. ’09, pg. 84, with correction April ’09, pg. 76 [consulate decided not to implement fee]).
Seventy of Vincent van Gogh’s landscapes, including some works rarely seen outside of private collections, will be shown by Kuntsmuseum Basel (St. Alban-Graben 16, CH-4010 Basel, Switzerland; phone +41 [0] 61 206 62 62, fax 62 52, www.vangogh.ch), April 26-Sept. 27, 2009, along with 40 landscape paintings from van Gogh’s contemporaries.
Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. CHF28 ($24).
An estimated 350 chacma baboons, a protected species under South African law, live in and around Cape Town. After years of being fed by tourists and tour operators interested in photo ops, the baboons have become dangerously aggressive, snatching snacks from people and even breaking into cars to steal food. Park rangers have been forced to kill monkeys that became too aggressive.
City authorities now will impose a fine of up to ZAR1,500 (near $150) plus six months in jail on anyone caught feeding baboons.
Mystery novelist Agatha Christie’s summer home in southwest England, Greenway, is open to visitors following a 2-year, £5.4-million restoration that returned it to its condition during the time she lived there, including many contents. Admission, £7.45. Visitors are encouraged to reach the property by ferry, as parking is limited and must be prebooked.
“Masterly Manuscripts,” an exhibition of more than 100 manuscripts produced in Utrecht in the Middle Ages, is running at Museum Catharijneconvent (Lange Nieuwstraat 38, 3512 PH, Utrecht, Netherlands; phone +31 [0] 30 231 38 35, fax 231 78 96, www.catharijneconvent.nl), May 16-Aug. 23, 2009. It focuses on artistry and production plus the impact of book printing around 1473. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. €8.50 ($11).
The Ballon Air de Paris (phone 01 44 26 20 00 or visit, in French only, www.ballondeparis.com) is a huge, tethered hot-air balloon that lifts 30 people at a time 150 meters into the air over Parc André Citroën to enjoy views of Paris.
Operating daily, it takes visitors for 10-minute rides from 9 a.m. until 30 minutes before the park closes. On weekends and holidays the price is €12 (near $15.50) adult, €10 for kids 12-17 and €6 for kids 3-10. Weekday prices are €1 less.
Looking at travel from a Christian perspective, the magazine Travel with Spirit (Box 1318, Sunset Beach, CA 90742; 888/518-7571, www.travelwithspirit.com) was launched in January. Published by Travel Network Group, LLC, it offers faith-based travel, mission and ministry articles. The cost is $9.95 for four issues per year.