Travel Briefs

Founded in 1759, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (www.kew.org), celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2009. (Open 9:30-4:15. £13 adult; free for children under 17.)

Germany is celebrating the birth of the influential 20th-century school of design, the Bauhaus, throughout 2009. Many cities are holding exhibitions, concerts, theater performances and art installations (for instance, sculptures and paintings by Kandinsky, Klee and Itten at the New Museum in Weimar, March 28-May 7).

A downloadable PDF list of events is at www.weimar.de or contact the German National Tourist Office (212/661-7200, www.cometogermany.com).

The book “Venice: Easy Sightseeing: A Guide Book for Casual Walkers, Seniors, and Wheelchair Riders” (ISBN 1419698745) contains 14 sightseeing routes each a 3- to 5-minute walk from a boat dock. There are maps plus descriptions of wheelchair-accessible paths, elevators and bathrooms.

It is available from Amazon.com for $15.99 plus $3.99 shipping, or from bookstores.

Australia’s Simpson Desert parks in Queensland and South Australia will be closed until March 15, 2009, due to projected temperatures in excess of 122°F. Such temperatures can cause fuel vaporization, tire blowouts and battery failure. There have been deaths in the region.

Violators will be fined US$657, and rescue costs will not be covered by the Australian parks service.

Contact Tourism Australia (GPO Box 2721, Sydney, NSW 1006, Australia; phone +61 2 9360 1111, fax +61 2 9331 6469, www.tourism.australia.com).

Visitors in Israel now may dial *3888 from any cell phone or landline in the country for directions or to get information on local attractions, airports or visas plus assistance in emergencies. For more info, contact the Israel Government Tourist Office (New York, NY; 212/499-5650, www.goisrael.com).

On the website www.visitnortheastengland.com, the interactive “Ale Trail” map pinpoints 11 locations to try local brews in Northumberland and Durham. Click on a numbered balloon to reach a brewery’s website. To find the map from Visit North East England’s homepage, click on “Explore,” “Visitor itineraries,” then “Ale Trail.”

In Chatham Marine, Kent, England, the indoor visitor complex Dickens World (phone 016 34 890 421, www.dickensworld.co.uk) shows Charles Dickens’ England, with streets, courtyards, dockside, shops, a school room and a themed restaurant. One of Europe’s largest themed dark boat rides transports visitors from (in a re-creation) the depths of London’s sewers through streets, courtyards, markets and shops and on a “flight” across the rooftops.

A 250-seat “theater” provides an animatronic performance during the day and a live “supper” show in the evening. 

Google Goggles, a free application for Google Android smartphones (version 1.6 or higher, and a data connection is required), can translate text, identify artwork and landmarks or even help you research the wine you’re ordering.

First, use the phone’s camera to take a picture of the text or object you want to identify. For text, you input source and destination languages (the application currently reads English, French, Italian, German and Spanish).

The China-Tibet Mountaineering Association, which issues permits to climbers who want to scale Mt. Everest from the north (Tibetan) side, announced new age restrictions in June. Climbers must be between 18 and 60 years of age. The CTMA says it may consider climbers outside this range if sufficient proof of good health is provided.

Nepal, which issues permits for attempts from the South Face, has a lower age limit of 16 but no upper limit.

The “Yorkshire Pass” is good for admission to more than 70 attractions in northern England’s Yorkshire County, including castles, museums, amusement parks, train rides, canal boats and more. 

It’s available in one-, two-, three- and six-day increments (must be used on consecutive days). A one-day pass costs £28 (near $42) adult or £18 child, and a six-day pass, £68 adult.