Travel Briefs

At least 18 bagpipe bands from across Europe are scheduled to attend the “1918-2018 United Pipers for Peace” event in Amiens, France, July 7-8, 2018, in commemoration of the bagpipers who participated in the Battle of the Somme in World War I.

The event begins the afternoon of the 7th with concerts held at sites throughout the city. On the 8th, the bands will gather for a parade followed by a “remembrance ceremony” at the Amiens Cathedral. Visit www.unitedpipersforpeace.com/english.

The “Wall of Grief,” a memorial to the victims of the Soviet Union’s policies, predominantly those during the regime of Joseph Stalin (1929-1953), was unveiled at the ring road in central Moscow in October 2017. The 100-foot-long bronze wall comprises many human figures standing atop one another. Tens of millions of people died during Stalin’s rule, either through executions, from famine or in prison camps.

English-subtitled plays are staged at some venues in Paris, with tickets available from Theatre in Paris (Paris, France; phone +33 1 85 08 66 89, www.theatreinparis.com).

When you book with Theatre in Paris, you get seats with the best views of the translations, which are projected above the stage. An English-speaking staff member meets you at the venue, escorts you to your seat and provides an English program. Call or go online for a list of subtitled shows.

Held annually on Easdale Island in Argyll, Scotland, the World Stone Skimming Championships (www.stoneskimming.com) attract more than 200 of the best stone skimmers from around the world, along with many spectators. The 2018 event will begin at 12 p.m. on Sept. 23 at a pool in a former slate quarry.

A funicular running between the towns of Schwyz and (car-free) Stoos, the latter overlooking Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, began operation on Dec. 17. The gradient of the 1,720-meter-long track tops out at 47.7 degrees, making it the world’s steepest funicular. The train’s four barrel-shaped, 34-passenger cabins each sit on a pivot, allowing them to remain horizontal for the entire trip. 

A plan to eliminate smoking in all bars and restaurants in Austria by May 2018 (Nov. ’17, pg. 48) was scrapped by the Austrian parliament on Dec. 7, 2017. The current laws, which allow smoking in assigned sections of restaurants and bars, will remain in place.

Located near the shores of Lake Malawi, Kande Horse (Box 22, Kande, Nkhata Bay South, Malawi; phone +265 888 500 416, kandehorse.com) offers three horseback-riding day trips suitable for any level of riding experience. 

Founded in 1895 as a library for working-class citizens, Biblioteca Arús (Passeig de Sant Joan 26, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; phone, +34 932 565 950) now houses special collections on labor movements, anarchism and other societal campaigns.

Covering the history of anesthesia from the first demonstration of ether in 1846 to the machines and equipment being used today, London’s Anaesthesia Heritage Centre (21 Portland Pl., London, England, W1B 1PY, U.K.; phone +44 20 7631 1650, ext. 7, www.aagbi.org/education/heritage-centre) was founded in 1932.

Housing over 4,500 objects, it comprises the archives of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland (AAGBI), the Anaesthesia Museum and a rare- book collection. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Admission is free.

Baguettes, patés and terrines — on the 3-hour “Taste of the Left Bank” food tour of Paris offered by Paris By Mouth (phone +33 9 70 73 66 99, parisbymouth.com), travelers will visit a popular Parisian boulangerie, a charcuterie and a high-end froma­gerie as well as a sweets shop and a wine merchant’s, sampling selected wares.

Tours are guided in English and include at least two hours of walking time. €110 (near $131) per person includes all provided food.