Travel Briefs

A new, permanent WWI exhibit, “Latvian Population in World War I,” at the Latvia War Museum (20 Smilsu St., Riga, LV-1050, Latvia; phone +371 672 23743, www.karamuzejs.lv), tells the story of the Christmas Battles and the formation of the independent Republic of Latvia in 1918.

The museum, located in the 14th-century Powder Tower, part of the old fortifications of Riga, houses artifacts of Latvian military history, with a focus on the 20th century but with some items dating back to medieval times. 

The long-delayed Argyle International Airport (airport code, SVD), on the island of St. Vincent in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, received its first-ever flight on Feb. 14, almost nine years after airport construction began and five years behind scheduled completion. At press time, Caribbean Airlines and SunWing Airlines had flights scheduled to SVD. Visit www.svgiadc.com.

Shuttered since June 2009, Santiago, Chile’s, aerial tramway Teleférico de Santiago began operating again in November 2016, with new cars and updated safety equipment.

The cable cars, located in Parque Metropolitano de Santiago, travel two kilometers from Oasis Station, at the park’s entrance, to Tupahue Station on Tupahue Hill and Cumbre Station near the peak of San Cristóbal Hill (at 2,890 feet, the second-highest point in the city). The park also contains the Chilean National Zoo, a botanical garden, a funicular and public pools. 

A new high-speed train route connecting the city of Shanghai, on China’s eastern coast, to the city of Kunming, in China’s most southwesterly Yunnan Province, began operating in January 2017. The train travels up to 205 miles per hour along the 1,400-mile route, making the trip in roughly 11 hours. Previously, trains took 34 hours to make the one-way journey.

The British Airways ownership group IAG is introducing Level (www.flylevel.com), a new, budget long-haul airline based in Barcelona, Spain, with flights starting in June 2017. Level will initially fly from Barcelona to Oakland and Los Angeles in the US (with one-way flights starting at $149) as well as to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The cave paintings at Ennedi, northern Chad, were defaced with graffiti on an unknown date. The art at the site in the Sahara depicts human and animal forms and dates back more more than 8,000 years, before the area became desert. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. 

The graffiti was written in French and Arabic, and Chadian officials believe that locals are responsible. Restorationists are unsure if the graffiti can be removed without damaging the original images.

The Azure Window, a natural stone arch on the west coast of Gozo Island, Malta, collapsed into the sea on March 8 during a heavy storm. The feature was a popular spot for photos. Another nearby arch, Wied il-Mielah¯ Window, is still standing.

Women’s clothing and jewelry from generations of Duchesses of Devonshire of the Cavendish family will be on display at Chatsworth House (Bakewell, Derbyshire, England, DE45 1PP, U.K.; www.chatsworth.org) in the “House Style” show until Oct. 22, 2017. 

 Clothing dates from Bess of Hardwick (16th century) to current duchess Amanda Cavendish. Modern designers whose clothing is in the show include Christian Dior, Helmut Lang, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Art from the family’s collection will also be shown.