A year of travels: looking back on 2017
2018 is almost here and it’s time to look back at the trips made in 2017. I’ve been fortunate once again to have the opportunity to make lasting memories in some of the world’s most captivating destinations. Here’s a round up of my favourite trips from the past year as well as a teaser for what’s to come in 2018.
Puerto Rico
The first trip of the year took me to Puerto Rico, which by autumn would be left reeling from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in September. The beauty of this Caribbean island and how diverse it was blew me away. From the historic cobbled streets of Old San Juan to the dramatic views from its mountains via rainforests, windswept beaches and an enormous telescope, this island fast became one of my favourite in the Caribbean. I love a sandy beach as much as the next person, but it gets boring after a while and it’s good to know there’s a suckling pig roasting for when you’re ready for a feed.
Puerto Rico is slowly getting back on its feet again. There are several posts on this blog which showcase the island’s attractions, but for an insight into recent months, this New York magazine article recounts just how tough it has been:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/12/hurricane-maria-man-made-disaster.html
Scotland
In February I flew up to Glasgow to visit friends. They recommended a drive over to Falkirk to see the Kelpies. It’s well worth the effort if you’re planning a trip to Scotland in 2018. The sculptures are as magnificent up close as they are imposing from a distance. Despite the inclement weather, I found the story behind the project fascinating and I was lucky to get a guide who was so enthusiastic about his topic.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/the-kelpies/
Uruguay and Argentina
In March I returned to Uruguay and Argentina after a ten year gap spent largely salivating over thoughts of the $4 fillet steak I’d eaten in El Calafate – I’m sure we have all had those holiday meals that we remember forever. But sometimes these memories are not to be repeated. I had the most amazing crab dinner in St Lucia years ago but the restaurant has closed down. And what about Argentina? In the intervening years, costs had risen, particularly in Buenos Aires. Salta obliged with a decent steak, but at a price. Fortunately, there, in the form of the haunting face of the Lightning Girl was something to compensate – though it was a chilling insight into the past.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/saltas-lightning-girl
I enjoyed seeing more of my favourite continent. A challenging but rewarding stay on a working ranch in Uruguay tested my riding ability to the limit, with excursions to the Fiesta de la Patria Gaucha providing a welcome injection of fun. If you’re nervous about trying out a working ranch rather than the more typical dude ranch, don’t be, but read this first:
Bolivia
After visiting so many countries, it might come as a surprise to learn I still have a bucket list and for many years, a trip to the salt flats at Uyuni has been top of the list. Crossing overland from Argentina, I timed my visit for the end of rainy season as I’d heard the sight of a flooded salt lake wouldn’t disappoint. It was phenomenal, and spending the night in a salt hotel was an unusual if slightly uncomfortable experience. See how Uyuni stacked up when compared to the salt flats of northern Argentina here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/salt-flat-tours-argentina-vs-bolivia/
Ibiza
When a friend asked could I try out some of his company’s Sunwise UVA clothing, I jumped at the chance and picked Ibiza as my destination. I product tested a floaty, very feminine kaftan which protected me well from the sun but also was versatile enough for me not to look out of place on the beach and at a city cafe. I’m more of a T-shirt and trousers kind of girl but it wasn’t too frou-frou to be wearable. Ibiza was surprising too – much more to it than beach clubs and foam parties.
If you burn easily or are keen to protect your skin from sun damage, then I’d recommend you check out Sunwise UVA’s website. The link’s in my blog post.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/product-test-sunwise-uva-clothing/
PS I’m not on commission.
Texas
Next up was a return visit to the USA, but one with a difference, as I explored Texas with Traveleyes, a specialist company which focuses on trips for the visually impaired. Putting my travel plans into the hands of a company definitely took me out of my comfort zone. Nevertheless, I made some great friends on the trip and especially enjoyed San Antonio. After a dull art museum (what was it Elton John was supposed to have said? I don’t like going to museums because I can’t buy it…) I skipped off with my VI, a charmer nicknamed Smithie (to my Essex). We wound up at Paris Hatters, one of the city’s oldest stores, and bought him a cowboy hat. Elton John would have approved.
As a sighted guide, the experience was a reminder of just how much we take for granted but also made me realise how much my visually impaired companions could access – from horse riding to a lesson in the Texas Two-Step in preparation for Austin’s honky tonks, nothing was off limits. It was a thought-provoking holiday and I can see why some of the sighted guides go time and time again. Find out more about Traveleyes here:
The Caucasus
Another bucket list trip became a reality as I spent a few glorious summer weeks in the Caucasus. My focus was on Georgia and Armenia with a couple of side trips to disputed territories to add a frisson of excitement. (There’s nothing like a morning spent in police custody to make a trip feel that little bit different! Sorry for the worrying text Mum, won’t do it again.) This part of the world is a delight. My personal highlights were the scenic Svaneti region of Georgia with its charming towers and ever so slightly wild people, and a very emotional visit to the genocide memorial in Yerevan which literally moved me to tears.
Venice
I’ve made many day trips to European cities by air over the last few years, proving you can still satisfy your city break fix even if you’ve run out of holiday. This autumn I picked Venice and spent the day leisurely exploring its canals and back streets enjoying some of the city’s off the beaten track sights. I found a gondola in a book store, a heavenly bar hidden in plain sight near the Rialto Bridge and dresses that started life in a women’s prison. Off season, this is an engaging destination and far better without the crowds of summer.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/10/13/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-venice/
Cape Verde
November’s a horrible month. Dark evenings signal the start of the long winter season and Christmas lights have yet to migrate from shop to front window. Grumpy Julia was in need of some sun and jetted off to Cape Verde. While Sal could have had more soul, Fogo Island with its brooding volcano didn’t disappoint. My guesthouse set me up with a guide to hike inside the caldera walls, a place known as Chã das Caldeiras. We walked between villages, the path running alongside the raw edges of the 2014-15 lava flow that engulfed the homes of over 1000 people though luckily claimed no lives.
As the guesthouse owner said, “it’s still Africa, but not as you know it”.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/a-beginners-guide-to-cape-verde/
Salzburg
I couldn’t let the year end without a trip to a Christmas market after enjoying those at Copenhagen and Regensburg so much last year. This year, I chose one of Austria’s most charming cities and flew to Salzburg to get my fix. Snow covered the ground, but that didn’t deter the crowds or the authorities (take note Lincoln!) A Krampus run and a train ride to see Silent Night being performed in the village where it was composed rounded off the trip. If you plan to follow suit in 2018, I’d recommend you take a look at the guide I wrote:
That rounds off my travels in 2017, a bumper year for making memories. I’ve only just started thinking about where I’ll go in 2018, but it all kicks off in Cuba this January, booked after I learned of a £140 error fare deal from Secret Flying. If you haven’t yet signed up for their updates, I’d recommend you get over to their website. I’m also booked to go to New Zealand in May, having taken advantage of Air New Zealand’s fantastic Black Friday deal. I’m currently toying with the idea of crossing the dateline and spending some time in the Cook Islands while I’m out there. Watch this space.
Wherever you’re planning for 2018, I’d love to hear about it. Happy travels!
A beginner’s guide to Cape Verde
As the northern hemisphere winter starts to bite, our thoughts turn to warmer climes. But travelling to the Caribbean can be expensive unless you can snag an error fare and the Med’s still a little too chilly. If you’re looking for winter sun on a post-Christmas budget, why not consider Cape Verde? Known locally as Cabo Verde, it’s a ten island archipelago, nine of them inhabited. With a long history and dramatic volcanic landscapes to complement its many glorious beaches, there’s an island to suit everyone.
The salt pans which gave Sal its name
Getting there
Most Brits jet off to Sal, a largely barren island blessed with a bumper crop of beaches and enough resorts to leave you spoilt for choice. The two main operators that win on price are Thomas Cook Airlines and Tui, both of which offer direct flights from the UK. Depending on which extras you consider essential, you can pick up a flight for between £200 and £400. I recently blogged about my experience with Thomas Cook Airlines. Find my review here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/review-of-thomas-cook-airlines/
Thomas Cook plane at Sal airport
No scheduled carriers offering direct flights serve the UK, but you can fly with TAP via the Portuguese capital. If you’ve never been to Lisbon, it’s possible to add a stopover to your holiday. Find out what you can do in and around Lisbon here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-lisbon/
Lisbon’s Alfama district seen from the Mirador at Portas do Sol
Getting around
There’s recently been an increase in domestic flights between many of the islands, with Binter extending their reach from their Canary Islands base and Icelandair taking over the national airline TACV which could see it become more reliable. These changes have opened up island hopping for those constrained by relatively short holidays, providing a real alternative to the inter-island ferries that are available. I had a week on Cape Verde, splitting my time between the islands of Sal, Santiago and Fogo. Ideally you want to spend at least a few days on each. If I’d have been there for a second week, I’d have flown to São Vicente, home to the island’s cultural hub Mindelo and hopped over to Santo Antão for some hiking.
Binter, one of the inter-island airlines
What to see
Sal
Sal’s a package tourist hub, but with a little effort, you can venture beyond the horizons of the all-inclusives. I based myself in Santa Maria, the main resort. As time was limited – I’d really only added a night here to make sure I didn’t miss my flight – I booked an island tour through my bed and breakfast, the centrally located but basic Pensão Les Alizés. Costing just 25 euros for the day’s excursion plus a couple of entrance fees, it was a good way of covering some of the main sights on Sal without resorting to expensive taxis. You’ll notice the currency stated is euros; on Sal, most places will take euros alongside the local Cape Verdean escudos. It’s also worth visiting Project Bioversity’s turtle project, located on the beach behind the Riu Palace Hotel. Read about it here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/an-interesting-turtle-project-on-sal-cape-verde/
Fisherman on Sal Island
Murdeira, looking over towards Monte Leão
Shoe rental, Shark Bay
Salt pans at Pedra de Lume
Mirage, not water
The Blue Eye
Buracona lava pools
Local fisherman, Palmeira
Fogo
Fogo’s about as far removed from Sal as you can get. This tiny island is dominated by an active volcano which looms menacingly against the skyline as you approach. The island’s main town is São Filipe, whose colourful colonial sobrado mansions straggle down the rocky coastline towards the shore. The pace of life is slow, and tourists are relatively few in number. I’d recommend a stay at the Colonial Guest House, a restored 19th century sobrado house with a pool and restaurant within walking distance of the Bila Baxo’s historic attractions. It’s possible to climb the volcano, whose last eruption ended in February 2015, though I settled for an easier guided walk inside the walls of the caldera, along the Chã das Caldeiras. Book well ahead through your guest house to secure an English-speaking guide, as they are few and far between.
Bila Baxo
Sobrado mansion awaiting renovations
Bringing in the firewood, São Filipe
Parque Natural do Fogo
Homes and businesses buried in the 2014-15 lave flows, Portela
Road to nowhere, Chã das Caldeiras
Santiago
Home to the nation’s capital Praia, Santiago is an interesting destination for visitors. I based myself in Praia and, like most of its residents, headed out to nearby Cidade Velha on a warm November Sunday. Once known as Ribeira Grande, it was the country’s capital and focus for 15th century settlers. There’s a pillory post, left as a reminder to the island’s slave trading history, and a short stroll away you’ll encounter the oldest colonial church in the Tropics, Nossa Senhora do Rosário church. It’s also worth venturing into the island’s mountainous interior as the scenery is spectacular. The local minibuses, known as alaguers, are cheap. Try to get a front seat spot for the best views.
Rua de Banana, Cidade Velha
Nossa Senhora do Rosário church
Pillory post, Cidade Velha
Football on the beach
Sunrise over Praia
The road to Assomada
Dramatic peaks of Santiago’s mountainous interior
Tips for travellers
The diverse landscapes and captivating history make Cape Verde a rewarding destination. The variety of activities on offer make island-hopping a very attractive proposition, and with online booking, simple to arrange without the need for a package. That said, it is Africa, and travellers need to be prepared for things to occasionally run less smoothly than they’d like.
Transport can be a bit hit and miss, but the friendly Cape Verdeans will help if you find yourself stranded. Alaguers, or minibuses, run on set routes but if you flag down an empty one you’ll be asked if you want it “colectivo” or not – it’s cheaper to share but you’ll spend time waiting for passengers if they’re not full.
Weatherwise, it’s significantly warmer than the more northerly Canary Islands. During my mid-November trip, temperatures were pushing 30ºC. However, be prepared for the wind to pick up – if you’re looking for a fly and flop holiday, make sure your accommodation has a decent pool as you’ll often find the sea’s off limits due to dangerously strong tides.
Tips for getting the best out of Salzburg’s Christmas markets
If you’re looking for an alternative to Germany’s excellent Christmas markets, then why not head over the border to Austria? Salzburg is one of Europe’s most elegant cities, and during the run up to Christmas, it’s bedecked with festive lights and crammed full of stalls. I spent the weekend exploring its Christmas markets and experienced Advent Austrian-style. Here are my tips for getting the best out of a pre-Christmas trip.
Make the most of public transport with a day pass
An extensive network of buses and trolley buses makes getting around easy. Day passes are available, as is the more expensive Salzburg Card which includes free admission to visitor attractions as well as free transport. It does cost 24 euros for the day, however, so you need to be sure you’re going to get your money’s worth for the extra 20 euros you’ll be spending per person. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time at the markets it’s unlikely the Salzburg Card will represent good value for money.
But if you buy regular, transport-only day passes from a machine they cost just 4 euros a day, compared to 5,70 euros if you purchase them from the driver of the bus. If you’re arriving in Salzburg by train or plane, you’ll find these machines in the main bus station or at the airport. They are valid for a complete 24 hour period rather than by calendar days, so you’ll most likely be able to use them the following morning too – good to know if you’re going to be starting your day somewhere there’s no machine. Print off or download maps before you go to make sense of the network; there’s also an app featuring timetables and mobile ticketing.
Download from:
https://salzburg-verkehr.at/service/downloads/
There’s an English option available, but if not these are the maps you’ll find most useful:
City: Liniennetzplan Stadt Salzburg Region: SVV Zonenplan
Wrap up warm
You might not get a dumping of snow as I did, but if you’re visiting Salzburg in December, it is likely to be very cold. Temperatures during my visit hovered just below freezing, but if like me you’re tempted out onto the Wolfgangsee, the wind that blows across the lake is a chill one. Pack accordingly, and layer up with hat, scarf, gloves and thermal underlayers. If all else fails, drink gluhwein!
Plan your market trips
As you might expect, there’s more than just one market in the city, as well as some delightful markets in the surrounding towns and villages. I took a trip out to St Gilgen and Strobl on the shores of the Wolfgangsee. Strobl’s market featured livestock in the form of sheep, goats and reindeer and boat trips were possible too between the lakeshore villages. St Gilgen’s market was bigger and had a lot of character. A day pass on the #150 bus meant I could hop on and hop off all day for a fare of 17,60 euros.
In the city itself, the largest market is the Christkindlmarkt in Domplatz. As the name suggests, it’s right by the cathedral in the Old Town. It has its origins in a market that started in the 15th century, though in its present incarnation it’s been going since 1974. Just around the corner you’ll find an ice rink. The Christkindlmarkt had a huge concentration of stalls but as a result was packed; if you’re not so keen on crowds, I’d recommend visiting this one during the day.
There is also a smaller market at Mirabellplatz, which is handy if you need to kill time or grab a hot drink before your bus leaves as it’s right by the stops. This year the market up at the Hohensalzburg fortress is closed due to renovation work, but well worth checking out next year.
My favourite of all the city markets was that at Hellbrunn, a short ride away by #25 bus and included in the 4 euros day pass. Nestled in the courtyard of this attractive palace, there are plenty of artisan stalls so a lot of choice if you plan to do some gift-shopping. The inclusion of hundreds of trees festooned with red baubles and the use of the palace shutters to turn the palace into a huge Advent calendar makes this one extra special.
There is a 3 euros entrance charge at the weekend (it’s free on weekdays) but this is redeemable for a mug of Gluhwein which would have cost 3,50 euros. If you have kids with you, it’s good to know that this is the place where they have the trick fountains and although they used to be a summer-only attraction, for the last couple of years these have been opened during Advent too.
To check opening times and other details, this is the link you’ll need:
Don’t just visit the markets
Space them out and punctuate your visits with other activities. There are carol concerts and muscial recitals at many of the markets; you’ll find schedules online, though not all sites are in English. For something completely different, I caught a train out to Oberndorf bei Salzburg to visit the Silent Night chapel, a memorial chapel in the village where schoolmaster Franz Gruber and pastor Josef Mohr composed and performed the popular carol for the first time. In the company of a band of actors and local dignitaries, I participated in a themed walk that crossed the Salzach River into Laufen, Germany. there, at the Salzachhalle, watched a play which recounted the tale of the history of those twin villages as well as the story of how Silent Night came to be. I won’t pretend I understood a lot with my schoolgirl German, but the music was heavenly.
Attending a Krampus run is also good fun and it’s worth checking out where the nearest is during your visit. If you haven’t already seen the blog I wrote about Gnigl’s Krampus festivities, check out the post here where you’ll also find some useful links if you plan to go yourself:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/the-scary-side-of-christmas/
Done Salzburg?
If you’ve already been to Salzburg’s Christmas markets and they’ve given you a taste for more, why not try these alternatives? Last year I blogged about Copenhagen and Regensburg, both of which can be visited in a day from London:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-regensburg/
Wherever you are this Advent, have a safe and happy time!
Book review: Europe by Rail
I was thrilled when an opportunity arose to review the latest edition of Europe by Rail in exchange for a complimentary copy. This guide, now in its fifteenth incarnation, is to print what the Man in Seat 61’s website is to the internet – the definitive guide. But with so much information freely available on the internet, should you buy this book at all?
A task of epic proportions
Covering all the railways of all the European countries in a book light enough to carry onto a train is a huge undertaking. As a consequence this book acts as an overview. While it’s definitive, it doesn’t claim to be comprehensive. The guide is designed to be used together with the European Rail Timetable – or in these times of data roaming, in conjunction with the websites of national rail providers in the countries it covers. The authors, Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries, have updated the guide once more, expanding coverage of the Baltics and the Balkans, as well as providing current information about rail travel across the continent. Schedules change frequently, and I was sad to learn that the excellent CityNightLine service which I enjoyed in 2015 ceased operations between Munich and Berlin last year.
CityNightLine
An inspiring guide
The authors wanted to take the guide in a different direction and as such, set out to inspire as well as inform. So although there are factual sections in the guide, its greatest strength is in the persuasiveness of the descriptions that comprise the bulk of its pages. Underpinning this erudite prose is a fundamental belief that train journeys are fun and, most crucial of all, to be savoured. While acknowledging the important role Europe’s high speed trains have to play, Gardner and Kries put the case for slow travel, yet never come across as preachy. If you need to zip across the continent in a hurry, then so be it, but for those with more time, there are routes to be savoured on local stopping trains, with tempting sidetracks built in as well.
Crossing the Landwasser Viaduct in Switzerland
Punctuating the narrative are frank insights into the realities of each trip: “It’s an easy run south to Barcelona. The railway enters the Catalan city through its unexciting northern suburbs and terminates in the subterranean gloom at the Estació de Sants.” Nuggets of advice are also in abundance, such as this on Italy’s fabulous Cinque Terre: “A long sequence of tunnels means that you’ll see little of the area from the train, but take time to stop and explore. Vernazza is a good base; it’s the prettiest of the villages.” Gardner and Kries have put the hours in and travelled these routes, which makes them authoritative as well as engaging.
The Cinque Terre
What could be improved?
Numbers rather than names refer to each of the fifty routes covered by the guide once you get past each one’s title. Though this system takes a bit of getting used to, many of them cross international borders so it’s hard to see how they could be referred to in any other way. It doesn’t help, however, that some of the subtitles within each section, specifically those of the major cities en route, are in the same sized font, making it confusing as to whether you’ve reached the end of a route or not. It takes a bit of time to get your head around, but once you’ve got into a rhythm, you won’t be bothered by it.
Spain’s high speed AVE
Each route features a map. The presentation is simple, with a table attached that shows the journey time, frequency and cross-reference for the European Rail Timetable. While I could see that the authors were aiming for clarity, I thought it was a shame that these maps couldn’t have been illustrated to showcase some of the key attractions along the way. This would have added to the temptation to jump on a train and follow in their footsteps. I’m guessing publishing constraints required the photographs to be grouped in their own section, as is the way with most guidebooks, but it’s again a pity that these couldn’t have been integrated with the text. Instead, I wanted to skim over them, impatient to get to the routes themselves.
Sintra station’s exquisite ticket office
There’s a lot of page turning, back and forth, which breaks into reveries and brings the reader back to reality. I appreciate that logic dictates a section entitled “Before you leave” should be placed at the beginning of a guide, but perhaps the parts detailing rail passes, ticket classes and the like would have been just as at home in an appendix. These are minor criticisms, more a measure of how keen I was to get stuck in than any fault with the guide.
The verdict: would I buy this guide?
For anyone planning to embark on a rail holiday in Europe, this guide is an invaluable companion. Even if you’ve travelled extensively by rail across the continent, things change regularly and it’s an easy way to bring yourself up to date. Don’t wait until you leave to buy it. The suggestions for stopovers and detours will help with your planning and you’ll have information at your fingertips about rail passes, supplements, connections and the like. If you’re like me, it won’t help you make a decision, as there are so many tempting routes from which to choose, but it will give you hours of pleasure as you take a virtual journey on some of Europe’s most scenic tracks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to go back to that chapter on Arctic Norway…
The scary side of Christmas
The bus is packed and tempers are fraying as those who can’t fit are left to wait on the snowy pavement. On board, spirits are high. Childish excitement is contagious. At Gnigl station in Salzburg, Austria, the bus spews its pasengers onto the street and the pace quickens as I follow the crowd up the street. A fire engine blocks the road and the scream of labouring engines marks the point where the trolley buses unhook and divert to continue their journey under their own power. Behind metal barriers, the crowd is already four or five thick. I squeeze past and make my way along the street until I find a space next to three youngsters of primary age. I take a few test shots with the camera and the little boy next to me tells me sternly to use the flash.
Soon, the parade gets underway. The Krampuslauf has a long history in Austria, its origins in pagan rituals dating from the Middle Ages. While St Nicolaus rewards good children with sweets, those who have been naughty have to face the consequences of their actions. Chains and claws set the Krampus apart from the evil Schiachperchten, who are also masked creatures with shaggy pelts and curved horns. Traditionally, the perchten weren’t seen during Advent, instead being associated with the period between the Winter solstice and Epiphany. These days the once defined lines between the two have become blurred, though no one seems to mind.
The costumes are elaborate, with no visible trace of the human inside. Hand carved wooden masks are painted in garish colours. From head to toe a suit of shaggy sheep wool, plus tail of course, tops shoes hidden behind hooves. The jarring sound of the bells on their backs marks their arrival. The children next to me fall silent, their fearful eyes widening. They’re young enough still to believe. A six foot beast runs at the barrier and clambers up, rearing over the children’s heads to great effect. Their shrieks pierce the night and they shrink back, momentarily afraid. Even as an adult, it’s a frightening moment, and I can’t help myself as I jump back too.
One child finds the courage to roar back at the Krampus and the monster ruffles his hair in a good-natured response. Everyone plays along, and the atmosphere is one of family fun. But there are more terrifying figures behind him. As they dart up the street, they twist this way and that. The cow bells on their backs clank heavily and they swish whips fashioned, I’m told, from a horse’s tail. I’ve heard that it’s common for them to thrash spectators’ legs and it makes me a little nervous.
From time to time, there’s an injection of humour. One group stops to perform a dance routine, though they’re as far removed from a boy band as you can get. Another pair face off as if in a boxing ring, before dropping to the floor and doing press ups. The children next to me giggle, at least until they jump to their feet. But St Nicolaus isn’t far behind and their pleading cries gain the desired result: sweets. They stuff their faces, eyes bright, their fear of Krampus forgotten.
The frigid air bites my cheeks and I wrap my scarf tighter around my face. The parade’s only about half done, but there’s a gluhwein stand within sight and it’s time to warm up.
Where to see the Krampus in or around Salzburg
5th December, is St Nicolaus Eve, the night of the Krampus run in Salzburg’s Altstadt. There are also many other parades that take place throughout the Salzburg region, from its suburbs to tiny mountain villages, as well as throughout Austria and the neighbouring German state of Bavaria. The following two links will help you plan which Krampus or Perchten parades coincide with your visit:
https://www.krampuszeit.at/veranstaltungen/salzburg/
https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/advent/krampus-percht
If you plan to head to Gnigl next year, it’s an easy ride on the #4 trolley bus from Mirabellplatz in the centre of the city. Alight at Gnigl S-bahn station and follow the crowd a couple of blocks up to Turnerstrasse or Schillinghofstrasse to claim your spot.
An interesting turtle project on Sal, Cape Verde
While in Sal last month I was fortunate to be able to meet with a couple of volunteers working for Project Biodiversity. Established two years ago, it’s a non-profit organisation which works tirelessly to protect the turtle population on Sal, one of the Cape Verdean islands most afflicted with the negative impacts of mass tourism.
Sal has a significant number of loggerhead turtles yet the species is globally endangered. The rapid development of tourist infrastructure and large scale hotels on Sal is threatening this species alongside historic threats like poaching and pollution. A team of local rangers, field biologists and volunteers donate their time and expertise to ensuring that these creatures have the best chance of survival. They also run an education programme in local schools to ensure that children get the message about how important turtle conservation is, not just to Sal but also to the global community.
I visited the project, located at the top of the beach near the Rui Palace hotel, to find out more about the organisation’s work. During the nesting season, roughly from June to November, volunteers patrol some of the beaches on Sal Island. They’re looking for hatchlings and if these tiny creatures aren’t heading in the right direction – that’s straight for the sea – then they rescue them and take them back to their base for some TLC prior to release.
Something like 7500 nests have been monitored this year, and at the time of my visit, 984 nests had been rescued and brought to the main hatchery, with several hundred more rescued to other locations. Female turtles typically lay between fifty and a hundred eggs at a time, up to seven times a season. Incubation is between 50 to 60 days. But then, explained volunteers Cristina and Marisol, comes the heartbreaking statistic: they don’t all hatch and on average only one in a thousand hatchlings makes it to adulthood. It’s a tough life being a baby turtle!
The work that Project Biodiversity is carrying out aims to help conserve this species. Each of the hatchlings is counted, the time of birth recorded and also that of their release. The number of eggs per nest is recorded too in an attempt to monitor the health of the species. But despite the non-profit’s efforts, they estimate that many turtles were still killed this year. Volunteers go out with locals knowledgeable about the island’s beaches and also with military assistance, not because of any particular perceived threat but because their presence helps to ramp up the deterrent factor.
Yet even with the best efforts of Project Biodiversity to educate, there’s also an issue with misplaced kindness. One Riu Palace tourist I spoke to explained that he’d seen hatchlings being taken from their holding pen while the Project Biodiversity centre was unmanned and released directly into the sea. But this interferes with their ability to imprint to their natal beach. The hatchlings need to make their own way down to the sea across the sand – that way they’ll be able to find their way back to nest as adults. In addition, hands that are contaminated with sunscreen or other oily substances like handcream can also interfere with the imprinting process. Sal has one other threat to hatchlings taken right to the shore. The waves are huge!
To find out more about the project, visit their website:
https://www.projectbiodiversity.org/sal-turtle-conservation
During nesting season, it’s possible to visit the project in the afternoons around 5pm. Note that if you aren’t staying at the Riu Palace, you won’t be allowed in the hotel grounds; take the path around the side of the hotel instead. You’ll be able to witness the newest hatchlings make their way to the sea and learn first-hand about Project Biodiversity’s work. If you wish, there’s also the chance to adopt a nest or make a donation to the project, but there’s no hard sell.
With thanks to Project Biodiversity for their time and also for permission to use of the images in this post.
Get to know Royal London
If you’re a lover of all things Royal, then you’ll be looking forward to next May’s Royal wedding which is set to take place at Windsor. London, a stone’s throw away, is of course a Royal favourite, but where should you visit to follow in the footsteps of the Royal family? From the obvious locations like Buckingham Palace to places with a less well-known connection to the UK’s best loved family, these excursions will tick all the boxes.
Fortnum and Mason
Along Piccadilly, you’ll see the distinctive eau de nil façade of the Queen’s grocer, Fortnum and Mason. The Queen, despite her advancing years, is a frequent entertainer, hosting heads of state and other dignitaries for lavish banquets. Her annual food bill was recently estimated at around £1.4 million. Fortnum and Mason receive a chunk of that money but there are plenty of affordable goods to be had for regular customers too. Don’t miss the food hall and pick up a picnic fit for Royalty. Time your visit to watch the clock outside chime the hour; Mr Fortnum bows to Mr Mason.
Buckingham Palace
Near to Piccadilly is Green Park, the smallest of the capital’s eight Royal Parks at just 40 acres. Its tree-lined paths and grassy meadows make for a beautiful picnic spot. Aim to reach Buckingham Palace by late morning to coincide with the Changing of the Guard ceremony; you can check the exact time at www.changing-guard.com. For the best view, try to get as close to the Palace gates as possible. If you’re visiting in August and September, then it is possible to take a guided tour inside the palace itself and that’s well worth the entry fee.
Queen’s Gallery
At Buckingham Palace, tours of the Queen’s Gallery operate year-round. Located in what was originally one of John Nash’s conservatories, the structure was destroyed during World War Two. It was rebuilt at the suggestion of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to house the Royal Collection in 1962. Exhibits change, but it’s likely you’ll see works of art by an eclectic range of artists including names such as Rembrandt, Hockney, Rubens and da Vinci.
The Royal Mews
The Royal Mews is where you’ll find the Queen’s carriages and it’s found around the corner from the Queen’s Gallery on Buckingham Palace Road. Guided tours operate between April and October and are included in the price of your admission. Wardens dressed in a smart navy and red livery will show you the highlights of the collection of vehicles, including the Diamond Jubilee State Coach which is the newest addition to the fleet. Equally dazzling is the Gold State Coach which dates from the time of George III. It weighs nearly four tonnes and requires eight horses to pull it. It’s the coach that has been used to take each monarch to their coronation since the early 19th century. Animal lovers will also be pleased to learn that you’ll get to meet the horses during the tour.
The Goring Hotel
This exclusive hotel is tucked away a short walk from the Palace in Beeston Place. It describes itself as “London’s last remaining family-owned luxury hotel – a grand hotel with impeccable manners.” It’s the hotel in which Kate Middleton’s family stayed on the eve of her wedding to Prince William and this five-star establishment is sure to impress. If you have the budget, you can stay here too; room rates begin at a little over £300 per night.
Kensington Palace
Access to Kensington Palace, former home of Diana, Princess of Wales, its gardens and exhibitions is by ticket only. Inside, you’ll be able to visit the King and Queen’s state apartments, little changed since 1690 when they were built for the then monarchs William and Mary. Temporary exhibits also feature; the “Diana: her fashion story” collection scheduled to open early in 2017 is sure to be immensely popular.
Diana Memorial Garden
Following the edge of Hyde Park, another of London’s Royal Parks, you’ll come to the Diana Memorial Garden. Its highlights include a playground, a nod to Diana’s great love of children, featuring as its centrepiece a huge pirate ship. Also, it’s here you’ll find a memorial fountain built from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. Water flows in cascades and swirls until it reaches a calm pool at the bottom, symbolising Diana’s sometimes turbulent life.
The Brown Cow, Fulham and the Cross Keys, Chelsea
My final suggestion is to down a drink at one of Prince Harry’s favourite pubs. The Brown Cow is owned by one of his friends, Mark Dyer, a former officer in the Welsh Guards. Harry was a regular when in town, before his engagement at least. It’s the place he chose to toast the birth of his nephew Prince George. You’ll find it on the Fulham Road. The Cross Keys in trendy Chelsea is another Mark Dyer establishment. Originally Chelsea’s oldest pub, Harry celebrated his 31st birthday here. You’ll find the pub just before you get to the River Thames near Chelsea Embankment. Cheers!
A visit to Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre
Regular readers of this blog will perhaps remember how I enjoyed a trip to the Christmas markets in Regensburg, Germany last year. If you’re looking for a German Christmas market destination, then I’d recommend this small city near to Nuremberg as the markets are compact yet very atmospheric, with one located in the grounds of the delightful Thurn und Taxis Palace. I snagged flights with Ryanair for less than a fiver, making it viable both in terms of time and cost for a day out.
Copenhagen’s Christmas markets were also well worth the trip, with the Danish capital adding some Scandi style to the proceedings. This year, I’ll soon be spending the weekend in charming Salzburg, Austria to see how they compare. In the meantime, you can read more about Regensburg and Copenhagen’s markets here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-regensburg/
But what about the markets closer to home? Can the UK compete? A news feature on BBC Look East about increased security at Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre was not only reassuring but perhaps more importantly, brought the event onto my radar. It took about an hour and a half to drive through some of North Essex and Suffolk’s most scenic countryside to reach the town. At midday on the Friday of the Fayre, the Park & Ride was full, as were the town’s long stay car parks. I began to wonder whether I should have taken the train, though it would have involved two changes and an extra hour on the return journey. Finally, we were given permission to tuck the car into the exhibitors’ car park. Was it worth the trip?
The Fayre
With around 300 stalls spread across several locations in the town, there was plenty to hold our attention. In total, we spent around 5 hours at the Fayre, beginning in the pedestrian streets spanning Cornhill and Buttermarket. Moyse’s Hall Museum, which focuses on local and social history, is worth making the time for.
Outside the museum, we found several enticing food stalls, the best of which specialised in salami and sausage. Purchase one in the bag. Not far away, Just Our Stall, which has a permanent base in the town on St John’s Street, had a wide selection of sheepskins and farmed reindeer hides. Prices were very competitive and quality was high.
From there, a stroll down Abbeygate Street led us via shops and cafes towards the Abbey itself. Fairground rides and Santa’s Grotto would keep the kids happy. Inside, we were disappointed at first to find that there weren’t as many seasonally-themed traders as we’d imagined, though once we got to the reindeer pen, things got a lot more Christmassy. One of the two reindeer wasn’t too keen on remaining in the pen, attempting to climb out when someone produced a carrot. He was a real character.
Through the Abbey gate, the concentration of stalls selling Christmas gifts and decorations was higher, making this our favourite part of the Fayre. Stand out traders, for their sense of humour as well as their product range, included HaGA Lifestyle which enthusiastically embraced the Danish concept of hygge. Locals will be aware that their regular base in Eastgate Street has an excellent cafe, a deli and also offers dog grooming.
The Once I Was stall also brought to mind the recycling theme I’d seen in action in Copenhagen. Each of the products had previously been something else before being repurposed for use in the home. Tealight holders, chopping boards and Christmas decorations had been fashioned from drawer fronts, fence posts and sheets of plywood. Also worthy of a mention is The Crafty Foxes. Based in Queens Road, they offer craft workshops. Here at the Fayre, they had a range of gift bags for sale which made excellent stocking fillers, as well as some rather unique Christmas tree decorations.
Food stalls were in abundance and there were some tempting and very festive offerings from which to choose. In contrast to the European markets, however, there was a lack of seating nearby, which meant either standing around or walking around with food and drink. Hopefully, that’s something which St Edmundsbury Council might consider for next year.
As the sun set, the festive atmosphere ramped up a notch. There hadn’t been time to duck inside the Athenaeum for the indoor stalls or catch one of the cookery demonstrations in the Cathedral Courtyard. Walking back to the car, we reflected on what an enjoyable afternoon it had been and well worth a return visit.
Review of Thomas Cook Airlines
I’m no stranger to low cost flying, but it’s been a long time since I’ve flown with an airline which made its name catering for package tourists. So what’s it like to fly Thomas Cook Airlines?
Timing
I chose to fly to Cape Verde, and at the time of booking, I was flexible about which of its nine inhabited islands I would fly to. The only direct flights from London were with Tui (formerly Thomson) and Thomas Cook Airlines. I could have flown with scheduled airlines but it would have meant an indirect flight, such as with TAP via Lisbon. The flight times were convenient too, with an 8.05am outbound option and a 2.45pm inbound flight. Flying on a Wednesday worked for me, though to get a daily flight option I’d have needed to fly indirect. From LGW Thomas Cook Airlines fly in winter; in summer the only flights offered depart from Manchester. But with November temperatures in the late twenties, the islands are a good choice for a winter break, if a little windy.
Additional costs
Though the base fare was reasonable – and even more so now November is almost over – the airline’s pricing model worked on getting its passengers to pay for add-ons. Some of these prices were pretty steep. £10 for each sector secured you a hot meal, a suitcase was £25 each way and allocated seating cost from £13 per leg. I opted just to take a suitcase, given that the carry-on dimensions (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) and, especially, weight limits (6kg) weren’t sufficiently generous for a week-long holiday. This would be higher on the all-inclusive Economy Plus tariff but the price difference was significant, making it poor value for money. I didn’t choose the seat allocation and was randomly allocated a middle seat in each direction. A polite request with the check-in staff got this changed to an aisle seat both ways, but of course this can’t be guaranteed.
On-board service and comfort
The Sal flight operated on an Airbus 321. Legroom was 28″, 2″ less than on a Ryanair short haul flight. On this six-hour mid-haul flight, that’s cramped, and I was glad of the aisle seat to be able to get up and stretch my legs frequently without disturbing other passengers. Service on board was excellent, the cabin crew without exception polite and professional. Ground staff also conducted themselves well. Many travellers were on package holidays and thus met by a member of the Thomas Cook team, but as I had booked a flight-only option I had no interaction in this respect.
Other information
There’s an entry visa requirement for UK travellers headed to Cape Verde and this currently can be purchased for €25 on arrival. So long as Advanced Passenger Information (API) is completed via the Thomas Cook website 7 days or more in advance, this is paid for by the airline even if you are on a flight-only booking. There’s no need to queue at the visa desk on arrival, saving you time when you get there.
The verdict
Would I travel with Thomas Cook Airlines again? I was impressed by their punctuality and professionalism. However, the lack of flexibility in their schedule and the steep cost of extras means this wouldn’t be an airline I’d consider travelling with again, unless like this route, all the scheduled options were indirect flights.
A Wicked night out
This week I was fortunate to be invited to a press event to promote Wicked the Musical and The Broadway Collection. We were treated to a champagne and canapés reception at the splendid Aster restaurant, munching on smoked salmon blinis and bite sized chicken rolls. I’d been working hard at World Travel Market all day so it was a joy to put my feet up and relax.
Wicked’s UK Executive Producer Michael McCabe provided a bit of background to this well known tale. It’s been a while since I saw the movie, I’ve never seen the stage production or read the book, so his contribution was useful in explaining a little more of the story. In the musical, for instance, the witch is named Elphaba – named for the book’s writer L. Frank Baum, who apparently didn’t like his first name and insisted on being referred to as L. Frank. But it was the key theme that Michael highlighted that got me thinking: are we born wicked or instead are we shaped by our surroundings and the events that involve us?
The musical itself was enjoyable and entertaining. Wicked compared well to my previous favourites Evita and Les Misérables. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget the performance is live when it’s as faultless as this. The characters soon engage and endear themselves, even Elphaba (though of course she’s meant to!) and there was enough humour in the script to stop it from drowning in schmaltz. And let’s not forget the incredible voices – this is talent that doesn’t rely on audience votes and celebrity endorsement to make you appreciate what you’re listening to.
The highlight of the evening for me, however, came at the end. We were invited up on stage to handle some of the props and costumes from the show. I had no idea baby Elphaba would be so heavy or that the witch hat would be so uncomfortable – to my relief I’m not a natural witch after all! The costumes were weighty too, each reflecting the hours and hours of work that had gone into their design and manufacture. All credit to the actors who’d be wearing them under the house lights in November, let alone in summer in a city that barely knows what air conditioning is.
Where to catch Wicked
If you are in London, I’d definitely recommend hotfooting it over to the Apollo Victoria to see it. You’ll follow the millions that have seen it since it began its run in 2006, many of whom have seen it more than once. In New York, you’ll find it at the Gershwin Theatre right near Broadway on 51st Street.
It forms part of The Broadway Collection, together with favourites like Blue Man Group, The Book of Mormon, Miss Saigon and The Lion King. You can purchase your tickets in the UK before you leave from a number of tour operators and agents including TUI, Virgin Holidays and Lastminute.com. There’s more information on their webpage at http://www.broadwaycollection.com or check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/BroadwayInbound and tweet them at @BroadwayInbound.
I’d like to extend my thanks to Made Travel, particularly to their most welcoming press rep Anthony McNeill, who invited me to the event and took care of the tickets and refreshments during the evening. Find out more about them at made.travel.
Why you should do your homework before booking a flight
I had an interesting conversation with a lady the other night about the financial situation of airlines. A number of airlines have made the news recently for the wrong reasons, including Monarch and its demise. Her take on things was that it would have been perfectly reasonable to book with them because they’d been around for so long and if you’d travelled with them before, it would be unnecessary to check them out because you would know they were OK.
Monarch Airlines plane by Andy Mitchell CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr
I had a different opinion. Monarch’s financial woes over the preceding few years had been well-documented in the press. Anyone doing even the most rudimentary of Google searches would have thrown up a number of articles filling out a picture of money troubles and the importance of the end of September deadline to renew its ATOL certificate. But given that hundreds of thousands of travellers were caught out, I’m guessing my expectation that people wouldn’t shell out hundreds of pounds without checking out the robustness of the company was inaccurate.
What’s also interesting is that following the whole Ryanair mismanagement debacle, many people assume that Ryanair is in a difficult position financially. According to industry business analysts, however, it’s not. The graphic on this link reveals that they think it’s in the best position of any European airline when it comes to the risk of going bankrupt:
If the Dow Jones researchers are to be believed, then it might be an idea to be think carefully before about booking a flight with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus at the moment. I’ve flown with both and had excellent experiences but last year business was difficult for both of them. The former posted a 2016 loss of $77 million, the latter $36.1 million. You can read more at:
http://atwonline.com/airline-financials/turkish-airlines-posts-77-million-net-loss-2016
http://atwonline.com/airline-financials/pegasus-airlines-posts-361-million-loss-2016
But then in the case of Finnair, they seem to be doing significantly better than their position on the chart would suggest. Though Dow Jones suggest they fall into the “In Trouble” category, this article appears to refute that speculation:
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finnair_announces_best-ever_quarterly_results/9899848
Norwegian Dreamliner by Juraj Patekar CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Personally, I’m being cautious over booking with Norwegian at the moment. Their rapid long-haul expansion is, in my book, cause for concern, given the history of low-cost airlines and trans-Atlantic flights in particular. I also wonder whether it’s a coincidence that after they announce the commencement of a London to Singapore route, Qantas cans their Dubai layover on their London to Sydney route and goes back to making Singapore their stopover destination.
Whatever your own take on the situation (and I’m not advising you to follow my lead), Norwegian Air currently have a lot of new planes to pay for and face plenty of competition. Norwegian Air’s CEO has been quick to counter that the airline is in good financial health, but this Reuters article also references the potential impact of their CFO quitting in the summer:
I’ll stick to my earlier assertion: if you’re planning on booking a flight, do a little research on your chosen airline first. Take the sensible precautions: make sure they’re ATOL protected where that applies (charters and packages in general terms), pay using a credit card as your outlay will be protected if the flight is over £100 and consider taking out scheduled airline failure insurance in situations where you wouldn’t be covered if you didn’t.
Vitamin Sea
It’s not long now until my trip to Cape Verde and as an autumn chill lingers on the Essex marshes long after sun up, I’m looking forward to some warmth and sea air. To keep me going, I’ve been thinking about five of my favourite beaches and where I’ve most enjoyed getting my Vitamin Sea fix.
Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles
Anse Source d’Argent
I had high expectations for this glossy magazine favourite but didn’t leave disappointed. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen and a pre-dawn walk from my guesthouse meant that I had it to myself at sun up. There’s something about the size of the granite blocks that makes it feel almost prehistoric.
Pointe Sable, Haiti
Sunset at Pointe Sable
Solitude is hard to find in the Caribbean, but Haiti’s still off the beaten track and this beach at Port Salut was the prettiest I found during my travels there. It’s popular with aid workers at weekends, so time your visit for midweek to have it to yourself.
Little Hunter’s Beach, USA
Little Hunter’s Beach
I really enjoyed a few days in the coastal town of Bar Harbor, Maine, the jumping off point for Acadia National Park. Parking up on the loop road, I found serenity and beauty in this tiny cobbled beach. Most people drive right by as the beach isn’t signed.
Jökulsárlón Beach, Iceland
Jökulsárlón beach
Nicknamed the diamond beach, this spot near the outflow of the retreating Oraefajokull glacier is pockmarked with glistening icebergs that have calved and been washed out to sea. Out of season, when the crowds are thin, it’s one of the country’s most incredible sights.
Elmina Beach, Ghana
The beach at Elmina, Ghana
No matter which way you walk from the castle at Elmina, you quickly reach unspoilt, almost deserted beaches. Save for a few hawkers the fine sands and superb views are yours alone. São Jorge da Mina castle has stood on the spot for over 500 years, built by the Portuguese to use as a trade hub and later part of the Gold Coast slave trade.
I’m looking forward to finding some world class beaches in Cape Verde. If you’ve been, I’d love to hear your recommendations.
How much do we really know about the countries we visit?
Several news items this week have left me considering just how much we really know about the countries we visit. Freedom is something which we all too often take for granted here in the UK and wrongly assume the same rights and privileges exist when we travel abroad.
I remember returning from a brief trip to Syria in 2010 and extolling the country’s virtues. I’d walked down the streets of Old Damascus at two in the morning, I said, and felt safer than I did at home. Yet a few short months later, the conflict kicked off that has since destroyed this once peaceful nation and truths about how such security was achieved made for unpalatable reading. It was a wake-up call for me as a traveller. I’d always felt like I was well prepared. Now I realise that I didn’t know the half of it. And still don’t.
How much do we know about the politics of the countries we holiday in? Today, a Scot has received an official pardon after being handed down a three month prison sentence in glitzy Dubai for public indecency. The man’s crime was to have touched a man’s hip in a bar; his defence argued it was to avoid spilling his drink over the stranger. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has exonerated him, yet he still returns home £30,000 out of pocket and without a job as a result of this travesty of justice. He isn’t the first Brit to fall foul of Dubai’s strict laws. According to the organisation Detained in Dubai, a married couple were falsely accused of having sex out of wedlock and only escaped jail when they were able to produce their marriage certificate. Sadly, there are many more stories like the two I’ve mentioned.
A news item from the US reinforced that even in the Land of the Free all is not what it seems. I’m not even talking Trump here – though the decisions made by his administration are often hard to comprehend from this side of the Pond. No, in June of this year, New York banned child marriage under the age of 17. Though technically the legal age of marriage in most states is 18 (in Nebraska it’s 19 and Mississippi 21), loopholes permit marriage before this – and in 25 states there is no minimum age at all. We’re talking kids as young as 11, children whose life chances are altered irrevocably by the very people that should be most concerned with their welfare. So while it’s good news for New York’s minors, others in the US aren’t so well protected.
Closer to home, Spain’s young democracy is being tested by recent events in Catalonia. Franco’s 20th century repression of Basque and Catalan culture plays some role in shaping current political opinion. Whatever your views on whether the referendum should have been held and whether the ensuing result holds any weight, it has been hard to watch government-backed violence at the polling stations. It’s shocking to think that a member of the EU cares so little about freedom of speech. Such a heavy-handed approach has done little for Spain’s reputation. Only time will tell how they move forward and whether they can fix what seems, from the outside at least, to be an impossible situation.
So how much do we really know about a country before we visit? It would seem, not enough.
Just back from: a day trip to Venice
Regular readers of this blog will know how I’ve made a number of day trips by air to some of Europe’s most captivating cities. Yesterday saw me jet off to Venice, in perhaps my most ambitious trip yet.
You’ll find a full list of the others at the bottom of this post or on my Index page here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/index/
While I’m not suggesting for a minute you’re going to truly get under the skin of your chosen destination in such a short space of time, it is great when you have little or no holiday left but still have that pressing need to travel. Or in my case, a desire to keep two dogs out of kennels and into Daddy Day Care which is always a priority. If you believe those predicting Brexit will put an end to cheap European flights from the UK, time could be running out to snap up a bargain. Here’s the how, where, when and what of Venice in a day.
Getting there
My local airport is Stansted, the main UK base of Ryanair, and once again it was to the controversial budget carrier that I looked for my cheap fare. Normally, Ryanair flies in to Treviso airport, but while the airport has been closed for essential runway maintenance, flights are being rerouted to Marco Polo instead. Marco Polo also has the advantage of being closer to the city and well connected by both boat and bus. The current closure lasts until 18 October, but it’s worth keeping an eye out as it’s not the first time I’ve read flights have been diverted. My flight departed on time from Stansted at 0620 and touched down ten minutes ahead of schedule at 0910. The return left a few minutes after its scheduled departure time of 2230 and taxied to the terminal to unload us at 2355, about 15 minutes late. Total ticket cost this time was £34 return. I should also add, as per usual I didn’t bother with a seat reservation and got a randomly allocated window seat on the outbound flight and an aisle on the return leg.
To reach Venice from Marco Polo it’s possible to catch a bus. An express service takes around 20 minutes to make the journey to Piazzale Roma, near the top end of the Grand Canal and the city’s Santa Lucia station. Return tickets cost 15 euros. But to arrive in style, I figured I needed to arrive by boat, though my budget most certainly doesn’t stretch to water taxis. There are, however, direct transfers from the airport with Alilaguna who offer a reliable service on one of three routes. This is double the price of the bus at 30 euros for a return, but in my mind well worth the cost. However, I should mention you do sit low in the boat, which isn’t great for sightseeing if you aren’t tall.
I opted for the orange route as it takes you via Cannaregio and then down the Grand Canal. Journey time to the Rialto Bridge was just under an hour. From there, the boat continues down to Santa Maria del Giglio, just short of St Mark’s. It was busy, and I had to wait for one boat to leave before getting on the second one, which added about a 30 minute delay to my journey. However, the boats serving the blue route were bigger and there wasn’t a wait. They loop via Murano and Giudecca instead, and calling at San Marco on the way. This is a really convenient option if seeing Murano’s famous glass is on your wishlist. However, it does take about 90 minutes to get to San Marco and it doesn’t transit the Grand Canal. The way I see it is that this transfer is part of your day out rather than just transport, but if time is the priority then the bus is a no-brainer.
Note: From Treviso, an airport bus scheduled to coincide with arrivals takes around 70 minutes to reach Piazzale Roma. Make sure that you’re on the ATVO bus and not the Barzi bus as the latter calls at Mestre station rather than Santa Lucia (requiring a second train journey to get to the city) and also Tronchetto Island which is again inconvenient for Venice’s top attractions.
The links you’ll need (including timetables, fares and maps):
ACTV bus and city boats: http://actv.avmspa.it/en
Ailaguna boat: http://www.alilaguna.it/en
Getting around
Venice is time-consuming to get around, which is why I refer to this as my most ambitious day trip to date. Because of the lack of roads, you either have to walk or take to the city’s canals. It’s a pleasure to wander on foot, but the downside is that many alleyways are dead ends leading to canals or courtyards. Without a good map (or even with one) you’re likely to get lost. I relied on a combination of paper map, Google map navigation on my phone and a general sense of direction.
Those of you who know me will realise the latter is pretty much non-existent. Narrow streets and a maze of densely packed buildings mean that sometimes Google maps don’t quite have your location right. I also struggled with night mode, as the canals and alleys have almost no contrast – the waterways are such an essential aid to navigation that I switched it back to day mode. Fortunately even with very limited Italian, people were helpful to my pitiful “Scusi, dove Rialto Bridge?” attempts at conversation and pointed me in the right direction with a smile.
There has been a lot in the press about how residents are fed up with the city being overrun by tourists; the historic centre’s residential population numbers only 55,000 now, compared to an estimated 28 million visitors annually. Do the maths: that’s more tourists per day than the number who actually live there. Whether it was because I visited in the quieter shoulder season or whether such irritation has been exaggerated in the press, I didn’t see any indication of frustration with tourists invading locals’ space. But it’s certainly not an issue to brush under the carpet.
Due to the unhappy marriage of being time-poor and totally incompetent at map reading, I decided to splurge on a day pass for the city’s ACTV boats. This cost 20 euros and can be purchased at the many ticket booths near the jetties. (The jetties themselves are easy to spot being a) near the bigger canals and b) on account of their bright yellow livery as in the photo below.) You do have to validate the pass before you step onto a floating jetty, or risk a hefty fine. Look for a white oval terminal as you step off dry land and tap the card against it. I got my money’s worth hopping on and off, but you’ll need to make several journeys to cover your outlay.
Things to do
With so many sights to choose from, whittling down what’s easily a month’s worth of sightseeing into the nine hours I had in central Venice was tricky to say the least. It helped that this was my third trip to Venice, so I’d already seen the main attractions and (fortunately for me) years ago, well before selfie sticks had been invented. I was also keen to test out the new policy of the Venice authorities which is to encourage people to explore off the beaten track. You’ll find a wide choice of suggestions here (when they first pop up, you might think they’re written only in Italian but they’re actually dual language with English too):
http://www.veneziaunica.it/en/content/itineraries
I began my day by alighting at the Rialto Bridge boat jetty and crossing the bridge itself to the adjacent market. Originally the market moved to this location in 1097, but a 16th century fire destroyed almost everything in the vicinity. The market was rebuilt and despite being a stone’s throw from the tourist crap which lines the bridge and its environs, manages to retain more than a little of its charm. There’s plenty to see, including more varieties of mushrooms than you could ever expect to see back home, capsicums done up like posies of flowers plus of course a pungent but vibrant fish market.
There’s a treat tucked around the back of the market in a hard to find alley (even with the address, Sestiere San Polo 429, it was concealed so well it took me a while to find either of its two doors) What I’m referring to is Cantina do Mori, the bacaro which claims to be the oldest in Venice. This tiny bar whose ceiling is hung with dozens of copper pots still retains a customer base who are happy to share their local with tourists like me. It’s been around since 1462 and once counted the infamous lothario Casanova among its clientele. Today, it’s still a popular place to go and have an ombra (Venetian slang for glass of wine) and soak up the alcohol with some cicheti (or in English, cicchetti), the Venetian equivalent to Spanish tapas.
Eventually, I prised myself away from the bar and its surroundings. I decided first to take a stroll in search of Venice’s narrowest street. Calle Varisco is just 53cm at the little end, though mercifully for pedestrian flow, it widens as you walk down. If I’m honest, I was a little underwhelmed; several properties off the street were having work done and there was a fair bit of rubbish around as a result. Forget what you’ve read: it’s not the narrowest street in the world (that’s a German one) and it’s not even close to being the slimmest in Italy.
Moving on, I headed north and picked up a boat which looped around the Castello district to bring me to the San Zaccaria stop. I was hoping to see if the church’s flooded crypt was underwater, but it closes from 12 noon until 4pm each afternoon so was out of luck. Nearby though, I passed Banco-Lotto No. 10 which sells clothing made by inmates at the women’s penitentiary on Giudecca Island. Sadly, that too was closed, though it shouldn’t have been according to the sign on its doorway. The clothes looked fabulous, even for someone with my limited fashionista skills.
Next up was a bookstore, and one which proves that Amazon can’t provide everything. The Libreria Alta Acqua is a treasure. Books stacked in precarious piles fill every inch of available space. Balanced on shelves, filling redundant gondolas and bath tubs, they represent what a bookstore should be.
This is a place to be savoured, to potter and to forget the time or anything else on your mind. The store owner wandered about, leaving the rather scary looking cat to mind the till while he wheezed and tutted to himself looking for items unspecified but clearly important. I think I could have watched him all day too. Out back was the tinest of courtyards with a sign imploring people to climb up some wobbly stairs made of old books to see the view over the canal.
I couldn’t resist walking south via St Mark’s Square. This might sound odd as I really hate the crowds and the tourist paraphernalia but I think I wanted to see just how bad it was. On the way, in Calle del Mondo Novo, my nose caught the aroma of a cheese and ham store as my eye was drawn to a pig in the pizza shop window opposite. Incidentally, I read that you should never eat pizza in Venice as wood-fired ovens are banned with just a tiny handful of exceptions. The store, Prosciutto e Parmigiano, is known locally as Latteria Senigaglia (that was the name of the original family-run dairy produce store which was set up in 1940).
In St Mark’s Square, I navigated a sea of people who couldn’t have been more synchronised in pointing their mobile phones towards whatever their guide was pointing out had a musical soundtrack been in place. Pausing only to recreate the famous shot of the gondolas lined up facing out across the lagoon, I hopped on another vaporetto. This one was bound for the church of San Giorgio Maggiore. From the top of its belltower, or campanile as they’re called, the views across the city are splendid and of course you look out over the campanile in St Mark’s Square rather than from it. It costs 6 euros to ascend, but for that they provide a lift, and free entertainment when the bells chime the hour, frightening unsuspecting visitors. Best of all – no queues.
It was mid-afternoon and I wanted to explore a little more before I left, so I took a boat a short way up Canale della Giudecca, jumping off at Spirito Santo church to cut back through to the Grand Canal near the Peggy Guggenheim art collection. Another vaporetto took me to Venice Casino from where I could cut through to the district of Cannaregio. This is on the Venice authorities’ recommendations list and is where you’ll find the Jewish Ghetto. It lacked the crowds of St Mark’s and it’s probably very uncharitable of me to hope that the city’s campaign is unsuccessful and it stays that way.
I had planned to have an early dinner in Osteria al Bacco, which is one of the area’s most highly rated restaurants, but got sidetracked by the wonderful Al Timon instead. You do need to book ahead for dinner reservations, though they don’t always serve what they display in the window. Get there right on the dot of six when they open to grab a table for cicheti and a Spritz – for something classically Venetian, swap the fashionable Aperol for Campari.
Time was ticking on so I took a last vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal and then bought a ticket for the boat back to the airport. I’d definitely recommend a visit outside of summer and most importantly, away from the crowd. Venice is never going to be one of my favourite cities, but it’s growing on me.
The other day trips by air:
Ibiza
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/just-back-from-a-day-in-ibiza/
Copenhagen Christmas markets
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/just-back-from-a-day-at-copenhagens-christmas-markets/
Regensburg
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-regensburg/
Belfast
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-belfast/
Budapest
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/just-back-from-a-day-in-budapest/
Bremen
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-bremen/
Lisbon
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-lisbon/
Amsterdam
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/just-back-from-a-day-trip-to-amsterdam/
Priorities
I sat up half the night to watch the Northern Lights. She said she was cold and wanted to go to bed.
I wandered the streets of New York all day. She said her feet hurt and could we go back to the hotel.
I saw three lion cubs playing in the grass just in front of me. She said that the trouble with safaris was that you had to sit in a truck for so long before you saw anything.
I drank mint tea perched on a packing crate deep in the souk. She said was there a Starbucks anywhere because she needed a decent coffee.
I found a quaint b and b to stay in. She said she wanted a choice of pillows and twenty-four hour room service.
I said I worked to travel and saved every penny I had for my next trip. She said she’d rather get those replacement windows in before the winter if it was all the same to me.
Monarch’s collapse: your rights
Sadly, this morning’s headlines that Monarch has collapsed wasn’t shock news. The company had been in trouble for years, with several bailouts brinking it back from the brink of collapse on more than one occasion. Once, it cleaned up on routes to Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt, but had been badly hit by the slump in tourist numbers to those destinations in the face of terrorist attacks. Its Greek business was hit by the economic crisis and in response, it turned to the saturated markets of Spain to try to balance the budget.
It’s the largest UK airline ever to fail. That’s no consolation for the estimated 110,000 people stranded or left with their holiday plans in tatters. This collapse affects at least a further 300,000 people who are due to fly, perhaps more.
What to do if you’re on holiday with Monarch right now
Sit tight. For those booked with Monarch Holidays, the CAA are negotiating with hotels so that you can stay. If you are asked to pay a bill, keep receipts. The CAA are saying they will reimburse you, though the end date for this is uncertain as yet. If you are due to fly home, the CAA are putting on flights to get you home.
A webpage has been set up by the CAA to provide information to travellers. Find it here:
On this website there are details of flight rebookings. Click on the airport you are travelling back from and it will open up the flight number and timing of your new flight. At present, just today’s flights are up, so if you’re due to travel in the next few days, you’ll have to check back later.
If you’re in the UK but have a future Monarch flight or package holiday booked
The CAA’s advice is repeated here:
Flights booked directly with Monarch Airlines from 15 December 2016 onward
Customers with these bookings are not ATOL protected and are not entitled to make a claim to the CAA. You are advised to contact your card issuer, insurer or PayPal for advice on how to claim a refund.
I add: if you have booked using a credit card and the cost of your flight is £100 or more, you are covered. (If you book a return flight, the cost of the total must be over £100, i.e. each leg can be under £100 so long as when combined they’re over.) The credit card company will reimburse you. If you have booked with a debit card, you might be able to get your money back via something called Chargeback; contact your issuing bank for details. If you have specific cover for airline failure in your travel insurance policy, this is also a route for recovering your money. Note that this isn’t a standard clause on many insurance policies.
Back to the CAA:
Flights booked on or before 14 December 2016 directly with First Aviation Ltd trading as Monarch Airlines
If your flight was booked with Monarch Airlines on or before 14 December 2016 and you received an ATOL Certificate stating that your flight is protected with First Aviation, you are ATOL protected. We are making arrangements for refunds to be made as soon as possible to these UK customers.
We will be providing more information on how you should claim shortly. You will be able to submit a claim when we make the Monarch claim form available. Please do not submit a claim until advised to do so.
Bookings made directly with Monarch Airlines from 15 December 2016 onward are not protected by ATOL.
I add: ATOL protection refers to the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence. Basically it ensures you don’t lose your money or get stranded abroad if the company responsible for getting you home goes bust. You receive an ATOL certificate with your holiday paperwork. What happens is that companies lodge money with the CAA in case the CAA has to step in and get their passengers home. Monarch’s ATOL licence ran out on September 30th and as they couldn’t afford to renew it, they were forced to call in the liquidators.
If the ATOL-bonded company goes bust, you apply directly to ATOL for your refund. The CAA website explains what to do, as reproduced here:
Holidays booked directly with Monarch Holidays
Customers booked directly with Monarch Holidays are ATOL protected and will have received an ATOL Certificate when they made their booking. We are making arrangements for refunds to be made on these bookings as soon as possible, and we aim to complete this by the end of 2017 at the latest. We will be providing more information on how you should claim shortly. You will be able to submit a claim when we make the Monarch claim form available. Please do not submit a claim until you are advised to do so.
Monarch flights and Monarch Holidays booked through another travel company or travel agent
If you booked a flight or holiday with another travel company or travel agent you should contact them directly about your arrangements.
How does a country come up with its name?
Have you ever wondered where a country’s name comes from? Some, like Ecuador – named after the Equator which bisects it – link to their geography. Others, named by those who rediscovered them, focus on history – Viscount Jean Moreau de Sechelles was France’s Finance Minister at the time and is now immortalised in the Indian Ocean. For still more, the origin of their name is disputed or unknown. Here are the stories of how five of the world’s countries got their names.
Pakistan
Pakistan is a relatively new nation and its name is an artificial creation. Yes, Pakistan is actually an acronym, combining some of the most important Muslim regions. The first to use it was Choudhry Rhamat Ali, long before Pakistan was partitioned from India. He referred to Pakstan (no i) in a pamphlet, combining letters from the five northernmost regions of the British colony – Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Baluchistan (the latter providing the -tan suffix). The extra i was added later to make the name easier to pronounce.
Argentina
The word “argentine” means “resembling silver” and thus Argentina is the land of the silver. When the Spanish conquistadors first set eyes on the Río de la Plata in the 16th century, some accounts refer to the silvery colour of the water in the sunshine. More likely, the name comes from the gifts of silver given to members of Juan Díaz de Solís’ expedition. They were also told of a mythological mountain, rich in silver. They named it Sierra de la Plata, but it is more likely to have been Cerro Rico de Potosí, one of the largest silver mines found in modern day Bolivia.
Tuvalu
Prior to independence, Tuvalu was called the Ellice Islands and governed by Britain first as a protectorate and later as a colony, in partnership with the Gilbert Islands (now known as Kiribati). But by the 1970s there was a mood for change and the majority of Ellice Islanders wanted to go it alone. They got their wish, becoming a separate British dependent territory in 1975 with full independence coming three years later. The country’s fresh start warranted a new name: Tuvalu. It means “eight standing together”. Actually there are nine island groups but one is so close to sea level they probably classed it as sitting down. Global warming is not going to be good news in these parts.
Burkina Faso
Another name change though this time long after independence – the country used to go by the unoriginal moniker of Upper Volta. In 1984, the then president Thomas Sankara chose Burkina Faso, which translates as the “land of honest men”. Given that Sankara seized power in a revolutionary coup, not exactly the most honest way of filling those shoes, the name was somewhat aspirational. Sankara himself was assassinated in a coup three years later.
Moldova
Fans of the crappy 1980s TV series Dynasty will be familiar with Moldavia but few at the time realised it was a real place, a historic region now split between Romania and Moldova. Moldova takes its name from the river that actually flows in the Romanian half. Several theories exist as to how it got its name, the best of which is a legendary tale. Dragos Voda, a Maramures nobleman was hunting with his pet dog. The dog, Molda, chased a bison into the river and drowned. The heartbroken Voda ordered that from that moment on, the waterway was to be called the Moldova River.
Want to add to the list? Why not post the meaning of your country’s name in the comments?
A beginner’s guide to Central America
The seven countries of Central America – Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize – fill an ancient land bridge joining the continents of North and South America. Volcanic, verdant and vibrant, they offer the traveller some of the best tourist experiences in Latin America. The difficulty is not in deciding to go, it’s working out what to leave out from your itinerary when there’s just so much to see and do. This guide is designed to get you started.
Antigua’s famous arch frames Volcan de Agua perfectly
Getting there
For many years, getting to Central America from the UK generally meant an indirect flight, and often the cheapest flights are still those which hub through the USA. Try looking for flights with United via Houston, American via Miami or Delta via Atlanta. Some tour operators also offer flights without the need to buy one of their packages as well. Thomson (Tui) for example fly direct to Liberia in Costa Rica and they often have deals available last minute for around £300. Schedules are less flexible, however and the once a week flight might not suit your needs.
If you’re looking for a European-based airline, British Airways can get you to Costa Rica non-stop and recently, Air Europa commenced the first ever direct trans-Atlantic flight to Honduras, departing from Madrid. Another alternative is to combine Central America with Mexico – you’ll find plenty of deals via Cancun which is easily combined with Belize and Guatemala. Similarly, you could combine Panama with delightful Colombian city of Cartagena. Shop around. You should be able to pick up return flights from Europe for under £400.
Shop around for a good deal
Getting around
Depoending on your budget, you’re either going to be seeing a lot of airports or taking a long-distance bus. Try Avianca El Salvador, formerly branded as Taca, and Copa Airlines, both of which have extensive networks across the region. if your time is relatively short, this is a good way of freeing up time for sightseeing. Book well in advance to secure the best deals.
As with elsewhere in Latin America, many companies offer relatively comfortable “luxury” coach services but you’ll also find plenty of chicken buses knocking around on the shorter routes which make up for what they lack in comfort with bucketfuls of character. The big name in the bus world is Tica, kind of a Central American version of Greyhound. I’ve also had good experiences with Hedman Alas in Honduras and King Quality. At peak times you’re best to reserve your ticket a few days in advance.
Local buses in Nicaragua
Check out point to point transfers too. For instance, Gray Line offer hotel to hotel transfers at reasonable prices in Costa Rica and similar tourist shuttles are also easy to find between Guatemala’s main hubs.
One thing to note is safety. In some parts of Central America, buses can be held up by armed gangs. Opt for a better company who videos passengers on entry and screens luggage and pick a day bus rather than overnight travel on the most notorious routes. Keep up to date with safety by monitoring the FCO’s travel advice by country.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
What to see
There’s way to much for me to cover here, so you should consider these itineraries just a start and delve into one of the many online resources or good guide books on the region to help you make your own detailed plans.
A week in Panama
Begin in Panama City and spend at least a day absorbing the atmosphere of the Casco Viejo, the city’s old town. Some compare it to Old Havana and whether you agree or not, if you like Cuba you’ll like this too.
Casco Viejo
The canal zone is a worthwhile day trip, easily accessed from the capital. You’ll pass through the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the canal as well as several locks before returning to the city. I booked this through my accommodation La Estancia B&B, which has since closed, but the company they used is still very much in business and takes direct bookings.
Panama Canal
Another excellent day trip is to Emberá Puru. Guide Anne de Barrigon will take you into the rainforest to meet the Emberá tribe and learn a little of their way of life. She knows her stuff – she married a villager! Part of the journey involves travelling upriver in a dugout canoe which is sure to prove a memorable experience as well.
Embera kids
Extend your trip either by spending more time in Panama City or by kicking back and relaxing on one of Panama’s beautiful islands, in the Bocas del Toro archipelago or in San Blas.
Isla Diablo, San Blas
Panama links:
Embera Puru:
http://www.emberavillagetours.com/
Canal transits:
http://www.panoramicpanama.com/en/panamacanaltransit
A week in Costa Rica
With so many national parks to choose from, it’s hard to whittle them down. If you only have a week, I’d recommend splitting it into two. Focus on Tortuguero for a two night stay. I based myself at Laguna Lodge which from July to November can offer turtle watching walks. The beach and surrounding canals offer a chance to see plenty of birdlife and just unwind.
Tortuguero
Then move on to La Fortuna, a pleasant little town which is the jumping off point for Volcan Arenal. There are hot springs, nature walks, horseback rides and of course, the chance to watch for any activity coming from this active volcano. The Arenal Observatory Lodge makes a great base, especially if you choose one of the rooms directly facing the volcano. Nearby, they can also offer activities such as ziplining and whitewater rafting if the volcano isn’t making your adrenaline pump enough.
La Fortuna with Arenal in the background
Costa Rica links:
Tortuguero:
http://www.lagunatortuguero.com/
Arenal:
A week in Nicaragua
My suggestion for a week in Nicaragua would be to base yourself in the charming city of Granada. It sits on the shores of Lake Nicaragua and has a wealth of delightful streets to lose yourself in, crammed with historic buildings including the egg yolk yellow cathedral. Tourist infrastructure is good and there are plenty of hotels and restaurants to choose from.
Granada
From the city, there are plenty of day trips to keep you absorbed. Head up Volcan Mombacho where a truck will drive you up into the cloud forest. Alternatively, stand on the crater rim of the active Volcan Masaya and sniff the sulphur. It’s currently more active than it was when I visited; take a guide for a night tour and you might be able to see the lava lake that’s filled the crater. Check conditions locally before you go.
Masaya volcano
Laguna del Apoyo is another option. This crater lake is now a nature reserve and there are plenty of activities that can be arranged here such as kayaking, swimming and boating. Extend your trip by visiting Ometepe Island with its twin volcanic peaks.
Nicaragua links:
Volcan Mombacho:
Volcan Masaya activity:
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/masaya.html
A week in Honduras
Getting around Honduras can be a little worrying as there are serious safety concerns within and between its two largest cities, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. Persevere and base yourself in the safe and sleepy town of Copan Ruinas. The nearby ruins are free of the crowds that plague other Mayan sites in the region and you’ll see plenty of raucous scarlet macaws to boot.
Scarlet macaw at Copan’s ruins
It’s easy to arrange a trip to the nearby Finca el Cisne, which focuses on Criollo chocolate and coffee growing. Day trips give you the opportunity to explore the plantation and take a scenic horseback ride in the surrounding countryside; it’s also possible to extend your stay overnight.
Preparing the horses at Finca el Cisne
If you can drag yourself away, extend your stay with a trip to Roatan. Honduras boasts a lengthy Caribbean coastline, but it’s the Bay Islands which draw the tourists. The usual water-based activities are available and the sunsets are a spectacle. If you’re looking for a guide to help you explore the island, then Cleve Bodden comes highly recommended. He’s warm, funny and above all, knowledgeable about his island home.
Roatan sunset
Honduras links:
Finca el Cisne:
Cleve Bodden:
https://www.facebook.com/clevestoursandadventures/
A week in El Salvador
Beginning from San Salvador, the country’s capital, take a drive to Lake Coatapeque, popular on weekends as a family hangout. Continue towards the picturesque Ruta de las Flores. This 36km road winds through village after village adorned with flowers, dotted with art galleries and sprinkled with more cafes than you could ask for. From Juayua to Ataco via Apaneca, there’s much to keep you busy.
Ataco
Suchitoto should be your base for the rest of your week. Team up with El Gringo, who can provide accommodation as well as tour guiding services. Together, we visited Project Moje, a gang rehabilitation project, as well as the arts and crafts centres of Ilobasco and San Sebastian.
Textile weaving in San Sebastian
El Salvador links:
El Gringo:
http://www.elgringosuchitoto.com/
Project Moje:
A week in Guatemala
The obvious base to begin your week in Guatemala is the pretty town of Antigua. There’s a wide choice of hotels, restaurants and cafes and a well-developed tourist infrastructure. The town has lots of attractions in its own right, including the chance to make your own chocolate, but also makes a convenient base for side trips to the atmospheric market at Chichicastenango and beautiful Lake Atitlan.
Doing the washing, Antigua-style
If you’re looking for the other must-see, then it has to be Tikal. Of all the Mayan sites in the country, this is the stand out attraction. Deep in the jungle, it was abandoned over a thousand years ago, but its iconic ruins make this a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don’t miss the Lost World Pyramid and the Temple of the Grand Jaguar. There have been issues with tourist safety in and on the way to Tikal so as with Honduras, it’s especially important to keep abreast of government advice.
Tikal
Guatemala links:
Chocolate making:
https://www.chocomuseo.com/english/our-locations/antigua-gua/
Tourist shuttle service:
https://www.graylinecostarica.com/costa-rica-shuttle-services-and-tourist-bus
A week in Belize
Belize was known as British Honduras until 1981 and English is its official language. I think this more Caribbean, less Latino feel is why it was my least favourite of the seven countries. That’s not to write it off though. Transferring at the airport onto a little plane to head out to Ambergris Caye was laid back and fun, but the views down to the water were spectacular. The diving’s great, with access to the famous Blue Hole a possibility.
Looking down on the islands from the air
It’s worth heading back to the mainland as Belize has some interesting Mayan sites to visit. I visited Lamanai on a day trip from Ambergris Caye, heading inland on an old American school us and then up the New River by boat. There’s a Mennonite community living in Shipyard, not far from the ruins, and you might get a glimpse of them going about their business as you pass by. There are other worthwhile Mayan ruins to see in Belize, among them Caracol and Altun-Ha.
Head upriver to Lamanai, whose name means “submerged crocodile”
If you want to extend your time in Belize, Placencia gets a good write up as a place to chill out and recharge the batteries.
Belize links:
Lamanai tours:
http://www.lamanaitour.com/lamanai-tour-ambergris-caye/
Ambergris Caye information:
In summary
You’ll need several months to do justice to all seven countries in the same trip, but it’s easy to combine a couple of neighbouring nations and concentrate on one part of the region. For me, the countries that are least developed are the ones I’m drawn to revisit – El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. But each one rewards the traveller, so whichever you choose, I’m sure you’ll have a great trip!
What to do if you’re impacted by Ryanair’s cancellations
If you’re affected by Ryanair’s announcement that they are cancelling many hundreds of flights over the next six weeks, you’re going to need to know your rights. This is how the news broke:
If your outbound flight has been cancelled at short notice:
First, see if you can rebook. According to Ryanair’s website, this should be possible online. People are reporting on social media that the Ryanair helplines are overwhelmed and they’re not able to complete a rebooking over the phone. Obviously with so many people chasing so few seats at short notice, many are going to be disappointed. So what then?
If you cannot find a satisfactory rebooking (e.g. your flight is being rebooked but so late into your holiday to make it as good as useless) then you’ll need to apply for a refund. You may also be entitled to compensation. These are your rights under EU law if the destination is within the EU or if it’s an EU carrier like Ryanair:
Flight cancellation
Flights under 1500km – 250 euros compensation
Flights over 1500km – 400 euros compensation
Note: this only covers you if your cancellation occurs 14 days or less before your flight. If you are due to travel in more than 14 days’ time and your flight is cancelled, this will be treated by the airline as a rebooking or rerouting. You still have the right to cancel with a full refund of what you paid for the flights, but will not be eligible for additional compensation.
Delayed arrival whether with Ryanair or alternative carrier
Flights under 1500km – 2 hours
Flights over 1500km – 3 hours
If you are delayed, you are also entitled to food and accommodation vouchers. Full details here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:l24173
Note that it can take many months to secure this compensation, despite EU regulations stating refunds must be paid within a week. Remember you will need to keep all receipts and boarding passes. It’s also a good idea to send letters recorded delivery if you are getting nowhere by email.
If you decide not to travel, have a look at what expenses you’ll incur, such as accommodation that cannot be cancelled at short notice. The airline is not liable for this. It will need to be claimed back from your travel insurance company. Making a claim such as this doesn’t affect your right to EU compensation if applicable.
If you’re abroad and your inbound flight has been cancelled:
The above applies but you’ll also have to factor in whether you need to be back home as a matter of urgency or can afford the time and money (up front at least) to extend your trip. You might find it easier to deal with staff face to face at the airport though this can add to your stress as there will be a lot of other angry passengers there which isn’t going to make you feel better.
You can try to persuade the airline that rebooking you with an alternative carrier e.g. a seat on a rival airline is a better idea. You’ll have more bargaining power if the airline itself is very tight for space and is struggling to get you somewhere, especially if you’re stranded and they’re having to pay for your overnight accommodation. Remember if you pay for your own alternative flights, you’re out of pocket.
It can be very hard to get them to pay, as I found out with CityJet a few years ago. CityJet refunded their own flight (that they cancelled fifteen minutes before departure) but because I didn’t want to wait for an alternative with CityJet or spend another night in Paris even at their expense, I paid for the Eurostar alternative. I eventually funded it out of the compensation I received eight months later. Read the full story here:
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/finally-a-win-against-cityjet/
If you can get through on a helpline, that is often better, but you will need to be patient. Be as calm, polite and flexible as you can, particularly if you need to get back home in a hurry. Remember the person on the phone isn’t directly to blame and venting your frustration isn’t going to get you anywhere.
If you’ve a flight coming up which is currently unaffected:
This currently is where most Ryanair passengers are, fortunately, and the social media furore should calm down for the most part now that people know where they stand. Nevertheless:
Have a Plan B. Research alternative airlines or other means of transport on the inbound leg. Check your email on a regular basis so that if your flight is next to be affected, you’re amongst the first to know – and fight for the seats that might be available on alternative flights.
Print out or save to your phone a copy of the EU regulations (see link above) so that there can be no dispute with airline staff about your rights – it will be in black and white.
Double check your travel insurance, especially the limits and excesses for flight delays and flight cancellations. Again, keep all receipts and boarding passes as you’ll need them to make a claim. Keep proof of the cancellation.
What now?
Ryanair’s lack of consideration for their customers, though not a surprise, is still a concern. They won’t be the first and last airline to do this. I’ve had similar late in the day cancellations from American Airlines (weather related issues leading to a 48 hour delay in New York when I should have been in Nicaragua) and as mentioned, with CityJet (who didn’t even inform us the flight was cancelled, just checked us in as normal and quietly removed our flight from the departures board). But for the record, Ryanair, you need to remember who keeps your staff in a job and your planes in the air.
Update 17 September from the excellent Simon Calder at The Independent:
Update 18 September of full list of cancellations on the Ryanair website:
https://www.ryanair.com/ie/en/useful-info/help-centre/travel-updates/flight-cancellations7
How to reduce your risk of being caught up in a Caribbean hurricane
As Irma finally begins to blow herself out, the US and many Caribbean islands have been left reeling from her effects. Sustained 185mph winds have been recorded during this Category 5 storm, beaten only by Hurricane Allen in 1980 which registered winds of 190mph. On top of that, of course, are the floods which result from torrential rain and the even more dangerous storm surges caused when winds slam ocean water back onshore with terrifying force. Even a Category 1 hurricane is not to be taken lightly, as those who live in hurricane-prone regions will testify. For casual holidaymakers unused to such events, it’s even more frightening. So has seeing Irma’s devastation marked the end of your Caribbean holiday plans? Here’s why it shouldn’t and how you can avoid getting caught up in such a disaster.
Choose your island carefully
Statistically, some Caribbean islands are hit by hurricanes far more often than others. According to data compiled by stormcaribe.com for storms between 1944 and 2010, you’re most likely to be affected if you’re in Abaco in the Bahamas, with Grand Bahama, Bimini and New Providence islands hot on its heels. A couple of islands in the Netherlands Antilles also occur in the top ten, notably Saba and St Eustatius. Making up the numbers are Nevis, Key West, Tortola in the BVI and the Cuban capital Havana.
Conversely, the bottom of the list features some well known names. Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent are much less likely to experience a hurricane. Such severe storms rarely if ever take a southerly track, making the likes of Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire the safest bet in the region. For the full list check out this link:
http://stormcarib.com/climatology/freq.htm
A broader picture (and more up to date, factoring in storms up to 2016) is offered by Hurricane City. Their list factors in storms as well as hurricanes, giving a more rounded and perhaps more accurate appraisal of the risk posed for the Caribbean, Bermuda and the USA. Joining the Bahamas to represent the Caribbean in the top ten are the Cayman Islands. Because this list encompasses storms as well, there are a few northerly locations there too:
http://www.hurricanecity.com/rank.htm
Avoid peak hurricane season
If you really want to go to the islands that lie in the path of potential hurricanes then you’ve got to be picky about when you go. Technically, the Atlantic hurricane season begins in June, but rarely do we see really damaging hurricanes before late August. 2005 was a bumper year for big storms – Katrina among them – and was the year when we saw the earliest Category 4 storm (Dennis on July 8th) and Category 5 storm (Emily on July 17th). The storm season officially comes to a close at the end of November though on rare occasions they can continue until December or even January. Yes, you guessed it, that happened in 2005 too. They’d already run through the named hurricanes by October when Wilma hit and eventually needed to borrow six letters of the Greek alphabet. Tropical Storm Zeta finally brought the season to a close when it dissipated on January 6th 2006.
Check the NOAA forecasts
Each year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers a forecast for the upcoming season. They take in a number of factors such as ocean temperatures and, though it’s not an exact science, have a good track record in identifying busy years. So far, 2017 is falling in line with predictions. It kicked off with Tropical Storm Arlene in April – two months ahead of schedule – and with the likes of Harvey and Irma, is set to be another of those unforgettable seasons. If you want to avoid being caught up in a severe hurricane, then if it’s been quiet, you’re much less likely to find yourself in trouble if you want to make a late booking. And if the worst happens, this leaflet is packed with useful advice:
Click to access TropicalCyclones11.pdf
My thoughts are with those who found themselves in the path of recent Atlantic hurricanes. I hope that those affected get back on their feet and that the impacted economies recover as quickly as possible. Once they do, they’re going to need your tourist dollars, so don’t write off this beautiful region just yet.
Ten of the best European cities
Recently I posted a blog about my ten favourite American cities; you can read it here if you missed it.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/ten-of-the-best-american-cities/
Among the comments was a good-natured challenge from Andrew Petcher of Have Bag, Will Travel, suggesting that Europe’s cities have a lot more to offer the visitor. It got me thinking about which would make my Top Ten and after some deliberation, here are my choices.
Cáceres, Spain
In the heart of beautiful Extremadura, Cáceres is one of those finds that you agonise over telling others about for fear of drawing the crowds. This is the kind of place you’ll want to keep for yourself. The labyrinthine Ciudad Monumental, crammed full of mediaeval mansions and delightful churches, absorbs as much time as you’re prepared to give it. I’d have still been there were it not for the promise of the tastiest suckling pig in the region and late night drinks in the palm-lined Plaza Mayor.
Lisbon, Portugal
Over the border, the Portuguese capital is one of the most absorbing on the continent. Its rich maritime history is proudly remembered across the city such as in Belém’s Monument to the Discoveries. The #28 tram ride linking the lower and upper towns might be touristy, but it’s still a must for its heritage wooden cars and the views along the way. But again, it’s food that is my fondest memory, particularly the delicious Pastéis de Belém warm out of the box – you’ll have to queue, but it’ll be worth it.
Stockholm, Sweden
The reason I’m so taken with the Swedish capital is that it doesn’t have to be a city break at all, if you don’t want it to be. The Feather Islands are just a thirty minute boat ride away, but a tranquil spot for lunch and a short stroll if you’re fed up with city traffic and noise. Skeppsholmen Island reveals a collection of historic boats and Benny from ABBA’s recording studio, while Djurgården Island is where you’ll find the ABBA museum and the astonishingly well-preserved 17th century Vasa ship.
Bremen, Germany
Of Germany’s cities, Bremen stands out. The Schnoor quarter is packed with timber-framed houses once occupied by fishermen but now home to a plethora of boutique shops selling artisan crafts. The city’s historic heart is eclectic, its Flemish-style Schütting, a 16th century guild hall, and the windmill in Wallenlagen Park a reminder of how close you are to the Netherlands. But it’s four small creatures that were the reason for my trip – donkey, dog, cat and rooster from the Grimm’s fairytale.
Krakow, Poland
Krakow is one of those cities that no matter how many times you visit, you’ll never tire of it. Nowhere is this more true than in the Old Town’s largest square, Rynek Glowny. It’s dominated by the centuries-old Cloth Hall; duck under its arches to find shops selling amber and other local wares. I enjoy it best at night, when huts selling pierogis and tender ham hocks draw people away from the many souvenir stalls of the market.
Salzburg, Austria
I first squealed with delight at Hellbrunn’s trick fountains as a small child. Years later, I returned to find I wasn’t too old to have the exact same reaction. Just as much fun was a bicycle tour of the main sights featured in The Sound of Music – yes I know Mozart was born there but I’d much rather be yodelling with a lonely goatherd. This December I’m visiting the city’s Christmas markets for the first time. Can. Not. Wait.
Bologna, Italy
Give me a choice of Italy’s large cities, and this would be my choice, rather than Rome or Florence or Milan or Venice. Why? This is a city that is focused on food, from the delis that cram into its narrow alleyways to the platefuls of snacks laid out to soak up the Aperol Spritz at passeggiata hour. Thoughtfully, they even built a tower to climb so you can work off some of the calories; it’s 498 steps to the top of Torre Asinelli.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
To see Dubrovnik at its best you’ve got to time it so that the cruise ships aren’t in dock, and that takes some planning – or at least an overnight stay. You’ll be rewarded with empty city walls to walk, piazzas and cobbled streets lined with cafes and restaurants and a host of other sights that are far better without the crush.
Riga
When it comes to the Baltics, it was a tough decision for me to choose between the Latvian capital Riga and its Estonian counterpart Tallinn. In the end, I opted for the former. Don’t miss the Three Brothers, the oldest buildings in the city, and the House of the Blackheads which houses Parliament. Both are a must for architecture fans. They also have some innovative ideas to help you avoid putting a dent in your bumper.
Budapest
Bisected by the River Danube, this is a city with a split personality, so whatever mood you’re in, you’ll find half the city to suit. Fishermen’s Bastion in Buda is a good place to get your bearings, and admire the Gothic architecture of Parliament across the water. After coffee in Cafe Gerbeaud, the market hall in Pest is perfect for stocking up for a riverside picnic. And don’t forget the city’s many thermal baths for when your muscles begin to ache.
So there you have it. Apologies if you were looking for Amsterdam or Paris, Berlin or Barcelona. While I enjoyed the latter pair, the first two still fail to wow me. And I’ve deliberately stuck to mainland Europe, hence the lack of London, York, Bath or Leeds. What would you have included on your list of Top Ten European cities?
Ryanair’s baggage changes penalise those already booked
Today Ryanair have announced that from 1st November, their policy on cabin baggage will change. Currently, up to two bags can be taken on board, one of standard dimensions (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) and one smaller item (35cm x 20cm x 20cm). Currently, a small wheelie fits and can be stowed in the overhead bins, while the smaller bag, perhaps a day sack, can be placed under the seat in front. On busy routes, some passengers are asked to place their larger bag in the hold free of charge.
Today Ryanair have announced changes to their policy. Basically, customers opting not to pay for Priority Boarding will lose the right to take some of their carry on with them as they board the plane, instead handing it to staff to put it in the hold.
I have two Ryanair flights coming up, one in October to Venice and one in December to Salzburg. My Salzburg flight will be affected by the changes. I was planning to take a bag that was smaller than their maximum dimensions but slightly larger than those of a smaller item. Now, I have to either rethink the size of that bag or pay a £6 priority boarding fee for each leg to be able to take the luggage I planned. The Ryanair website states that the policy will be introduced on 1st November for all travellers, regardless of when they’ve booked.
That’s not playing fair. We took out the contract and now the details are unilaterally being changed. If I take the bag I planned, and the policy is implemented as per the rules, I’ll either have to check it at the gate free of charge and incur a delay when I arrive waiting for luggage, or risk being denied boarding. So effectively, my flight has gone up by £12 if I wish to take the luggage I planned. Had I paid for Priority Boarding at the time of booking, it would have cost £5 each way; to do so retrospectively it will be £6 each way.
I understand why Ryanair have taken this step. The amount of luggage being dragged on board is reaching ridiculous levels and boarding is a much slower process because of it. But it does seem underhand to introduce a change to existing bookings without notice. Will this be the end of my love affair with Ryanair? Probably not. Do I feel like I’ve been cheated out of £12? Yes. The Ryanair haters are going to have a field day with this, and for once, rightly so.
Are you affected? Full details from Ryanair’s website here:
Ten of the best American cities
The USA’s diversity makes it one of my favourite countries and there are many cities I’ve revisited – or hope to do so – over and over again. Here’s my top ten: what are yours?
New Orleans, Louisiana
Sultry New Orleans ticks all the boxes: history, colour, a sense of fun and plenty of quiet, atmospheric corners to retreat to when the buzz gets too buzzy. The mansions of the Garden District stand in haughty contrast to the tackiness of Bourbon Street, but you don’t have to stray far from the notoriously crass party hub to find wrought iron balconies and heart-lifting melodies within the iconic French Quarter.
New York, New York
I’ve been back to New York countless times yet never tire of the place. But now I’ve ticked off the sights, on recent trips my focus has been on some of its most fascinating neighbourhoods and ethnic food joints. It delivers. But then I’d expect nothing less from the self-styled “Capital of the World”. Where else can you enjoy a southern-style Gospel brunch, El Salvadorean pupusas for lunch and the most succulent steaks outside Argentina for dinner?
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s centre has a split personality. On the one hand, its genteel tree-filled squares host historic mansions, each with its own intriguing tale to tell. Yet barely a stone’s throw away lies River Street, which comes alive each evening with bars and restaurants thronging with customers. This Georgia gem has it all – and some of the best beaches in the State just a short drive away.
Charleston, South Carolina
Elegant Charleston oozes sophistication from every cobble and porch, yet somehow manages to make you feel you’re worthy of a stay here. Beautifully tended gardens force you to stop and stare, even though you know you shouldn’t intrude. Yet in the bay lies Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired – there’s passion and fervour behind that steely façade.
Bar Harbor, Maine
A visit to Maine is a lesson in Geography, as Down East is actually north and residents travelling south to Boston say they’re going up. The map might be a bit squiffy but there’s no mistaking you’re in New England with fresh lobster, seal boat trips and the dark greens of Acadia’s firs and pines set off to perfection against a muted palette of pink granite and yellow sand.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Liberty Bell draws a crowd who queue patiently to inspect the crack in the iron that signalled the very first reading of the Declaration of Independence. Beyond that historic district is a city that is proud of its heritage and isn’t afraid to work hard to make a living. Best time to visit? New Year’s Day, when Philly lets its hair down for the annual Mummers Parade.
San Antonio, Texas
The city famed for the Alamo delivers, but the surprise is that the Alamo is overshadowed by the city’s other attractions. The River Walk, a flight of steps down from street level, is lined with restaurants and bars where minutes turn into hours without you even noticing that the time’s passed. With plenty of museums, galleries, and a Stetson hat store to rival anything anywhere, this place begs to be revisited.
Seattle, Washington
The iconic skyline with the instantly recognisable Space Needle might be what draws visitors to Seattle (or at least fans of Grey’s Anatomy) but this is another city where the memorable attractions are those which you didn’t know about before you landed. The fascinating story of a city built on lumber and a whole other world of underground storefronts and sidewalks awaits visitors who’ve watched the fish fly at Pike Place Market and sipped their coffee in the Starbucks where it all began.
San Francisco, California
The seaplane pilot wore a grin with a span to rival that of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visibility, he said, was the best he’d seen in thirty years. Luck like that burns memories into your brain so deep they never fade. And under blue skies, sights like Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf and the artists of Sausalito don’t get any better. Just check those brakes before you drive down the world’s most crooked street…
Memphis, Tennessee
Green shag pile carpet on a stairwell ceiling? Check. Acid yellow walls framing a bank of chunky televisions? Check. A private jet in the car park bearing the name Lisa Marie? Check. Graceland might not impress in terms of size but its Seventies style will leave you gawping, mouth open wider than the zip on that white jumpsuit. Oh yeah, and there’s music on Beale Street when you’re ready to return to the present.
There you have it; I’m sure Miami, Chicago and Boston will have their fans, as will Vegas, DC and the City of the Angels. What makes your list?
Five foods you must try on your travels
I love food. I love travel. And I love nothing better than combining the two.
The more I’ve travelled, the more adventurous I’ve become with the foods I’ll try. Some I’ve enjoyed, others not so much. There’s not much I’ve regretted eating, apart from the vile black chuño potatoes that popped up from the bottom of my soup bowl in Peru together with a wrinkled chicken’s foot. Dried in the Andean sunshine, chuño potatoes are bitter and a staple of altiplano cooking. And I hope I never have to eat one again as long as I live.
But here’s what I would recommend.
Cuy
Making short work of a roasted cuy dinner
It took a while for me to pluck up the courage to try cuy, for cuy is guinea pig and where I come from, guinea pigs are for cuddling. But in Peru, they’re for eating and have been for at least 5000 years. It’s such an iconic dish they even have a national holiday for the fluffy creatures – it’s the second Friday in October. Roasted cuy, particularly if you ask for it to be served with the head removed, isn’t likely to induce a gag reflex. It’s tasty, albeit rather fiddly to pick off the many small bones. It tastes not dissimilar to the dark meat of a chicken – though doesn’t everything? You won’t find it very filling, but it’s often served with a huge potato, so that should fill you up.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/a-beginners-guide-to-peru/
Hákarl
Trying hákarl, fermented shark meat
I’m not going to try to con you that hákarl is going to be the holiday taste sensation you try to recreate back home in your own kitchen. Like chuño potatoes, once was enough for this fermented shark meat which is an Icelandic delicacy. But unlike chuño potatoes, I’m glad I tried hákarl, and unlike Gordon Ramsey, I didn’t spit mine halfway across the room either. It had the texture of a piece of Parmesan that’s gone hard in the back of the fridge and a pungent ammonia-like aroma which didn’t endear it to my nostrils. Try it and see how bad it is. But don’t expect to see the locals doing the same. Sense has prevailed and they no longer eat the stuff.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/a-beginners-guide-to-iceland/
Suckling pig
Suckling pig on a lechonera spit
Guavate, a short drive from the easternmost point of the Ruta Panorámica, is home to the tastiest suckling pig that I’ve eaten anywhere. On Sundays, half the island’s population winds its way up the steep switchbacks to eat at one of the village’s many lechoneras. Whole pigs rotate on spits, drawing in the punters, while chefs armed with machetes hack the glistening animals into bite sized pieces. This isn’t fancy dining: you’re just as likely to get a lump of bone as you are a hunk of melt in the mouth pork, but the crackling is first rate.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/puerto-ricos-ruta-panoramica/
Yemas de Pizarro
Bakery window, Trujillo
Don’t think for one minute that because this is a photo taken through a shop window, these yummy yemas didn’t make it into my sticky hands. They did, and I enjoyed them so much I went back for seconds, much to the bakery assistant’s amusement. Central Spain is good for pastries and these were an improvement on the already delicious yemas I’d tried a few years before in Ávila, a couple of hours to the north-east of Trujillo. Eat them on an empty stomach as they are filling and sickly sweet.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/a-beginners-guide-to-extremadura/
Beignets
Icing sugar overload!
My final choice – and what a tough job it’s been whittling the list down to five – comes from New Orleans. No visit to the Big Easy can be complete without sampling the beignets at Café du Monde in the heart of the French Quarter. Brought to New Orleans by the French in the 18th century, these fried sweet balls of dough are served hot and buried in icing sugar. Take them as I did with a cup of chicory coffee, another local speciality.
https://juliamhammond.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/a-beginners-guide-to-new-orleans/
There are as many must-try foods that I’ve left off the list as included on it: lemony yassa poulet in Senegal, freshly caught lobster in Maine or snow crab in Seattle, Salzburger Brez with cherry filling, real Italian gelato, Swiss fondue… What would your top five be?
Julia's Travels 