What's hot and cool (really, really cool) in Europe this season

Every year, the European Travel Commission meets to talk over the latest travel trends on the Continent. This year, members noted a desire among travelers for slowing down, for comfort and escape -- perhaps hopoing to get away for a while from out electronic gadgets, our computers and television screens. Accordingly, here is what's trending:

* They're going for the waters. Health through water, is making a comeback as the benefits of thermal waters, ocean bathing and mineral springs spark new interest in this time-honored European tradition among aging Baby Boomers. Accordingly,  Europeʼs spas are turning up the taps on treatments and amenities. Portugalʼs Vidago Palace Hotel, for instance, reopened in October 2010 after an extensiver enovation. With 70 rooms and suites, this Belle Epoque builting now sports a modernist wing housing a new spa, where guests try the Vidago spring waters, with hydro and Vichy showers, steam baths and sauna. Massages and treatments are taken in 20 rooms.

* Farm-fresh. What with many Americans turning to organic, locally grown foods, Europe is providing that via farm and mountain vacations. Example: “Holidays in the Countryside” offers farm stays along with B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels throughout Czech Republic. Pension Javořice (pictured) in southern Moravia is a 400-year-old organic farm where guests can dine on honey, sheep products, apples, pears, cherries, fruit ciders and spirits, and mingle with three generations of the family owners. Gothic castles dot the  landscapes, and the nearby town of Telc is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


* Foodie heaven. Europe has been making it easy to discover its gastronomicdelights. Take Austria’s Via Culinaria  -- “Appetite Way” -- featuring seven  routes to culinary achievements in the region around Salzburg. The websiteʼs interactive maps unlock all things food, from bistros, coffeehouses and haute cuisine restaurants to farms and mountain huts serving country specialties. It also tells where to find the best wild game restaurants, the best seafood, the best stores, as well as how to find classes in making pastry, cheese, bread and beer. 


*LGBT. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travel is not only out of the closet but actively encouraged. Germanyʼs gay and lesbian culture, for instance,  is legendary and the German National Tourist Board website has a gay-dedicated section that gives in-depth detail on gay travel for points north (Hamburg), south (Munich), east (Berlin) and west (Cologne, site of Gay Games VIII Jul. 31-Aug. 7), complete with hotels, bars, scenes and events.


* Memorable design. Europe these days is full of  arty, boutique hotels. Example: Hotel Fabian is a fashionable newcomer in Helsinki. Designed around a courtyard and a short walk from the
Market Square, the Esplanadi gardens and the Museum of Finnish Architecture, this boutique hotel, known for its stylish interiors, has 58 rooms. The hotel's Restaurant Savoy,  meanwhile, features an original Alvar Aalto interior.


* Sailing, sailing.  Cruisegoing is hot this year , especially in the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the famous
rivers with their fabled landscapes. Whatʼs more, Europe is again affordable for most budgets as new and bigger ships come on line. The average price of a 12-day Med cruise has steadily dropped since 2009.Many upscale cruise lines are offering free round-trip economy flights from North American gateways.  New vessels plying European waters in 2011 include Carnival Cruise Linesʼ Carnival Magic (3,652 passengers); Costa Cruisesʼ Favalosa (pictured; 3,502); Celebrity Cruisesʼ Silhouette (2,850); Oceania Cruisesʼ Marina (1,260); Seabourn Cruise Lineʼs Quest (450); Avalon Waterwaysʼ Panorama (166); Amaverde (162); and Uniworld Grand Boutique River Cruisesʼ Douro Spirit (128) and SS Antoinette (164).

Search Amazon.com for Europe travel 

Trivial question
Here's one for World War II buffs, among others: In what island  group do you find Guadalcanal? (Answer somewhere below.)


All-inclusive Caribbean getaway is free for Mom
During a sale, starting at midnight on Monday, May 2,  and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, travelers who book an all-inclusive Elite Island Resorts vacation will be able to bring Mom for free.  In fact, every booking  will be buy one, get one free, so anyone else is eligible, too. The "secret" booking code will be announced at midnight on Monday, May 2.  This offer will be valid for travel through Dec. 20,  also includes VIP treatment and a complimentary room category upgrade, when available at the time of booking. Prices and locations vary. Visit www.eliteislandresorts.com or call 800-858-4618.

Worth quoting

"Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry." -- Jack Kerouac


Family time in Paradise, starting at $219

The Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort has launched a new Family Time in Paradise package that includes connecting rooms or suites where available, a daily $50 resort credit, free food and beverage for children under 12, complimentary non-motorized water sports, one welcome amenity per child per stay, a kids cup that can be filled up with juice, milk and soft drinks for free at the pool,  and a complimentary rollaway, subject to availability. Rates start at $219. For more information or reservations, call 866-716-8106 or visit www.sheratonnassau.com.

Fascinating fact

Many of us have flown into Chicago's O'Hare Airport, and at least a few of us have wonered why the airport's designation is ORD. We need wonder no longer: ORD  comes from the location's old name of Orchard Field.

 'Compliments of Bermuda' extended through June
The Bermuda Department of Tourism and its hotel partners have extended their “Compliments of Bermuda” promotion, inviting visitors to enjoy every third night free for hotel rooms booked in April.  In addition, travelers  who book a three-night stay in May will receive the fourth night free, and guests booking a four-night stay in June will receive their fifth night free. Thedeal is available at more than a dozen participating hotel properties, available for booking through May 30 for travel through June 30.  Accommodations range from luxury resorts and boutique hotels to beach clubs and historic beachfront properties. Prices, of course, vary. Visit www.bermudatourism.com/compliments or see a travel agent.

 Trivial answer

Guadalcanal is part of the Solomon Islands.

 

You can find the darndest things in Michigan

Only in Michigan can you see roadside attractions such as the World’s Largest Tire (I-94 east of Detroit Metro Airport), The World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan (Traverse City), and the World’s Largest Stove (Detroit). Some of the state's roadside attractions include:

• Big Gus, the world’s largest working chainsaw. Gus is 23 feet long, is powered by a V-8 engine and is the star of the fittingly named Da Yooper’s Tourist Trap in Ishpeming.

• The Eiffel Tower. Well, sort of. In Paris, Mich., north of Big Rapids, you'll see a 20 foot tall replica of the landmark. Crafted by welding steel, the monument sits among the tall trees and was made by industrial arts high school students.
• The house with 60,000 soft drink bottles. The bottles lay on their side with the bottoms forming the outside wall. the Bottle House is in Kaleva, 10 miles from Lake Michigan.
• Mystery Spot. Someone tall is suddenly small. Or climb a wall into the air without falling. This puzzling attraction is 5 miles west of St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge on Highway US-2.
• Cross Village. Following a short drive through the Tunnel of Tree that begins in Harbor Springs, you come upon upside-down stove legs that decorate the roof of the inn. Meanwhile, the interior features unusual shapes crafted from polished twining tree roots. Good Polish food is available, too.
  
• The Musical Fountain. From Memorial Day through Labor Day on Friday and Saturday evenings, you'll hear and see this sound and lighting masterpiece as it pumps out 4,000 gallons of water a minute and sprays 125 feet in the air. Grand Haven, where the foiuntain is located, had the idea in 1963, way before Las Vegas built the Bellagio.
• Paul Bunyan. The statue stands 15 feet tall in Manistique..
• The Shrine of the Snowshoe Priest Bishop Baraga. This one is 35 feet tall, high atop US-41 in L’Anse. The good Bishop founded 5 missions after he first came to the Upper Peninsula in 1830 from Slovenia.
• Hiawatha. This statue, in Ironwood, tops them all. It's 50 feet high, weighs 16, 000 pounds and can withstand 140 mph winds.

For other quirky attractions and destinations, visit www.michigan.org.

15 years of fire and water in Rhode Island
Water Fire is celebrating 15 years as one of the premier attractions in Providence. The award-winning art installationconsists of 100 bonfires that wind through the three downtown rivers, with lightings on selected Saturdays during summer and fall. Upcoming lightings take place on July 17, July 31, Aug. 14, Aug. 28 and Oct. 9. WaterFire has attracted millions of spectators through its visual aesthetics and fragrant wood smoke scent. The lightings are synchronized with music from around the world and often accompanied by dance performances. The July 31 lighting, for instance, will feature a live performance from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanied by a dance performance from Festival Ballet Providence. Spectators can enjoy every WaterFire experience on both land and water with boat and gondola rides available for an additional fee.

Visit www.waterfire.org or www.goprovidence.com.

Worth quoting
"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -- Susan Heller

Here's a chance to stay in Cinderella's castle
A Southwest Airlines sweepstakes with an entry deadline of July 15 promises the winner a chance to win a package for four to Walt Disney World and stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite. Included are roundtrip flights, a one-night stay in Cinderella's digs, two nights at another deluxe Disney resort property and four-day park tickets. For details, go to www.southwest.com and wait for the Cinderella squib to magically appear.

Fascinating fact
Bagpipes are believed to have originated in Rome, not Scotland.

Explore Nassau's past with Hilton package
Validthrough Dec. 31, British Colonial Hilton's Historic Tour of Nassau Package takes guests on a journey through the island's culture and history. With rates starting at $239 per night based on double occupancy, the package offers renovated accommodation, daily breakfast and a two-hour guided Surrey ride of the island’s most enchanting sights. Travelers will visit old forts, botanical gardens, white-sand beaches and parliamentary buildings, accompanied by the driver’s tales of old. For reservations or more information, call 1-877-GO-HILTON and mention promotion code P7.

BoltBus marks a milestone
BoltBus, a discount curbside bus service, has reached its 3-millionth passenger milestone since it was launched in March 2008. The bus now provides express service between New York and the following locations: Baltimore; Boston; Cherry Hill, N.J.; Greenbelt Park & Ride, Md.; Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at www.boltbus.com, bycalling 1-877-BOLTBUS (265-8287) or from a driver before boarding. Prices are available on the website.