You want to check-in WHAT ??????????????????????

You never know what people will try to check in before their flight. Take these strange items that members of the Virgin Atlantic Airways check-in staff have encountered:

* A bathtub.   A woman passenger who had her family carry the tub through the airport at JFK expected the item to be checked in. It wasn't even wrapped or packaged.

* A pet tarantula hidden in a woman's coat at JFK airport. * A dead cow wrapped in plastic at JFK..  

* A bag of cutlery previously stolen from a Virgin Atlantic flight at Delhi airport.  

* A bag full of sand, sea and water. You see,  a couple fell in love on the island of Grenada and wanted to check in a memory.  

* A bag of soil and coconut trees at Grenada airport.

And how does the check-in staff react to such swell stuff? A Virgin Atlantic executive put it this way: "It certainly brightens up their day." 

Trivial question

 On what sea is Poland located? (Answer somewhere below.)

Funjet Vacations is having a Disney sale

Funjet Vacations says that when travelers booka vacation package to a Walt Disney World resort at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort hotel, they’ll save up to 30 percent for stays through Aug. 13. In addition, Funjet  will include the following when a package is booked by April 30 or  a $50 discount at Moderate Resorts; an additional $75 discount on Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts. Savings will automatically be included when booking a qualifying reservation. Click here or call 800-FUNJET-1.

Worth quoting

"I guarantee the flying public we will not sleep until we can guarantee that there's good safety in the control towers when these planes are coming in and out of airports." -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to ABC World News about several recent cases of about the several cases of air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job.  

A 2-for-1 Bahamas flight deal

For a limited time, The Bahamas is offering 2-for-1airfare or an instant air credit up to $300 for bookings of four or more nights. Book by May 9, and travel April 24 through Dec. 22, at one of 40 participating resorts and hotels throughout Nassau/Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island, The Abaco Islands, Cat Island, Harbour Island and The Exuma Islands, among others. For a full list of participating hotels and to book the offer, visit www.bahamas.com or call 800-BAHAMAS. No blackout dates apply. Visit www.Facebook.com/VisitTheBahamas to find out who’s been there, interact with fans of the islands, and get information, photos and a free Island Guide.

Search Amazon.com for Bahamas 

Fascinating fact

Finland appears to be the country with the most islands -- 179,584. But to be fair, the number of Canada's islands has never been counted. There are an estimated 30,000 islands along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay alone. 

Half off a second room with Florida baby boomer package

Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Jupiter, Fla. (of all places) has a Beach Boomers package starting at $169 per night.It includes 20 percent off the resort's best available rate, overnight luxury accommodations, daily breakfast for two, two-for-one bicycle rentals, a 10 percent discount in The Spa and Sinclairs Ocean Grill as well as daily beach chair and umbrella rentals.  Encouraging multi-generation travel, the package also allows guests to book a second room at a 50 percent discount, perfect for bringing the children and grandkids.  Call 800-228-8810 or visit www.jupiterbeachresort.com and use promo code BOOMERS.

Trivial answer

Poland is on the Baltic Sea.

Read this and  leave your flying fears on the ground

Recent problems with a Southwest Airlines plane have some people asking yet again, "Is  flying safe ... really?" The answer is, yes, flying is extremely safe.  Brian Clegg, writing in London's Daily Mail, puts it this way: "The statistics are remarkably reassuring. The risk of being killed in a plane crash in any particular year is one in 125 million passenger journeys. That’s three times safer than travelling by train — when did you last worry about that? — and 12 times safer than travelling by car. In fact, you’re more likely to have a fatal accident during six hours at work than you are during six hours on a plane." So stop clenching those armrests and relax as aviation expert Clegg clues you in to other things that worry some fliers:

* Wobbling wings are  normal. The upward and downward movements of the plane’s aluminium alloy body are rippling out along the wings. The tips of a large airliner wing  can move up and down as much as 3 meters (almost 10 feet) during flight.

* It's not dangerous for your ears to pop while flying. Ears pop because as the plane climbs and the atmosphere outside thins, the cabin is artificially pressurized to a level that is different from the atmospheric pressure we’re accustomed to on the ground. The popping can be painful, though.

*  What about turbulence or (shudder) a lightning strike? Clegg notes that "no modern aircraft has ever been brought down by turbulence, although passengers have been injured or even killed, either because they weren’t wearing seat belts and hit their heads on the ceiling or because heavy luggage fell out of the overhead lockers." As for lightning, pilots are able to fly around or above most storms. "But if you do find yourself flying through one, don’t worry. The safest place to be in an electrical storm is inside a metal cage — such as an aircraft."

* Suppose some clown tries to open a door during flight? He won't succeed. As the plane climbs, the cabin air pressure pushes the door outwards, sealing it into place.  But, adds Clegg, please, don’t try.

* And then there's the most worrisome fear of all --  getting stuck on a toilet seat. There's even a tale about a woman who pushed the flush button before getting up and was sealed to the seat. Well, it didn't happen.  Lavatories do use vacuum flushes but  the flush button is normally placed behind the toilet lid, making it impossible to flush without standing up.

Search Amazon.com for Flying 

Trivial question

Which Central American country uses English Creole as its principal language? (Answer somewhere below.)

Kids, they're speaking your language

To introduce its new Kid Spoken Here offering this summer, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is rolling out lower child and teen rates, new kids’ meals, and a broader variety of family-friendly outdoor activities at each of its lodges and huts in New Hampshire and Maine. The greatest changes are coming to AMC’s Highland Lodge, where a new “big mountain” outdoor playscape and child-only Kids Club activities are planned. AMC has also lowered everyday lodging rates for children by up to 25 percent and added a new teen rate. The AMC's outdoor experiences for families and young explorers range from free walk-on programs such as beginner family hikes to more adventurous overnight hut adventures and other backcountry outings. For full details on AMC’s new Kid Spoken Here offerings, visit www.outdoors.org/kidsguide.  New, all-inclusive nightly rates at Highland Lodge, including lodging, dinner, breakfast, and guided activities, start at $356 for a family of four ($296 for AMC members) in private room with private bath accommodations. For reservations, call 603-466-2727 or book online at www.outdoors.org/lodging.

Fascinating fact

The Mediterranean sea gets its name from the Latin phrase meaning "sea in the middle of land."

Marriott hotel stays in the Carolinas start at $69

At selected Marriott and Renaissance properties in North Carolina and South Carolina, weekend rates begin at  $69 per night for Friday and Saturday stays, and weekday rates from $99 per night for Sunday through Thursday stays. Travelers must book by midnight April 15 to get the special rates, which are valid for travel through July 25. Those rates are non-refundable, exclusive of tax, and subject to availability.To book, call -800-228-9290 or visit www.marriott.com or www.renaissancehotels.com.; refer to Promotional Code ADP.

Worth quoting

"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lost sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way."  -- Gloria Gaither

Everything you always wanted to know about lobsters in Maine

In Maine, Historic Inns of Rockland is featuring a Lobster 101: Lobsters, Lighthouses & Luxury package offered June 1-30. 

The package offers a two- or three-day itinerary including accommodations at a choice of four inns: LimeRock Inn, Berry Manor Inn, Granite Inn, and Captain Lindsey House, each representing the luxury component of the package.  In addition, the package includes:

• Two tickets to the Maine Lighthouse Museum for a self-guided tour or a special guided tour with a docent of the museum on Thursday mornings throughout June.
• A  guided tour of Rockland’s Historic Breakwater Lighthouse  every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (weather permitting) and  a copy of  the book “The Lighthouse at Rockland Breakwater Then and Now.”
• An official Lighthouse Map to all of Maine’s lighthouses and a driving map to six  local area lighthouses.
• The  Book of Maine Lighthouses filled with history and fun facts.
• Two tickets to Captain Jack’s Lobster Adventure Cruise where guests work  with a real Maine lobsterman (and a true salty character too!) and learn lobster lore.
• Two “Got Lobster” T-shirts.
• An afternoon tour of a working lobster pound followed by guided instruction in the best way to ea.t a lobster, complete with a freshly caught lobster dinner for each person (offered Monday-Saturday.)
• A Chocolate Seascape handmade by a local chocolatier.
• Two whimsical Lobster Hats.

 Two-night packages are $395-$745 (plus tax, double occupancy).  Book early in the month to take advantage of low season rates (high season rates begin June 15). Book a third night and get 25 percent off rack rates.

Trivial answer

Belize is the Central American country where Creole English is principally spoken. The other nations speak Spanish.

A carpet of flowers in Brussels

Europe, the affordable, fun and sometimes quirky way

Travel to Europe is slowly picking up. In fact,  the European Travel Commission is expecting to see 2 to 3 percent more Americans in 2011 than in 2010, as the U.S. economy bounces back. Hotel prices and other costs have been lowered in  countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal, and Central European countries continue to be highly affordable.  

 

But where do you find the deals? One place is  www.visiteurope.com, with quick links to European Travel Commission members’  websites.  A recent search turned up packages such as these:

Virgin Vacations offers a  Brussels and Amsterdam city break for eight days, with three nights in each city, rail transfer with reserved seating, and daily breakfast.  Land prices range from $509 to $589, but round-trip air/land packages are available ranging from $1,199 to $1,649 from New York (including fuel surcharges but not taxes and fees; other gateways are of course available). 

Brussels is easily manageable in a few days, with fabulous museums from Old Master paintings to modern art, surrealist Magritte and even comic strips, plus funky neighborhoods for shopping and night life.  Amsterdam, meanwhile,  is a city of commerce with canals, cafés, museums brimming with the works of Dutch artists like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh, and Anne Frank’s house filled with historical exhibits.  The train ride in between is a classic European experience.  Visit www.virgin-vacations.com to book.

Sceptre Tours’ Emerald Isle independent tour features round-trip air, six nights' accommodation with daily Irish breakfast, and a weekly standard shift car rental for  $739-$1,129 per person, and offers travelers  flexibility to set their own itineraries.  First night is in a pre-booked hotel in Shannon or Dublin.  The next five nights are spent in  B&Bs sprinkled throughout the country.  Upgrades in accommodations and automatic cars are available, as are extra nights. Another option is an upgrade to a five-star castle for the final night.  Over 100 US gateways are available. 

Poland in One Go is an eight-day/six night all-inclusive escorted tour that covers all the must-sees for the first-time visitor, with extra treats for even a repeat visitor.  The $1,300 per person price tag covers lodging in Warsaw, Krakow and Zakopane, ground transport, an English-speaking guide and most meals. Highlights include the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising, a private Chopin piano concert, a Klezmer music concert in Kazmierz, a horse-drawn cart ride in Krakow’s Old Town, a cable car ride to Mt. Gubalowka, and visits to World Heritage Sites.  Land dates are June 3-9 and Aug. 5-11. Immediately following the August trip is the Simple Pleasures tour, Aug. 12-19 that visits lesser-known areas to experience everyday life.  A day is spent learning to cook  Polish dishes such as pierogi, and another day includes a class in pottery painting in a village where the houses are painted with floral motifs.  Other highlights include a  raft trip along the Dunajec River gorge and a farewell cruise on the Vistula River to the Janowiec Castle ruins, as well as visits to a 16^th century wooden church, a World Heritage Site, the Wooden Churches of Debno, and more.  Priced at $1,700 per person double occupancy, if booked with Poland in One Go, each package will be discounted by 5 percent.  Since prices are paid in Polish zlotys, the actual charge in U. S. currency could be lower, but will never be higher.  To book either or both packages, visit www.staypoland.com.  

 Search Amazon.com for Europe 

Trivial question

Which of the Great Lakes does not border Canada? (Answer somewhere below.)

A FASTPASS to see Mickey at Disney World ...

Walt Disney World  guests can now go backstage at Town Square Theater for photos and autographs with Mickey Mouse without waiting in a standby queue. That's the result of the first-ever use of Disney's FASTPASS Service for a character meet-and-greet. FASTPASS allows guests to reduce waiting by designating a window of time when they can return for a theme park experience. Town Square Theater is located just inside the Magic Kingdom entrance. Previously known as Town Square Exposition Hall, the venue has been re-imagined as a turn-of-the-20th-Century theater where posters proclaim Mickey as the star of a magic show.Ya gotta love it.

.. and an app to help you see everything else

The Undercover Tourist has a free smartphone app designed to save time and help you find attractions when visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Visit www.undercovertourist.com.

Tour guide joke (Bonaire)

"That reddish-colored tree with falling-off bark that you see over there is a gumbo-limbo tree but we like to call it a tourist tree because it is red and peeling."

Mother's Day spa packages at Donald Trump's places

A Mother’s Day Spa Package is being offered at  The Spa at Trump's  four locations across the U.S.: Trump International Hotel & Tower- Chicago, Trump International Hotel-Las Vegas, Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk and Trump SoHo New York. You can  choose from two packages costing $299 each: a 90-minute Trump Classic Massage followed by a 60-minute, revitalizing Kate Somerville Dermal Quench Facial with a bonus Kate Somerville Protect SPF 30 sunscreen – a $494 value. Or a 90-minute Trump Gemstone Massage, combining gemstone-infused oils with flowers and herbal essences, followed by a 60-minute, balancing Kate Somerville Trump Results Facial and the bonus Protect SPF 30 sunscreen – a $504 value. The package can be purchased through Mother’s Day, May 8, and must be used by Sept. 5. A 20% service charge on treatments is additional. Visit www.trumphotelcollection.com/spa-reservations.

Fascinating fact

Lightning strikes the CN Tower in Toronto an average of 75 times per year. (Long copper strips run down the CN Tower to grounding rods buried below ground to prevent damage.)

It's a great time to go to jail -- for a tour, that is

The Missouri State Penitentiary  in Jefferson City, Mo., is now offering tours day and night -- as if it weren't eerie enough during the day. The landmark, which was decommissioned in 2004, charges $12 for a two-hour tour, $17 for special subject tours focused on specific themes, such as  the riot of 1954; $17 for two-hour Twilight tours; $25 for Ghost Hunt tours; and $100 for Open Paranormal Investigations, where you start with the standard tour and then spend the night at the penitentiary to investigate paranormal activity. Eeek! Visit  www.missouripentours.com or call 866-998-6998. 

 

Trivial answer

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely within the United States.

Let's hear it for generous older travelers who roam the globe

Here are three things you should know about older travelers:

* There are a lot of them. Between Jan.1 and Dec. 31of this year, more than 7,000 of the nearly 78 million American baby boomers, born 1946-1964,  will turn 65 every day.  Those statistics come from AARP.

* They are traveling and spending. More boomers are turning to travel as a top leisure activity and they     are outspending their younger counterparts by an average of 74 percent on their vacations. That's the word from suddenlysenior.com.

* They are a generous lot. The Grand Circle Foundation  is  working with an organization that serves orphaned children in earthquake-ravaged Japan. The foundation sent an e-mail to travelers one night this week between 7-11 p.m. and as of yesterday at 5 p.m., $62,853 in donations had come in from 615 donors -- which, combined with the $25,000 match by Grand Circle Foundation, brought the donation at that point to $87,853.  Donors are Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure travelers, associates in Boston and around the world, as well as trip leaders and program directors.

Grand Circle Travel, along with sister group Overseas Adventure Travel,  is a favorite of older travelers. (The fellow in the accompanying Grand Circle photo is meeting the terra-cotta warriors in Xian, China.) So it's no surprise that this week more than 1,000 seniors are participating in Boston meetings to talk about, and hear about, overseas travel.  As we indicated, there are a lot of older globetrotters out there ...  and I'm proud to be one of them.

Search Amazon.com for senior travel

Trivial question

 The lily is the symbol of which country? (Answer somewhere below.)

Stay at these hotels and get your airline baggage fees back

InterContinental Hotels Group will be extending its Check It Free promotion through April 30. Guests can now get back up to $100 in checked baggage fees for each round-trip flight with a two-night weekend stay at any of InterContinental’s 4,500 hotels worldwide including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

Worth quoting 

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” -- Aldous Huxley

Take 10% more off Nantucket inn's sale rates

People who stay at the Jared Coffin House on Nantucket now through May 18 will get an additional 10 percent off the inn's Hot Dates, Cool Rates sale. Those cool rates start at $125. 

Fascinating fact

The Himalayas have 19 of the 25 highest mountains in the world (but don't ask us to name them from memory). 

Royal Caribbean rolling out an alcohol-buying package
USA Today reports that Royal Caribbean Line is beginning to offer a package rate on buying alcoholic beverage. The offers range from a Beer and Wine Package for  $29 per person per day for all beers, house wine by the glass and a 25% discount on all other wines and liquors, to a Premium Package, at $49 per person per day for a whole lot more, including cocktails. Ah, but the offer will first be available only on selected ships that cater mostly to European customers.The full story is here.

So who says gasoline is getting expensive anyhow?

 Last-chance spring special in N.H. for $99

Snowy Owl Inn & Resort in Waterville Valley, N.H., has this offer for the first 100 bookings only: a $99 inclusive rate from now until the end of April for almost any room in the house. Book online using promo code JUST99 at www.snowyowlinn.com; the phone number is 800-766-9969. That price includes taxes, there are 10 room types to choose from, and the offer is even valid Easter weekend.

Trivial answer

The lily is the symbol of France.

 

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.

 

 Cathedral windows in Setubal, Portugal

The top 10 things you can do mostly for free in Portugal

Flying to and staying in Portugal are relative bargains. And once you get there, you'll find plenty of free -- or nearly free -- activities to further cut costs. Here are the country's top 10 freebies:

1) Castles.  There are more per capita than in any other nation, and most are free. For example, the Castle of Guimarães, overlooking the Campo de São Mamede, played a role the foundation of the country and its struggles for independence.

2)  Cathedrals. – Hundreds of historic churches and cathedrals across Portugal are free, although some may charge to see the cloisters or sacristy. Here you can see a thousand years of architecture with  gold and silver, intricate woodwork and sculpture, and the tombs of priests, warriors, kings, and everyday people.

3) Festivals. From Lisbon’s Popular Marches, to Coimbra’s celebration of the Saint Queen Isabel in July, to the Sao Pedro Festival, late spring to fall, these ancient festivals and celebrations are free to all. Attending a traditional festival (festa) is a great way for any visitor to absorb some Portugese popular culture and get to know the locals.

4) City parks.  From the sweeping vistas of the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Park in Lisbon, to the stylish paths of the ancient Mata de Santa Cruz in Coimbra, to the   Garden of the Episcopal Palace in Castelo Branco,  Portugal’s hundreds of city parks rich in heritage and monuments, cost nothing to visit.

 5) Beaches. With more than 500 miles of  Atlantic coast, Portuguese beaches are great for swimming, surfing, and sun. The country boasts has more than 300 miles of sandy beaches, and some of the best weather in Europe.

6) The Cacilheiro. OK, these cost 95 cents, but the orange boats go from Lisbon to Cacilhas   and offer grand views of Lisbon from the river.

7) Museums on Sunday and holidays until 2 p.m.   Here are just a few that are free during that time period, but check out this site  (which, alas, appears to be in Portuguese only) for a full list. Plus, at other times children under 14 years old free and there is a 50 percent discount for seniors.

8) Lisbon’s historic Trolley 28. Trolley 28 runs through historic Lisbon beginning in Graça then  to the river. Cost is just  2 1/2 euros (or buy a one day Carris/metro ticket for 3.95 euros) and you pay the fare directly to the driver.  The 28 trolley crosses the city from east to west, climbing away from the center through the narrow cobbled streets and steep gradients of the Bairro Alto, Baixa, and Alfama districts.

9) Running of the bulls on Terceira. Part of life since the 16th century, the “touradas à corda” (literally “bullfights by rope”) are held by local Terceira villagers from April/May to late September. In these events, similar to the “Running of the Bulls,"  a bull is let loose from the town’s square (or other open space) with a very long rope around its neck. Courageous people then attempt to get close tothe animal while avoiding being gored. The animal is eventually retrieved and a festival begins.

10) Levadas on Madeira. The Levada "Walks" are walking trails along the maintenance paths beside the Levadas. Although the Levadas were constructed primarily for agricultural/industrial use, they offer an opportunity for tourists and localsto have outdoor adventures at places inaccessible by car.

Search Amazon.com for Portugal 

Trivial question

What is the only continent where you won't find glaciers? (Answer somewhere below.)

A batch of new guides for the traveler

DK Eyewitness Travel and Rough Guides has released a slew of new guidebooks this month and will issue more in April. The books, and their list prices, are Back Roads: Germany, Back Roads, Australia, Chile & Easter Island (all $25), Top 10: Italian Lakes ($14), Top 10: England's Lake District ($14, coming in April), Pocket Rough Guides: Amsterdam; Athens; Lisbon; Venice (all $14, coming in April). All have lots of details, photos, maps, and the sleek look that DK guides are known for.

Worth quoting

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -- well said by Maya Angelou.


Lighthouses, lobsters and lots more for $1,685
Atlantic Canada is one of my favorite places in the world in summer, and one way to get a taste of it is via the the one-week Maritime Sampler program from The Great Canadian Travel Company, which visits New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Priced from $1,685 per person, the  package includes six nights’ accommodation (based on double occupancy), transportation throughout,  most meals including a traditional Prince Edward Island lobster supper, a welcome reception and visits to Peggy’s Cove with its famous lighthouse, Lunenburg, Grand Pre National Historic Site, Hopewell Rocks, Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place and Prince Edward Island National Park.  There are 15 departures  between May 28 and Oct. 1. For more info and reservations, click here.

Fascinating fact

Only about 3 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water.

A $399 inn-to-inn summer sampler in N.H.

The Rosewood Country Inn and the Candlelite Inn in Bradford, N.H., are offering an Inn to Inn Summer Sampler for visitors to explore central New Hampshire. Available June 26 to 30 and July 17 to 21, the four-night package includes two nights at each inn, and a self-guided tour with admissions to some of the Sunapee region's most popular and scenic attractions. The package includes two nights at Candlelite Inn, two nights at Rosewood Country Inn, four breakfasts, to dinners, a picnic supper, admissions to Fuller Gardens, St. Gaudens, and The Fells, and tickets for Lake Sunapee Cruise. To book the package, which begins at $399, call the Candlelite Inn at 888-812-5571 or email  candlelite@conknet.com.

Trivial answer

Australia contains no glaciers.

Here's everything you didn't know about the Emerald isle

As St. Patrick’s Day fast approaches, here’s are some interesting and, we hope, entertaining facts about that land of beauty and, sometimes, tears. The information has been gleaned from assorted books and websites, so here we go:

* The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia, in County Galway.

* Couples  could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (Feb. 1) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920s by simply walking toward each other. If the marriage failed, they could "divorce'" by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St. Brigid’s day the following year.

* An  estimated  80 million people of Irish descent live elsewhere than Ireland

* The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000-year lease on its property.

* A traditional Irish cure for a hangover was to be buried up to the neck in moist river sand.

* According to a 2007 census, the most popular boy’s name in Ireland is Jack, followed by Sean; and the most popular girls’ names are Sarah and Emma.

* The last woman accused of witchcraft in Ireland was Dame Alice Kyteler, born in Kilkenny in 1280. All four of her husbands died, and she was accused of poisioning them. Today you can dine at Kyteler's Inn in Kilkenny (www.kytelersinn.ie), which operates in her old home.

* Some historians maintain that over 40 percent of America's presidents, Barack Obama among them, have had some Irish ancestry.

* Dublin was originally called "Dubh Linn," which means "Black Pool." The name refers to an ancient treacle lake in the city, which became  part of a penguin enclosure at the Dublin City Zoo.

* It’s not the custom in Ireland to wear green ties, hats or other green clothes on St. Patrick's Day. A sprig of shamrock in the coat lapel is considered plenty.

 Search Amazon.com for Ireland

Trivial question

In Ireland, what is a banshee’s wail believed to foretell? (Answer somewhere below.)

Four nights at Dublin’s Four Seasons for $699

Sceptre Tours has a  package that includes four nights at the Four Seasons Hotel Dublin and round-trip airfare to Dublin starting from $699 per person.  If you put the package together yourself, Sceptre says you’d pay over $1,099. The $699 price, which excludes fees of course, is from JFK Airport in New York. The price is $719 from Boston, $789 from Chicago, and $769  from Orlando. The price is based on two people traveling, on select Wednesday and Thursday departures from March 20 to May 16.  call 1-800-221-0924 or click here.

Worth quoting

“Definition of an 'Irish fact': That which tells you not what is the case but what you want to hear.’’  -- Hugh Kenner

$100 discount for exploring all of Ireland

CIE Tours is offering the Irish Classic vacation, a 13-day/11-night comprehensive escorted tour of all Ireland with more than 50 departures,, operating on Wednesdays and Fridays from March 11 through Nov. 18.  Land tour prices start at $1,758, but in honor of St. Patrick, CIE is extending a $100 per couple discount on any departure if you book and pay a deposit before March 31. Use code 033111CLA50. Call 800-CIE-TOUR or visit www.cietours.com.

Who’s confused?

There is a village in Kerry called Inch, and a road sign outside the village reads,  "Inch 1 Mile."

An eight-day walking tour of Ireland

Walking is a wonderful way to tour Ireland, and Boundless Journeys has an eight-day walking trip called Gems of the Emerald Isle. Participants will walk and hike the  forested valleys of the Ring of Kerry, the  hills of the Dingle Peninsula, and the  limestone paths of the Burren. Walking the quaint streets of villages dotting the south and west of Ireland will be complemented by evenings in a traditional pub. Dates are May 22-29, July 22-29 and Aug. 14-21, and the land cost is $4,095 per person, which includes guides, accommodations, all meals but one, transportation in Ireland, park fees and activities. Call 800-941-8010 or click here.

A chance to see Scotland as well as Eire

A 15-day Brendan Vacations tour begins in Glasgow, witnessing the rugged beauty of Scotland's glens, locks, and isles. Participants then visit Cawdor Castle, famous for its associations with Shakespeare's Macbeth. The trip moves on to Edinburgh, visiting places from Edinburgh Castle to the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace. Next up is Ireland. with time to explore the cities of Letterkenny, Connemara, Killarney, and Dublin and, of course, have a pint of Guinness. Prices begin at $2599 land only, double occupancy. Visit www.brendanvacations.com or call 800-428-6000.

Trivial answer

A banshee’s cry is said to foretell a death in the family.