Ancient Egypt cruise: Exploring Abu Simbel and Lake Nasser on the MS Prince Abbas

By John Craven

Shifted sands: John Craven on deck with Abu Simbel behind him


At first it was just another hill of sand among the thousands that line the massive lake.

For three days we had been sailing and had seen no people, roads or villages along the lake's banks - just empty desert.

But as we came closer, it was obvious this particular mound was man-made; after all, there is no mistaking Abu Simbel.

Four 60ft statues of Ramesses the Second, ancient Egypt's most powerful king, guard the entrance to the great temple.

Carved out of the hillside in the 13th Century BC, this amazing feat is even more remarkable as it now stands 270ft higher than in the time of Ramesses.

In an international rescue operation in the Sixties, the temple and a smaller one next door dedicated to his wife Nefertari were hauled up piece by 30-ton piece.

The carefully numbered bits were reassembled in their entirety above the waters that flooded the countryside of Nubia and created Lake Nasser, where we were sailing.

At 350 miles long and 22 miles at its widest, the world's third-largest reservoir feels more like an inland sea. It was created by blocking the Nile at the Aswan High Dam.

So a vast amount of fresh water from the heart of Africa is stored in an area which has seen only one hour of rain in the past five years.

Many thousands take the 175-mile bus ride across the desert from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Others arrive at the specially built airport. But they approach Abu Simbel from behind.

On board our fine vessel, the Prince Abbas, we lucky few got the full-frontal view as the captain brought us within a few yards.

The chance to admire Abu Simbel from the waters that once threatened its destruction was the reason my wife and I chose this cruise - that and the prospect of seven days' total relaxation in unqualified luxury.


Comfort: The MS Prince Abbas has 65 air-conditioned cabins that face outwards and only uses purified water


We had 'done the Nile' from Luxor to Aswan a few years ago and enjoyed everything about it - the Valley of the Kings, the great temples at Philae and Karnak, bulrushes on the banks and hassles in the bazaars.

In those days, I must have borne a resemblance to a President of the United States because hawkers shouted: 'Give you good price, Mr Clinton!' We vowed that one day we would sail to Abu Simbel. Now we have done it and it was infinitely more peaceful than our Nile visit.

Reaching the Prince Abbas took five hours in a cramped charter plane followed by four in a coach.

But just as I was getting grumpy there it was, moored in an isolated spot, and all became worthwhile.

It was a small cruise ship rather than a river boat; a larger, modern version of the Thomas Cook paddle-steamer that first took tourists to Abu Simbel along the Nile more than 100 years ago. But our vessel had fake paddles and was powered by two diesel engines.

It was built 13 years ago. All 65 air-conditioned cabins face outwards and open on to varnished wooded walkways with brass rails. Their large windows are one-way in daylight, so you can see out but no one can see in.

But at night you need to pull the curtains which, as we strolled past, one naked guest had forgotten to do! The affable Nubian crew were attentive and the buffet meals in the elegant dining room were all one would expect of a Swiss-managed vessel.


Imposing: The temple of Abu Simbel is guarded by four 60ft statues of Ramesses the Second, ancient Egypt's most powerful king


Everything was freshly prepared and though most visitors to Egypt worry about 'gyppy tummy', we were encouraged to eat everything, from salads onwards. In the kitchens only purified water was used so not one of our 30-strong party suffered any stomach problems.

The ship followed a channel that marked the original route of the Nile, now 60ft beneath us. When the dam was built, the 90,000 peasant farmers and nomads who had lived along the river were relocated.

Aside from Abu Simbel, we stopped at half a dozen other temples and monuments that had also been moved, some as far as 30 miles.

Between excursions, we lazed. On the sundeck was a whirlpool, pool and bar but our favourite spot was the large, oriental-style outdoor lounge one deck below at the stern. Under its tented awning were couches with incredibly comfortable cushions and a white-coated steward to tend to our needs.

There were occasional excitements - such as twice crossing the Tropic of Cancer, and my wife spotting a Nile crocodile. Fishermen claim croc numbers are getting out of control.

When we reached Abu Simbel, a few of us got up at daybreak and walked to the temple to watch the sun come up and bathe the statues in a glorious pinkish glow.

The place was deserted apart from a group of Japanese tourists who sat with their backs to Ramesses and, perhaps appropriately, seemed more interested in the rising sun than the temple.

Cruising through the desert is a unique way to absorb both ancient Egypt and the modern miracles of archaeologists and water engineers. If you haven't already travelled the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, I'd say do that first. Otherwise, you might find the Prince Abbas just a little too laid-back.
But for me it was perfect.


Travel factsA seven-night Sailing Through The Desert cruise on Lake Nasser costs from £997. This includes return flights from Gatwick, transfers, full board on the five-star MS Prince Abbas (above), a sightseeing itinerary and the services of guides and local representatives.

A seven-night extension in Alexandria, Cairo and Luxor is available from £745. Call Voyages Jules Verne on 0845 166 7035 or visit www.vjv.com.


source: dailymail

Springtime in Paris? A treasure trove of Easter events and festivals across France

By Chris Leadbeater

Fit for an emperor, Versailles is a French palatial wonder and beautiful in springtime


The woozy taste of a fine Bordeaux; the clink of a coffee cup in a Lyon bistro; the sight of Mont Blanc peeping above the slopes of Courchevel; the view of Paris from below the Sacré Coeur: you never need to think hard to find a reason to visit France.

But spring is an especially pleasant time to visit the home of Napoleon, Thierry Henry and (for now, anyway) Carla Bruni.

It is the season when the UK's sometimes friend next door shakes off its winter slumber, not least in the north and northwest, where a host of events bring the year to life.

Fancy some historical perspective in Rouen or Paris? A dash of jazz in Normandy? A modicum of high culture in up-and-coming Lyon?

The following celebrations and festivals should keep Francophiles busy until summer finally rears its happy head.

Orleans and Rouen
April 29 to may 9 (Orleans); June 5 to 6 (Rouen)
Nearly six centuries after her short life and brutal demise, Joan of Arc still plays a prominent role in french life. One of France's patron saints, her life is celebrated in two festivals in spring and early summer. The Loire city of Orleans goes first, at the end of April, commemorating the heady days of May 1429 when the 17-year-old peasant girl was instrumental in lifting the English siege of the city, turning the tide of the Hundred Years War in the process.

The fetes de Jeanne D'Arc recalls her success through the usual three fs (feasts, falconry, fireworks), parades of knights on horseback and (this being france) food markets.

Around 100 miles to the northwest, Rouen boasts an almost identical event in the first week of June - albeit one played out against a darker backdrop. The capital of Normandy was the scene of Joan's execution, burned at the stake for heresy on May 30, 1431, by her English captors, following a hastily arranged show trial. The L'église Sainte-Jeanned'Arc, a defiantly modern church, now stands on the site of her death, offering a sober contrast to the festival's jesters, stilt-walkers and jollity.

For more information visit: www.fetesjeannedarc.com, www.rouentourisme.com
ParisApril 3 to October 31 (Saturdays and Sundays); May 25 to June 29 (Tues)
For a true dose of historic pomp and ceremony, few (if any) Gallic locations can hope to compete with the architectural exclamation mark that is the palace of Versailles.


One of the marvels of the Industrial Revolution, the Eiffel Tower continues to attract 7million visitors every year


The former seat of the kings of France perches and preens ten miles west of Paris in a haze of priceless paintings, gold livery and unabashed royal narcissism courtesy of its 17th century founder, Louis XIV.

The 221 years since the french Revolution put it out to pasture have scarcely dimmed its majesty - a fact that comes into focus in April, when its gardens (all 400 exquisitely landscaped hectares of them) host Les Grandes Eaux Musicales, an extravaganza where the 50 fountains around the grounds demonstrate their statue-laden grandeur in coordinated displays of shooting water to loud classical music.

Louis XIV, though dead since 1715, probably approves entirely.

For more information: www.chateauversailles.fr www.chateauversaillesspectacles.fr
Normandy

June 5 to 7

Though it is now nearing seven decades since the incredible sacrifices of June 1944 radically altered the course of the Second World War, D-Day remains an occasion that is remembered with commendable and considerable dignity along the 50 miles of the Normandy coastline that witnessed it.

The day itself, June 6, is observed in the shape of quiet memorials at beaches such as Omaha and Utah, with proceedings centred on Arromanches and the Musée du débarquement. further west, Bayeux - which was the first town to be liberated by the incursion of Allied troops - lightens the mood somewhat by throwing a three-day celebratory bash.

Anyone visiting during this period can look forward to fireworks, picnics, guided walks and a reconstruction of a military camp.

For more information visit: www.normandiememoire.com, www.bessin-normandie.com
Loire ValleyApril 29 to October 27

If you like outbreaks of beauty in palace gardens, an alternative to Versailles is the festival International des Jardins, which takes over the grounds of the Château de Chaumont every summer.

Now in its 19th year, this green-fingered affair sees a team of designers create 30 different mini-gardens of varying colour and complexity. The emphasis is on the contemporary, so expect to see everything from trees painted blue to weirdly wonderful uses of tomatoes.

This year's theme is body and soul, which will surely lead to all manner of outlandish confections. The chateau itself, which overlooks the River Loire, has quite a past. Largely built in the 15th century, it was once a favourite of queen Catherine de Medici, who threw lavish parties here. Nostradamus was among the occasional guests.

For more information visit: www.loirevalleytourism.com www.domaine-chaumont.fr
ArdennesMay 15 to 16

Huddled on the roof of northeastern France, the Ardennes departement has long been frontier country. It is a zone of thick forest, swiftly flowing rivers and nervous glances at not-so-distant neighbours.


Picture perfect: Rural France comes to life in the Ardennes


All of which explains the stony presence of the Château de Sedan, a brash beast of a structure that lays claim to being the largest fortress in Europe.

Certainly, in its 16th century heyday, it was a fortress to be reckoned with - a behemoth that bristled with menace.

Nowadays, of course, the border it oversees is that between France and not-overly threatening Belgium. This means its job is now not so much guard dog as it is museum.

And the main moment in its calendar is the festival Medieval de Sedan, a two- day riot of pageantry that takes in everything from theatre pieces, alehouses and jousting to ' medieval marriages'.

Happily, perishing in the Black Death is not included.

For more information visit: www.chateau-fort-sedan.fr
Le Mans and Coutances
March 2 to May 9 (Le mans); May 8 to 15 (coutances)
For those who like their artistic stimulation to come in audio rather than visual form, Normandy could be an unexpected source of entertainment this spring.

Better known for castles, cheese and cider than for the tootling of trumpets, minor chords and complex time signatures, the region will nevertheless stage two excellent jazz festivals before May gasps its last.

One, the mammoth Europajazz shindig, is al ready underway bringing clever key changes to a multitude of Norman towns. It hits its stride between April 25 and May 9, when the majority of concerts are scheduled for Le Mans.

A little later that month, Coutances - a town that lurks south of Cherbourg and the outstretched hand of upper northwestern Normandy - responds with its own musical spectacular Jazz Sous Les Pommiers, which translates, romantically, as Jazz Under The Apples Trees.

For more information visit: www.europajazz.fr www.jazzsouslespommiers.com



source: dailymail

Tourists overcharged for New York cabs as price-fixing is uncovered

By Tim Clark

On the up: Passengers were routinely overcharged for their taxi rides


Tourists in the Big Apple could have had a big bite of their holiday budget unlawfully taken after it was revealed up to 1.8million passengers in New York have been overcharged for their taxi fares.

The reputation of the yellow and black checkered cabs, one of the most famous symbols of the city, has been severely tarnished by the claims that over 35,000 taxi drivers altered their meters to charge passengers higher rates for trips.

According to officials, drivers flipped switches on the meters which allowed them to charge double fares which should only be used for trips outside the city centre.

Official fare rules state that New York taxi drivers are only allowed to charge a higher rate when they take long-distance fares, typically those which cross the border of New York city itself.

Though most New York cab drivers were found to have only used the wrong fare once, an investigation by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission found that over 3,000 drivers had used the wrong fare code over 100 times in the last two years.

The scandal only came to light when Brooklyn cab driver Wasin Khalid Cheema was found to have overcharged passengers over 574 times in only one month.

Cheema, who has had his taxi licence subsequently revoked, was caught after New York resident Mitchell Lee, an anaesthesiologist at the NYU medical centre, noticed that his fare was $2 (Around £1.30) higher than normal.

Dr Lee was initially charged $7 for a $5 fare. When challenged Cheema claimed that the fare was the same as normal before eventually asking Lee to pay his normal $5 fare. Dr Lee's complaint to the TLC exposed the scam involving 35,558 of New York's 48,300 cab drivers.

Dr Lee told the New York Post: “It was obvious when the meter was going fast. I asked the driver why the meter was going faster than normal, if there was breakage.”

After an investigation, the commission found that an average of $4.45 had been added to the fares of 1.8millon taxi rides since 2008, which netted cabbies an estimated $8.3millon in income. Cheema is expected to have pocketed an extra $40,000 in only six months and was found to have been caught overcharging passengers on previous occasions.

Drivers who violate TLC rules can expect anything from a $200 fine to the withdrawal of their cab licence, however despite thousands of complaints less than 100 taxi drivers have lost their licences in the past five years.

On Italy's mozzarella trail in Cilento, the hidden coastline that's fit for a prince

Cheesy does it: A worker at the farm hand rolls the mozzarella balls while buffalo massage their backs against giant brushes - all designed to relax them and improve the taste of their milk


A hot snort of acknowledgment preceded an eyeballing that suggested this buffalo had seen my type before. With a swift lash of a tar-black tail and a dip of horns, my new acquaintance turned on its hooves and got back to massaging its rear on a big yellow brush.

Mozzarella - that famous milky cheese that pools on our pizzas - is to Italy's lesser known Cilento region what pesto is to Genoa or chianti is to Tuscany and right now, I'm taking the equivalent of a vineyard tour. Except there are no heady whiffs of grapes fermenting, just the toe-curling aroma of buffalo dung.

Vannulo, which claims to be Italy's only organic mozzarella farm, is a surprisingly informative place to spend a morning.

These intimidating beasts offer a living history lesson on the local area; they dominated this landscape when it was too waterlogged for humans to negotiate.

When German author Wolfgang Goethe travelled through Cilento in 1787 he talked of 'flooded places where we looked into the blood-red savage eyes of buffaloes'.

The eyes are still wild but instead of roaming swamps, they now bolster the economy.

The Vannulo farm is a modern, high-tech incarnation of a centuries-old industry - each buffalo is chipped and the milking equipment recognises them individually.

Advances haven't touched every part of the process though, the mozzarella is still plied into perfect spheres by hand, and the remaining whey drained to make ricotta.

At the front of Italy's ankle in the Campania region, Cilento is a jutting nugget of coastline that dovetails caves and coves with mountains and ancient sites that date back to 7th century BC.

You have to be prepared to bypass the country's most popular stretch of coastline to get here though. Driving south from Naples on Italy's A3, signs pointing you to the dazzling, ever-photogenic Amalfi Coast rear up relentlessly and I wondered if ignoring them was something tourists didn't do for a reason.

Shortly after passing Salerno, the pretty hilltop towns gave way to a landscape that can only be described as scenic ennui; generic-looking towns interspersed


Who needs Amalfi? Jo soaks up the view from lofty Castellabate, the crumbling, medieval town that overlooks the Cilento coastline


Then, two hours after we'd left the airport at Naples, the sight of Santa Maria di Castellabate filled the windscreen.

A town that feels more like a roomy village gathered around two or three half-crescent bays, it was basking in early evening sunlight when we arrived. Hovering 300metres above it was the lofty medieval town of Castellabate and beyond it the lapping blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

We quickly joined the passeggiata – that oh-so-civilised period of the Italian day that is assigned entirely to strolling – and enjoyed an aperitivo watching teenagers tear after a football on a pitch scribed out of sand.

Although holidaymakers are a common sight in Santa Maria di Castellabate, tourism doesn't dictate life here. First and foremost, this is a working town and, like ricotta, visitors and the money they bring are little more than a useful byproduct.

As a result, prices aren't hiked up. Even with the pound gasping for breath against the euro we found it inexpensive. A bottle of Peroni may see you stumping up 6 euros in Sorrento, here it'll buy you a whole, wood-fired pizza, and a delicious one at that.

The old town, known as Isca delle Chitarre, has just enough restaurants to entertain visitors for a week or two and the food is delicious, unfussy Neapolitan fare.

Humble gnocchi dishes, uneven margherita pizza topped with discs of mozzarella, ciabatta drenched in extra virgin olive oil, soft figs and ice cream in fanciful flavours are all culinary staples in these parts.

Should you fancy a change, a few more restaurants lie up on high in Castellabate, which can be reached by bus, car or - if your legs can take the steep, spiralling road - on foot.


Less a holiday resort and more of a working village, Santa Maria di Castellabate remains off the tourist map and reasonably priced


When tourists do visit, many of them stay at Palazzo Belmonte, Santa Maria di Castellabate's very own palace. Dating back to the 17th century, it is the inherited property of Prince Angelo di Belmonte and centres around a beautiful courtyard. Now a hotel with self-catering rooms, it is a regal place to stay with a lush, colourful garden, a child-friendly pool area and access to the town's blue flag beach easily gained when you nudge a mysterious-looking wooden door in the palace's walls.

The prince, now in his seventies, is a personable chap and at ease with the company of guests. Indeed, further down the coast, plans are afoot to open up another Belmonte property to tourists.


Ancient treasure: The Temple of Poseidon in Paestum lies within an hour's drive of Santa Maria di Castellabate.




Fit for a prince: the grandiose Palazzo Belmonte offers regal accommodation from 141 euros a night in low season. Right, Jo tucks into mozzarella fresh from the farm

From Santa Maria di Castellabate, there are plenty of day trips including, if you don't mind some time spent in the car, the Amalfi Coast.

Mid-week we hurtled back up the A3 to spend a morning marvelling at Pompeii before taking a meandering return journey via the hairpin bends that connect Sorrento, Positano and Ravello. It is a road well travelled and needs little explanation here except to say that it is a route full of drama and beauty, whether you're behind the wheel or a passenger.

For a less taxing drive, head to Paestum, where the impressive ruins of a Graeco-Roman city can be seen. The subject of many raids by Saracens, this 7th century metropolis eventually fell not to soldiers but to mosquitoes as malaria forced its residents out.


Paestum remained deserted and hidden in thick undergrowth until the 18th century when the weeds were hacked away and it was established as a historical site.

It is a region teeming with literary ghosts. Alongside Goethe's swamp exploration, Shelley wandered among Paestum's ruins for inspiration, concluding they were 'Inexpressibly grand'.

And the fishing hamlet of Acciaroli, 20km south of Santa Maria di Castellabate was said to have played host to Ernest Hemingway. The adventurous writer spent time here in 1952 after he'd finished penning The Old Man and the Sea.

Back at Vannulo, it was tasting time. Just moments after it'd been gently kneaded into shape by the farm's small army of mozzarella men, I forked through cheese so fresh it was almost moo-ing.

With bite on the outside and a melting middle, it was a million miles away from the veritable squash balls that are served up on the shelves of UK supermarkets.

The unfriendly stare I'd been on the receiving end of earlier in the tour was forgotten. Suddenly, I wanted to shake my new friend by the hoof and congratulate him on the finest mozzarella I'd ever tasted.

Travel factsCV Travel (020 7401 1039, www.cvtravel.co.uk) offers accommodation in rooms and suites at the Palazzo Belmonte. A week's stay costs from £504 per person, including one night free, based on two sharing and including b&b accommodation. Flights and car hire can also be arranged by CV Travel.

For more information on visiting the mozzarella farm at Vannulo, visit www.vannulo.it

source: dailymail

Unlucky for some? Alton Towers new Thirteen ride comes with a twist...

By Priscilla Pollara

The Thirteen ride took two years to plan and construct and is the sixth major attraction at Alton Towers


On the approach to Thirteen, the latest ride to be unveiled at Staffordshire theme park Alton Towers, there were certainly some alarming and quite obviously frightening things with which to commence a furious biting of nails.

The promise of unexpected taps on the shoulder by characters known as 'faceless wraiths' - who look more like hunched monks with extraordinarily large cossacks pulled over their heads; the anticipation of stomach-crunching near-vertical dips amidst a forest of trees; the 67mph speed of the mechanism and the unknown 'twist' which had been kept hidden until the day of its launch.

Actually, it was none of those elements which really terrified me - and, I hope, others - on the day I was asked to ride Thirteen. Because in a strange act of unnerving tension, those fortunate few - or not, depending on how one rates themselves on the thrill-seeking gauge - who had been ushered to the front to test the new rollercoaster, were met with the overwhelming smell of fresh paint. I questioned: is construction finished? Should this ride even be open? Am I going to be safe?


The inclement Derbyshire weather was the least of Priscilla's worries as she prepared to board Thirteen


Of course, deep-rooted human fear, along with just about any thought one might have on entering this ride, quite literally takes an immediate proverbial backseat. Off we went in the two-seating five-car 'psycho-coaster' to begin a gruelling journey of 40 seconds - or was that 50? - slicing through a thick array of intentionally-stark trees with two sudden 60ft drops, three sharp turns and a speedy Lewis Hamilton-type entrance into a smoke-filled, green-illuminated crypt, where the doors close and riders are left to await a sticky end. More of this later.


Feel the fear: riders, who've already included Jonathon Ross and his wife Jane (pictured right), can expect a terrifying ending to the Thirteen ride


Thirteen, despite having an almighty mountain of expectation to climb, does not disappoint. It's fast, it's frightening and it makes you scream.

It is also accompanied by clever viral marketing, with builders and organisers telling us that not only is the terrifying Thirteen built on an unearthed ancient burial site - why weren't we told about this when the late Corkscrew ride was in its place? - but that the very name of the ride itself is intended to cast an irreversible spell on all Alton Towers' aficionados, making certain they will visit again.

Marketing push aside, the ride that was two years in the making and known as Secret Weapon 6 (it is the sixth major attraction at Alton Towers) until its official unveiling is a great - and vastly different - addition to a park that already includes Air, Nemesis and the much-feared Oblivion.

While the hype continues to reverberate around the new ride - and it will for some time - it is worth noting that its popularity will no doubt give rise to astronomical, knee-busting three-hour lengthy queues – which for effect, may I add, weave their way through a dark forest and a gothic castle - and therefore fast track passes or a weekday visit are advisable.

And now to the twist, for surely that is what you all want to know?

It might be a good idea to look away now if you choose to remain in the dark (excuse the pun), but for all those desperate to discover what happens once the Thirteen crypt takes riders captive, here goes...

An eerie silence mixed in with the audible bemusement of other train passengers takes hold, until a sudden shudder on the tracks jolts the car and the entire ride drops a vertical 10 feet. Screams and wide grins from the amazement of the unexpected twist are rapidly wiped away when the car falls another 60 feet and then, without any brief momentary pause, the coaster begins to carouse backwards taking in high-speed turns and spinning into a helix before emerging back into the light outside and driving slowly back to its starting station.

Applause was rife when my own particular ride drove back into its terminal and we vacated the car, the unsettling scent of freshly-licked paint still lingering in the air.

Travel facts A stay at the Alton Tower Hotel starts from £99 per room based on four people sharing and includes bed and breakfast and access to the park.

General admission tickets cost £30.40 for adults and £23.20 for children. A family ticket for between three and six people reduces the ticket price to £21.60 per person.

Visit www.altontowers.com or call 0871 222 9901.


source :dailymail

USA by rail: From Seattle to San Francisco on Amtrak's 'Coast Starlight' train

Starlight stop-off: Nick Metcalfe arrives in Emeryville, near San Francisco


My latest rail adventure landed me in Seattle, where, on a lovely spring morning I contemplated two journeys of 22 hours each within a week.

I was travelling on Amtrak’s ‘Coast Starlight’ service between Seattle and San Francisco. This isn’t a journey I'd recommend if you were in a hurry but if, like me, you want to experience America’s West Coast at a leisurely pace, I guarantee there isn't a more civilised way of travelling between the big towns and cities.

The trains aren’t particularly new or indeed luxurious but they are comfortable and extremely clean. I saw staff using a Hoover during my trip, and the standard of cleanliness in the toilets made me reflect sadly on how disgraceful they can be on British trains.


I was pleased to discover that I would have plenty of leg room in my reclining seat (which can rarely be said about air travel of course) and lots of surrounding space for luggage.

It quickly became clear that for most of the journey I would be gazing out of the window, so delightful were the views. As the train made its first stop at Tacoma, and then later Olympia, the sight of the giant waterways of Puget Sound were never far away and by the time the train arrives in Vancouver (not that one, the small town in Washington state) and moves towards Portland the beautiful Willamette river is a constant companion.

By this stage I had made my way to the observation car, a lovely roomy carriage with huge windows. This is the perfect place to spend daylight hours on the train, giving you a much clearer and unobstructed view of the wonderful scenery.


A chance to explore: The Portland skyline is seen across the beautiful Willamette River
The train sometimes stops for a few minutes when it pulls into a station, and for as much as an hour on occasion. We were given a chance at Portland to leave the train and briefly explore the town before heading back.

As we left Springfield - known to millions as the fictional home of The Simpsons - darkness was falling and we began climbing into the Cascades mountain range for more fantastic sunset views.

Any disappointment I felt that the cloak of night had prevented us seeing any more of the natural beauty that evening disappeared when an experienced fellow passenger informed me that the route is planned to ensure daylight at different times on the way back.

Meal times were a hassle-free affair, with a member of the train staff making their way through the train and booking you in for an allotted time in the dining car. The food was slightly pricey but far from ridiculous. I paid $22 (around £14) for steak with a jacket potato and vegetables that evening.

If you don’t want to sit and eat in the dining car, there are plenty of hot snacks in the well-stocked buffet car – from pizza to burgers and chicken wings. Bring as many of your own drinks as possible though - bottles of water at $2 each can be an expensive business.


One of the joys of a long train journey is the people that you meet – I’ve been lucky to bump into all sorts of memorable characters on the rattler over the years.

A grandfather, Bruce, told me of his lifetime in the fishing industry, while Suzanne recounted her experiences as a volunteer at the recent Winter Olympics and Bob his work as a pilot in the 1950s. Katherine was full of stories having just returned from months of charity work in India, while Ted just wanted to hear about life in London.

And no subject was out of commission: from September 11 to President Obama, from worldwide economic woes to the new baseball season


Entrancing views: The towering Mount Shasta provides the perfect backdrop


Late in the evening we stopped for long enough to leave the train, and found that snow was underfoot. We truly were experiencing four seasons in one day.

I booked my journey eight months in advance and paid $184 (£122) for my reclining seat, which is staggering value.

If you want a bed in a sleeper, it will generally cost you around three times more than the price of a seat – any food that you order in the dining car does come for free though.


Breathtaking: Passengers take in the view as the train rolls past snowy scenes in the Cascades Range


After spending a few days in fantastic San Francisco, it was with more trepidation that I approached the return journey. It is one thing to have California in your mind as a final destination, quite another when Wandsworth lies on the horizon.

I needn’t have worried though – the soothing smooth passage of the train, and more lovely characters on board, provided the ideal relaxant.

And, after a few hours sleep on a makeshift bed across three seats in the observation car, I woke to the unforgettable sight of the sun coming up over the mountains


Final destination: The trip offers the chance to spend a couple of days exploring San Francisco


For the next few hours we were entranced by the views in the Cascades Range, with the Sacramento River winding its way through dense forests and the towering Mount Shasta in the distance. There were actual gasps from the punters as we rattled past a sheer drop and the most gorgeous snowy scenes.

As the train spent the day making its unhurried way back to Seattle, I was already mentally planning future rail journeys. Next time I might even upgrade to a sleeper...and I very much doubt I'll have to ask for a 'room with a view'.

Travel factsNick Metcalfe booked his recliner seat on the Seattle to San Francisco service direct at www.amtrak.com. Booking several months in advance is the best way to secure lower priced tickets.

For more information on visiting California, log on to www.visitcalifornia.co.uk

source: dailymail

France holidays: Six things you must do in... Biarritz

By Gareth Huw Davies

Atlantic delight: Biarritz was a destination that became particularly popular during the Belle Epoque in the 19th Century


One of the many Royal visitors to Biarritz would set off for the Queen of Resorts with the battle cry: 'Chill the champagne, pack the pearls and tune up the Bugatti.'

Gareth Huw Davies, travelling more modestly to this famous old town on France's south-west coast, just 12 miles from the Spanish border, found plenty of old-fashioned luxury.

But you don't have to belong to the international elite to enjoy its long beaches, big waves and mild weather. His list of things to do includes low and no-cost options.


1. LE GRAND STROLL

Biarritz offers one of the most attractive seaside saunters in France, on a route lined with tamarisks and hydrangeas.

It starts at the lighthouse on the high headland and passes France's second-oldest golf course (it's municipal, so quite easy to book) and the Russian Orthodox Church, built for visiting 19th Century nobility, with its glorious blue dome. The famous old promenade along the Grande Plage leads past the Casino Barriere, with a fine art deco ceiling and floor, the peaceful old square Place Ste-Eugenie and the Museum of the Sea, with its handsome facade and shark-feeding sessions. On to Fishermen's Port, built by Emperor Napoleon, and the Rock of the Virgin. The statue of Madonna, set up to keep local fishermen safe, is over a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, of tower fame


2. SURF'S UP

Riding ashore on the crest of a wave is an obvious and exhilarating way to harness natural forces.So you'd think people had always been doing it. But it wasn't until 1957 that surfing reached Europe. And it happened here. Hollywood screenwriter Peter Viertel (husband-to-be of Deborah Kerr) was in town for the filming of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. The powerful waves so impressed him, he asked for his board to be sent over from California. Europe's first surf club launched soon after. Surfing has widened the resort's appeal to a younger generation.


Wave of nostalgia: It wasn't until 1957 that surfing reached Europe and it came here to Biarritz, the birthplace of the sport in Europe


3. PALATIAL STAY
One way to judge the pedigree of a hotel is to count the number of times you don't mind taking the stairs if the lift's just gone. I took the grand descent to the lobby on the Belle Epoque staircase four times during my one-night stay. Which is exactly what Napoleon III intended when he designed this sumptuous place in the 1800s, originally for his wife Eugenie. This hotel commands the best spot in town, directly above Grande Plage. It seems serenely adrift in an earlier age. Rather than update it, they have simply refreshed its elegance, adding the odd modern touch such as a salubrious spa. The suites, Edouard VII, Sarah Bernhardt and Winston Churchill, all Burmese teak, Carrara marble and Italian mosaics, recall starry clients
(www.hotel-du-palais.com).


4. RHUNE WITH A VIEW

Take an easy day trip from Biarritz. North is the old and interesting town of Bayonne, and the beaches and huge echoing forest of Les Landes. A few miles south are the attractive Basque towns of Saint Jean de Luz in France, and San Sebastian, just inside Spain. For the most exciting view in the region, take the rickety, antique mining train, Le Petit Train de La Rhune. It struggles up to the 2,700ft summit of La Rhune, using cog wheels to conquer the extreme gradients, and passing wild Pottok horses along the way. The view from the top, three stars in the Michelin Guide, is spectacular. If you feel fit, buy a single ticket. A well-signed walk brings you all the way down (www.rhune.com).


Stunning: Apart from offering one of the most scenic seaside walks in France, Biarritz does sunsets really rather well too


5. SHOPS AND CHOCS

One delight of the French high street is the number of small, independent shops. In an hour's window-shopping in Biarritz , I saw only one big store. There are specialist cheese shops, grocers and a serious outbreak of chocolate, confectionery and cake shops. Bonbon-making is a tradition. One speciality, the chocolate caramel Kanouga, was devised in 1905 for visiting Russian nobility. The Chocolate Museum, www.planetemuseeduchocolat.com, is worth a visit. And try the Basque Cake, shot through with black cherry jam. You drink Izarro liqueur, made from mountain herbs, with these delights.


6. RED HOT
Red is one of Biarritz's theme colours. It is in the ubiquitous Basque flag, in the cheerful red and green half-timbered buildings, and the town's rugby team shirt.

It's also the colour of the cornerstone of Basque cuisine, the Espelette pepper. A local man who voyaged with Columbus brought it back from Mexico. Today, the autumn ritual is to fill every spare space in the villages around Biarritz with drying peppers. They sell it ground, pureed and pickled. It's the staple ingredient in the dish piperade, made with scrambled eggs and ham.

The writer travelled by train, www.raileurope.co.uk (from £119 return). See also www.biarritz.fr.


source: dailymail

The best spring ski destinations from Val d’Isere in France to Colorado in the U.S.

By Travelmail Reporter

Get set: The ski season is not over yet and there are plenty of places to go to hit the slopes


This has been a funny old winter in the Alps and the Pyrenees with lots of timely snowfalls, but not that many major dumps.

As a result, pistes almost everywhere are in excellent shape for March, with a deep base at altitude.

The best could be yet to come. Late March and April have often offered outstanding skiing before the final thaw.

The unusually bitterly cold temperatures of recent weeks have given way to warmer weather and spring has arrived in the Alps.

Meanwhile, North America is offering some great skiing, though fresh snow would make things perfect.

FRANCE The bitter temperatures of recent weeks — as low as minus 30c — should disappear this weekend with the arrival of balmy sunshine.

Conditions are at their best in Val d'Isere and Tignes, where perfect groomed runs are complemented by 'go anywhere' spring snow conditions off-piste — as long as you take a guide because the slab avalanche risk remains significant.

The freezing level is around 2,300m and snow on the lower slopes will become much heavier in the days to come.

Meribel (85cm/130cm) and the whole of the Three Valleys offer great skiing this weekend and for the week ahead


Riding high: Spring has arrived in the Alps which means skiing here is not quite such a bitterly cold experience


ITALY More snow is needed, but there is some great skiing to be had in the Dolomites, the Milky Way and in the Aosta Valley.

In Val Gardena (70cm/ 160cm), blue skies and wonderful pistes have combined to provide exceptional ski conditions.

Lots of resorts should receive snow this weekend, but spring temperatures mean that at resort level it will be patchy and slushy.

Cervinia is skiing particularly well, with settled snow depths of 70cm to 180 cm.

AUSTRIA It's been a great week, with 40cm falling across much of the country to produce some tremendous skiing high up. But lower slopes are already slushy.

If you're headed for the Arlberg, you are in for a real treat — St Anton (70cm/ 255cm) and neighbouring Lech/Zurs (155cm/185cm) are nothing short of sensational.


Final weeks: Despite the onset of spring in Andorra, there is still enough snow to enjoy the season's last hurrah

SWITZERLAND Davos and Klosters (30cm/ 160cm) were also caught up in the storm that hit Austria. Along with Laax and adjoining Flims, they have some of best skiing in the country.

Conditions in other resorts vary from good to excellent on-piste, but once away from the groomed areas, the mountain sides are looking pretty threadbare.

ANDORRA There's been no new snow in in the past week and the onset of spring is well under way.

That said, the resorts have 120cm/165cm, which is more than enough snow to provide reasonable conditions during the final weeks of the season.

U.S. Heavely, in California, is delightful, but skiers arriving this weekend for the American Spring Break want powder, but are not going to get it.

Mammoth clocked 30cm last week and Utah has a solid 3m base. Colorado has had a 10cm dusting and should benefit from a colder weather expected this weekend.

CANADA Whistler, returning slowly to normal after the Winter Olympics, has had a metre of new snow over the past ten days and is in great shape, but the East Coast has extremely slushy conditions.

Information from www.welove2ski.com


source :dailymail

'Spiritual castle home' of infamous SS opens to public with £8m exhibition

By Allan Hall

The interior of Wewelsburg was modelled by Himmler on the King Arthur legend


An £8million exhibition chronicling the empire of the SS within the Nazi state opens next month in Germany at the Rennaissance castle that was once its spiritual home.
Organisers of the exhibition say its principal aim is educational rather than glorifying the regime.

The display will be the largest in the world devoted to the history of the Third Reich's murderous elite - and a poignant warning never to allow it to happen again.


Imposing: The castle was leased by the Nazis in 1934


Heinrich Himmler: The SS leader ran the death camps from his castle base


Wewelsburg Castle, funded by a foundation and by the North Rhine-Westphalia government, opens to visitors on April 15.
It is where SS leader Heinrich Himmler brought together his senior officers.
He even installed a round table, coats of arms for his SS 'knights' and pagan ceremonies exalting his movement above all other world religions.
For the first time since the SS used the place the room where Himmler met with underlings to plot the occupation of Eastern Europe, visitors will be allowed into the 'knights' room' where torchlit pagan rituals were carried out.
‘We regard this as an insurance for the future, hoping that comprehensive knowledge of such a criminal group will help preserve lives spent in peace and freedom, thus preventing such a force from ever being used against people again,’ said Manfred Mueller, the district adminstrator for Wewelsburg.
‘Although there was so much more to Wewelsburg than just the SS during its long history, this will be the first permanent exhibition in the world to address not just the crimes of the SS but its idealogical basis and involvement with science, art and its political and cultural ambitions.’
Wewelsburg, built into the shape of a triangle, was intended to be the ‘spiritual centre’ of his SS order and Himmler constructed a concentration camp with slave labourers next to it to provide the manpower necessary to carry out renovations to the structure.
The exhibition will draw on hitherto unseen SS plans, drawings, photographs, archive material, uniforms, letters and diaries and the testimony of servants and SS orderlies


Formerly the Prince Bishop's chapel, this hall was intended to be used as a meeting place for the 12 most senior SS officers who were Himmler's ‘knights’


The new museum feeds a growing hunger in Germany for knowledge of the Third Reich.

Sites associated with the regime, such as Hitler's mountain-top retreat in Bavaria and the regime's buildings in Berlin and Munich are now firmly on the tourist map.

In his capacity as supreme leader of the SS, Himmler consulted seers, fortune tellers, amassed the biggest private library of witchcraft books outside of the Berlin University - and immersed himself in the legends of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

In 1934, one year after the Nazis took power, he signed a 100-year lease to take over the castle to fashion into a leadership school for the SS.


Infamous: An SS badge and a wartime poster of a knight from the security force


Sites associated with the regime, such as Hitler's mountain-top retreat in Bavaria and the regime's buildings in Berlin and Munich are now firmly on the tourist map.

In his capacity as supreme leader of the SS, Himmler consulted seers, fortune tellers, amassed the biggest private library of witchcraft books outside of the Berlin University - and immersed himself in the legends of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

In 1934, one year after the Nazis took power, he signed a 100-year lease to take over the castle to fashion into a leadership school for the SS.

The focal point of the Wewelsburg complex was the Obergruppenführersaal – a stone-lined chamber in the North Tower in which Himmler had installed an oaken Arthurian round table seating 12.

Formerly the Prince Bishop's chapel, the hall was intended to be used as a meeting place for the 12 most senior SS officers who were his ‘knights’.


source :dailymail

France: Montpellier's Jardin des Plantes and Champ de Mars make it perfect for weekend breaks

By Max Davidson

Grand design: The opulent Opera-Comedie, built in 1888, in Montpellier's Place de la Comedie


For the average holiday maker, Montpellier in south-west France is like Clapham Junction: a place to pass through, rather than a destination in its own right.

Our flight there is packed, but no more than half the passengers are likely to be spending a night in the city.

At the car-hire desks, couples from the Home Counties are picking up keys, signing insurance waivers and consulting maps.

Some will head for the beach, others for the hills, vineyards or sleepy villages that give the Languedoc its charm.

'We should make Beziers in time for lunch,' says a middle-aged man in a panama hat. Behind him, a young couple in flip-flops clutch surfboards.

They will probably bypass Montpellier, which is a shame because it's a fascinating city.

There is history aplenty, and more gorgeous old buildings than you can shake a baguette at, but it has resolutely refused to live off its past. As befits a university city teeming with young faces, it has entered the 21st century with a bang.

Travelling into the city centre, we pass state-of-the-art offices, gleaming malls and sleek-looking trams.

The ambience is light years from your image of the South of France. Our hotel, the Holiday Inn Metropole, is tucked away down a side street and, from the outside, it's not much to look at.

Inside it's a treat, with a courtyard garden where you can sip a cassis or two under a palm tree


Jolly: Flags hang over a scenic street in downtown Montpellier - while the city is steeped in history, it has a foot firmly in the 21st century


It is a short walk from the Place de la Comedie, the epicentre of Montpellier, where tourists and locals watch the world go by, chill out in cafes and plot their next meal.

Some look no further than the neighbouring Champ de Mars, a tree-lined esplanade where there is a daily street market, funky art gallery the Musee Fabre and a clutch of bistros.

As we take a wander before lunch, the sun falls on lop-sided churches, dusty antique shops, cheeky trompes de l'oeil and dogs sleeping under cars.

The area around the Church of St Anne is beguiling. An old woman sits on a balcony, hunched over her needlework. A priest ducks into a tobacconist, emerges with a packet of fags and smiles seraphically, as if his prayers have been answered.

For lunch, we are spoiled for choice, but plump for the al fresco Sisters Cafe. The tarte maison, a creme brulee, a pitcher of wine and change from 20 euros. Voila!
It is the juxtaposition — churches dwarfed by office blocks, moss-covered statues overlooking pizzerias — that makes Montpellier such a joy. The Antigone, where the younger set congregate, is a wonderfully over-the-top space with fountains shooting up 30ft, flanked by statues.


Tranquil: The Jardin des Plantes is the oldest botanical garden in France, dating to 1593


But for those who prefer serenity, the Jardin des Plantes is a much better bet. It is the oldest botanical garden in France, dating to 1593, when plants were grown for medicinal purposes.

It is also fun to explore the region by car. Point your bonnet to the east and you are only an hour from the Camargue, in the Rhone delta, famed for its flamingoes, bulls and wild white horses. Nose to the south and you're in the bustling port of Sète.

Accelerate to the west — as we do — turn off the main road, and you are in picnic heaven, sprawled out under a tree on the bank of the Canal du Midi.

This tranquil waterway, overhung with plane trees, runs for more than 150 miles through some of the most delectable scenery in France.

It was considered a triumph of modern engineering when it was built in the 17th century, but is now a triumph of life lived in the slow lane, with boats chugging along so slowly that the ducks overtake them.

After lunch, we drive on to the pretty little port of Marseillan, dawdle in the street market, then head for the beach at Marseillan Plage.

It is no Saint-Tropez — it is so unspoiled you could be in Devon — but there is nothing wrong with the temperature of the water, softness of the sand or fugitive beauty of the sunset.

Montpellier might be a gateway, but it leads to the sort of quintessentially French pleasures you certainly will not find in Clapham.

Travel factsEasyjet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com) flies to Montpellier from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, from £52 return. Doubles at the four-star Holiday Inn Metropole (0033 467 123232; www.holidayinnmontpellier.com) start at £108.


source: dailymail

UK holidays: No strain, no pain, just pure gain... falling for the rustic charm of a West Sussex getaway

By Anna Pasternak

Spledid day out: One of the highlight's of a stay in a holiday cottage in Sussex is a visit to Arundel Castle


Confession time: I'm a holiday property porn addict. My guilty obsession started during the recession because I simply couldn't afford to go on holiday abroad. So I settled on a seaside jaunt in Britain.

But finding a divine Devon, dog-friendly bolthole was as rare as a British barbecue summer, because every seaside pad from Land's End to the Scottish sea lochs was booked.

Then, stumbling across www.uniquehomestays.com, I felt as if I'd been transported from the dismal rental land of damp cottages with lumpy mattresses to a pampered world with dishwashers and tumble dryers where we might actually relax and have a holiday.

Ladies, I promise you that if you log onto this site you'll discover how addictive sheer escapism can be.

The gorgeous properties they call 'hometels' are straight out of World Of Interiors with stylish understated decor, huge baths, power showers and piles of fluffy white towels.

But do these properties actually deliver rental nirvana or is it all an empty, air-brushed photographic promise?

We tried out the only property they had vacant last summer, Tides Reach in Willowhayne, a private seaside estate in West Sussex that sleeps eight. Twenty yards from a private beach, it said it had sea views from the upstairs bedrooms — and it did.

When we arrived, we mooched about opening cupboards and had a good old nosey around.

Along with the en suite bathrooms proffering lovely soap (which I always forget to take), the crisp white bedlinen and snazzy suede bedspreads, it boasted the best-stocked kitchen I've ever seen, with a cooking range that Heston Blumenthal is probably au fait with, but I could hardly fathom.


Grand: Tides Reach in West Sussex is just 20 yards from a private residents-only beach


My daughter was ecstatic with her bunk bed, while I coveted her splash of colourful Cath Kidston cushions.

And for all those rainy afternoons there was Sky and Sky+ on the plasma screen.

There was also a large American fridge, piles of glossy magazines, enough DVDs to rival Blockbuster, comfy throws to snuggle under and a large garden with a table and chairs for eight.

The house came with the recommendation of a local cook — they all do — who charged £50 for a meal for four.

We had discussed menus before our stay (fuelling my lady-of-the-manor fantasies) and she arrived with a beautiful basket of local, organic vegetables from her garden, all tied up bundles.

Every day we walked off our excess calories along the coast, starting out on the Greensward, a sweeping avenue of grass separated from the sea by a wind break of tamarisk trees.

Willowhayne is a weird place, with a Desperate Housewives stillness and WAG-ish pretension.

Massive houses in mock-Tudor style sit slap-bang next to gargantuan bungalows backing onto the beach.

Founded in 1930, it's like a lesser Beverly Hills-on-Sea. But it is doggie headven — pampered pooches promenade up and down (we met two Alsatians sporting Harrods diamond collars.)


Quirky: The East Beach Cafe at Littlehampton is a lesson in innovative design


There are pockets of sophistication nearby, such as the East Beach Cafe in Littlehampton. This award-winning temple of cool — which serves superb fresh moules and crab linguine — looks like a huge hunk of driftwood that has washed up on the beach.

Inside, with sensational views across the expanse of sand to the grey-green Channel, it's sleek and understated with polished concrete floors.

There's masses to do in the area — visiting Arundel Castle, Brighton Pier, Climping and West Wittering beaches — and, for parents of young children, the Flying Fortress near Ford Open Prison.

This soft play area in a disused air hanger is run with prison-like security. I was told off for taking a photo of my daughter on a go-cart and chastised for not watching her vigilantly.

Despite dismal weather, we all enjoyed our stay at Tide's Reach because we entertained there and it was fun to be together as a family in a swanky, well-stocked, big home.

Of course, the worst thing was the crashing low after the holiday, when we returned home to everyday reality: to our fridge without an ice machine, our non-high definition TV and my dreary cooking.

Has finding this fantastic website beaten my holiday property porn addiction? I'm afraid not. I'm already fantasising about Christmas in Cornwall.

Travel factsA week's stay at Tides Reach starts from £1,750 (01637 881 942, www.uniquehomestays.com).


source: dailymail

South Wales cycling holidays: Exploring the Celtic Trail with two wheels (and a map)

By Sebastian Lander

Wales of a time: South Wales' romantic mixture of history and natural beauty makes for an intoxicating mix


It was a defining moment. With leg muscles revolting and sweat streaming down my back, we managed to reach the top of an Olympic-sized hill without bursting a lung. I felt like Lance Armstrong.

But the feeling of triumph was short-lived as someone consulted the map and delivered the killer blow: that we had gone the wrong way over a mix up between Route 47 and Route 4, thwarted by poor map reading skills and a surplus digit.

We had already experienced a Benny Hill-esque moment that morning, farcically doing laps of Pontypridd town centre before managing to escape. I could hear my father’s words as we realised we had been going south instead of north: ‘You couldn’t find your way out of a paper bag’.

As we whizzed back down the hill with legs out and brakes at the ready, I reflected that if ever there was anywhere to get lost it was here in South Wales.

I had joined a group of cyclists - a mix of novices and muscly-calved enthusiasts - on the Celtic Trail, a route yoking Fishguard with Chepstow in a coast-hugging 223-mile run taking in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and the Valleys.

We allowed ourselves just under three days to get from Tenby to Newport, a journey of some 140 miles, staying overnight in a B&B and hotel. Luckily, it was an estimation which included time for slip-ups.

The strain on our tired legs and sore rumps would be lessened with two car rides making up some of the distance.


Wheely good: Sebastian Lander gets in the saddle for a cycling adventure


That is the beauty of the trail – with rail-linked sections and various bypasses, you can do as much or as little as you have time for.

Accessible to all skill-levels, some sections are particularly suited to families – and if that’s not enough, the wind is behind you for most of the way.

Other than the fact that it didn’t rain once (I was forewarned continually about the weather), the most surprising thing I found was the diversity on offer.

South Wales is just hours from London by train on which you can reserve a place for your bike and yet it actually feels rather foreign, despite North Wales being considered more ‘Welsh’.

We rode through villages where snippets of the language spoken by the ancient Celts hung defiantly in the air at bus stops, outside post offices and at train stations.

The Celtic Trail itself is something of a chronological timeline made tangible, albeit rather jumbled up, charting centuries of Welsh history, including the Romans and countless ruined medieval castles sacked by the natives.

The more recent detritus left behind by the Industrial Revolution can often be found beneath your tyres in the recycled railways and tramways which used to ferry vehicles hauling coal, now part of the trail.

There are also the ghosts of the more recent past to visit too - we stopped at the Wiseman's Bridge Inn where Winston Churchill took tea in 1943 while overseeing rehearsals for the D-Day Landings on the local beaches.

We roamed around the former home of Churchill’s war-time contemporary and bon viveur Dylan Thomas, who lived the last four years of his life with wife Caitlin and their three children in Laugharne, a charming town dominated by yet another castle.

Laugharne was the main inspiration for the poet's radio play Under Milk Wood and we traced Thomas' probably staggering footsteps from Brown's Hotel to the Boat House and writing shed where he lived and worked.


Thrills and valleys: The 12th Century Laugharne Castle, one of the many historic sights to see along the Celtic Trail


Dylan Thomas is not Laugharne’s only celebrity boast. The cosy New Three Mariners pub and B&B where we laid our weary heads was once owned by Men Behaving Badly’s Neil Morrissey and pictures of visitors including Hollywood stalwart Susan Sarandon and actor Rhys Ifans adorn the walls. And as one mispronouncing local told us, 'that Pierce Bronson' also came here.

But the real star of the Celtic Trail is the stunning Welsh countryside, particularly captivating set against the grim backdrop of its industrial past.

We cycled through the most verdant wooded countryside with streams running bright orange, a reminder of the country’s mining legacy.

And the hilly trail through Carmarthenshire was accompanied by a symphony of gear changes as we gritted our teeth against the steep climbs and barking sheep dogs at farms.

We snaked our way across eerily still salt marsh and by the World War II RAF Pembrey airbase as fighter jets soared and dived overhead like the native Red Kites.

The other astonishing discovery we made was the quality of the beaches. Taking (another) wrong turn one day, we ended up on a seemingly endless stretch of sand that looked like it could have been passed off by an Australian tourist board.


Words worth: Dylan Thomas' boat house in Laugharne has a killer view and must have been inspiration enough for his works


We were alone with the sea and one land yachter powering along the beach with a spray of sand dancing behind.

We passed through the Valleys, red brick terraced housing and grey pebble-dashed estates rising from a topographical trough filled with the most abundant of animal and plant life.

It seemed a cruel irony that the workers who lived in these magnetically beautiful valleys spent most of their time toiling underground in near-darkness.

In other areas of the route, much has been done to turn the fortunes of these once industrious areas around.

The Millennium Coastal Park on the Burry Estuary is a ten-mile traffic-free stretch of land which was once Victorian steel mills and tinplate works.

Now it is the home to the National Wetland Centre of Wales, where we popped in to feed the collection of birds from around the world which includes a flock of shockingly pink flamingos.

And while that might have been as exotic as the holiday got, it just went to show how Wales is a country full of surprises.

Travel factsA Celtic Trail guide is produced by sustainable transport charity Sustrans and Pocket Mountains, priced at £6.99.

The Celtic Trail guide can be bought as part of a pack for £21.00 (plus £2.50 p&p).

This includes the Sustrans Discover maps for the Celtic Trail (East & West), the Mid Wales Lôn Cambria & Lôn Teifi route and The Celtic Trail Official Guide to National Cycle Network Routes 4 and 47 from Fishguard to Chepstow.

www.sustransshop.org.uk
Double rooms at the New Three Mariners cost £40 [room only as they are renovating the kitchens].

For more information on Sustrans visit www.sustrans.org.uk or call 0845 1130065.

For more on Wales, go to www.visitwales.co.uk.



source: dailymail

Cambodia: Stepping back in time at Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

By Mark Palmer

Beautiful: The Angkor Wat temple took 37 years to build and was one of the jewels of the Khmer Empire


There were no photocopy machines in Cambodia until about 1990. In those days, not even fearless entrepreneurs with Xerox contracts in their suitcases would dare venture to this beleaguered, war-torn part of Indo-China.

So, change has come fast. Cambodia is now firmly established in the tourist firmament, and offers far more than a popular diversion for backpackers looking for thrills and spills (and cheap beer) on their gap year.

Even so, I could not get the bloody image of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge out of my mind as our guide, Vin (not his real name, for reasons that will become apparent) introduced us to the 21st-century charms of Siem Reap, in the north-west of the country

Those scenes in the 1984 film The Killing Fields, in which men, women and children are photographed by their captors before being executed and their bodies dumped in mass shallow graves, were no Hollywood exaggeration. They happened — and not so very long ago.

Vin seemed to pick up on my unease. 'Terrible things have gone on in my country and we are sorry for that,' he said, totally unprompted.

'But now we are a peaceful people and the situation is different. I wish you a pleasant stay in Cambodia.'

It turned out to be very pleasant indeed. And Vin was right about the people:

wherever we went, they were indeed peaceful and unfailingly courteous.

Siem Reap is enjoying its second coming. Following the 'rediscovery' of the temples of Angkor by French archaeologists in the 1860s, the town became a beacon for wealthy travellers.

It continued that way until the late Sixties, when the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy came to call. Then war, famine and fear kept outsiders well away right up until 1999.


Awe-struck: Mark Palmer with his wife Joanna, who were given a rare glimpse of the temple's reclining Buddha


Everyone says you have to see Angkor Wat at sunrise to capture its full glory, but we felt relieved when Vin said we would start our tour at 10am. We were then amazed to find we practically had the place to ourselves.

'Where are all the people?' I asked as we drove around the massive moat. 'On the other side,' he replied.

He meant we had approached via the East Gate, a grand ruin of a lodge leading to a gravel drive that takes you up to the main temple.

With dappled sunlight foraging through the swaying trees and a crumbling building in the distance, we could almost have been visiting a stately home past its best in Gloucestershire.

What took me by surprise was the perfect symmetry, the motifs, the detail on the bas-reliefs — and we hadn't even set foot inside yet.


Action-packed: Angelina Jolie starred in movie Tomb Raider which was filmed at Angkor Wat


Vin ushered us into the shade and asked us to sit on giant pieces of sandstone.
We didn't move for the next 40 minutes as he went about his lecture, producing maps and plans and dealing patiently with interruptions from us that tended to start with: 'But how...?' or 'So, why...?'

Our questions were all trying to make sense of such an extraordinary feat, one that took 37 years to complete and involved stone either being dragged from a quarry 50 miles by elephant or on bamboo rafts 100 miles by river.

No wonder King Suryavarman II is such a hero.

As we moved from one level to the next, getting closer to the central shrine, Vin pointed at some scaffolding and explained that tourists had not been allowed access to the highest point for two years.

He said the reclining Buddha was a sight to behold — but sadly one that would elude us.
'Do people ever just climb up when no one's looking?' I asked, adding: 'There doesn't seem to be too much security.'

'You want to go up?' he said. Vin made a call from his mobile. Ten minutes later, a man with a walkie-talkie and bad teeth appeared. 'Come,' he said.

We made a dash for the scaffolding, ducking under some tarpaulin and climbing the steep steps. And then we climbed some more.

My new guide had two lookout men posted near the top. 'We have five minutes,' he said. 'Come.' We rushed here and there and, yes, I got to see the reclining Buddha looking majestically calm and serene.

It was almost 2pm by the time we got back to our hotel in the centre of town. La Residence d'Angkor, part of the Orient-Express group, is the place to stay. Lush and luxurious, it's recently benefited from a brand new spa, and the swimming pool is a decent size.

But Vin didn't give us much downtime.

On our first day, he wanted us to see Ta Prohm (the jungle temple where Tomb Raider was filmed) and the mysterious Bayon, where the shapes of gigantic faces are etched into stone towers, before taking our positions high above the plain to watch the sunset.


Eerie: Many of the temples, built between the 9th and 12th centuries, are slowly being reclaimed by nature


We ate spectacularly well at La Residence, but we also came up trumps at a new restaurant called Rina Rino on Pub Street. The most expensive item on the menu was £2.

We then spent an hour in the night market, where I resisted the chance to try a 'fish massage', which involves dangling your legs over the side of a plastic swimming pool while fish nibble dead skin from your feet.

Next morning, we did watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat — along with a few thousand other spectators.

The earth didn't move for me, but I liked the camaraderie of the experience: the standing and waiting at 5.30am with visitors from all over the world, the offer of cheap coffee from locals, the scent of expectation.

Later that day, we drove 45 minutes out of town to Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia and home to entire villages built on stilts.

Houses are erected on rafts that can be towed to different areas depending on water levels. Families can move ten times a year.


Spectacular: Tonle Sap is the biggest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, covering up to 16,000 sq km during the wet season - it is home to traditional floating villages


We hired a dragon boat and explored some of the channels leading to the main lake.

It was utterly enthralling — and shocking. Men fish at night and spend most of the day beating the whitebait from their nets before selling it for next to nothing.

Life is hard. Average income is £300 per year and a 46 per cent literacy rate is well below the national average. At least 12 per cent of the children die before they reach the age of five.

We stopped at a floating shop where crocodiles are kept in captivity while being fattened and sold to the highest bidder.

We also came across naked Vietnamese children floating in washing-up bowls with pet snakes wrapped around their necks. They were fishing for money.

On the way back to the airport, we passed some of the hotels that have sprung up in the past five years.

If relative stability persists in Cambodia, Siem Reap will expand still further and struggle to retain its charms.

Which means if Angkor Wat is on your list of places to see before your final boarding card is issued, then you might want to do it sooner rather than later.

Travel factsThe Ultimate Travel Company (020 7386 4646, www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk) can arrange a tailor-made nine-day stay in Cambodia from £1,895 pp.

This itinerary includes three nights at La Residence D'Angkor, two at Raffles Le Royal Phnom Penh and three on the beach at Knai Bang Chat, plus private guided sightseeing at the temples of Angkor and breakfast, Thai Airways flights from Heathrow, flights in Cambodia and private transfers.


source :dailymail