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Weekly International Travel News Roundup

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:09:24 +0100

There was a lot to talk about in the world of travel this week, and we rounded up all the top stories from PeterGreenberg.com in one convenient post. Keep reading to catch up on what’s been going on in the world of travel so you can join in the discussion…
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From Pakistan to Paris, by VW Beetle

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:08:57 +0100

A French doctor is embarking on the 6,000-mile trip to promote a better image of Pakistan. 'It's not all about terrorism,' he says.
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Europeans complain about U.S. travel fees

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:08:21 +0100

Extra fees charged by airlines, the "new normal," are so popular that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has gotten into the game. And, bitching about these fees is equally popular, prompting the European Parliament to sound off like its members are Ryanair passengers with full bladders and no coin for the slot.
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Armistice Day: A simple Reminder

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0100

It's difficult to believe that so few veterans of World War I are still alive. When you consider that the war ended over 90 years ago, any surviving WWI veterans are well over 100 years old. But we must also remember those who have died since 1918 or even during the war of 1939-45 and the other struggles the world has known up to now.
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Kensington House Hotel: A Splendid Hotel with a Golden Heart

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:07:20 +0100

Personal crisis, which is always untimely, struck at the most untimely moment: at night when I was alone in London. I had been thoroughly enjoying my out-of-Paris jaunt at the four-star Kensington House Hotel, when I received the phone call that sent me weeping to the reception desk. “I have to leave as soon as possible,” I told the young women in attendance. Then I told them why.
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Hijack scare blamed on TSA screwup at Florida airport

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:06:25 +0100

It may appear that we tend to pick on the TSA a lot here on Gadling, but the agency is just a never ending source of stuff for us to write about. The latest incident involving the people that run airport security comes from Northwest Florida Regional Airport.
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Six steps to a Broadway night you'll always remember

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:05:43 +0100

There are so many choices available, it can be almost impossible to construct a perfect dinner-and-a-show night. Whether you live in Manhattan or are in town for the first time, it's too easy to make a wrong turn, pick an unsatisfying restaurant or wind up chasing from one venue to the next. A single wrong turn can send you into a scramble, putting what should be the evening of your life at risk.
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Why we love Shanghai dumplings

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:03:59 +0100

I thought I would never move beyond curry as my favorite Asian food, but within 24 hours of arriving in China, a dumpling local to the Yangtze river delta is giving my complex curries quite a run.
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Moulin Rouge, Cafe Moderne, GaultMillau BUZZ

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:02:25 +0100

Since 1889 Le Moulin Rouge has been turning – if you haven't been to Le Moulin Rouge, immortalised by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, you haven't really been to Paris. Café Moderne, just behind the old Bourse, was launched by Frederick Hubig-Schall a few years back (he also owns the excellent Astier in the 11th), and it keeps getting better. “Petit revolution dans le monde gastronomique,” announced the French press as Le Guide France 2010 reached bookshops/kiosques.
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From our correspondent: Madrid

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:01:40 +0100

The best places to sleep, stroll, drink and eat tapas in the Spanish capital
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My cycling odyssey proved to me that Britain is not a broken society

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:40 +0100

A 4,625-mile journey round the coast of the UK was filled with stunning scenery and generous people
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The Old House at Home

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:59:31 +0100

A cosy pub-with-rooms in rural Wiltshire
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Cocktail girl: Virgin Upper Class

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:58:48 +0100

A Virgin Upper Class flight to New York, featuring Poire Passion, a James Bond departure lounge and a Frenchman called Gregory
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Forget chairlifts, I'll take the bus

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:58:22 +0100

Powder Mountain in Utah is vast but has just four lifts, so skiers have other ways to get up the slopes
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November is the month for arts in Madrid

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:57:53 +0100

Two major festivals in Madrid this month are enough to keep any culture lover happy.
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Southwest Airlines' strategy for growth is in the bag

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:57:13 +0100

Southwest says no-luggage-fee policy is paying off in new customers
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Aboard the Crown Princess, Day 1

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:56:23 +0100

The first day aboard my first cruise has come and gone. Somethings surprised me and some totally met my expectations.
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Undiscovered Valencia, Spain, visiting the medieval core

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:55:25 +0100

Valencia is a trading city. Founded by the Greeks hundreds of years before Christ, it later served as Rome’s gateway to its Iberian provinces. In the Middle Ages it flourished, first as a Moorish capital (and briefly as El Cid’s citadel), then as a center of the silk trade. Indeed, it was medieval Spain’s most vibrant port, trading silk, oranges, wine, and almonds throughout the Mediterranean and serving as a home port for Spain’s overseas kingdoms in southern Italy.
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Daily Travel Photo – Venice, Italy

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:49:03 +0100

Abandoned staircase, Venice, Italy
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Mexico's family-friendly hot spots

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:48:45 +0100

Consider heading to locales in Nayarit and Oaxaca, where surf, sun and inexpensive attractions have been a hit for one family of four.
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Roaming the Riviera Maya

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:48:22 +0100

It's easy to enjoy winning accommodations, scenic nature reserves, wondrous ruins and delectable cuisine without yardlong drinks.
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Berkeley - fabulous pho and eco home design

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:47:38 +0100

Lawrence Rinder has had several lives on the Bay Area and national art scenes, culminating in his current position as director of the Berkeley Art Museum.
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Fun things in the snow besides downhill skiing

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:46:20 +0100

Sure, you love the outdoors and the snow, but you'd rather toboggan down the Matterhorn - at Disneyland - than wade into the usual downhill ski-and-board crowds. Now that the clocks have been set back an hour, winter snows are not far behind and alternative ski options abound. Here are five that come to mind.
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Florida events through Nov. 22

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:46:01 +0100

Nov. 13-14: Quilts and Tea Festival, Davenport. Free. 863-258-7800; www.davenportfl.org. Nov. 13-15: RibFest, St. Petersburg. At Vinoy Park. 727-528-3828; www.ribfest.org.
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Day passes vs. annual passes -- which is best for Florida theme parks?

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:45:25 +0100

Cliff and Leah Patton went camping on Lion Country Safari's grounds with their two granddaughters thanks to the annual passes they just bought. As Palm Beach Gardens residents, they own almost all major Florida theme park passes including Sea World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens, Aquatica and the recently acquired Lion Country Safari.
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Lump sum: In search of the best crab cakes

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:45:02 +0100

In and around the Distict of Columbia, tops chefs are capitalizing on a local tradition.
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Escape to Vietnam's secret coast

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:43:00 +0100

Off the beaten track there's a stretch of beachy coastline as gorgeous and undiscovered as the best of Bali 20 years ago
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New York's top 10 new hotels

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:42:29 +0100

This year in Manhattan there’s been a bumper crop of hotel openings — and a few old ones getting a spruce up. We pick the top 10
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TV tours a big attraction for N.Y. tourists

Mark Wolinski — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:42:06 +0100

Climbing the Statue of Liberty or catching the view from the Empire State Building are still top New York attractions but tourists are also scrambling to see where their favorite TV shows are filmed.
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Niagara Falls

smarttravelguide — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:34:48 +0100

The Niagara Falls are situated between New York and Ontario and are one of the most spectacular natural miracles of North America. The waterfall is situated on the Niagara River, that flows towards USA and Canada from Erie till Ontario Lake. The Niagara Falls were formeed 12.000 years ago, when the icebergs redrew towards North, leaving the water of the Erie Lake flow over Niagara, a coast line which is prolonging from the Southern part of Ontario till Rochester.
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