Laura's Blog
The Times presents Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show presents Laura's Blog
21 Jan - 400 years old, a North American City? Never!
5 Jan - From Russia with Love - A Winter Warmer
18 Dec - Howard Marks on Kazakhstan and strange co-incidences
14 Dec - To Travel Definitely, my views on Eco-Travel
12 Dec - Travellers Search for Authenticity
7 Dec - Central American Secrets
4 Dec - Not exactly a travel blog… But the blog of a virtual traveller.
21 Jan 2008 - 400 years old, a North American City? Never!
It’s true, it is Québec’s Birthday so if you are going on holiday in early July and fancy something different, it’s the perfect time to visit Québec. The 3rd July 2008 will mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City, (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and this is a milestone reached by no other North American city. The celebrations are set to continue until October with a final one-off performance by Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion (two of the top-selling Québec exports).
The French adventure on this new land soil began at the site of “Kébec,” an Algonquin word meaning “where the river narrows.” This settlement would soon become Québec City, in turn the capital of New France, cradle of French culture in North America.
Highlights of the celebration are set to include street performances, exhibitions and music throughout July are set to commemorate the date when the great explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the city. There are exhibitions taking place at Espace 400e, in the Old Port of Québec (especially built for this anniversary costing 24 million Canadian dollars) See ‘The Passengers Exhibition’ relating to the numerous immigrants, past & present, who have landed in the City, a multimedia show by Robert Lepage (20 June to 29 July) and the ‘Ephemeral Gardens’- an outdoor showcase garden design project.
On the July 3 July the official commemorations for the actual day of the 400th will take place at the Basilique de Québec, the formal High Mass will be followed by a salute to Champlain, the Freedom of the City Ceremony and the traditional official ceremonies. These commemorations will be marked by an impressive military parade and a spectacular show featuring projections, songs and dances in the afternoon. (Dignitaries from around the world will take part in the day’s activities.)
In the evening, the Festival international d’été de Québec will kick off on the Plains of Abraham with a thrilling opening show to mark this historic anniversary. Right after the opening show for the Festival d’été de Québec, a fire-sculpture will be lit around 11pm on the Plains of Abraham. This will be the starting point for a flame-lit parade down to the Bassin Louise to salute the arrival of the IRO.
If you can’t make it until August, don’t fear because the Loto-Québec International Fireworks Competition takes place; A large scale sculpture exhibition recounting the history of Québec City and the relay marathon across two rivers including the St Lawrence, which includes as participants 100 of the founding families of Québec City.
Celebrations will culminate Friday August 22 when Céline Dion will perform on the Plains of Abraham with several other artists on in a free public concert.
Then on 19 October at Colisée Pepsi there is set to be a unique grand finale event, concocted by Cirque du Soleil the entertainment empire based in Montreal, Québec and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two two former street performers.
Either Canadian Affair on stand NA13 or Quebec Tourism on stand NA17 will happily tell you more face to face at the Show.
5 Jan 2008 - RussiaI am extremely happy to add a small yellow flag for Moscow on my TripAdvisor map on the previously untouched landmass of Russia. The world seems to have suddenly become much smaller, since I visited the largest country; ( 17,075,200km (6,591,027mi") I left my desk finally, for the holidays in Kilburn then trotted off for some actual travel to Moscow for New Year, courtesy of Go Russia! Only 4 hours away by air and 3 hours ahead it’s the perfect short break and still relatively unscathed from the hoards of tourists which saturate Paris, Barcelona and Rome. Although the biggest country in the world, Russia has only the 7th highest population (144,526,278) 10,381,000 of which are officially living in its capital: Moscow. Although a Muscovite and tour guide told me that there were somewhere between 5-10m unofficial residents on top of that.
Entering the city felt slightly like walking into a time warp - back in industrial Manchester in the eighties, everyone wrapped up warm to fight the cold. I was satisfied though and cosy in my thermals, amongst locals head to toe in fur. Clapped out Ladas hooting their horns (and look-a-like Volgas) tall and grey, square architecture - however there was the constant surreal backdrop of at least one of Stalins’ 7 sisters - The obscenely large buildings built by Stalin, with the technology of American Skyscrapers but amazing baroque, gothic, and art-deco in design.
Extremely tall Christmas trees lit the city on every main junction with only subtle differences between the Russian festive season and English. In Moscow you can expect to see Grandfather Frost, the Russian version of Father Christmas (who greeted us at our hotel) accompanied by his granddaughter ‘Snegurochka’ and a large rat which I later discovered signifies the year of the Rat. (Chinese astrology is closely followed in Russia due to the long border they share with China) Notoriously New Years Eve is the biggest day for celebration in revolutionary Russia. And fireworks displays are put on across the city, the most notorious at Red Square where we headed.
Our pre-New Years Eve site-seeing was arranged by GO Russia www.justgorussia.co.uk was all in the heart of the city, and we visited the essential sites; The Kremlin, St Basils, The famous Bolshoi theatre, and the Red Square more than once. The underground (Metro) is definitely the best way to get around cheaply and quickly –once you have decoded the map! Lines run vertically bar the (Koltseveya) Legend has it that Stalin slammed his coffee cup down on the proposed map - and this line which circulates the city was born. Multi stop passes are used – it’s cheaper than the London Underground at around £3 for 10 journeys, regardless of distance.
We found hearty Russian food at My My (Café Moo Moo) the self-service restaurant with fun Russian folk style interior. There are at least three central Moscow branches (at Smolenskaya / Frunzenskaya and Arbat Metro stations) You can recognize them by the big cow print theme. I loved their 'Morss' a non alcoholic fresh cranberry/black-berry juice, and recommend the 'Surniki' sweet cheese desert. Café Pushkin was a real experience! Set in the famous poets stunningly restored former home. Once you have visited the Kremlin it’s an appropriate place to recount and relax in stunning surroundings. It is often described as ‘The Best Restaurant in Moscow’, and I see why. No photos are allowed, as they’re keen on preserving this place as long as possible.
There are many more treasures however western culture is creeping into Moscow. We all remember when Moscow got their first Macdonald’s, but now you will see Starbucks too and they even have a Debenham’s and a Benihana’s! This is still a beautifully authentic capital city yet on the verge of transformation. Go Russia can help you get there –fast! They even provide a Visa service and for around £75 guaranteed within 10days. They do short breaks and longer tours and you can find more info on http://www.justgorussia.co.uk Themed tours include their KGB tour.
18 Dec 2007
I'm sure you are aware that Howard Marks is speaking at the Destinations Show. We had an interesting conversation today, and well I asked him where he was going this year...and detailing his interesting priorities he made a few observations, before revealing where he was headed...
"I generally seek destinations where I can revel in the cloudy comforting ambience of second hand smoke"
He went on to tell me how his careful analysis and what he thinks is a convincing correlation between countries that are landlocked and those that welcome smokers.
"For example Afghanistan, Bolivia, Nepal, and Switzerland."
Unfortunately a smoker myself, however I had never put much thought into this but admittedly this is spooky. He went on to note:
"The largest landlocked country in the world is the relatively new Kazakhstan. It’s located mid way between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but is farther away from them than anywhere else. Kazakhstan shares its border with five countries, three of which (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan) are also landlocked. It’s the centre of Earth’s gravity. There are no beaches to be polluted by flotsam, jetsam, and pickpockets, just totally impassable mountain ranges. (The likelihood of a bunch of guerrillas taking several days to swarm over them and give a tourist a mugging is negligible.) As expected, Kazakhstan boasts the planet’s highest prevalence of adult smoking (65% as opposed to Ethiopia, for example, which is a shameful 6%). Kazakhstanis smoke so heavily that the United States Embassy feels obliged to warn visiting nationals of the severe risks of passive smoking. However, the country accommodates the world's oldest people (1 in 2,000 is a centenarian)."
Wow. How fascinating! He then went on to tell me;
"I’m going there in February. It’s work."
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~St. Augustine
Although I like this quote on face value, I find myself disagreeing with St Augustine. As a book usually has a cover, contents and a conclusion. I think this is one book that is definitely still being written. And travellers we are in fact not only the readers but also the contributors. We need to keep this book presentable for our children to write in too. As cheesy as this sounds, as the fastest growing industry, us travellers have a huge responsibility.
And before I hear you cry 'Oh another responsible travel rant!' just to clarify; there is no question in my eyes as to whether to travel to fly or not to fly. My answer is definitely do travel, it's human instinct.
I am with the UN who said about tourism " its a basic and most desirable human activity, deserving the praise and encouragement of all peoples and all governments". However this was said in 1967 (International Year of the Tourist) way before they realised what we were doing to the world!!
So, say I quite simply, if we're going to travel; lets just be aware that the choices we make while away do have an impact. These days you can take responsible travel as far as you like; travellers can choose from a whole range of eco holidays run by hundreds of specialist tour operators and accommodations or go on a challenge or expedition to really give something back voluntarily.
Volunteer travel is definitely on the up, with more choice than ever. But what if you just want to please your human desire to go shopping in New York for example? AHA! I have the perfect solution... combine with a walk on the wild side... I know New York is normally a place we usually associate with shopping, showbiz and general indulgence but here a rare chance to discover the hidden corners of Manhattan, and the staggering array of wild animals that live alongside its 8.2 million human inhabitants! birds, raccoons, bats, turtles and a whole host of other cute and colourful characters. - Checkout Earthwatch at the Show. (they have 120 expeditions worldwide. They range from 2 day weekends in the UK to three weeks in Inner Mongolia!)
Other ideas I have found this week include; doing a crazy challenge and raising money while you do it like Teenage Cancer Trust’s Treks and Challenges in Jordan and Costa Rica 2008. Not only will it give you the opportunity to get super-fit, to explore distant and exotic lands but, by going on the trek, you will be helping teenagers with cancer everywhere in the UK. And there are 6 teenagers diagnosed with cancer every day, that’s over 2000 a year. (And of course on your travels you will be staying at eco-lodges)
And for more choice on responsible adventures, check out responsibletravel.com (online travel directory) at the Show.
Responsible Travel note this week that travellers are searching for more authentic travel experiences in 2008, notably interest in travel to Central America is rocketing!) They say that they predict a rise in popularity in travel to those destinations previously thought of as dangerous. So it seems we seek adventure once again, and it seems we just aren’t scared off anymore!
And its not just young gap year students its young couples and families too. As I previously mentioned Earthwatch has a great amount of choice for families and teens too. There is something for everyone - from high fitness expeditions in the Arctic through to elephant surveying from a vehicle in East Africa. They have teen teams specially designed for 16 and 17 year olds and family teams for children over 10 who are accompanied by an adult. And they have 13 new expeditions launching in 2008 (Go see them and book at the Destinations Show for a 10% discount on all expeditions)
Eco-destinations in Central America seem to be all the rage! And what’s more if you are interested in caring for endangered species or just a plain animal lover then this will appeal.
When I was in Belize last summer, I found out how shockingly rare jaguars are. Home to one of the biggest sanctuaries, its good to know they are well protected throughout the country. My ears pricked up when news came to me today that you can also enjoy a Jaguar Trail a little further south in Costa Rica and Panama (presumably equally stunning to Belize) with Imaginative Traveller - brilliant I am thinking...I’m curious to hear more.
I've heard relatively little about Panama so hopefully its still fairly unscathed by tourists. This trip is not just an animal enthusiasts trip and takes in some of the other assets its famous for, such as some of the best coffee in the world! Also I think it’s imperative if travelling to that part of the world that you take in the stunning beaches too.
On a closer look there seems to be plenty to do on this trip, and they have included time lazing on the numerous idyllic beaches and exploring the lush Central American rain forests! You can fish, ride, hike, and raft at a place called Boquete in Western Panama, in the Chiriquí Province, near the border with Costa Rica. There are coffee plantations grown on sustainable farms set high in the surrounding cloud forest and the Imaginative Travellers also get to visit Bocas del Toro archipelago of islands, (north west) home to a national marine park and four species of endangered sea turtles, along with caimans, dolphin and day-glo frogs! Then highlights in Costa Rica include taking 4WDs into the Corcovado National Park – on the trail of the elusive jaguar – and the coastal villages en-route.
Check out The Imaginative Traveller at the Show. They are pretty damn responsible too!
Not exactly a travel blog…
But the blog of a virtual traveller. My desk, admittedly, doesn’t have wings, it isn’t a magic carpet and doesn’t actually go anywhere. I don’t have unlimited free travel nor do I have bags of time or money to go to new places. I do however have the honour of virtually travelling the world from my desk daily. Sitting here means I am among the first to hear the latest travel news. From new airline routes to destinations previously unexposed or inaccessible to the average traveller. Many of which are offered by independent travel operators and not necessarily available on the web. For example, today I found out about Canadian Affairs' new Gatwick-New Brunswick route scheduled to start from May 08, and Jim at Undiscovered Destinations latest find -the Comoros Islands which are set to become the alternative destination in the Indian Ocean. Finding these new ideas daily gives me a certain buzz, discovering them makes me feel...well, like I’m half way there…
For comments please email laura.leveson@clarionevents.com
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