Under 30? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?
Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?
Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!
Win a Trailblazer Handbook on Trekking in Corsica by David Abram who was a wonderful speaker at the London February Globetrotter meeting. See http://www.trailblazer-guides.com for info on Trailblazer guidebooks. They are an excellent series.
Some people have said the quiz is difficult, we say do some research, try google.com or Ask Jeeves, if you need help with the answers.
Time Zone: CDT (GMT -5)
Airport Code: ORD
Customer service number: 800 832-6352
Distance from city: 18 miles (29km)
Terminal 1 is for United and United Express flights plus Lufthansa departures.
Terminal 2 airlines include Air Canada, America West, Continental, Northwest, United and US Airways.
Terminal 3 airlines include Alaska, American and Delta.
Terminal 5 is the international terminal for most non-US airline departures and all international arrivals
Chicago O Hare is named after Lieutenant Edward O'Hare who was a military hero, and flew planes in the Navy during WW2. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942.
The largest US troop and cargo carrying airplane, the Douglas C-54, was built at a factory on the site and the base, known then as Orchard Field, which was almost entirely then used by the military. When the war ended, Chicago’s city Municipal Airport, later to become Midway Chicago quickly established itself as the world's busiest civil aviation operation. A far-sighted City Council saw the potential for air travel and decided a second major facility would be needed so in 1946 they bought Orchard Field from the US government together with another 7,000 acres next door. Three years later $2.4 million was spent on acquiring more land and Orchard Field was re-named in honour of O'Hare.
The airport was already busy before it was officially opened to domestic commercial flights in 1955, but Midway was still the star attraction until 1962 when all scheduled operations were transferred from Midway to O'Hare. When the airport was officially dedicated the following year, President John F. Kennedy said, “it could be classed as one of the wonders of the modern world”. He was right in one sense because O'Hare preserved its title as 'World's Busiest' for over 30 years until it was overtaken by Atlanta in 1998.
Someone sent the Beetle a link to: http://travellady.com/, which is a travel web site that has lots of travel stories, book and food reviews.
They say: Welcome to TravelLady Magazine! Most people think professional travel and food writers are some of the luckiest people in the world. They visit exciting destinations and taste some of the best food. Now, the TravelLady experts will share some of their glorious times, but, they will also tell you about the places you want to avoid, the things you don't want to try, and the meals you never want to eat.
Submitted by Frank from the US. Actual comments from US travel agents:
A woman called and asked, “Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to who?” I said, “No, why do you ask?” She replied, “Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight, is there any connection?” After putting her on hold for a minute while I looked into it” (I was actually laughing) I came back and explained the city code for Fresno is FAT, and that the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.
I just got off the phone with a man who asked, “How do I know which plane to get in?” I asked him what exactly he meant, which he replied, “I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these darn planes have numbers on them.”
A woman called and said, “I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola on one of those computer planes.” I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane. She said, “Yeah, whatever.”
A businessman called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed a visa. “Oh no I don't, I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.” I double-checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, “Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express.”
A woman called to make reservations; “I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York.” The agent was at a loss for words. Finally, the agent said, “Are you sure that's the name of the town?” “Yes, what flights do you have?” replied the customer. After so me searching, the agent came back with, “I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Hippopotamus anywhere.” The customer retorted, “Oh don't be silly, everyone knows where it is. Check your map!” The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, “You don't mean Buffalo, do you?” “That's it! I knew it was a big animal!”
A new website offers an alternative way to stay in the UK – free! YouStayFree.com offers unlimited free hotel accommodation for members at selected UK hotels.
Members pay a yearly fee (presently £24.95) and must pay a minimum amount for meals at the hotel. There are some restrictions, but average savings for a couple on a 2 night break could easily be over £100. Website: youstayfree.com
Source: britainexpress.com The UK travel and heritage guide
It has certainly been an interesting month here in Mikindani, and also in Dar es Salaam. One of Trade Aid’s new ideas for Mikindani is to start up a local group who can produce Batik T-shirts. But what is this I hear you ask. Batik T-shirt printing is the dying of a T-shirt with certain areas left undyed, this enables you to produce a variety of patterns.
It was at the beginning of December that the journey up to Dar began, at the oh so sociable hour of four o’clock in the morning. After a back breaking sixteen hours in one of the Trade Aid Landrovers, being bounced and battered along a Tanzanian “road” we finally arrived in Dar Es Salaam, oh what a relief. After a day to settle in, and make extensive use of the bar and air conditioning at the Seaman’s mission [where we were staying] it was down to work. My brief was to look into the process of Batik T-shirt production, and to see if it would be feasible in Mikindani.
The Batik T-shirt printing takes place in an indoor market/shopping centre where the products are also sold. There I met the head of the organisation that prints the T-shirts and the head of production, who oversees the entire process.
The process begins when the parts of the T-shirt that are not to the dyed are covered in a special sort of wax. This can be applied through two methods, either using a brush or a wooden print. As far as Mikindani and the Boma is concerned it is my opinion that the print method would be the best, as it would produce work for the local carpenters.
Once the wax has been applied and dried the T-shirt is then dyed. A mixture of hot and cold water (17 litres) dye, caustic soda and sodium powder are then mixed together in a stone bath. The T-shirt is then repeatedly lifted in and out of this mixture until the dye has fully soaked into the material. After which it is then taken out of the water and hung to dry. The wax then has to be removed; this is done by placing the T-shirt into a vat of boiling water, where it is then stirred around until all of the wax has been removed. The T-shirt is then finished and can either be worn, or more colours can be applied by using the wax to cover the previous dyed areas and any areas that need to be left clear. This should certainly prove to be something that Trade Aid and the Boma can make good use of, and it should also benefit the local groups who can get involved.
For more information on the work carried out by Trade Aid in Tanzania, see their website www.mikindani.com
If you were thinking of travelling to northern Congo to see the gorillas – don’t. At least 48 people are believed to have died in a suspected outbreak of Ebola in the north of Congo-Brazzaville, near the border with Gabon. Ebola is reported to have killed 43 people in Congo and 53 others in neighbouring Gabon between October 2001 and February 2002. The WHO says more than 1,000 people have died of Ebola since the virus was first identified in 1976 in western Sudan and in a nearby region of Congo. There is no cure for Ebola, which causes up to 95% of its victims to bleed to death.
The authorities were first alerted to a possible outbreak of Ebola when a clan of gorillas in the region began to die in December. Tests carried out on the bodies confirmed that the gorillas had died from the Ebola virus, which has now claimed more than 80% of that gorilla clan. According to on the scene World Health Experts, it seems likely that eating bush meat such as gorilla, gazelle and antelope caused the human deaths.
Anna and Magda wrote in asking for help with voluntary placements in Australia: we are two girls living in Germany, age 19, just finished our A-levels (Advanced school leaving certificate). Our reason for writing is, that we would like to do a voluntary practical year in Australia. WE would be very grateful if you could give us further help in this. Best regards Anna and Magda.
The Beetle responds: As you are both under 30, you are most likely eligible to apply for a working visa in Australia. So maybe if you contact the Australian embassy in your country, they can advise you about this. Roughly speaking, you are not allowed to do a “professional” job, so you are only allowed to do casual work such as potato, fruit picking or short term work. No one piece of work can be over 3 months either.
The Beetle suggests that you search on the internet using the words “voluntary work Australia”. This is a good site to start with: Volunteer Search in addition, the April 2002 Globetrotter e-newsletter 2002 had an article by conservationvolunteers email conservationvolunteers about conservation volunteer opportunities. There’s also always the WWOOF organisation, see: Wwoofing, which caters for people who want to work on organic farms. There’s also:
Working Holiday MakersAustralian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.
ATCV (Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers) accepts Australian and foreign volunteers for a wide range of conservation projects throughout Australia.
Australian Jobs Guide by Nomads World features visa information, job packages, agencies and a harvest guide for fruit picking/harvest work.
Diving in Australia has an employment database.
Pelican Point Windsurfing in W. Australia has employment opportunities for instructors.
The Cape Tribulation Tropical Research Station accepts volunteers for conservation projects.
Travel Jobs Network, a service for Australian and New Zealand job seekers.
TNT Magazine has an excellent section on finding temporary work in Australia.
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The Beetle received an e-mail from the parent of a college student, studying in L.A. They wanted to know where their daughter and two friends could go on an inexpensive package for their spring break April 12-18, 2003. Hawaii maybe?
The Beetle agreed that Hawaii, (but not Oahu – which can be a little touristy and expensive, when the other islands have far more to offer) would be a great option. It is possible to buy reasonably priced fly drive holidays around the Hawaiian islands, where our reader’s daughter and friends could share a room at a very nice hotel at a good price. With only 6 days, I would recommend either the Big Island alone or alternatively split between Kauai and the Big Island. If a car and swish hotel is too expensive, then it is possible to find moderately priced accommodation on the Big Island, so this should cut the cost, but a car is definitely a must!
A new booklet from the London Tourist Board gives suggestions on making your holiday budget go further and exploring the capital off the main tourist trail. “Go Further in London” is available free from British Tourist Authority offices overseas (in English, French, German and Italian), or look on the website: www.visitlondon.com
The first meeting of 2003 for the Texas branch of the Globetrotters Club had 8 new people in attendance. What a way to start the new year off! It was especially exciting as it was a cold and rainy day, not what Texans are accustomed to.
The scheduled presenter was unable to attend, which meant lots of time for travel talk and networking. The time was very well spent. The 10 “regulars” and the 8 “newbies” all had a swell time sharing stories and getting to know each other.
Saturday February 8th, 2003, 2pm-4pm
PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION
We will meet at the VFW Hall on Peace Street instead of the library on Common St.
The hall is across from the entrance to Cypress Bend Park where the April 2002 picnic was held.
Peace Street is between the library and the river off Common St. Turn on Peace Street – the Fairgrounds are across the street so you can only turn one way. There is a sign for the VFW hall on the corner. Go to the dead end (cemeteries on both sides) and turn right into the parking lot for the VFW hall. Any Questions please feel free to call: 830-620-5482
We are excited to welcome this month’s speaker, Norman Ford. The founder of the Globetrotters Club and an avid cyclist and will present slides from one of his bike trips. Plans for the Copper Canyon trip will also be discussed.
Enjoy Handouts, free stuff, informative speakers, useful demonstrations, travel talk time, slide shows of exotic locales, and door prizes!
As always, the meeting will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m.
Mark your calendars – Dates of future meetings: March 8th, April 12th,
The VFW folks will open their bar so we will not go to the Hoity Toit after the meeting. If you like, bring some nibbles to share for conversation time following the meeting – since we will miss the peanuts from the Toit.
See you Sat. Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
For more information about the Texas Branch: please Contact texas@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at our website (click here) or call Christina at 830-620-5482
PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION
If anybody would like to enquire about meetings or help Christina, please contact her on: texas@globetrotters.co.uk
UK low-cost airline Ryanair announced recently that it has put in an offer to buy smaller rival Buzz for £15.6m; $25.7m. Buzz is currently owned by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, flying to 21 destinations in France, Germany, Holland and Spain, and, like Ryanair, who currently operate a network of 100 routes across 15 European countries is based at Stansted airport, north of London.
It looks like the UK low cost carriers are beginning to consolidate. Last year, we saw Easyjet buy Go, the British Airways owned low cost airline. So now it seems that there will only be two main low cost carriers in the UK, as opposed to the four we had last year.
The deal is expected to be completed by April 1. Details of new timetables, fares and new routes and frequencies will be announced before the end of February. If the deal is successful, Ryanair said that it would cut a number of Buzz's unprofitable routes, while increasing the frequency on 11 of its existing services from Stansted, including Frankfurt, Milan and Barcelona and reducing the cost of other routes.
Ryanair is on a bit of a high recently, as it recently announced it was to open its ninth European base at Stockholm's Skavsta airport. They also announced five new routes from London, starting at the end of April that are to include Reims and Pau in France, Maastricht in Holland, Haugesund in Norway and Dusseldorf in Germany. In addition, Ryanair are about to buy 22 Boeing 737 planes and had taken out options on a further 78 in order to meet its expansion plans.
The Beetle liked Buzz. They were the last low cost airline that had not sunk to the usual low cost “standard” of pile ‘em in, give ‘em no service. Anyone interested in starting a Save Buzz protest?
As its name suggests, Brick Lane gets its name from the local manufacture of bricks. By the early 18th Century it was a long well-paved street frequented by carts fetching bricks into Whitechapel from brick kilns. The other industry in the area was beer, which was brewed in the Truman Black Eagle Brewery, founded in 1669. The brewery building still remains today, now converted to designers/artists' studios, workshops and bars. Brick Lane Market developed in the 18th century when farmers sold livestock and produce outside the City boundary.
Today, Brick Lane is now the centre of London's Bangladeshi community and best known for a whole line of fantastic Bengali restaurants. Of interest is the London Jamme Masjid, a mosque on the corner of Fournier Street and Brick Lane. It was built in 1744 as a Huguenot church, purchased by Wesleyans, sold to a Jewish immigrant society in 1897, after which it became a synagogue.
The market is open on Sundays only, from early morning until about 14.00 – allow plenty of time to see it all as the market stretches into Cheshire Street and Sclater Street. Expect to find anything from furniture to fruits, kitchenware to kitsch and odd boots to bangles.
To get there, take the District (green) line to Aldgate East, turn left out of the station and left again into Brick Lane. Or alternatively, it is less than a 10 minute walk from Liverpool Street tube or train station.
LONDON (Reuters) – The government says an “international terrorist group” might be planning to carry out an attack on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, and warns visitors to be careful.
“We have received information that an international terrorist group may be planning an attack on the island of Zanzibar,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman told Reuters.
“British nationals in Tanzania and especially in Zanzibar should be particularly vigilant in public places frequented by foreigners such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, markets, bars and nightclubs.”
She did not specify what the threat was or what organisation was believed to be involved, and said Britain was not advising its nationals to leave Tanzania.
The warning follows a similar message from the United States last week warning its citizens to be on alert in public places on the predominantly Muslim island that is popular with tourists.
In December, Australia also advised its nationals to exercise “extreme caution” in Tanzania, especially in Zanzibar.
The alert comes less than two months after suicide bombers killed 12 people in a blast at an Israeli-owned hotel in neighbouring Kenya.
Minutes before that blast, two missiles were fired at an Israeli airliner carrying 261 passengers as it took off from Kenya's Mombassa airport.
“We believe that Tanzania, including the Zanzibar and Pemba islands, is one of a number of countries in East Africa and the Horn of Africa where there may be an increased terrorist threat,” the Foreign Office spokeswoman said.
British authorities have been criticised in the past from some quarters for not going public quickly enough on possible terror threats their intelligence services hear about. But Prime Minister Tony Blair's government says it is a hard balance between keeping the public informed but not provoking panic given the flood of information on international terror activities received in London on a near-daily basis.
Madeira, Garden of the Atlantic: this is an island of incredible natural beauty. Everywhere you go roads and paths are lined with plants: bird of paradise, agapanthus, orchid, and hyacinths. The mountainous interior rises steeply from the coast, broken up by ravines and gorges with the sides covered in trees or terraces for agriculture.
There is a reason for this epithet, this verdancy; parts of the island get up to 2m of rain a year. So now you know the downside. For those scared of dissolving, the south side is drier especially through the summer months. However, what an island! I am no longer allowed to say awesome! So the scenery is amazing, the plants are amazing and the levadas (water channels) are truly amazing – human achievement at its best. Who needs to land on the moon? Some of the levadas cling to cliff faces, pass through tunnels (don’t forget torches), some twine through eucalyptus or tree heather or the Madeiran laurel forest, most have a fascination of ferns and mosses and agapanthus along the walls, sides and edges.
Our main reason for visiting Madeira was walking generally, but more specifically, walking the levadas. A system of watercourses channelling water for hydroelectricity and for agriculture, not an idea original to Madeira, but it is the accessibility of these levadas makes for some Awesome walking. Through some of the most amazing scenery while often in the shade and with the coolness of water flowing alongside. And they are flat(ish) but not for those who have a problem with heights or even a slight issue with heights. At some points paths may only be a foot to 18” wide and barriers, when present, are a single strand of flimsy fence wire. The other side of the path can be a drop of several hundred feet; this can be especially interesting when the path is rough and patchy or worn. However some levadas had a wide track adjacent, enabling two or more to walk abreast. The real disadvantage is that most of the levadas go somewhere, this means that without planning the walks can be “there and back” rather than circular, and those walks which are circular often involve a steep scramble up or down to levadas on different levels.
As a change from levadas walking, the interior of the island can be roughly divided into two sections, to the west is the Paul da Serra, the flattest section of the island at 1400m! This upland plain is reminiscent of Scotland and gives a wonderful sense of solitude and space. Eastwards are the jagged peaks of Pico Ruivo (the highest mountain on the island). The café at Pico do Arieiro (1800m and a good starting place for walking Pico Ruivo) served the best cup of tea of the holiday.
Although there are no beaches on the island, there are some rather fine lidos. Those at Porto Moniz at the north west of the island utilise some of the natural rock formations and are especially fine.
Other tourist attractions include the famed toboggan ride from Monte down to Funchal, the capital. There are also the botanical gardens in Funchal and the cable car ride from Monte to Funchal is recommended. Camacha village is famous for it willow work. Other souvenirs include the famous Madeira cake (nothing like the British sort!), Madeira wine, textiles and ceramics. The embroidery work is fantastic, but also available are woollens and throws. It is also possible to buy flowers (including the bird of paradise) to ship home in hand luggage.
We did a fly drive with Style holidays, with 3 pre-booked hotels (the Eira do Serrado in Nuns valley was wonderful, a hotel with vertigo!). Driving on the wrong side of the road was interesting enough without the hairpins and drops to the side. (It isn’t just the levadas, which cling to the side of hills!). We visited in December (the quiet season) and had one gorgeous day; one awful day and the rest were merely overcast with showers or sunny spells.
We used the Sunflower Landscapes book as a guide (www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk) and found it excellent (they also suggest driving tours). The “Danger of Vertigo” points were spot on. The directions, timings and parking were also good. We did walks 23 (totally awesome, but I did discover a fear of heights), one of the alternatives on walk 25, 29, 37 (brilliant and interesting), 36, and 39. Although these were mainly levada walks, all the levadas were different and provided a wonderful variety of scenery. We did meet a couple that said walk 12 should be dropped.
It was a great holiday and the final recommendation; Yes! I would definitely go back.
What have you seen on your travels? Drop a line to the Beetle! Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
Gunnersbury Park Museum Dating from 1835, the former country residence of the Rothschild family is now a local history museum with exhibitions charting local history from prehistoric times to the present.
The grounds are lovely to walk in, with Japanese and Italian gardens cultivated by the family in the nineteenth century, as well as the large open space of Gunnersbury Park.
If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, then why not write for the free monthly Globetrotters e-newsletter! The Beetle would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or about your home town or somewhere of special interest to you.
You don't have to be a professional writer for other people to enjoy reading your travel stories. The essence of the Globetrotters Club and its e-newsletter is to provide a forum to share travel experiences and to offer help and advice to others. It’s a great feeling, knowing that around 7,500 subscribers read each e-newsletter, a rate that is increasing by about 3% month on month.
Please e-mail the Beetle with your travel experiences up to 750 words, or any other hints and tips or questions plus a couple of sentences about yourself and a contact e-mail address. Past contributors often contact the Beetle to say what fun it has been to correspond with others who have e-mailed as a result of their article appearing in the Globetrotters e-newsletter send in those articles!! Beetle@globetrotters.co.uk
The UK government has just given the go-ahead for specially trained under cover armed police officers to be placed onboard civil aircraft. This is a part of a range of security measures to prevent attacks by international terrorists.
In addition to the UK move, undercover armed guards are to be allowed on flights between Australia and Singapore after the two countries reached an agreement ahead of a conference on terrorist activities.
Australia is seeking similar agreements with both the United States and Indonesia.
Domestic flights in Australia have carried air marshals for several months in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11 in the US.
Venice inspires devotion and madness. I should know: I went there for a last-minute holiday four years ago and have ended up buying two properties. What is it about this city? I think there are three faces to Venice, and you can’t always be sure which one you’re seeing.
We all know the first face of Venice, the tourist Venice. The images of the Grand Canal, the gondoliers, the Carnival, are clichés that stare at you from paintings and photographs in a million locations. Not just in travel articles and television shows: a restaurant, an art gallery, an engraving on a pub wall – there the Grand Canal, here the Rialto Bridge. Of course I took these image in my head when I first went to Venice. I was not disappointed; they’re not a confection, but real, gloriously, deliriously beautiful views that crowd the city. Add to them the countless art galleries that depend on the visits of tourists and academics, and you have the tourist paradise, a Disneyland digest of European art history – which, as everyone tells you, is a ghost town and an echo of its former glory.
Except that they’re wrong. Yes, the permanent population of Venice may have declined to just a few tens of thousands. But it’s no ghost town: you cannot fail to notice the vibrant daily life of Venetians as they go about their daily business in the city. This is the face of the real, everyday Venice. Venetians haul heavy kegs of beer over bridges. They walk their dogs along the hard pavements of the fondamenta. They chug along canals carrying loads of bricks, mortar, cement, furniture and flowers. And above all they chatter to each other, on the bridges. In this city without cars, there is every chance of bumping into someone you know when you cross a bridge. So why not stay for a chat? In this second Venice, there is a far more obvious sense of community than in any other world city I have known. And being an island, Venice seems to breed a sense of huddle and bemused detachment, among its true-born inhabitants, as they contemplate the follies of the rest of the world. Their geography and way of life is unique. What is the rest of the world up to?
Against the real, everyday Venice I would suggest there is also a third Venice. I can call it the unreal city. It is the historical echo of the kegs of beer, barges, flood plates and all the outward signs of Venice’s contemporary uniqueness. You could call it tradition, but that suggests something dead. There is nothing dead about the cafes and bars where Venice’s peculiar seafood snacks are the everyday accompaniment to an “ombra”, the tradition of an evening glass of wine that goes back hundreds of years. Or the Burano regatta, where a tiny island with a population of just hundreds manages to put forward tens of people willing to practise for months to take place in a traditional rowing race. My favourite is the fish market: hardly known by tourists, this extraordinary riot, slippery mountains of silver and squid, takes place in the heart of the city, just as it has done for hundreds of years, and the housewives flock to it like the seagulls. Unlike many other cities, Venice has ways of life that are not traditions on life support, but which reach back and show the influences of hundreds of years of history in a unique, watery environment.
And then there are the buildings, which hover between the three Venices. The first time I went to the city, I assumed that if you were to pan the camera just a few degrees to the left from the tourist cliché shot, you’d find the necklace of ugly concrete that has blighted every other beautiful city from Cambridge to Bruges. Not so. Venice is composed of almost nothing but tall, elegant palazzos, strange seaside workmen’s cottages, and nineteenth-century apartment blocks. I have joked that the tourist books should create a walking tour that takes you round the five or six ugly buildings in the city, since they are its special rarity, much more remarkable than any palazzo.
These buildings clearly do much to present the tourist face of Venice. They house the art, they form the backdrop, and many of them are hotels. They are also the everyday real Venice, as the Venetians live in them, busily hammering away, painting, improving … and propping the more rickety ones up. And, especially at night, as their solitary shining lights are reflected in the misty or moonlit canals, the tall, narrow renaissance buildings are definitely the soul of this unreal city, whose past lives cheek by jowl with the present.
If you’re going to Venice, here are my recommendations for places to see the three faces of the city:
Tourist Venice: shy clear of St Mark’s (except on a summer’s evening, when the string quartets are playing), and instead of climbing its Campanile, climb that of San Giorgio Maggiore, looking out across the most famous view in the world from the opposite side of the St Marks basin. If you think a gondola ride sounds a bit too tacky and costly, take a traghetto, working gondolas that take you across the Grand Canal at points distant from bridges, all for the princely sum of 40 cents.
Real, everyday Venice: if you really want to see the nitty-gritty of how everything moves around the city, stand on the Guglie bridge between 08.30 and 09.30 on any weekday morning. You’ll see the commuters striding in, the huddled groups gossiping on the fondamenta di Cannaregio, and the barges will chug busily beneath you carrying everything the city needs to eat, drink and be merry.
For the unreal Venice, with history poking through the veil: the fish market runs from Tuesday to Saturday mornings at the Rialto, just inside San Polo. It’s likely to be winding down at 12 noon, at its peak between 9 and 10.30. Take an ombra (glass of wine) at the Cantine del Vino Shiavi at 992 Fondamenta Priuli, Dorsoduro, where the glorious, slow-moving days of la Serenissima (the Most Serene City) are still visible in this atmospheric cavern of fine wines and wonderful appetizers. The Burano regatta takes place on the third Sunday of every September and is a much more low-key affair than the Regatta Storica of the main city. Watch the young Buranese teenagers fooling around in their motorboats to impress the girls … For moonlit walks, try the calmness of Fondamenta della Sensa in Cannaregio, as you make your way to the lesser-known church of Madonna dell’Orto.
Jonathan’s two homes in Venice are available for holiday rental: see www.visitvenice.co.uk
Under 30? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?
Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?
Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!