Switzerland Mountaintops with a Pass

Swiss Peak Pass Offer from Rail Europe

You’re off to scenic Switzerland for the chocolate and fondue, the charming chalets and the amazing scenery, taking the Glacier Express or the Golden pass Line. You’re planning on getting a Swiss Pass to ride the rails for a scenic journey on one of the branded train trips on the extraordinary on-time transportation rail system, but you absolutely must visit some Swiss Alps mountain tops? Here’s an offer from Rail Europe that gets access to some stunning vistas without breaking the wallet.

The Swiss Peak Pass  4 Day – 8 Day

This is a companion pass to the 4 day or 8 day consecutive Swiss Pass (not for the Select Pass or other variety). There are 8 mountain peaks included in the pass, located in different regions:  Mt Corvatsch near St Moritz, Mt Rochers-de-Naye near Montreux above Lake Geneva, Mt Stanserhorn with its new open top cabrio convertible cable car above Lucerne, Mt Cardada near Locarno in Italian speaking Ticino, and Mount Brienzer Rothorn near Interlaken above Lake Brienz. (Unfortunately, the more famous cable cars like Klein-Matterhorn, Mt Pilatus, Mt Titlis Rotair, etc. are not included, though still eligible for half-price offers with a rail pass).

What’s the catch. The Swiss Peak Pass must be used in conjunction with a consecutive 4 or 8 day Swiss Pass. But you have unlimited access to the peak cable cars for those days, so especially good if you plan to stay in an area for a few days. Sale dates for this pass offer are through December 12, 2014. With travel from January 1 through December 23, 2014. Prices are around $49 to $69.

The 8 peaks included: Mount Brienzer Rothorn, Mount Cardada, Mount Corvatsch, Mount Niesen, Mount Rochers-de-Naye, Mount Saentis, Mount Stanserhorn, Mount Allain.

Heidelberg – Culinary City Break

Romantic Old Town, Food and Drink Make a Magical Potion

Heidelberg has been voted as one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations year after year. Since first being written about by Mark Twain in his travel book “A Tramp Abroad” after his visit to witness student dueling at the Hirschgasse, visitors have sought out the quaint old medieval village watched over by the romantic ruins of its castle along the Neckar River for its history and its style. Famous for its student prison, philosophers walk and the chocolate kiss, old Heidelberg can also be a fine cuisine destination and an ideal experience for Europe budget travel. The tourism division of Heidelberg Marketing is offering exclusive culinary city breaks with an overnight stay for both individual travelers and groups.

Sample the regional Sauerbraten with noodles or a tasty Pfälzer Teller, a traditional dish of the Palatine, of blood sausage and liverwurst, enjoyed with a glass of Heidelberger Herrenberg, classic wine varietal of the Neckar and Rhine valleys.

The Culinary Heidelberg (Köstliches Heidelberg) short break combines a guided tour of the old town with a genuine Palatinate meal and a visit to two of old Heidelberg’s charming pubs, like the Red Oxen (Roter Ochsen), evocative of days gone by. The time between the individual meal courses will be spiced up with performance tales, magic potions and a sweetly romantic chocolate local delicacy dating back to 1863.

For groups of 15 or more, an excursion to Neuburg Monastery, which has stood outside the gates of Heidelberg for almost 900 years, tucked among the woods of the Neckar valley Odenwald, offers a journey into history, a stop at its organic brewery and gastronomy farm shop, all with magnificent views of the river landscape. This package includes a tour of the old town, a boat trip on the Neckar and a guided tour of the monastery.

A further offer for groups is a tour of a brewery with a beer tasting – following a tour of the old town or a guided tour of the romantic castle, a master brewer will reveal the secrets of the world of monastic beer. For wine aficionados, this guided tour also includes a tasting of some fine regional wines, while an expert explains the local viniculture to the group in the traditional restaurant “Zum Güldenen Schaf”. For information about Heidelberg’s breaks and tours visit Heidelberg-marketing.com

 

Take the Golden Swiss Cheese Train

Montreux to Chateau D’Oex

Exploring Switzerland this spring? What’s perfect for a bit of Swiss Tradition when the weather’s chill and crisp? Cheese Fondue and a scenic rail trip from the shore of Lake Geneva to the mountains of of the Vaud region, near the ski resorts of Gstaad and the lakes region. Take a trip on the Golden Pass Cheese Train. (This is very similar to the route of the summer time Chocolate Train)

The Cheese Train excursion runs on the weekends, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until April 27 of 2014, the Golden Pass scenic rail route is offering a special “Cheese Train” from Montreux on the beautiful lakeshore, climbing into the hills to the charming village of Chateau d’Oex, (famous for it’s hot air balloons),for a journey to explore traditional Swiss life. The trip features the scenic views from the comfort of the rails, a Cheesemaking Demonstration at the Le Chalet Restaurant where the cheesemaker in traditional costume, makes its “Le Chalet Bio” cheese over a wood fire, just like days past, transforming 160 to 200 litres of organic milk into hard cheese.a scrumptious Swiss Fondue meal, and a visit to the cultural Museum of the Old Pays-dEnhaut. The museum in Chateau D’oex offers an amazing collection of life in old Switzerland with traditional furnishings and folk art.

The price for the round trip journey includes 1^st Class seating in the panoramic view coaches of the Golden Pass train, the cheese demonstration experience and Fondue (drinks are extra) and admission to the folk museum.

Prices
With a Junior card CHF 29
With a Swiss Pass, Eurail Pass, or Daily card 1st & 2nd cl. CHF 39
With 1/2 price pass CHF 59

Without a Pass –
Child 6-16 years old CHF 49
Adult Full Price CHF 79

The offer is limited to 36 places per day with non-assigned seating. Tickets can be purchased in GoldenPass train stations, or in advance by phone +41 (0) 21 989 81 90. Group discounts are available by request.

airberlin Valentine – Win a Free Romantic Couples Trip to Berlin

This Valentine’s Day and for about a week thereafter all you need is love and an online connection, and a romantic story to tell to win a romantic getaway, or maybe a second honeymoon to the vibrant exciting capital of Germany, Berlin. Three winning couples will jet off to Berlin for this contest sponsored by airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline and VisitBerlin, the Berlin Tourism Board. To enter contestants must submit their love stories to airberlin’s Facebook page. The contest begins on Friday, February 14^th and ends on Sunday, February 23^rd, 2014. The winning couples will be posted on the Facebook page when the most compelling stories are selected (the Facebook page is in German, but tell your story in English). Rules and restrictions can be found on the airberlin Facebook page.

The prize package offered is comprised of: Two prize packages that include two roundtrip tickets to Berlin from any airberlin U.S. gateway, a three-night stay at the five star hotel, the Grand Hyatt, located in the center of the city, Berlin Welcome Cards providing free public transport throughout the city and discounts to many museums and attractions, a two day Hop on Hop off City Tour, city map and sightseeing brochure. And One additional package will include two roundtrip tickets to Berlin from any airberlin U.S. gateway, a three-night stay at the five star Regent Berlin Hotel conveniently located in the historic heart of the city, as well as the other prize components above.

airberlin offers nonstop service to Berlin from three U.S. gateways that include Chicago, Miami and New York and also offers a connecting service via Dusseldorf from four U.S. cities –  Ft. Myers, New York, Miami and Los Angeles (beginning in April.)

Ireland Celebrates Brian Ború, the High King who defeated the Vikings

Brian Boru Burial Marker

This Easter of 2014 marks 1,000 years since the Battle of Clontarf and the holiday will be the launchpoint of a series of year-long and countrywide festivals, tours, re-enactments, lectures and O’Brien clan family reunions marking the life and death of the great warrior king. On Good Friday in the year 1014, Brian Ború, High King of Ireland, marched on Dublin and met the Vikings who ruled the city and much of the island, and defeated them and their allies. Although the great clan chief was himself killed in the battle, Clontarf is celebrated as a triumph and victory because it blocked a major new offensive by the Viking overlords from the fjords and made Ireland an Irish land…at least until the Normans came about a hundred-fifty years later.

Brian Ború was the progenitor of the O’Brien dynasty (though don’t ask about the different spellings, its complcated) , and was the last king to unite all of Ireland. Since his death on the battlefield no one individual unified the populations in all four provinces. Clontarf is now a coastal suburb on the north end of Dublin, with the castle which one dominated, now a luxury hotel. The neighborhood will lead the national celebrations surrounding the anniversary to include everything from a “Lark in the Park” to a “Battle of Clontarf Golf Open”, to a program of historic lectures. A number of sites around the country claim the high king as home town boy, or link to his story.

Rock of Cashel

Key events include the launch of the Battle of Clontarf heritage trail, marking the site of the battle and linking to a national Brian Ború heritage trail between Killaloe, County Clare, where Ború was born near the Rock of Cashel, in County Tipperary, where he was crowned high king, and Armagh in Northern Ireland, where he lies buried, not far from the grave of St Patrick. Where the high king’s body was actually buried is a little vague, but there is a marker on the back side of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, built over the spot.

As part of the celebrations, Irish cultural guardians Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann have commissioned composer Michael Rooney to write a suite of music reflecting the life and death of Brian Ború. Rooney has composed seven major suites of music in the past 15 years, including the ‘The Famine Suite’. The world premiere of ‘The Boroimhe Suite’ on April 21 will take place in Clontarf, before additional performances in Armagh, Killaloe and Cashel over the following three days.

Clontarf: A major art exhibition in Clontarf Castle Hotel (17-21 April) will also mark the anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf. Artists will exhibit over two hundred works in oils, watercolors, acrylics, drawings, mixed media, mixed textiles and sculpture with the theme ‘Clontarf 1014 – 2014’ . Clontarf Rugby Club is tackling the anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf as only rugby players know how – by hosting its own battle with the world famous Barbarians FC. The game will take place on the actual anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, 23 April. In June the festivities will continue with a rally of traditional wooden boats and yachts on the occasion of the Clontarf Viking Festival, which will feature a food village, Viking village, battle re-enactments, children’s combat, archery, Viking warrior tactics and weaponry displays, warrior games and a mini Battle of Clontarf. The Viking story can be found at in Dublin at the Dublinia Viking World Center. During Heritage Week in August, the Clontarf Historical Society and the Raheny Heritage Society will be running daily guided walks along the Battle of Clontarf Heritage Trail.

Dublin: A free two-day conference on the Battle of Clontarf will take place April 11-12 in Trinity College, led by Professor of Medieval History at TCD Seán Duffy whose book, Brian Ború and the Battle of Clontarf, was recently published. As a nod to the Vikings left over, the Danish String Quartet will also play at the National Concert Hall on 22 April, while an O’Brien clan banquet will be held in Dublin Castle on 23 April. Events will include a linkup between Dublin and Reykjavik, Iceland – both UNESCO Cities of Literature – including a writer-in-residence program, book publications and lecture series.

Killaloe: Along with its twin town of Ballina, Killaloe will celebrate the life and reign of Brian Ború throughout the year, including an anchor event at its St Patrick’s Festival in March, a summer Brian Ború festival and events around on the key October date of the 14th. The festivities will include living history program, performances depicting Brian Ború and his forces as they prepare to set off for battle, as well as lectures, workshops and tours, and cultural, musical, arts, and sports events.

Cashel: The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster and is now one of Ireland’s most popular tourist sites. Cashel’s ‘To crown a king’ festival will run from April 25 to 27, celebrating the Ború millennium with a weekend of concerts, talks and a huge community pageant.

Armagh: The ancient cathedral city of Armagh is the burial spot of Brian Ború. It was his wish to be buried in the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, where his body laid in state for 12 days before burial. A series of events are planned for Armagh including a warrior re-enactment, Viking long-boats, ecumenical church services, a Viking village and musical performances.

O’Brien Clan: The O’Brien name is very common around the world – there are almost three-quarter million O’Brien’s in the United States. Connecting with roots of ancestors and the area of thier historic past will have added significance in this anniversary year for all the O’Briens. Various branches of the worldwide clan are planning reunions and events – making for an O’Brien trip of a lifetime.

Brian Boru 2014 Events
O’Brien Clan

For more about medieval Ireland see Favorite Castles of Ireland and Northern Ireland at Amazon Books

Tour Dusseldorf’s MediaHafen

Maybe Dusseldorf isn’t on the top of your touring Germany lists, but this vibrant city on the Rhine River is quite warm and welcoming with lots of exploration ideas. Dusseldorf Old Town on the river is right next to the ultramodern new architecture, offering a unique mix of styles. And it all comes together right by the riverside with its two Rhine View Towers.

And a tour of the MedienHafen will show you Düsseldorf’s development into the one of the country’s most fascinating metroplises. As recently as some twenty years ago, the area by the river where media companies and advertising agencies now make their home was dominated primarily by shipping warehouses. But today, the district is in a state of transformation. The MedienHafen is one of the liveliest places in Düsseldorf, with restaurants, night clubs, and riverwalks.

Take a guided tour of the MediaHafen offered from the tourism office, with much of the tour’s attraction is the stunning examples of outstanding architecture, from American genius architect Frank Gehry’s twisted reflective landmark to the unique and spectacular open design of the state parliament building, the Landtag, and the dizzying tower of the Rhine.

Dusseldorf Tourism Tours

All year from January 2014 (90 Min)
Time: Saturday 14:30 & Sunday 11:00
Meeting point: Entrance Rhine Tower (Stromstraße)
Languages: German/English

Price 2014
Adults: €11
Children (aged 6-13): €5.50

Reduced price with DüsseldorfCard
Adults: €8.80
Children (aged 6-13): €4.40

Downton Abbey Tour this May

Visit the Crawleys at Downton Abbey this May
Downton Abbey Tour – May 27-30 2014

The new season of Downton Abbey has begun in the US, with  Matthew gone and Lady Mary recovering from her grief, and schemes below stairs underway. For fans of the show who want to get a closer look at the life of the lords and ladies, UK based Tours International is offering a special Downton Abbey theme guided tour of the real life location of the show, Highclere Castle and other so veddy British sights and experiences. This singular opportunity to visit locations and sets where the world-renowned TV series is filmed, includes exclusive access and guided tour of the magnificent Jacobean era manor house which serves as stand-in for the fictional Downton Abbey. (The Downton Abbey of the story is in Yorkshire, while the location Highclere is in Hampshire.). Live the high life like the aristocracy of the 1920s and 30s and indulge in a luxury afternoon tea at Byfleet Manor, enjoy a guided tour of the Queen’s second home, Windsor Castle, and enjoy a sip of champagne view stunning views high above the London skyline in the amazing London Eye wheel.

Included in the Downton Abbey Tour

• Exclusive visit to Highclere Castle,      used as the setting for Downton Abbey
• Traditional English afternoon tea at Byfleet Manor,  the setting for the residence of Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey
• Basildon Park, used as the location of the Granthams’ London residence
• Special visit to Windsor Castle by a serving Military Knight
• Ride on the London Eye in a Private Capsule with Champagne
• Panoramic Tour of London taking in key Downton Abbey locations
• Cruise on the River Thames
• Three nights accommodation in a central      London 4 star deluxe hotel

Tour Dates: May 27–30, 2014
Price per person: $1650.00 (Double Room) and $2010.00 (Single Room)

For more information or a detailed itinerary Downton Abbey Tour

Christmas Markets by Train Tour with Great Rail Journeys

Heidelberg Christmas Market

November through December is the season of the European Christmas Market. Take in the crisp early winter atmosphere which mixes the aromas of warm mulled wine, roasting chestnuts and gingerbread sweets as you wander among wooden stalls adorned with the twinkling fairytale lights of the holiday season. Shop among the delights of handmade crafts and holiday decorations gifts, in the festive style that warms the heart and lifts the spirit.

Great Rail Journeys is the leading operator of holidays by rail from the UK and have been organizing outstanding tours for three decades. They offer a wide selection of train escorted tours holidays that guide the traveler to unique destinations to sample the culture and authentic flavors of the world. Most guided tours are by motor coach or with air travel. But for anyone who’s sat on a bus for a week may recognize the value of traveling by train. There are some motor coaches involved, but the trip is primarily by rail, offering the most and comfortable mode of long-haul transportation, as well as offering the most social opportunities.

On a train you can get up and move around at your ease, or just sit and relax, watching the ever changing scenery pass by the large windows. In fact, on a train, every seat is pretty much a window seat, even the ones on the aisle. Enjoy conversations with new traveling acquaintances, form friendships, and stretch out. Discover fabulous towns and cities with arrival right in the heart of town as well as view the countryside vistas.

Most of the Great Rail Journeys to the European continent start out with departures  on the Eurostar Chunnel Train London to Paris from St Pancras International Train Terminal. Obviously, if you’re coming from the U.S. or Canada, you have to fly to England to take a Great Rail Journey’s Tour of Europe, but an excellent opportunity to include London, with its own festive holiday time with Germany, France, Belgium and Holland.

Many meals are included with the price of the tour, served in the hotel or are a special local restaurant. Hotels range from 3 stars to 5 stars, chosen with experience and near to the attractions of the cities visited. The tours include a full program of sightseeing, excursions and guided tours. Great Rail Journeys

Belgium Greeters – Meet a Local in Brussels, Mons, Charleroi

Town Hall Brussels

So, you like to have the personal local travel experience. Getting to know people from the country you come to visit? Go to Belgium to be greeted. Local residents of the cities of Brussels, Charleroi, Mons, Thuin and Ververs volunteer in the Belgium Greeters program to meet up with visitors and show them around, sharing their favorite places, stories and neighborhoods, for free!

The Belgium Greeters is a movement to offer an alternative form of tourism, with the intent to engage authentic meetings between visitors and inhabitants of Belgian cities, with regard to the principals of mutual respect, with an emphasis on hospitality, and cross-cultural exchange. Discover the country of Belgium through the eyes and personal experience of the inhabitants. Volunteer hosts make themselves available for a few hours.

All visitors to Belgium are eligible whether alone, with a family or a group of friends, young, elderly or those of reduced mobility. The number of visitors per greeting is limited to six. The greeters are not allowed to accept remuneration or tips and are responsible for their own expenses like drinks and their own transportation. The meetings are booked through the website of the local city network, with a form and email and take place at a prearranged spot off the beaten path. Contact and subscription to a greeter should be made at least two weeks prior to arrival.

These are not “guided tours” per se like a tour of the city or museum visits, but more a little chance to get the flavor of the city from a local perspective and some ideas of a way to explore on your own. The Greeter meetings last from 2 hours to 4 hours, max, with a timetable agreed at the request of the visitor. The Greeters are available every day of the week from 8am to 10pm. Walking, bikes or public transportation is the usual means of getting around.Visitors are invited to fill out a survey questionnaire after the greeting, with some of the responses available on the website – Greeters.

“Rush” Formula One Movie Hunt-Lauda Rivalry

Ron Howard takes on Formula I Grand Prix racing in the new film “Rush” following the story of the rivalry between Austrian World Champion Niki Lauda and British playboy racer James Hunt. The story essentially is built around the 1976 Grand Prix season when Hunt, who got the knickname of “Hunt the Shunt” for his freewheeling bold style, won the Championship after the precise and technical Lauda suffered a fiery crash at the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring. The film is getting rave reviews from the Toronto Film Festival and there is even talk of Oscar contention for a film in the rarely explored world of speed sports. Ron Howard, who says he was not a race fan, even though he started his directing career with a car movie “Grand Theft Auto” for Roger Corman, does for auto racing what he did for space exploration with Apollo 13, telling the real world history story in a completely accessible way, doing it with a relatively low budget of $38 million, shooting mostly on tracks in England to double for circuits around the world and making use of film archive footage.

Curiously for me, this period of time in Formula 1 was when I was first exposed to the real sport. I had been hugely affected by John Frakenhiemer’s “Grand Prix” and Steve McQueen’s ode to endurance racing, “Le Mans”, which followed McQueen’s love for the purity of the sport, but nearly bankrupted his production company. I went to my first Grand Prix race at Watkins Glen, in New York in 1975, the year when Niki Lauda won his first championship for Ferrari, allowing him to have the number 1 on his car for the ’76 season. I was also at Brands Hatch for the 1976 British Grand Prix where Hunt and Lauda crashed together at the start.

I had a chance to see Lauda and Hunt race again in 1978 at the then newly launched Long Beach Grand Prix in California (now an Indy Car Race). I had a chance to photograph both Hunt and Lauda on the grid in 1978, this was after Niki had recovered from his accident, left with the visible distinctive burn scars where the fire caught above his balaclava. He was then driving for Paramalat-Brabham having left Ferrari. Lauda continues in the sport as team consultant executive for AMG Mercedes. Hunt, notorious for his carefree lifestyle managed to survive his racing career, but died young of a sudden heart attack in 1993.

The cars used in the Rush film for Niki Lauda and James Hunt can still be seen in real life at the Historic Grand Prix in Monaco which is held every even year, two weeks before the main modern spectacular Monaco Grand Prix race, and at other vintage racing car events, and I expect they get the star treatment now that they’ve appeared in a Hollywood movie, especially if appearing at Oscar time.