Pete Martin describes St Basil’s in Moscow, one of the many places around the world that has taken his breath away and he now calls his Transformational Moments.
I enter Red Square. It’s un- believable. I have that same feeling I got in Times Square, in Tiananmen Square, at the Grand Canyon and on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. I experienced a similar feeling at the Taj Mahal.
In these moments, I am lost for words, totally taken aback that I am here witnessing a sight that I did not think I ever would. I have a feeling of being alive and seeing some- thing I had previously only thing I had dreamed of.
India has a reputation for transforming people. Since I returned just a week ago I have had 2 people ask me how I think it has changed me. I didn’t know how to answer. Well, this was my 4th visit, and also travels to other countries have had a huge impact on me… how was this different? I am older and more experienced than when I travelled to Israel and Turkey when I was 23 years old and up for adventure, change and expansion of my world view and I underwent tremendous personal growth. But maybe the countries themselves were not the main catalyst
‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ was resonating from loudspeakers throughout
the Sunday market in the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires, sounding even more wonderfully romantic sung in Spanish as ‘No Llores Por Mi Argentina’.
It was balm to my spirits, having just experienced one of the great scams inflicted on foreigners in that city. Heading to the market that morning I suddenly felt splodges fall on my head and shoulders from a balcony above.
A young woman immediately approached with a handkerchief, offering to wipe away the mess.‘Please remove your rucksack’, she said haltingly in English. No chance, I thought, having been told earlier that morning by a young Frenchman that he’d lost his passport, wallet, camera and all the pictures he’d taken in a year’s travelling in a similar scam just the day before. The scam was tried on me not once, but twice that same day without success, but thankfully did not diminish one jot my enjoyment of the city. Buenos Aires is a city of contrasts.
The drive up from the city had been both disorientating and familiar. It is strange to see in the same panorama both the turquoise ripples of the Mediterranean and mountains heavily laden with flashing snow, petering out to a light dusting of castor sugar lower down. Familiarity emanated from the solid traditional houses of creamy stone and orange roof brick, windswept Grecian trees with branches of smoke tendrils, green poplars. All the signs were in Arabic and the dust of the Middle East was in the air, yet it felt like Southern Europe. And Lebanon is in fact the perfect balance between these two worlds.
The city break is a phenomenon of our times, and the ability to jet off to a foreign city for two or three nights has broadened all our horizons. In recent years the “hot” destinations have gradually moved from Western European capitals to edgier cities further east or south; as each gets taken over by stag and hen parties in search of cheap booze the cognoscenti move on to the next big thing.
The popularity of a city for a short break is very dependent on the availability of a direct flight from the UK on a low cost airline; cities which may be fascinating to visit but which lack a direct connection thus tend to stay under the radar.
I visited such a city in May 2019 and want to urge you to go there before it is discovered; it has an oceanside location, wonderful baroque architecture, inexpensive hotels and restaurants, many museums and galleries and a stupendous opera and ballet theatre with tickets for less than a tenner. I’m talking about Odessa, on the Black Sea coast of southern Ukraine.
Globe is an info-packed newsletter with travelogues by members, book reviews, travel tips, bargains and news. There is a mutual aid section where you can exchange information; place advertisements and find travel companions.
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Remembering Doris Dunkerley
Ex-Pat – A novel by Chris Watts Chris sets the scene on a strange small Greek island in this intriguing extract
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Mardi Gras, America – Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
From Mardi Gras and exploring the historic French Quarter to cocktail themed tours there is something for everyone in New Orleans, a place where centuries old architecture is the backdrop for all ventures. Here are 10 reasons why visitors should visit in 2017.
1) It is easier than ever to get there…
From 26th March, 2017 British Airways will launch a four times a week service from London Heathrow to New Orleans. The route will be operated by a three-class Boeing 787-8, with return fares starting from £599. This service marks the first direct flights from London to New Orleans since the early 1980s.
2) The city is a culinary adventure
In a city with more than 1,400 restaurants to choose from, New Orleans offers a variety of cuisines. From foodie festivals, street food, cooking schools and restaurants galore, there are endless options available that are sure to take taste buds on a culinary adventure. Local chefs and restaurants are constantly evolving, utilising local and seasonal ingredients that reflect the uniquely diverse culture of New Orleans.
Some of the best cuisine is showcased during the annual COOLinary New Orleans Restaurant Month each August, with restaurants offering special discounts.
3) New Orleans is one big stage
It is said that in New Orleans, music echoes from every corner. The city is the birthplace of jazz and a mecca for gospel, R&B and ultimately, the rock and pop many love today. Musical magic is alive on the streets and in the clubs of New Orleans. Witness an impromptu live performance on Royal Street, experience unbelievable live musical performances from intimate venues on Frenchmen Street to places like the Smoothie King Center.
4) Mardi Gras
For a few weeks in the early part of each year, dozens of brightly festooned, themed Mardi Gras floats carrying krewe royalty, celebrities, and masked members lead marching bands and riders on horseback, flambeaux carriers and others through the streets of New Orleans. They bestow beads, doubloons, and other prized trinkets to millions of revellers witnessing “the greatest show on Earth.”
Carnival season officially begins January 6 every year and continues through Fat Tuesday, which falls on the day before Ash Wednesday. This year’s parades will take place between January 6th and 28th February, 2017. Click here for the 2017 schedule.
5) A lot more reasons to party!
Celebration is at the core of the New Orleans’ experience, and to get a true taste of the city, every visitor should join in one of these unforgettable festivals. Whether it is music, food or the arts one loves (or all of the above), they’ll want to join in as New Orleans lets its hair down and declares, “laissez les bons temps rouler!” (let the good times roll). Visit this page for a calendar of events. Many of these are free – French Quarter Fest, Satchmo SummerFest, Po-Boy Preservation Festival, Wednesdays at the Square and, and of course, Mardi Gras.
6) Free things to do
New Orleans offers a plethora of free activities to choose from. Walk among the centuries-old oaks of City Park, picnic in the picturesque Audubon Park or enjoy views of the Mississippi River at Woldenberg Park. Stroll along Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and Fulton, where jazz pours out onto the street, or duck into a club for the full experience. Many clubs don’t even charge a cover. Explore New Orleans neighbourhoods and their connection to jazz with six self-guided Jazz History Walking Tours. Click here for a list of free things to do in New Orleans.
7) New Orleans will host NBA All-Star 2017
New Orleans has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2017. The 66th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday 19th February, at Smoothie King Center – home of the New Orleans Pelicans. This will mark the third time New Orleans has been the site of the league’s annual midseason celebration, having previously hosted the event in 2008 and 2014.
8) Visit the River Road’s plantation homes
The River Road is an easy jaunt from New Orleans. This is where visitors will find several majestic plantations including Oak Alley, San Francisco, Laura, Destrehan, Houmas House and more. These homes will sweep visitors back in time with period furnishings, folk art and craft demonstrations, lush gardens, landscapes and more.
9) Cocktails and brews
In New Orleans, a great drink is just as important as a great meal. New Orleans’ signature drinks are almost as famous as the nightlife bars and hot spots that make them, check out this list for a list of New Orleans cocktails and where to enjoy a Sazerac, Hurricane or French 75. There are cocktail walking tours which tell you the history of the city whilst you taste some of these classics and you can even bring your drink from one bar to the next in a “cup to go”.
Beer enthusiasts should not miss the 8th annual NOLA on Tap Beer Fest. The one-day event, taking place in New Orleans City Park in September is the largest event of its kind in the region and allows beer aficionados to sample more than 400 local, regional and nationally homebrewed and microbrewery beers.
10) Museums
From food, culture to music, New Orleans has a museum for every scholar at every age. Learn about the cuisine of South East Louisiana at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, celebrate fine arts at New Orleans Museum of Art, ride a hummer during the WWII Museum Victory Theatre’s 4D cinematic experience and discover where Mardi Gras is made at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, the largest float-building warehouse in the world.
For a comprehensive list of museums please visit this page.
11) Lagniappe (A little something extra)
New Orleans is the perfect gateway to the rest of Louisiana and the Deep South, where visitors can enjoy beautiful state parks, a plethora of historic sites, take airboats tours in the bayous, and get a closer taste of the Cajun culture, and so much more.
Visit this page for a 3 days itinerary of New Orleans.
For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com, @NewOrleansCVB on Twitter, ‘like’ on Visit New Orleans Facebook and follow us on Instagram (VisitNewOrleans). Or visit www.louisianatravel.com, @louisianatravel on Twitter.
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Globe is an info-packed newsletter with travelogues by members, book reviews, travel tips, bargains and news. There is a mutual aid section where you can exchange information; place advertisements and find travel companions.
