Trip duration: 19 days
Trip miles to date: 3,040
Miles since last update: 1,023

I've recently arrived in Peurto Natalès having successfully visited Ushuaia and the end-of-the-world!!! Having hoped to make Ushuaia in a single leap from Rio Gallegos, I had to overnight in Rio Grande (150 miles short) as 2 border crossings and a delayed ferry crossing (across the Straights of Magellan) slowed progress.

The borders were remarkably trouble-free and I'm thankful for getting the correct documentation (Carnet de Passage for the bike) prior to travelling. It's also a bonus that many bikers come through these borders on route to Ushuaia so the officials know what they're looking at – although I'm still impressed with the flamboyance and enthusiasm you can put into stamping a document 6 or 12 times.

Any thoughts of reaching Ushuaia that night were dashed at the ferry crossing at Pta. Delgardo, which connects mainland Chile with Terra del Fuego. Even by Pategonian standards, it was pretty bloody windy that day and the ferry ramp on the other side was closed. I joined a long-line of traffic and had to park the bike behind other vehicles to prevent it from being blown over!

With little information forthcoming, many vehicles turned around and headed south (I guess) to Punta Arenas and the longer ferry crossing.  The other frustration was that trucks and coaches automatically drove to the head of the queue, taking priority over the proletariat like me.  Of course everybody else could take shelter in their cars / vans / 4×4's etc – but for me it was a couple of hours sitting on the tarmac in the lee of the wind.

Eventually, 3 hours after arriving, I got to board a ferry.  Naturally I was pulled aside and loaded last, squeezed on between a rental car and the now raised loading ramp.  I didn't share the loaders confidence in the position of the bike so I decided to stay on the bike for the incredibly bumpy 20 minutes it took to cross – if I hadn't the bike would have fallen against the car for sure.

The blast down to San Sebastian (2nd border) was fun as it was dirt road all the way and I was able to catch, and pass all the traffic from both the ferry I was on, and the previous ferry that was full of vehicles that had driven past me in the queue (very satisfying!!!)

After over-nighting in Rio Grande I struck out for Ushuaia the next day. Pleasingly the terrain changed from the flat open pampas to forested mountains. The last 20 miles changed from dirt track to beautiful tarmac, which wouldn't have been out of place along the Route Napoleon outside Nice.

Eventually I rounded a corner and there it was – USHUAIA!!! It amuses me that after 2,000 miles this marks the start of my stated trip to Alaska.

From the gentle slope down into the town, I could see several ships in port ahead. Little did I appreciate what this really meant. Upon parking on the high street in search of a hotel list I was immediately approached by several Brit tourists – drawn by the Union Jack on my crash helmet. This was pleasant enough but it highlights the type of town Ushuaia is, a transit lounge for wealthy western tourists on route to a short trip around Antarctica.  Ushuaia was quite unlike any other town in Argentina, full of  tacky souvenir shops, Irish theme pubs and expensive hotels.

After spending a night at the (very welcoming) Hostel Albergue I decided to get out of town, choosing to camp in the remarkably picturesque Nation Park of Terra del Fuego, which coincidentally also contains the official end of the road.

I dutifully posed for the obligatory photo next to the wooden marker (see below)before setting up camp (first time on the trip). The park is stunning and the following day I set off early to climb the highest peak there (yeah, a bit foolhardy I know). The trails were easy to follow but the climb was a tricky one, rising through incredibly dense forest, sat points resembling something out of Hansel & Gretal, into peat bog and eventually a tall slope of loose scree.

The summit view was worth the toil (photo above) showing all around the Beagle Channel and off into Chile and Cape Horn itself.

Next day I set off north, aiming to stop in Punta Arenas. Another border, another ferry across the Magellan Straights, and once more I'm in Chile. At the ferry ramp at Porvenir I was entertained by 10 Czech engineers on route to James Ross Island to build the Czech Republic's first research station in Antarctica. Amusingly they were more impressed at my trip than their own forthcoming endeavour, but having just read about the fateful trip of Shackleton's expedition to that area, I'm in awe of anybody who elects to spend a lengthy stay there. One of them had contacts with the Czech version of Motorcycle News (magazine) and took my details and a photo for the journal.

So now I'm in Peurto Natales and about to embark on a 6 day trek around the Torres del Paine national park. This was a must do excursion for me before the trip and from what I can see of the Andes rising from the horizon, I wont be disappointed.

I'm 3,000 miles and 20 days into this trip and getting used to the change of lifestyle. What I have noticed is the western-world (and specifically US) 'culture-creep'. Every hotel I check into has 60 channels of TV with predominately US content spilling out and it inevitably impacts the local environment.

I wonder what this trip would find if it were repeated 50 years from now.

If you want to know more about Greg's travels, visit his website at: http://www.unbeatentrack.com/

Trieste is an Adriatic coastal city in north eastern Italy, close to the border with Slovenia. The sea in the Gulf of Trieste is very clear and clean, with limestone cliffs and rocky beaches. The centre of the city has a mid-European feel, more Austrian than Italian, Trieste was the seaport of the Hapsburg Empire.  Here you can enjoy a combination of a sea/beach holiday and the attractions of a cultural city.

It is an ideal destination for a short break but you could easily spend a week here. The Verdi Theatre hosts an opera season in the winter and an operetta festival in summer. You can swim in the beautiful clear sea, stroll the promenade, and walk along the cliff paths. Take in the wonderful art collection at the Revoltella Museum. You can sip coffee on Piazza Unita Italia with its grand 19th century buildings, which face onto the sea.

History: according to folklore, Trieste was founded by Tergeste, a friend of Jason and the Argonauts. Ancient Tergeste as a Roman colony is dated to around 178 BC. It became more important during the reign of Octavian when roads were improved.  The city has had many rulers during its history: Goths, Byzantines, and Lombards. In the 13th century Trieste was forced to swear allegiance to Venice. To escape Venetian domination, Trieste sought the protection of Duke Leopold of Austria. Trieste was of great importance to the Hapsburg Empire as a seaport and was made a Freeport in 1719. Without customs barriers the port and city flourished.  At the end of the First World War with collapse of the Hapsburg Empire, Trieste was returned to Italy in 1918. Trieste was taken over by the Third Riech when Italy withdrew from the Second World Ward in September 1943. Two years later there was a 40-day Occupation by Tito's Yugoslav forces. After 9 years under an Anglo-American government Trieste was handed over to the Italian government.

Trieste's history may help explain why 70% of Italians apparently did not know that Trieste was part of Italy in a recent opinion poll!  With EU enlargement Trieste is ideally placed as the only natural port in the centre of Europe. Trieste is one of three finalists to host the international Expo of Science, Technology and Culture in 2008. If its bid is successful there will be more investment in the area and Trieste will become better known on the world map.

Literary Connections: the Irish author James Joyce lived in Trieste during the early part of the 20th century. When he first arrived he worked as a tutor at the Berlitz School of English. He went on to write “The Dubliners”, “The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man” and start “Ulysses” in Trieste. The rich mix of central European and Eastern Mediterranean culture in Trieste is said to have had a great influence on his writing.

Joyce (pictured left) was English tutor to Itali Svevo, the Italian novelist. Svevo was born in Trieste in 1861, his Mother was part of a Triestian Jewish family, and his Father was of German descent. Joyce encouraged and praised Svevo's work and Svevo wrote critiques of Joyce's work.

Jan Morris wrote the book, “Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere”. Morris claims this is her final book, a self-examination based in Trieste. Morris changed gender.  Jan Morris first visited Trieste at the end of the Second World War as young Welsh soldier. She describes how the city “curiously haunted her” . She revisited the city as an elderly woman.

Morris describes Trieste as “natural capital of the nation of nowhere”. By this she means a home for the so-called “Fourth World”. This is a scattered group with the common values of humour and understanding, usually exiles in their own communities but probably numerous enough to form their own nation.

I laughed at Clay Risen's comment in his piece about Trieste in the Square Table in Spring 2003. He observed that “Trieste is the only city in Europe which appears more often in reflective essays than in guide books of newspaper travel sections.”

Exploring the city:  the best way to explore the city is to walk around. The Piazza dell' Unita d'Italia is the heart of the city. The square was created towards the end of the 19th century. It houses the City Hall, with its clock tower featuring statues of Mikeze and Lakeze, figures from Trieste folklore; Government House, with its gilded mosaic wall decorations; and the former Head Office of Lloyd Triestino, built in Renaissance style by an Austrian architect.

The Victory Lighthouse lights the Gulf of Trieste and commemorates the dead of the First World War. It stands almost 70 metres high with a scaled dome containing a statue of winged Victory. At the base of the column is the anchor of the torpedo boat Audace, the first Italian ship to enter the harbour in 1918. The lighthouse took 4 years to complete and was officially opened in 1927.

The Old Stock Exchange (see picture right) is a fine example of neo-classical architecture, resembling a Greek temple. The Old Stock Exchange stands by the so called Grand Canal. However this is rather a misnomer as the canal is very short.

The Arco di Riccard is a Roman gate to the city thought to date from 33 AD. It is in Piazzetta di Ricordo in the old city. You can see the Roman amphitheatre at the foot of San Guisto hill.  The Verdi Opera Theatre opened in 1801. It is of a similar style to La Scala in Milan.  The Arco di Riccard is a Roman gate to the city thought to date from 33 AD. It is in Piazzetta di Ricordo in the old city. You can see the Roman amphitheatre at the foot of San Guisto hill.  The Verdi Opera Theatre opened in 1801. It is of a similar style to La Scala in Milan.

Day Trips: there are many day trips that can be taken, including exploring the Carse.  The Triestine carse starts at Montefalcone in the north and stretches down adjacent to the Slovenian border. The area is known as a paradise for botanists with a mixture of continental flora and Mediterranean vegetation.  There is talk of the area achieving national park status.  The Carsic house in Rupingrande has a collection of traditional furniture and local costumes.  During the first week in May the works of local painters are exhibited during the Majence Festival, in San Dorligo delle Valle.  The best known event is the Carsic Wedding, every second year on the last Sunday of August in Monrupino. There are dances every night of the preceding week. On the wedding day the bridal procession, all dressed in traditional costume, walk to the fortress church for the marriage ceremony.

Grado and Aquiliea : Aquiliea was founded in the first century BC. It occupies a strategic defence location. It became a Patriarch's seat and many beautiful churches were built. The Bascilica is considered to be one of the most important monuments of early Christianity. There are two museums to visit there.

Grado was the extreme southern part of the port of Aquileia (see picture below left). Now it a beautiful island city joined to the mainland by a causeway. It boasts 20 kms of fine sandy beaches. Grado was very popular as a spa during the days of the Austrio Hungarian Empire with its healing sands.Grado can be reached by the no 21 bus from Trieste. There is also a boat service during the Summer.

Muggia: Muggia (see picture below right)  is a pretty coastal town just south of Trieste, which can be reached by ferry from Trieste during the summer. The town is of Venetian origin, surrounded by medieval walls with a 14th century castle and a pretty port.

The Slovenian border is just a few kilometres from Trieste. The Lipica Stud and Riding School is under a half hour drive from Trieste. It was originally founded in 1580 by Archduke Charles for breeding royal horses for the Austrian court. Now you can tour the stud farm (6 Euros) or have a riding lesson, starting at 16 euros.

Croatia can be easily reached through by passing through the narrow strip of coastal Slovenia.  Venice can be reached by direct train from Trieste. The journey takes around two hours. The train takes you right into the centre of Venice.

Getting there and around: Ryanair flies into Trieste from London Stansted. The airport is 35 kms west of Trieste but there is regular public transport on Coach 51 into Trieste.  If you do decide to hire a car, it is worth checking that you can take it into Slovenia and Croatia if you are considering day trips there.  Trieste has a good public transport network.  There is a “Trieste by Bus” city tour in 13 stops. This is available on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm from the end of June to mid October. The two and a half hour trip allows you to see the city's main attractions. The cost is around five euros per person.  You can take the Opicani tram up to the Carso plateau, 348 metres above sea level. This funicular tramway was built in 1902. The tram leaves from Piazza Oberdan in the city centre up Scorolo hill to the plateau above.

Karen Bryan is an independent travel consultant and writer, specialising in less well known destinations in Europe. Her websites are: www.europealacarte.co.uk, www.europe-culture-activity-tours.com 

West Java is one of the five provinces of Java, Indonesia. Bandung is the capital city. The greater part of west Java is mountainous, with the Priangan highlands forming the core territory. 21 mounts can be found here, most of which are classified as active volcanoes and have become an integral part of tourism in the West Java province.

Mount Tangkuban Perahu (capsized boat) is one of them. A smouldering 2000m wide, surrealistic volcano 1800m above sea level, it lies 28 km north of Bandung reachable within 30 minute ride.

The Legend of Sangkuriang

This is an example of how nature was converted into a legend, such as Bandung lake and Mt Tangkuban Perahu with the story of Queen Dayang Sumbi and her son Sangkuriang cited from Neuman va Padang (1971). Once Sangkuriang, whilst growing up, he was so naughty and got hurt and the wound formed an ugly scar.

The King, who loved his son above everything was so furious that his son had hurt himself that he rejected his wife.  Fifteen years later, being of age, Sangkuriang asked his father permission to take a trip to West Java.  After arriving in the plain of Bandung, he met a beautiful lady, fell in love and ask her to marry him and she accepted.  But one day when she caressed her lover's head she saw the wound. The loving woman, turned out to be the disowned queen, discovered that she was in love with her son and marriage was impossible.

The marriage had to be prevented. Not willing to admit that she was his mother she thought of a way out. The day before the wedding was due to take place, she said to her husband to be, tomorrow is our wedding day, and if you are true to your love to me and love me as much you say do then I want to celebrate the wedding on board a ship, a proa.  Tomorrow morning at day break, I want to sail with you on a great lake in a nice boat and there must be a banquet feast.  Sangkuriang was embarrassed but he was not willing to refuse.  He begged the help of the lake's helpful spirits. By causing a landslide, the lake spirit dammed the river Citarum that flowed through the plain of Bandung.  The force of the water felled big tree and a boat was constructed while other lake spirits prepared the wedding banquet.

Early in the morning the Queen saw that the impossible had been realised so she prayed to Brama, the mighty God, to help her to prevent the disgrace of a marriage between a mother and her son.  Brama destroyed the dam in turbulence and Sangkuriang was drowned.  The queen in her agony threw herself on the capsized boat, breaking through the hull of the ship and was also drowned.

Now, the vast plain of Bandung is flanked on its north side by the volcano Tangkuban Perahu, the  capsized boat.  The Queen's jump on the hull of the ship is the Kawah Ratu, the crater of the Queen.  The hot fumaroles and tremors in the crater represent the tears of the sad mother still sobbing.  East of Mt Tangkuban Perahu rises the Bukit Tunggul, trunk mountain, the trunk of the tree from which the boat was made and to the west we find Mt Burangrang, the “crown of leaves”.  At many places along the shore of the lake Neolithic obsidian tools of primitive inhabitants are found and described by von Koeningswald (1935).  These Neolithic people noticed that the hold was cut deeper and deeper by erosion caused by the lowering water. Finally only a marshy plain remained.

Centuries later the inhabitants of Bandung plain still know about the legend of the existence of a former lake. Not knowing anything about geology, but living in the taboos of spirit ghosts and Gods, geological facts were put together in a tale that was understandable.

If you are thinking of holiday trip, or even just information on any travel requirements in Java especially Indonesia, please do not hesitate to contact me. I'll be most happy to assist you. Tedy can be contacted by e-mail as follows: abctour_td@cbn.net.id.

In the first of a number of Where in the World profiles, we look at Diego Garcia, a tiny island in The Indian Ocean, with coral beaches, turquoise waters and a vast lagoon in the centre. It is 1,600 kilometres from land in any direction, which seems to be the main attraction for the people who are allowed to go there. If you were ever thinking of visiting Diego Garcia, unless you are in the US or UK military, it might be wise to think again. But where is it, and why is it so controversial?

The Portuguese put Diego Garcia on the map in the 1500s. The island’s name is believed to have come from either the ship’s captain or the navigator. Diego Garcia was covered in plantations (copra, coconut, etc) in the 1800s. Between 1814 and 1965 it was a dependency of Mauritius. It then became part of the Chagos Archipelago, which belonged to the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory. The island remains a British dependency today but is leased to the US by the British. In 1970.

Once Diego Garcia had a small native population, known as the Ilois, or the Chagossians, many of whom were agricultural workers or fishermen. They were, however, forced to relocate (1967–1973) so that the island could be turned into a military base, much to strong protestations of other Indian Ocean islands, who objected to the island being used as a base for cruise missiles. Most of the Ilois now live in reduced circumstances in Mauritius’s shanty towns, more than 1,000 miles from their home. A smaller number were deported to the Seychelles. In 2000, a British court ruled that the order to evacuate Diego Garcia’s inhabitants was invalid, but the court also upheld the island’s military status, which permits only personnel authorized by the military to inhabit the island. The Ilois sued the British government for compensation and the right to repatriation, but in Oct. 2003 a British judge ruled that although the Ilois had been treated “shamefully” by the government, their claims were unfounded. Not much help, really. In 2004 the British government issued an “Order of Council” prohibiting islanders from ever returning to Diego Garcia.

A somewhat biased 2004 documentary by Australian journalist John Pilger called Stealing a Nation publicised the plight of the islanders. According to Mr Pilger, the islanders were tricked and intimidated into leaving until “the remaining population was loaded on to ships, allowed to take only one suitcase. They left behind their homes and furniture, and their lives. On one journey in rough seas, the copra company’s horses occupied the deck, while women and children were forced to sleep on a cargo of bird fertilizer. Arriving in the Seychelles, they were marched up the hill to a prison where they were held until they were transported to Mauritius. There, they were dumped on the docks.” Some of the Ilois are making return plans to turn Diego Garcia into a sugarcane and fishing enterprise as soon as the defense agreement expires (some see this as early as 2016). A few dozen other Ilois are still fighting to be housed in the UK.

Now, Diego Garcia is home to a military base jointly operated by the United States and the United Kingdom, although in practice it is said to be largely run as a US base, with only a small number of British forces and military police. No other economic activity is now allowed. The base serves as a naval refueling and support station. It is also equipped with airfields that have been used on missions to Iraq during the 1990 Gulf War, and to Afghanistan in the 2001 U.S. Attack on Afghanistan.

But still there is controversy. Human rights groups claim that the military base is used by the US government for the interrogation of prisoners (allegedly with methods illegal in the US). The British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said in the British parliament that the US authorities have repeatedly assured him that no detainees have passed in transit through Diego Garcia or have disembarked there. Intelligence analysts say Diego Garcia’s geographic isolation is now being exploited for other, more sinister purposes. They claim it is one of several secret detention centres being operated by the Central Intelligence Agency to interrogate high-value terrorist suspects known as “ghost detainees” or the “new disappeared,” beyond the reach of American or international law.

We are sorry to say that Mac is not very well, but he is still e-mailing strong and recently sent the Beetle a collection of travel reminiscences.

A friend of mine reading my Guam notes was also stationed in Guam whilst working in the Navy. He told me something interesting about a couple of Japanese soldiers that had hid in the jungles for many years not knowing the War was over. He said that one was something like a private and the other a Corporal and they had some kind of disagreement between them and did not speak to each other for a period of twenty years while hiding out in the jungle. Ha!

I am still enjoying reading A Sense of Place about travel writers by Michael Shapiro. I was surprised to learn that India is Rick Steves favourite country although he writes and conducts tours mostly in Europe. He said he would never take a tour group to India as it is unpredictable: “I wouldn’t want to be in charge of making twenty people happy in India”.

Me: I visited India three times taking India rail pass and loved it and found it fascinating, but like Rick Steves, I would not recommend it to others for fear they might get ill and blame me! Rick Steves says the Reichstag (new one) building in Berlin is a new glass dome that is open and free all the time so people can literally look over the shoulders of their legislators and know what’s on their desk and keep an eye on them. He has a building in Edmonds Washington where he employs sixty people. Here, I thought it was just him with a backpack on his back roughing it through Europe, well, maybe along with a photographer! He says his tour guides for his tours are the best paid in Europe. I suspect his tours would be good for someone wanting to be with a group.

One of my favourite writers is Jan Morris. I started reading her when he was James Morris. Morris had sex change operation in Casablanca. He had been at one time an Intelligence officer in the British Army and accompanied the 1933 Everest expedition that reached the summit for the first time. He was married with four children. His wife and he still live together in Wales. I was disappointed when I heard he had become a woman as I prefer male travel writers. I guess I will have to reread his earlier work when he was a male to see if I can notice any difference in his travel writing as a woman.

The travel writer Eric Newby spent thirteen months in POW camps in World War II. He escaped in September 1943 immediately after the Italian armistice. A sympathetic Italian commander who was later beaten to death by the Germans let the prisoners escape. Newby who had recently broke his ankle left atop a mule. A Slovenian couple with anti-Fascist sympathies sheltered Newby who became smitten with their daughter Wanda. When it became unsafe for Newby to stay with Slovenian family, he sought shelter in the maternity hospital of a nearby hospital. But as the Germans closed in father of the family risked his life to drive Newby through Parma to a mountain hideout in the Po Valley. Ultimately Newby was recaptured and returned to prison camps but survived the war. Interesting accounts (to me)!

On continuing on the theme of travel writers, I’ve been reading Fodors’ Exploring India Author Fiona Dunlop 1998. On page 14, she says, “When a desert woman in Rajasthan (the most colourful and interesting section of India to me. Mac) dons a pido, a yellow veil with a large red spot, it announces her pregnancy and acceptance by the community. Simply being fertile is however not enough. Vedic verses honour sons followed by more sons but never daughters. When a boy is born conch shells are blown in Bengal and Assam and drums are beaten in Makargshtra. When a girl is born the women of Rajasthan retreat behind their veils and wail. In traditional Hindu households throughout India an ancient rite to produce a male child is still performed over pregnant women”.

In the 1980s a survey revealed that of 8,000 abortions carried out in India after prenatal sex determination only one was a male foetus. On page 15 the author talks about Muslims, who, unlike Hindus believing in resurrection after death and in the existence of heaven and hell. It is customary for Muslims to bury rather than cremate their dead.

If you would like to contact Mac, he can be e-mailed on: macsan400@yahoo.com

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain’s Kings and Queens since 1837. Built by George VI on the site of the King’s House, Pimlico, the shell of which was preserved by Nash, the architect. Marble Arch once stood in front, but it was later removed to the western end of Oxford Street where the famous Tyburn Gallows once stood. When Queen Victoria moved here in 1837, just 10 years after the works had been carried out, it was barely habitable. There are 600 rooms in the Palace, of which under twenty can be visited, as well as the Queen’s Picture gallery and the Mews.

It originated as a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen’s official residence. It is regularly on the top ten lists of worse places to visit by those that have, but still draws huge numbers of those that haven’t. Some say that it is a nice place to view from the outside, though the crowds can be horrendous. If the Royal Standard is flying over the palace then the Queen’s in residence.

Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by the Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis. The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household. Besides being the official London residence of the Queen, it is also the administrative headquarters of the Monarchy, including the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family.

The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with items from the Royal Collection including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen’s Gallery, which reopened in May 2002. The nearby Royal Mews is open from 5 March to 31 October 2005.

For those who do receive an invitation to Buckingham Palace, the first step across the threshold is into the Grand Hall and up the curving marble stairs of the Grand Staircase. Portraits are still set in the walls, as they were by Queen Victoria. The Throne Room, sometimes used during Queen Victoria’s reign for Court gatherings and as a second dancing room, is dominated by a huge arch supported by a pair of winged figures of ‘victory’ holding garlands above the ‘chairs of state’. It is in the Throne Room that the Queen, on special occasions like Jubilees, receives loyal addresses. Another use of the Throne Room has been for formal wedding photographs.

George IV’s original palace lacked a large room in which to entertain. Queen Victoria rectified that shortcoming by adding in 1853-5 what was, at the time of its construction, the largest room in London. It is 22 feet long, 60 feet wide and 45 feet high, the Ballroom is the largest multi-purpose room in Buckingham Palace. It was opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War. The Ballroom has been used variously as a concert hall for memorial concerts and performances of the arts and it is the regular venue for Investitures of which there are usually 21 a year – nine in spring, two in the summer and ten in the autumn. At Investitures, the Queen (or the Prince of Wales as her representative) will meet recipients of British honours and give them their awards, including knighting those who have been awarded knighthoods.

It is along the East Gallery that the Queen and her State guests process to the Ballroom for the State Banquet normally held on the first day of the visit. Around 150 guests are invited and include members of the Royal family, the government and other political leaders, High Commissioners and Ambassadors and prominent people who have trade or other associations with the visiting country. Today, it is used by the Queen for State banquets and other formal occasions such as the annual Diplomatic Reception attended by 1,500 guests. This is a very formal occasion during which The Queen will meet every head of mission accredited to the Court of St James’s. For the diplomats it is perhaps the highlight of the annual diplomatic social calendar.

From the Ballroom, the West Gallery, with its four Gobelin tapestries, leads into the first of the great rooms that overlook lawn and the formal gardens – setting for the annual Garden Parties introduced by Queen Victoria in 1868.

The State Dining Room is one of the principal State Rooms on the West side of the Palace. Many distinguished people have dined in this room including the 24 holders of the Order of Merit as well as presidents and prime ministers.

Before the Ballroom was added to the Palace in the 1850s, the first State Ball was held in the Blue Drawing Room in May 1838 as part of the celebrations leading up to Queen Victoria’s Coronation.

The Music Room was originally known as the Bow Drawing Room and is the centre of the suite of rooms on the Garden Front between the Blue and the White Drawing Rooms.

Four Royal babies – The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and Prince William – were all christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Music Room. One of its more formal uses is during a State Visit when guests are presented to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State or for receptions.

The last of the suite of rooms overlooking the gardens on the principal floor is the White Drawing Room. Originally called the North Drawing Room, it is perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms. The Room also serves as a Royal reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal family to gather before State and official occasions.

The Bow Room is familiar to the many thousands of guests to Royal Garden Parties who pass through it on their way to the garden. It was originally intended as a part of George IV’s private apartments – to be the King’s Library – but it was never fitted up as such. Instead, it has become another room for entertaining and is where The Queen holds the arrival lunch for a visiting Head of State at the start of a State visit.

If you are looking for a job at Buckingham Palace, they are regularly advertised on the official website: https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace

Ryanair, always on the look out from generating new sources of revenue including charging passengers for food, drinks, car hire and hotels, was also looking at gambling and property ventures for ‘other’ sources of non-ticket revenue. They recently announced that they were in talks with telecoms network operators about launching its own UK mobile phone business. Ryanair, which recently banned its staff from charging their mobile phones at work, said it may sell mobile phone connections via the Internet under the plan.

Ryanair Deputy Chief Executive Michael Cawley told reporters the carrier was talking to potential partners for the business, which may not necessarily use the airline’s branding. Ryanair had initial talks with 3UK, owned by Hutchison Whampoa, but failed to reach agreement, the source said.

EasyMobile, which is linked to Ryanair rival easyJet, launched its own-brand mobile phone service in Britain in March, while airline entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Group also has a mobile phone business.

“Currently we are looking at some gambling products. That is very much at an embryonic stage,” Cawley said.

That’s not the only way Ryanair increases its income, writes Brian from the UK. The airline charges Euro 7.00 per kilo for excess baggage. At Treviso (Italy) airport recently, the scales showed between 1.5 and 3.5 kilos when empty – before any baggage was put on. Protests to check-in personnel were in vain. Pay the excess or leave your luggage behind. When contacted, Ryanair denied responsibility claiming scales were owned and maintained by Treviso airport authorities. It was a Ryanair agent,however, who demanded payment and who issued a Ryanair receipt. The same luggage deemed overweight by Ryanair was later weighed at another low-cost airline at Gatwick and found to be 3.0 kilos below the limit.

I sent Ryanair a request for a refund of the unjustified charges by snail mail, including a copy of the receipt. Their reply came by email. When I tried to respond by email I received a message saying I would have to fax or mail my message. Deliberate effort to make communication difficult for customers, easy for them. I faxed it anyway: here is the text:

Thank you for your prompt email reply to my letter of June 4th.

I regret, however, having to inform you that the response of Ryanair is less than satisfactory. I have no objections whatsoever for being charged a fee for luggage which weighs more than the amount allowed. However, as I stated in my letter, my luggage was found on three other occasions to be well within the limit set by your airline.

The fact that the scales are owned and operated by Treviso airport authorities is really not relevant in this case. The fee was collected by Ryanair agents and was paid to Ryanair over my objections at the time. Ryanair clearly has a responsibility to its passengers to ensure that the excess baggage fees it charges are not based on inaccurate measurement, the ownership of the scales is simply immaterial.

Since I cannot accept your effective denial of responsibility for this incident, I anticipate contacting the Treviso airport authorities and the Transport Department of the Government of Ireland for their opinion on this matter and their advice on how to proceed further.

I am in contact with other passengers on the flight who had a similar experience and can confirm my account of events.

Yours sincerely,

Can anyone help me write the letter to Treviso airport in Italian? Or maybe the Guardia di Finanza if that would be appropriate – sounds promising? My hope is that it will cost Ryanair more than the 30 euros it owes me to respond to all the correspondence I will generate for them.

If you can help Brian, please let the Beetle know.

Recently Suspended Armed Conflicts

1. Peace agreement signed May 26, 2004.

Sources: Centre for Defense Information, www.cdi.org, Project Ploughshares, www.ploughshares.ca , and news sources.

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

June 2005: our first speaker today was John Gimlette, whose talk was entitled “Theatre of Fish” and was about Britain’s first colony, Newfoundland. John showed us the capital, St John’s which is largely made of wood and has been known to burn down occasionally! The houses, some of which are known as Saltboxes can literally be picked up and moved. Fishing is still one of the mainstays of the area, though locals are now restricted to catching 15 cod each per year, though most seem to get “stuck” on 14 for some reason!

Our second speaker was Tim Mackintosh-Smith, who is based in Yemen and came to tell us of his travels in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta. Battuta made his journey over 670 years ago, leaving his Moroccan home to travel the Middle East into Asia and eventually beat Marco Polo to China. On his return he explored Muslim African lands such as Mali. Tim is hoping very much that one day the finance will be available to turn Ibn Battuta’s journey into a television series.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk