Places to go, things to do (and ponder)
Thank God it's ... that day when we look at the best press releases.
First off, if you're in Fort Lauderdale tonight you can hear in person one of the most recorded voices in musical history as the great Indian singer Asha Bhosle (left) performs at the Broward Center. As of yesterday afternoon, $35 tickets (the cheapest) were still available. (I know because I bought two.) More expensive seats are probably available too. Call 954-462-0222 or contact the Rhythm Foundation.
Experiencing a place like a local is always one of the most rewarding but also one of the most difficult parts of travel. The folks at Visit Britain are making it a lot easier with something called British Friends. Located all over England, Scotland and Wales, these people are ready to help tourists by telling them things only the locals know, like what's the best pub in town and where a good band is playing. And you can contact them through the website.
If you're still feeling a little upset about the QE2 being taken out of service, you might want to cheer yourself up with some ocean liner mementos. Swann Galleries in New York City is holding a Maritime Memorabilia Auction May 22, which will include, among many other things, "letters, photographs and postcards" from the Titanic. Call 212-254-4710 or write to ggarland@swanngalleries.com.
A press release arrived announcing a new biannual magazine, Girlfriend Getaways, and its editor Erik Torkells. Yes, the editor of Girlfriend Getaways is a man.
A note to readers: You're not only well-informed, you're well-dispersed. What's coming up in your parts of the world? Drop in a "comment" and let us know. Like the Brits, we can create our own network of locals.
Comments
I live in suburb of Washington DC now. Spring is in the air, and the air somehow reminds me of Beijing. At around the same time 5 years ago, SARS (the rare killer respiratory virus going around in HK and China) was in peak season. The air smelled the same, quite sweet and lovely, not threatening at all. However, everyone was taking precautions not to go to any crowded public gatherings, even offices were closed. So was my travel business. So, my husband and I took the opportunity to take a hike along the Great Wall. We went to a section of the wall called JIankou, which is probably not on tourist maps or guidebooks. It takes about 2 hours to drive there, but the hike is worth every minute of the drive. We found this site initially when we were researching for unusual places along the Great Wall for a famed photographer-Mike Yamashita of National Geographic. This site offers one of the most stunning views of the wall. The watch towers rise precipitously, and travelers can climb along the old sections of the wall for hours. Each stop, the view is different and breathtaking. On the wall, we found the same salmon colored wild cherry blossoms as the ones around our neighborhood in DC. They look and smell the same.
Funny how the smell of spring air brings back memories. I have more on what-to-do regarding travel in China: http://web.mac.com/yunnangirl/WildChina_Blog/WildChina_Blog/WildChina_Blog.html
Posted by: Yunnangirl | April 18, 2008 1:44 PM
Well OF COURSE the editor of Girlfriend Getaways is a guy! It's like whats his face and Sex and the City. I sort of like the show despite the fact that Carrie makes the worst decisions imaginable in terms of boyfriends, but it is a FANTASY. I like having drinks and dinner with girlfriends too...but I don't sit there and talk like a dirty pirate hooker. I wonder if Girlfriend Getaways is going to be a literary sanctuary for a bunch of weathered cougars on the prowl for a new ethnic poolboy.
Anyway- I am in Santa Monica, CA. If I was a normal person and dressed accordingly it would probably be more enjoyable, but now I practically bathe in overlarge sweaters...uniform of the college student. I went to the Promenade today and perused the art book stores, Arcana Books and Hennessey and Ingalls. I got "Boring Postcards" at Arcana, so while I was there I looked for a good sequel. I almost sent you "Toilets of the World" (or something to that effect), but changed my mind when I saw it might not be work appropriate. I LOLed in the bookstore when I saw it, though. I managed to get some awesome used books at Hennessey and Ingalls.
It's nice to live in a place where weird things are easily accessible. I see things that make me laugh everyday, and not necessary "at" someone or something.
Posted by: jen | April 18, 2008 4:53 PM