Ten great places to check out in Europe this summer; from the UK to Italy

It's never a bad time to go to Europe. Well, July and August can be pretty intense, which is why I tell folks that May and June - as well as September and October - are terrific times to hit the continent. The weather is (usually) good and the crowds are (generally) lighter, which means less jostling in front of the Mona Lisa and fewer elbows flying on the way up the Spanish Steps in Rome.

I could list a hundred places in Europe that I love, but here's a quick Monday morning look at ten particular favourites you might want to check out:

1. Scotland. I had a coffee last week with the Scotland Tourism folks, and they've dreamed up a lovely campaign for 2012 that's based on Scottish culture. They brought over several artists to explain the concept; a bagpiper who plays with all sorts of other musicians, including a band that plays Indian music. He's also part of something called The Treacherous Orchestra, which looks like all kinds of fun. They also had a maker of lovely jewelry from up in the Orkney Islands and a fabulous watercolour painter from southern Scotland. All that talk of the lovely hills and sounds of Scotland got me all fired up on Saturday to watch Local Hero, one of the great movies of the 1980s and a lovely, quirky bit of filmmaking. Made me want to go back so badly!

2. Portugal. I've been harping on this country for a while, because it's both beautiful and a bargain. You can often find four-star hotels for $100 a night; about what you'd pay for a chain hotel in Belleville. There are gorgeous beaches, top-class cities such as Lisbon with its famous trams, lovely mountain villages and great food and wine. Good golf, too.

3. Holland. This year marks Floriade, an incredible horticultural display that happens every 10 years. Or maybe once a decade. This time it's centred in southern Holland in Venlo, and it's said they've planted 1.8 million bulbs, plus 5,000 rose bushes (it's not just spring flowers) and 190,000 perennials. I can only imagine what that must look like. There's also a cultural program, including concerts, and it runs from April to the fall.

4. Prague. I was there only once, but fell in love with the architecture and the old streets. Oh, and the beer. Toss in the Charles River bridge and the old castle on the hill above town and you've got a lovely spot that's also a bit cheaper than many cities in Europe.

5. Sweden. It's expensive, but it's a beautiful place. Stockholm is a stunning city on the water, surrounded by small islands. The city comes alive in summer when the good weather comes. Not a fan of big cities? My son studied in Lund, in southern Sweden, last year and said it was a great university town. The New York Times featured Lund in a story last year.

6. Switzerland. The mountains and lakes are even prettier than you might imagine. But there's also a huge variety in this country. The south is Italian-speaking, near Ticino, while other parts are quite French or speak Swiss-German and feel more like Germany. And the cities are quite sophisticated and lively. Pride Day is a big thing in Zurich. I was there near Pride Day a couple years ago and the place was jumping. I also saw an older guy riding a bike ahead of me on the street wearing nothing but a red thong. So there is that....

7. Ponza, Italy. I featured this island in Star Travel last year. It's a stunner that's maybe an hour or an hour and-a-half ferry ride from the coast, not far from Rome. There are huge, chalky cliffs and lovely beaches and a small town with a beautiful harbour. You can rent a small boat if the weather's good and explore the beaches and caves, or just soak up the atmosphere at a harbour-side table at lunch or dinner (see photo).

8. Slovenia. Another perennial fave. It used to be part of Yugoslavia but has been its own country for some time now. The eastern part feels like Hungary, while the northern section has towering mountains and borders on Austria. There's a small section that dips onto the Adriatic as well, sandwiched between Italy and Croatia. And the town of Ljubljana has a bit of a Salzburg feel to it, but cozier and less touristed. Great plazas and fun shops and great food, plus the tidy, wondrous Lake Bled, with its island church and mountain and castle views. Really one of the jewels of Europe.

9. Bordeaux. Even if you don't like wine, it's a beautiful area of France. The city itself surprised me, with its gracious architecture and small cafes in narrow, teeming streets packed with atmosphere. East of the city, in the Dordogne Valley, are lovely rivers and winding, country roads and huge castles and fabulous food; fresh fruits and incredible cheeses and lots more. Definitely one of this country's top regions.

10. Wales. Another way to enjoy the UK while skipping the London Olympics. A beautiful coastline that goes on forever, with fabulous hiking and walking trails and glorious golf courses. I found several old abbeys to explore, and there are rivers for canoeing or kayaking and surprisingly good and sophisticated cuisine in both Cardiff and even at smaller, out-of-the-way Bed and Breakfast places.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @JIMBYERSTRAVEL

 

 

 

Great beaches in Morehead City, North Carolina, and more Air Canada woes

This guest report comes from The Star's Richard Ouzounian, who appears to have fallen in love.

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. – Best. Beach. Ever.

I’m sorry to betray my previous devotion to Tofino, Coronado and Fire Island, but after a few days on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, I’m a convert. This is what a beach holiday should be.

This stretch of sandy paradise is only a 3 hour drive from the Raleigh airport which, in turn, is only a 90 minute non-stop flight from Toronto. You can leave your home in the morning and be splashing in the surf by mid-afternoon.  Nice.

Just south of Morehead City is a strip of beach that stretches for 20 miles along the coast.  The homes north of it are all private but the beach is all public, so once you find your way down to the shore, it’s just you, the sand, the surf and the sky.

What I wrote about Wrightsville Beach further south on the Carolina coast applies for this area and then some.  It’s not a party-hearty destination, the streets aren’t filled with tacky tourist traps and almost everyone you’ll run into is from North Carolina, which is a nice thing.

Friendly? They wrote the book on it. At a local drugstore, I purchased a paperback thriller and a couple of bottle of cold water before heading out to the beach and the clerk put them in separate bags, “so your book won’t get wet.”

Drop by a place like the On a Roll Gourmet Deli and you’ll not only get the best breakfast biscuits anywhere (two of them, swimming in creamy sausage gravy for $4.95), but you can hear a table of locals discussing the US election with down-home humour, or be waited on by co-owner Kat, an ex biker-chick from Michigan whose conversation is as tasty (and salty!) as the sausage.

Or take the Local Yokel Ferry with lifelong resident Ellis Yeomans, who’ll scoot you across the water from Harkers Island to the Cape Lookout National Seashore for a real taste of the areas natural splendor and one of its imposing signature lighthouses. (www.ncbeaches.com/CrystalCoast/HarkersIsland)

There’s also fascinating historical destinations like Fort Macon, which went from Union to Confederate to Union during the Civil War and came back to battle U-boats during World War II.  If this inspires you to get down there quickly, the 150^th anniversary of the big battle takes place Apr. 21-22 with a full historical re-enactment. (Go to www.ncparks.gov for details.)

The food and hospitality down here is generally awesome, as are the prices.

Lunch on the outdoor deck at The Channel Marker (www.thechannelmarker.com)includes a dozen fried oysters with hush-puppies for $12.95 and Moet & Chandon champagne for $8 a glass. (No, that’s not a typo!)

            And in the evening, Chef’s 105 (www.chefs105.com) is a beautiful high-ceilinged room with a menu that mixes local Carolina food with some pretty spiffy techniques, including Chicken-fried sweetbreads ($9), cast-iron seared NC mountain trout ($23) and a bison burger ($15) that my son, the burger lover, gave two thumbs up to.

            Lodgings are also nice on the wallet and we stayed at a very comfortable room at the Hampton Inn, with a water view, pool, free wifi and hot breakfast, all for $150 a night. (www.hamptoninn.hilton.com)

            It’s a great place to spend a holiday, whether you’re sporty and active, traveling with kids, or just looking  for a fun time. Check it out:  www.crystalcoastnc.org.

AIR CANADA WOES

Back to Jim Byers here.

The Star's Vanessa Lu is out at Pearson this morning and says the job action by Air Canada pilots - sorry, the ALLEGED job action by Air Canada pilots - doesn't appear to be affecting things too badly. It sounds like perhaps 40 flights have been cancelled today, out of several hundred per day for Air Canada in Toronto.

Probably it's no consolation to folks on cancelled flights, but Lu reports it's not as bad as some winter days when Pearson gets socked with snow and has to cancel flights en masse.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told Lu that "most pilots are working and reporting for duty" and that "the vast majority of flights are leaving.”

Still, it's yet another black eye for Air Canada in its continuing struggle for labour peace - and good p.r. You just know the folks at WestJet and Porter are gonna find ways to exploit this latest mess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tough time for visiting Spain and Portugal/Expect delays Heathrow this summer?

It's a tough time for visiting Spain and Portugal this week, and possibly for a while. Iberia pilots are disrupting flights with regular strikes, and now Portuguese air traffic controllers apparently have launched regular job actions of their own.

It sounds like, well, not quite chaos but certainly an iffy situation for travellers to southwestern Europe.

Here's Thursday morning's report from Travelmole.com:

"Flights to Spain and Portugal will be disrupted for the next few days due to industrial action. Iberia has been forced to cancel a large number of flights tomorrow, including services between Heathrow and Madrid (see photo), due to a decision by pilots union SEPLA to strike every Friday and Monday until July 20."

(July 20? That's a long time, folks; be prepared).

"The strikes started on Monday, when Iberia was forced to ground 150 flights. The series of 30, one-day walk-outs is in protest against Iberia parent IAG's decision to launch lowcost carrier Iberia Express. Iberia partner British Airways is giving passengers booked to fly to Spain on any of these dates the option to cancel or switch to alternative flights free of charge."

As if that isn't bad enough, now comes word of job actions by Portuguese air traffic controllers.

"A two-hour strike by air traffic controllers in Portugal this morning, which ended at 9:00hrs today, will be repeated again tomorrow (Friday) from 7:00hrs and again on April 19, 20 and 26. EasyJet said that as a result it had cancelled a number of flights tomorrow, including its early morning service between Gatwick and Faro."

Economic troubles might be making Spain and Portugal a little bit cheaper than usual. And Portugal is almost always one of the cheaper spots to visit in Europe. But these job actions might be enough to cause folks to turn to a different part of Europe for a summer holiday. Yeah, Greece won't be having any strikes this summer, will they? And there's hardly ever any chance of job actions in Italy, right?

Well, you could try England this summer. It's the Queen's Jubilee, after all, and then there are the Summer Olympic Games starting July 27. Exciting, sure, but not necessarily conducive to good travel.

Associated Press reports that British lawmakers have questioned Heathrow Airport's ability "to cope with an influx of passengers during the London Olympics this summer, warning that long lines at immigration could force planes to sit on runways or even circle Europe's busiest airport."

Hey, it might be a great sightseeing option. Be sure to ask for a window seat if you plan to fly into Heathrow this summer!

CARNIVAL AND COSTA CRUISE UPDATE

The Wall Street Journal says Carnival Cruise line officials are reporting a recovery from a winter of woe.

There were a series of incidents in the winter and early spring of this year, including the grounding of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy. Apparently Costa cruise bookings are still down (how much isn't clear) but things apparently are better than they were in the first six-weeks after the Concordia disaster, when bookings were off 75 to 80 per cent. (Geez, those ships must've been weird to travel on).

A Carnival spokesman said Costa pricing was down by a double-digit percentage in the last five weeks but that pricing has recovered somewhat.

Carnival Chief Operating Office Howard S. Frank said Carnival bookings rose three per cent in the five weeks to April 1, exluding Costa, after falling nine per cent in the month and-a-half after the Concordia wreck.

Frank said that nine per cent drop forced the company to reduce prices. But Carnival officials have suggested that anyone "holding out for deeper-than-normal discounts may be disappointed."

Of course, they can't very well say, "Hey, we're going to drop prices even more so don't book your tickets now." I suspect cruise pricing will stay reasonably soft through the summer. Not huge discount soft, perhaps, but reasonable. Things are improving in the U.S. and Canadian economies, it seems, but times are quite tough in many parts of Europe and I can't see a huge increase in demand for Mediterranean cruises right now. So I suspect folks looking for good deals will continue to find them in the coming weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

The lovely waters of North Carolina, and good grub at Pearson Airport

Nice to see, albeit in the Globe, a story this morning on how Pearson Airport is boosting its food options.

Chris Nuttall-Smith writes that, starting this summer, some of the biggest names in Canada/Toronto cooking will be involved at Pearson on a dozen new bars and restaurants. Included are: Claudio Aprile (Origin, Colborne Lane), Mark McEwan (Bymark, One, North 44), Hemant Bhagwani (Amaya) and Rocco Agostino (Pizzeria Libretto, Enoteca Sociale).

This is all supposed to happen by summer of 2013, and it'll be a huge improvement on Tim's and such. Pearson is desperately trying to overcome the increasing advantage of cheaper options such as Buffalo-Niagara, and they want to be sure to get folks connecting on overseas flights instead of watching them go through Chicago or JFK in New York.

It's great to see the new food options, and it should help a food concept that's already been boosted significantly in recent years and months, with several new spots. But what I really think Pearson needs - not so much to draw passengers as to make Torontonians happier - is more options for people WAITING for friends/family to arrive. Have you ever been stuck at Pearson waiting two hours for a delayed flight? Is there ANYTHING to do? Anything at all?

There's usually one tiny shop with about sixteen magazines to choose from and a bar. That's about it. But you can't drink if you're driving someone from the airport, so what on earth are you to do? Wouldn't it be nice if there was a Roots store or an electronics shop or something? I mean, there's a captive audience so why not take advantage?

Anyway, at least they've got the food thing going in the right direction...

NORTH CAROLINA GUEST BLOG

Thanks to Star entertainment/travel guy Richard Ouzounian for this guest appearance from coastal North Carolina. Sounds like a great place!

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. – Rufus Sewell went hungry on Saturday night.

            The broodingly handsome British actor (best known for A Knight’s Tale and The Illusionist) walked into the South Beach Grill, was told there was an hour’s wait for a table and promptly left.

            If I hadn’t stopped my wife from jumping up and asking him to join us, I might now be filing an interview to the Entertainment section, but, heck, I was on holiday and my reflexes are still good.

            Why was Sewell in this totally delightful beach resort on the Carolina coast? He’s shooting a movie called The Occult here and his co-stars are Jennifer Carpenter and Anne Heche.

            Lots of movies and TV series shoot down here and have, ever since Frank Capra Jr. and Dino de Laurentis got a studio built in 1983 in neighbouring Wilmington for their film, Firestarter.

            Dawson’s Creek shot six seasons here, One Tree Hill went for nine and looking at the glorious light, friendly people and temperate climate, it’s easy to see why.

            Ironic cinematic footnote: even though the Cape Fear river runs through the town and the cape itself is only a few miles away, neither version of that frightening flick were made here. The first was in Savannah. The second, Ft. Lauderdale. Go figure.

            This is a coastal resort town where Carolinians (and a few enlightened tourists) come to relax, unwind and enjoy the pristine coastline with a beach that goes on uninterrupted beauty for miles.

            It’s not a party town and the prices are nice and low.  The comfortable Holiday Inn Resort is right on the beach, has two pools, gorgeous views and rates as low as $168 C.  Dinner for three at the snazzy Bluewater Grille, with wine, was $100. And breakfast at the Sweet & Savoury includes goodies like a Fried Chicken Biscuit for $2.99!

            You also should take advantage of the Wrightsville Sunset Cruise, run by “Captain” Joe Abbate, a trained naturalist and ecological pioneer. Besides giving you some of the most breathtaking views around, he can fill you in on everything from the hurricane history of the region, to the unique bird life, to the fact that the location scout from Iron Man 3 (which is just about to start filming there, starring Robert Downey Jr.) just picked a multi-million dollar mansion as a major setting for the film after seeing it on the cruise. $25 for 90 minutes.

            The weather on Easter weekend was in the low 20s and while the Atlantic was a bit chilly for swimming, our family made a vow to come back here again soon.

            More details from further up the Carolina coast tomorrow

 

 

 

 

When will hotels get the free WiFi argument? ... Ireland price drop/Blue Jays!

No surprise to me here, but a recent hotels.com survey found that hotel guests would much rather have free WiFi than a fancy espresso coffee machine or an iPod dock or video game systems or, duh, workout equipment.

Maybe it's because us North Americans work too much, but it's no surprise that the free WiFi argument has so many converts. I don't mind paying a little extra for a hotel, but I HATE being forced to pony up some OUTRAGEOUS amount of money to get hooked up to the Internet, which increasingly is something we absolutely have to have. I've said it before, but if you're going to charge for the Internet why not have a towel surcharge or a hot water fee for the shower? They're all an essential part of the hotel experience.

Taylor L. Cole, director of public relations and social media for Hotels.com, put it nicely. "Given the explosion of mobile use in the past few years," he told USA Today, "it's no surprise that travelers are requiring free and fast WiFi. Many guests never travel without their tablets, smartphones and laptops. It's as intuitive as packing a toothbrush."

Shortly after posting my blog this morning, I got an email from Delta Hotels.

"We are now offering free base high speed Internet access in all of our guestrooms (43 hotels) across the chain," said Sandy Indig, head of Delta public relations here in Toronto. "As well, we also announced a newly enhanced upgraded Internet offering in 17 of our properties...called InternetXL, it's the fastest Internet service available in any full service hotel chain in Canada, and 20 times faster than household high-speed Internet. We're offering InternetXL free for a limited time."

So there you go, folks; check out Delta if you want a nice hotel and free Internet. Other hotels offer good or free Internet deals, so be sure to do your research. If you join Fairmont's Presidents Club you don't have to pay for Internet charges, so it's worth signing up. I believe other hotels also reward frequent travelers with reduced or free Internet, so join all the hotel clubs you can.

There were a couple interesting items in the hotels.com survey that went beyond the WiFi issue. For example, 45 per cent of folks said their favourite new amenities are happy hours, wine tastings or other activities involving free food and drinks. Of course we want a free drink - we want to forget about having to pay $15 for the Internet.

Thirty four per cent of women said they liked complimentary bottled water in the room, but only 24 per cent of male travelers thought it was important.  Yeah, we'd rather have the free Scotch.

GET THEE TO IRELAND, BUT MAYBE NOT SPAIN

Interesting Wall Street Journal story today talks about how menu prices have dropped as much as 20 per cent across Ireland in the last three years as the country struggles with an economic crisis and with being tied to the Euro.

This apparently is true more outside Dublin than in Dublin itself. Still, it could be a deal for travelers.

At the same time, the story says some places have cut back. The fabulous Kings Head pub in Galway, for example, now less less-expensive fish on the menu and have gone from having five-piece bands playing to just two-piece groups. Which is a shame.

Bad news in Spain for travel types, as Iberia airline pilots staged a one-day strike on monday. They grounded 150 flights in what Reuters said is the first of 30 one-day strikes to protest the startup of low-cost carrier Iberia Express.

Hmm. That sounds awfully familiar to anyone who flies Air Canada. Not the one-day strikes (not yet, anyway), but the anger/concern over the startup of a cheap alternative to the main Iberia line.

Pilots say the new Iberia Express is a threat to jobs and working conditions. Management, oddly enough, disagrees, saying the project is vital to increasing their profitability.

I don't think this argument ends well...

NEW YORK HOTEL OPTION

Conrad New York has opened its new hotel in the fresh and "vibrant" Battery Park City neighbourhood. Rising 16 stories along the Hudson River waterfront, the 463 all-suite luxury hotel is the first New York address from Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global luxury brand of Hilton Worldwide, officials said.

Lower Manhattan has been an area on the upswing for several years, and it's an area we profiled last summer in Star Travel. There are some lovely parks and great bars and food places, including Stone Street, where you can take your beer or wine and food out in a pedestrian-only street and have some al fresco fun.

BLUE JAYS OPENER

Apropo of nothing in regard to travel, I gotta say I'm rather skeptical about the Blue Jays. I mean, a great season in Florida means squat, folks. The Jays didn't do well in the spring in the years they won the World Series, as I recall.

Spring is only meant as a tune-up for the real season, and with Sergio Santos out there doing a great imitation of Nuke Laloosh (from Bull Durham) it's gotta be making Paul Beeston stop and think a little bit about his closer options. I mean, how many actual balls did Santos throw that hit the strike zone in the ninth inning on Monday night? Four?

I'm not suggesting it's already time for the Jays to take out an ad in the paper to apologize to fans, but Santos had better come around fairly quickly if this club is going to make any kind of a playoff run. That or it's back to bullpen by committee or, maybe Beeston gives Susan Sarandon a call....

 

 

Wonderful and lively town of Lahaina: A highlight of any trip to Maui

LAHAINA - This might be one of the great towns of the world.

Folks ask me all the time about Maui and Hawaii, and one of the reasons I prefer West Maui and the Kaanapali/Napili area to Kihei/Wailea is the proximity to Lahaina.

It's got fabulous restaurants, a great waterfront, incredible history, several small beaches, good surfing, fun shopping and what might be the world's largest banyan tree; a 200-foot-wide, 60-foot high tree with more than a dozen trunks and hanging vines and a central spot in one of the main town squares, just inches from the Pacific. It's a great place for meeting folks or hanging out when they have their regular markets; nice and shady and cool in a city whose name in Hawaiian means "merciless sun." There are often musicians about, too.

The tree dates way back to 1873, when it was planted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the New England missionaries who tried (and mostly succeeded) to tame Lahaina's wild reputation as a haven for seafaring types looking for entertainment on shore leave.

Just steps away are the ruins of an old fort; always a fun place for kids to climb. Across the street and down just a bit is old Baldwin Home, a missionary family house that's a great source of history and information that dates to 1834. Also on Front St. is the Wo Hing museum, which illustrates some of the history of the area's Chinese population and also has a small Taoist shrine. There's a small shack behind the main building that shows old-time movies of Hawaii produced by none other than Thomas Edison. Now THAT's a great history lesson.

It seems to me there are a few less galleries than in the past, but there still are lots of spots to buy up some pop art or a watercolour painting of your favourite Hawaii beach. Front St. also has dozens of jewelry shops with silver and gold and pearls done up in the shape of whales, turtles, palm trees, pineapples and, probably somehow somewhere even a Don Ho likeness. I love the Honolua Surf Company's clothing line, and I can't stop from loading up whenever I go to one of the many ABC stores in Hawaii. There are two on Front St., I think, and they offer everything from Hawaiian shirt-shaped notepads to Hula girl calendars to hibiscus flower towels and sand castle gear to groceries and suntan lotion and aspirin and liquor; pretty much everything you need.

Be sure to check out the historic Pioneer Inn right next to the Banyan Tree. It can be a bit noisy but it's a fun spot and there's a lovely courtyard and it's right in the action and only a few steps from the beach. It's also maybe 20 feet from the yacht harbour, where the whale-watching and snorkeling cruise ships depart, as well as general tour boats and the ferry to the island of Lana'i, which is definitely worth a short side trip. If nothing else, the view of Lahaina, with the lovely, mist-shrouded West Maui mountains rising behind the city, is a fabulous experience (see photo above right)

The Lahaina Grill gets great reviews for dinner, but my only night in town on my recent trip was spent at Kimo's because it's right on the water and also because Kimo means James in Hawaiian and I like the tiki torches and the touristy ambience and I've going there for years. So there. They make lots of great seafood and a very good mai tai, to boot. Oh, and don't forget to have lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Dynamite views of Lana'i and the ocean area known as the Lahaina roads, not to mention cold Longboard Lager from Kona, Hawaii.

There are a couple of fine beaches right in town, which is more than you can say for most cities of the world. And you can surf just a few metres from the banyan tree. It's not hard, but try to avoid low tide so you don't tumble off your board and stick your hand onto a sea urchin on the shallow reef, which I once did, forcing me to spend an hour and-a-half of my vacation at the doctor's office.

I was lucky enough once to be in Lahaina on Easter, and the service at tiny Maria Lanakila Catholic Church was one of the highlights of my life. Seriously, the music was awesome and the little kids were dolled up for Easter and the dads were wearing their finest Hawaiian shirts and the place was rocking and the smell of the tropical flowers was wafting through the windows on a hot April day. Absolutely glorious and highly recommended, even if you're not Catholic or even not remotely religious. The music and the joy are something to behold.

One last thing: If you're a fan of the band The Eagles, drive a minute or two north of town on Front St. and you'll come to a giant electric sign that says "Jesus Coming Soon." It's been there for years, and it's mentioned near the end of the Eagles song "The Last Resort," where Don Henley sings about leaving it all behind and sailing to Lahaina and the missionaries and the giant neon sign that says "Jesus is Coming."

 

The magic of a trip up Mt. Haleakala on Maui - 10,000 feet in less than 2 hours

MAUI - They say it's the fastest climb on earth. Probably right up there with Apple stock prices.

You start off at sea level - literally - and in less than two hours you've driven about 35 miles and are standing at what feels like the roof of the world - the summit of Mt. Haleakala at 3055 metres, or 10,023 feet. That's like the mile high city times two, folks.

(Just fyi, it's pronounced HAH-LAY-AH-KAH-LAH - which means "house of the sun" in Hawaiian. It was considered a sacred place to ancient Hawaiians and not the sort of spot the average person could simply hike up to on a lark).

I HATE heights and don't like curvy, mountain roads but this one's not bad at all. The first half hour or more from Paia or Wailuku/Kahului is spent rising slowly through cane fields and cute towns such as Makawao,the centre of paniolo or cowboy country on Maui (see photo at left). Stop at the Rodeo General Store for snacks or nice but inexpensive t-shirts, or stop in at one of the art galleries or at the fun Aloha Cowboy shop. LIke sweets? Try the guava-filled pastries called malasadas (like donuts) at the T Komoda store.

After Makawao you then start rising towards Kula country, where they grow magical onions, strawberries and some of the most gorgeous flowers on earth. I stopped for lunch at the lovely Kula lodge (nice views and great gardens) and had a great hamburger with grilled Maui onions as I drove to the Ali'i lavender farm on my way up.

Truth be told, I was disappointed in the lavender farm. I was envisioning row upon row of brilliant, pale blue-purple flowers but they weren't in bloom; at least not the ones I saw. There are some lovely gardens (see photo at right) and a nice shop with lavender products, and the view is terrific. So it wasn't a bad stop; just not what I had hoped for. You can try it yourself, or go up towards Haleakala straightaway and wind your way through forests of eucalyptus trees imported from Australia. Pretty soon, you're above the tree line and winding your way up and down some decent hairpin curves through rocky, scrub-like terrain.

I was unlucky and had a case of what locals call "volcano fog" on my way up, so I couldnt' get the great views of Maui and the Pacific (and neighbouring islands) that folks can usually get. But it was still cool to be up so high looking down on civilization - and down on the clouds.

Pretty soon you'll come to one of several overlooks on the highway, the Leleiwi Overlook, reached via a two-minute walk over the scrub and rocks on a well-worn trail. Almost nothing can prepare you for the stark beauty of a massive, 13-mile (or thereabouts) crater (or series of them) with massive, rust-orange cones and black rock and craggy brown stone and tiny flowers. Oh, and wind. And cold. It was 26 degrees when I left Paia the other day. When I got to the summit it was about 12 degrees Celsius with a howling, fierce, penetrating wind of maybe 70 kph. Yikes and double yikes.

They do, luckily, have some nice glass panels you can hide behind to avoid the wind. A lot of visitors come for the sunrise but that usually involves getting up at 3  or 4 a.m. at the latest so I skipped it. And I didn't have time to take in the sunset, which also is supposed to be spectacular. But at mid-day it was clear and sunny and glorious, if cold as nails. The Kalahaku overview is possibly even better; just a few minutes up the road.

The visitors centre at the summit has great explanations of the crater, which looks inactive and hasn't erupted for centuries but still is considered an active volcano, being only a few miles from the still-spouting volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii - clearly visible from Haleakala most days.

One of the really cool things about Hawaii is the difference from one side of the various islands to the other. It's similar in other parts of the world, but it seems more dramatic to me on the smaller islands of Hawaii. The weather here usually comes from the east, and the moisture from the Pacific condenses into clouds on the east side of the islands. The mountains of Hawaii's islands cause clouds to form, and moisture falls in buckets on the east side of the islands. Where the mountains are high, there's a huge rain-shadow effect and very little rain falls. Which means you can drive eight or ten or fifteen miles and be in a completely different environment.

On Maui, the eastern slopes of Haleakala, above lovely Hana, get about 400 inches of rain a year. Dripping moisture, ferns, impenetrable jungle; the whole bit. The dry, western side above Wailea and Kihei is 15 miles away? The yearly rainfall on that slope? Ten inches. Cactus and scrub and rock. And great weather for sun-worshippers at the beaches below.

Amazing.

By all means, enjoy Maui's beaches and the snorkeling and the hula shows and the mai tai's and the golf and all that. But be sure to take the time to check out Haleakala. You won't regret it.

 

 

 

 

Fabulous Paia Maui, plus Mama's Fish House and a bit of the Hana Highway

MAUI - There's nothing like waking up early on Maui and heading to Anthony's Coffee House in Paia for a bite of breakfast.

The last two times I've stayed on Maui I've opted to overnight in the Paia/Wailuku/Kahului area just to change things up from the usual tourist spots in Wailea and Lahaina/Ka'anapali. It's delightful over on that side of the island, where it's a little more rainy but more genuine in its feel.

The visit I had prior to this one, back in 2010, I stayed the night at the Paia Inn and quickly found Anthony's Coffee on the main drag (see photo at left). It's bright and cheery and they make strong, local coffee and sell all sorts of fun coffee mugs and drinking glasses and all sorts of Hawaiiana mementoes with hula girls and palm trees on them. Those sort of things just call to me. Honestly, I can walk into any store in Toronto and not give a rat's butt if I buy a thing. But get me into one of those ABC stores in Hawaii (think Mac's Milk combined with Shoppers but also selling booze and tacky souvenirs) and I start gazing longingly at pineapple-shaped wooden plates and drinking glasses with surfboards and Hawaiian shirts on them. I can't stop myself.

Anyway, Anthony's opens at 5:30 a.m. and there are always folks inside chatting about their yoga or farming work or the surf or scarfing down pineapple-coconut or raspberry-bran muffins. It's nearby Maui's cowboy country, so you get a wide variety of people inside, and I just love it.

Often I'll sip my coffee and listen to folks chat, but it's also great to get your java to go and walk or drive down the street a couple blocks to the municipal park, which fronts a lovely stretch of beach. The surf can be a tad rough but I like it that way, and there's good body-surfing and people-watching for sure. Nice views up the coast and good sunsets, too, although you're not facing right into the setting sun.

It's a fun town, with plenty of small shops to keep folks entertained and several good restaurants. I had dinner on my way to the airport at a corner Mexican joint called Milagros. They make a good ahi tuna taquito but DO NOT try the margaritas. They come from a pre-made mix, I suspect, and taste like cough syrup with tequila. Ugh. Folks - you're in a tropical climate. Buy some friggin' fresh limes and make your own, would ya?

Just outside Paia is the renowned Mama's Fish House, which has a reputation for the freshest, best seafdood on the island. You'll pay upwards of $35 for most fish plates, but it's well prepared and they'll even tell you on the menu where the fish was caught and by whom; i.e., fresh ono from the depths of the Molokai cliffs by Captain Jack Smith, or something like that. Pretty cool.

It's only a few feet off the main road from Paia to Hana, but Mama's has one of the most beautiful settings on the island. The restaurant backs onto a large lawn that's sprinkled with dozens of palm trees, and also features a giant outrigger canoe. Just steps from the tables is a small but lovely beach, meaning you can often see the water - and certainly hear it - while you dine.

The lineups are crazy to get into the place, and there are photos of all kinds of celebrities on the wall; everyone from Jimmy Buffett to Frank Sinatra and more.

I also got to stay in one of the dozen or so rooms they have on site, and it was great; a big porch/lanai on the second floor and a hammock on the grass down below with a perfect view out to the water and up into the palm trees. There are stunning flowers all around and it's a quiet spot that's nice for families, too.

You can walk from Mama's to the crazy/wonderful Ho'okipa Beach if you like, where you'll find dozens and dozens of surfers, bodysurfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers out on Maui's most famous (and most windy) beach. The action is just incredible and you'll find dozens of folks sitting on the shore or on nearby bluffs, soaking up the action. While I was there a helicopter was filming the action, darting over the top of the surfers as they raced up and some what looked to be about five or eight-foot waves rolling in from the east. Great stuff.

Many folks race through Paia and Ho'okipa on their way to Hana, which is understandable given the lure of Hana. But it's a shame, as they have a lot to offer.

I didn't make it all the way to Hana this time as I instead opted to drive up to the summit of Mt. Haleakala on my final day on island. More on that tomorrow... But I did do about an hour's worth of the drive just to soak in the beauty of the hairpin curves and the tiny, old-time bridges and the towering African tulip trees with their flaming orange blossoms overhead and the rolling, blue Pacific that thunders onto the Hana coast below.

I also stopped for the first time at the Huelo Lookout, where they'll make smoothies or crepes or sell you a tropical fruit drink or two or sell some local crafts. It's a beautiful spot overlooking the small village of Huelo and it's got a lovely, overgrown jungle feel.

I usually like to at least make it to the stunning Keanae peninsula, a stark, black slab of lava rock topped with impossibly green taro fields and studded with a few homes. The white surf and the blue water and the black rock make for an incredibly intoxicating mix, and you can always stop for fresh banana bread or pineapple so juicy it'll drip down your chest as you eat. Truly one of the most magical parts of the island.

More Maui to come tomorrow and Friday....

 

Happiest countries on earth in Scandinavia .. New luxury hotel in Saskatoon

There's a lesson in here somewhere.

A new United Nations report lists the happiest - and least happy - nations on the planet. As you might have heard, Canada came out fifth - the best mark outside of northern Europe. And signficantly ahead of the U.S., which was down there at number 11 (but still pretty good).

It's actually quite fascinating to look at this report in some ways. You might not get the Prime MInister to agree, but it seems to me that the most EXPENSIVE countries to live in and the ones with some of the highest taxes are places where citizens are the most happy.

I mean, it ain't the weather that sparked Denmark (see photo of Kronborg castle) to make the top of the list. They do have some of the world's best restaurants according to the fancy magazines I sometimes pick up. And they seem to have a lot of bicycles. They also pay something like $20 for dinner at McDonald's, I've been told. But they don't seem to mind, possibly because they get good goverment for their money.

Ditto for Norway and Finland, which came second and third. The Netherlands was fourth in the UN happiness study, followed by Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

Interesting stuff. Here are a few other random placements I spotted: Israel 14, Luxembourg 16, United Arab Emirates 17, the UK 18 (probably worried about Olympic traffic), Iceland 20, Spain 22, France 23 (ooh, behind the Brits). Here's a weird one: the economy is booming and they have all those great beaches but Brazil was down at 25. Italy was 28th, Germany 30th, Argentina 39th and Greece 42nd.

I've read lately that Bulgaria is the cheapest country to visit in Europe. Yeah, but they're all miserable sods. The UN report put them at the top of the bottom 10 in world, surpassed in misery only by the Congo, Tanzania, Haiti, Comoros, Burundi, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, Benin and, worst in the world, Togo.

I remember when I worked at the Star on general assignment back in the mid 1980s. There was some sort of spy scandal involving Bulgarians in, I believe, Niagara Falls. Anyway, I was sent up to the Bulgarian consul general's office, located in the financial district near the old Winston's restaurant.

I entered a large but older-looking building and got to the floor with the consulate office, only to find furniture that looked like the set of the old Barney Miller tv show; all stuffy and worn. There were out-of-date magazines showing old women stomping grapes and other idyllic scenes. But the best part was the big guy (I seem to remember him being in uniform but probably not) who was there to answer my questions. He had one eye-brow and a rich, thick accent and looked at me with a very serious face and said, "So, how come you never write anything good about Bulgaria?"

I didn't know what to say. I still don't. Except I hear Sofia (see photo above) is kinda pretty. I found a picture and it looks nice. And did I mention it's cheap? Miserable people, perhaps, but cheap to visit.

MEANEST USA AIRLINES

Another fun report that came out this week is the 2012 Airline Quality Ratings, sadly only focussed on the U.S. but still interesting. According to this report, which took into account everything from on-time arrivals to bumped passengers to mishandled baggage, the bottom six airlines in the U.S. were Delta, Southwest, US Airways, American Airlines, Continental and United. The bottom regional carriers were SkyWest, Atlantic Southeast, Mesa Air and American Eagle.

Consider yourself warned.

Best airlines, according to the survey, were AirTran, Hawaiian and JetBlue, followed by Frontier and Alaska.

SASKATOON GOES LUXE

The 59-room James Hotel has opened in Saskatoon. Hotel officials claim it's their first luxury boutique hotel in the city.

"The calibre of the James, both in its design and approach to service, sets it apart from all other hotels in Saskatoon," said Paul Leier, President of Cavalier Enterprises Ltd. "This investment is a testament to the strength of the local economy and the type of traveller the city now attracts."

Officials say they took inspiration from "the refined intimacy of a classic European hotel" but also used a "modern and welcoming design aesthetic," whatever that means.

They're promising "unparalleled service" at the James, formerly an apartment building. Many rooms boast larger than expected floor plans and all suites have private,furnished balconies with city or South Saskatchewan River views. 

 

Another cruise mishap, Transat boosting Jamaica and the joy of Brazilians ...

Geez, a guy goes away for a week and comes back to yet another cruise ship mishap.

This time, as you probably know, it was Azamara that had an issue - a ship fire on the Azamara Quest that caused a loss of power off the coast of Malaysia. I guess bad news comes in three's, so perhaps this, along with the Costa incidents in Italy and the Indian Ocean, make for the triumvirate that will allow the industry to catch a breath.

Still, further to what I've said in the past, it's probably a good time to book a cruise. I'm sure Azamara, in particular, will be offering some good deals this week.

I haven't read a lot of reports, but it sounds like the Azamara folks got in front of this one pretty quickly. I read they were offering full refunds to passengers onboard the stricken vessel and were going to offer significant travel vouchers for a future cruise. The air conditioning wasn't working, but it's said the crew offered up barbeques and free drinks on the deck. Which is what you'd expect of a wise and savvy company.

Yet I'm always amazed at how stupid some folks can be in the travel biz. I often read the magazine stories about some poor shmo from Cleveland or Peterborough who checks into a hotel in New York or Paris, only to find it under construction or dripping from the ceiling, and the hotel owners refuse to admit the mistake.

It's a very minor issue, but I was on an Air Canada flight yesterday from LA to Toronto and the overhead light wouldn't work. I wanted to do some reading and it was pretty difficult in semi-darkness, so I mentioned it to one of the flight attendants as he came by with water and coffee.

"Guess you got the burned out light seat," he said, then walked away.

Unbelievable.

I mean, hey, I'm not expecting a refund of my ticket. Or even a free Subway chicken wrap, or whatever it is they sell onboard for $7 provided you have a credit card. But something other than the polite equivalent of "tough sh--, buddy" would seemingly be called for, would it not? I've always had pretty good service with Air Canada, but incidents like those are what gives the airline a bad name with some folks.

TRANSAT AND JAMAICA PARTNERSHIP?

An item in the South Florida Caribbean News says Jamaica's tourism folks and Air Transat recently held talks to try to boost tourism in the island nation.

Transat currently flies to Jamaica 18 times a week from Canada to Montego Bay and there's talk of increasing that. Jamaica, of course, would welcome more Canadians.

I had a chance to visit last summer for the first time since I was, oh, 11 years old, and really enjoyed it. The resorts I checked out - Sandals in Negril and Half Moon Bay: A Rock Resort near Montego Bay - were exceptional. Better than that to me was Jake's Hotel at Treasure Beach, a low-key, artistic and funky spot I recently profiled in Star Travel. See photo of their seaside cottages above; truly a terrific place to stay.

THE JOY OF BRAZILIANS

It seems EVERYONE is chasing tourism dollars from Brazil. Toronto has been active in the Brazil market for some time, and the U.S. last fall announced it would try to lure even more Brazilians to iconic spots such as Miami and New York.

Now, it seems Vancouver is getting in on the act. An item on the News1130 website on the weekend quoted a Vancouver tourism official as saying it's a valuable market.

Dayna Miller with Tourism Vancouver says visitor numbers are still relatively small from Brazil, but Brazilians tend to spend a lot of money while on vacations, the news station reported.

"The inbound travel numbers from that market are currently small relative to some of our bigger core markets, however Brazilian travelers are very, what we call high yield - they spend long periods of time, and they spend quite a bit of money when they're in a destination," explains Miller.

She adds summer is the high season for Brazilian visits.  
    
"There's a lot of interest in cruise products, and of course we have great cruise itineraries out of Vancouver to Alaska. They're interested in rail travel experiences so the Rocky Mountaineer appeals to them."

Miller believes Brazilians enjoy the city-stay experience, and compared to most travelers, are more likely to add significant stops in Vancouver to those tours.

Along with Brazil, Tourism Vancouver also believes India is a new emerging tourist market. Miller says the number of tourists from South Asian country have doubled in the last decade, and hopes that trend continues.