Trouble in the air not limited to passengers ... A huge Ferris wheel for New York

I guess Alec Baldwin and folks who won't shut off their iPhones aren't the only problems in the air these days.

Twice in the last week we've had flight attendants going at it. The first incident involved two flight attendants on an American Eagle flight from New York to Washington getting into it. The plane had to be brought back to the gate and passengers waited FOUR HOURS for a new crew, according to travelmole.com. Yikes, would that piss you off or what?

The latest brouhaha came when attendants on a United flight from Raleigh-Durham to Chicago got into a knockdown fight that was so vicious the pilot had to go back to the airport in Carolina. The Raleigh-Durham News and Observer said no arrests were made as there was no physical assault.

Travelmole said the pair "had been in a prior altercation and the accidental brush of a leg while attendants were seat near each other was the start of the incident."

Can't we all just get along?

BIG WHEEL IN THE BIG APPLE

It sounds like the Ford brothers are making inroads into New York City. That may be a little unfair, but it's interesting to read an Associated Press report Thursday that tells how the world's biggest Ferris wheel is to be built on Staten Island.

I hadn't heard the phrase, but apparently some folks call Staten Island New York City's "forgotten borough." That might be better than being the Bronx and being known for crime and terrible housing, but Staten Island tourism types no doubt look at the growing cultural/hotel/food/bar scene in Queen's and, especially, Brooklyn and wonder why they can't get a piece.

The wheel will be 625 feet tall (191 meters), higher than the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer and a "High Roller" wheel planned for, where else, Las Vegas.

Riders will get tremendous views of the New York harbour, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Good views also should be had of the financial district and Donald Trump's ego which infairness, is visible from Delaware.

The package also is supposed to include a 200-room hotel and a 100-shop outlet mall.

"The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City - even unlike any other on the planet," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Staten Island Ferry, which is free, is a nice attraction, but it sounds like it's mostly for commuters and that most tourists simply take the boat for the views.

Staten Island is the only New York borough not accessible by subway. But it does have its attractions, including a minor league ballpark and, this is hilarious, a groundhog called Staten Island Chuck. Chuck is supposed to be able to predict the onset of spring, much like Wiarton Willie in Ontario or Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. It's not clear in the AP story if Chuck is much of a prognosticator, but he does have the distinction of having once bitten Bloomberg.

Now THAT'S a photo op. 

Iceland looks for new name? RBC poll says (surprise) we want winter warmth

Hey, Leif Ericsson, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I read today in the Huffington Post that Iceland is asking travelers to give their exotic, well-regarded island a new name. Yeah, as marketing gimmicks go, calling your country Iceland isn't exactly a great concept. It'd be like Edmonton saying welcome to Murderville, Alberta or Tonawanda being called "Fire City." Oh, wait ...

I don't know if it's true, but I read as a kid once that Ericsson, the great sailor/discovered, intentionally called Greenland that name because it was, in fact, almost all ice. Iceland, on the other hand, had things going for it so he slapped the ice word on it to discourage other folks from checking it out. It's pretty clever but I suspect it didn't do a lot in the long run except damage Iceland's modern-day tourism numbers.

The Huff Post quotes Inga Hiln Palsdottir, director of marketing and Visit Iceland at Promote Iceland, as saying her group is embracing the talk of a name change and that "some of the naming suggestions will appear on marketing materials and online properties."

Yahoo.com reports that "a naming booth has been installed at Keflavik airport where visitors are actively encouraged to share what Iceland is to them: name and all. A brand new naming page is now visible on the http://www.inspiredbyiceland.com website and the most popular contributions can be viewed along with the latest videos and images from the campaign. The conversation will also be available on The Inspired by Iceland Facebook and Twitter pages."

One guy, Floria Thomasson of Germany, apparently has suggested Landofendlessskyland. Someone on Twitter sent in AwesomelandUnicornMichaelJackson. As much as I like the funkiness of the latter suggestion, I somehow doubt it'll fly. It should sound European, I'd think, so people associate it more with Europe. PlungingEuroland, maybe? WeallneedabailoutbyGermanyland?

HAPPY WORLD TOURISM DAY

It's World Tourism Day, apparently, although I didn't get the memo.

I did, however, get a note about how Ipsos Reid recently did a study on behalf of World Vision and found that 77 per cent of vacationing Canadians are disturbed to see children working in the tourism industry. It also found that half of Canadians (a bit disappointing) would be willing to spend an average of 27 per cent more on their holidays if travel companies guaranteed they didn't use child labour.

"We wear maple leafs on our backpacks and lapels, but it's time we started recognizing how we may be unintentionally fueling the problem of child exploitation," said Caroline Riseboro, vice president of marketing and communications for World Vision Canada.

Food for thought.

PALM TREES AND PYRAMIDS

The latest RBC Travel Rewards Poll says Disney World, Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids of Egypt remain high on our vacation wish list.

Asked to name their 2012 top city, 13 per cent named Honolulu, Hawaii. Yeah, it's got Waikiki Beach and hula girls and fab sunsets and surfing and all that, but it also has excellent food (Hawaiian chefs do great Asian-influenced seafood and all sorts of other great stuff), perfect weather and lots to do for city folks, including fine museums and great shopping. The wonders of Oahu are close by, too. Next on the list was Paris at 12 per cent, followed by Rome at 11, London at nine, New York at six and Las Vegas at six. New York was up from four per cent in the previous year's poll, by the way, so they're doing something right. All those added flights from WestJet and Air Canada and Porter likely are helping fuel the Big Apple boom as well, I'd think.

The top-ranked tourist destination (as opposed to city) was the Great Pyramids of Egypt at 18 per cent, followed by Machu Picchu in Peru (11), Disney World (10), the Canadian Rockies (nine) and the Great Wall of China (nine).

The poll found that the top activities likely to be part of the next vacation include sightseeing (64 per cent), staying in a hotel (51 per cent), shopping (49 per cent) and relaxing on a beach (45 per cent).

WALK NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand is looking for four great walkers to complete all nine of New Zealand's "spectacular and sometimes gruelling great walks," which span 550 km of terrain that includes alpine peaks, glacial valleys, native bush, golden beaches and rainforests.

Entries for the Great Walker can be found at www.greatwalkernz.com until Oct. 22. Winners will travel to New Zealand in Feburary 2013 to complete the "epic Kiwi adventure of a lifetime."

 

 

 

More great wine tasting spots: B.C., Australia, Hawaii and, of course, France

Yesterday I mentioned a whack of my favourite wine tasting places. Today I'm adding five more, with some random thoughts at the bottom just because it's a Wednesday and we need to celebrate the week is almost half-over. (Speaking of which, I saw an outstanding cartoon in the paper on Tuesday that showed a management type talking with a camel wearing a suit inthe camel's office. There was a calendar on the wall that said "Tuesday, Sept. 25" and the management guy had this great look on his face with a caption above that said something like "If you wish me 'Happy Hump Day' again tomorrow you're fired." Absolutely hilarious, if completely off topic. Because we were talking about wine. I don't know any good wine jokes, but I do remember a great episode of the Tonight Show once where Johnny Carson was talking about a wine and cheese event in Ohio somewhere in the 1970's where they had trays of Velveeta and glasses of wine, thoughtfully with bowls of sugar alongside in case folks found the wines too dry. Also hilarious.

So, anyhoo, with those side issues out of the way, here's my Wednesday look at some of my favourite wine-tasting-sipping-slurping-guzzling spots around the globe.

1. Australia. The Barossa Valley near Adelaide is Australia’s best-known area for high quality wines but you also can try the Yarra Valley near Melbourne for a great variety, including fine sparkling wines at the lovely Domaine Chandon (see photo). Heading further afield? Check out the increasingly high-profile Margaret River region in Western Australia for great Cabs and Shiraz. Only headed to Sydney?  The Hunter Valley is close by and they make very good reds and whites. They also do fun events such as “Jazz in the Vines” and “Opera in the Vineyards.”

2. British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley has great food and fabulous, award-winning wines. In the
south section around dry (think tumbleweeds and cactus) Osoyoos, they make excellent Syrah blends that are big and round, with a bit of California meets France halfway feel. Angels Gate and other wineries further north, near Kelowna, make fabulous Pinot Gris. Not washy, tasteless Pinot Grigio but fine, balanced Pinot Gris that’s excellent with food. An outdoor seat at the restaurant at Mission Hill is about as spectacular as you can get, with rows of vineyards sweeping down to the lake and dusty mountains off in the background. I've yet to find a winery in California with a view as nice as those in the hills above Okanagan Lake.

3. South Africa. I’m not a huge fan of the leathery reds they make (barnyard notes might be more accurate) but perhaps that’s because I grew up drinking fruity, new world wines. I’ve quite
enjoyed the whites I’ve had from SA, however, and they make a great range of Sauvignon Blancs and crisp Chardonnays. Sitting on a patio overlooking the harbour in Cape Town and gazing up at Table Mountain looks to be about as romantic a wine experience as you could have. 

4. Hawaii. Want something truly exotic? Tedeschi Winery on Maui makes surprisingly decent white and red wines, as well as pineapple wine that’s best left to give to Uncle Fred for his 80^th birthday celebration. The quaint and pretty winery/tasting room  is located high up the slopes of Mt. Haleakala in lovely countryside (see photo at right), with rolling hills, cattle, eucalyptus trees and stunning views out over the island of Maui.

5. France. Of course. But you already knew that. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are legendary. Ditto for the Loire, with great, crisp whites. Increasingly good products from Languedoc, and always consistent rose’ from Provence. Oh, don’t forget the versatile Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc and Riesling
from up near the German border. Bordeaux is the king internationally, so much so that China is now the largest importer of Bordeaux wines in the world. The city of Bordeaux doesn't get a lot of exposure but it's got lovely, old buildings and stately squares and a terribly fun old quarter with cafes that spill out into tiny, pedestrian-only lanes. Awesome food and, of course, good wine lists. The area around St. Emilion is a personal fave. It's a beautiful town (see photo below left) filled with gorgeous, creamy buildings and built on top of enormous caves. There's an historic, underground church and plenty of tasting rooms and lovely, small hotels. Good macaroons, too, if you have a sweet tooth. I haven't been to Burgundy in years but I love small towns like Vezelay and Avalon. There's even a Montreal if you want to have fun with some photos. I haven't spent much time in the Loire but I love a good, crisp Sancerre white - a favourite if I remember correctly of former Star reporter Ernest Hemingway. The wines of Provence aren't as notable, but there are fabulous wines and great tasting opportunities down around the lovely town of Aix-en-Provence, which is only a short drive from the Cote d'Azur. In Aix itself, be sure to tour the former home of Cezanne, who did much of his painting in the home and in the area. It's quite a beautiful spot and there are tons of great cafes and terrific shopping opportunities in the old streets of town.

FURTHER THOUGHTS:

I've never been to South America but Chilean wines are exceptional. A few of the Cabernet Sauvignons at the low end have too much of a green pepper taste for my liking, but most of it is excellent and well-priced. Argentina does wonders with Malbec, also grown in the Cahors region of France, and a good Malbec goes great with a steak. They make some pretty good stuff in Uruguay and even parts of Brazil ... Further north you can get some tasty fruit from Mexico, mostly Baja California ... Back on the continent, Germany and Switzerland make very good whites and even some reasonably hefty reds . The vineyards along the Rhine and Mosel rivers are stunningly beautiful, as are the ones that cascade down the steep hills on the north side of Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman if you choose) in Switzerland… Looking for something different that’s great with food? Try a Gruner Veltliner white from Austria … Spain makes fab reds and terrific white wines. Rioja is king but you also can find good value from the Penedes and excellent sparkling wines for a quarter the price of French champagne … Israel makes some excellent red wine, as does Lebanon … Italy’s a no-brainer. My personal fave for value is Nero d’Avola, with full body that’s more to my North American taste than most Italian wines … Greece makes some lovely, crisp whites that are perfect for a seaside patio … Folks tell me Chinese wines are improving but the stuff I tried when I was last there wasn’t so great … Headed to the States? New York has great wineries in the Finger Lakes. More surprising is the quality of wine in Virginia and even Texas. Oregon and Washington you might know about, with similar grapes to B.C., but also in the up-and-coming market are places like Arizona, North Carolina and Colorado ... I've had some decent whites made on the Ile d'Orleans outside Quebec City, too ... Okay, it's not wine but Japan has won dozens of awards for its Scotch whisky. Something about the water, I guess, and the typical Japanese attention to detail. It's quite tasty.

Great wine tasting around the world part I: New Zealand, California, even India

I’m not a wine snob. But I have a decent knowledge of the stuff and I know what I like. Luckily, wine and travel go together like a cork and a bottle. With that in mind, here’s a purely personal look at some favourite spots for sipping around the globe.

1. New Zealand. An awesome food scene to go with remarkable wines in a country that feels like Canada but looks like California, Switzerland, Scotland and, at times, Tahiti mixed together. Marlborough is famous for crisp Sauvignon Blancs, and they make gorgeous reds up in Hawkes Bay. Central Otago makes probably the best, most consistent and full-bodied Pinot Noir in the world; with great fruit. There are something like 178 wineries in Central Otago alone these days, which is pretty crazy. I didn’t like Pinot much until I visited NZ a few years ago and now it’s my favourite summer wine. Chard Farm has a fun tasting room and an interesting drive along a steep canyon, while Rippon, near the town of Wanaka, has killer lake and mountain views (see photo above). This is a country with great seafood (yes, and also a bit of fresh lamb), spectacular scenery and marvellous people make this my favourite wine destination on the planet.

2. Ontario. The food and wine scenes both are incredible. Try Ravine Vineyards, especially if

you can sit out on the patio. Great reds with plenty of body. Excellent Rieslings abound in Niagara and it's a hugely versatile food wine that goes great with pork and also with curry and Chinese/Thai dishes. And don't forget our world-class ice wine. Looking for something different in Ontario? Check out
the growing wine scene in Prince Edward County, about 90 minutes east of Toronto.

3. India. Okay, the wine’s not exactly incredible just yet, but there are some tasty varieties being made
in the north of India and the food has always been a world-beater.  A truly exotic, off-the-beaten-path
destination for wine.

4. California. Napa and Sonoma are great, but nothing beats a Santa Maria-style grilled steak and a bottle of Paso Robles Syrah. The Paso Robles area is growing increasingly diverse and sophisticated by the day, and they do marvellous things with Rhone blends. Santa Barbara (see photo at left of the lovely and fun Alma Rosa winery a few miles out of town) is a great area for Pinot Noir, as any fan of the movie Sideways will attest. If you're in the East Bay area of San Francisco, check
out some of the great spots in the Livermore Valley, an underrated wine area with good prices and lots of great wines, especially Cabs and Chardonnay. Try Tamas or, for more of a touristy experience, Wente Bros.

5. Nova Scotia. The wine I’ve had isn’t amazing, but they grow some pretty good stuff in up around
Wolfville; lighter-style reds and some nice whites. Luckett’s was the best of the bunch I tried this summer. Excellent food can be found at several Wolfville restaurants, including Tempest and, they say, Le Caveau at Grand Pre Vineyards.

MORE TO COME WEDNESDAY OR LATER THIS WEEK

THIS AND THAT

How about that Horizon Air attendant in the U.S. who apparently stole a guy's iPad? Isn't it bad enough they rob us blind with pillow fees and baggage fees? ... Interesting to see WestJet adding British Airways as a codeshare partner. It should help WestJet attract more business into Toronto, with connections to London. And vice versa for Brits coming to Canada, I'd think ... Mitt Romney is getting a lot of abuse for talking about how the windows can't open on airplane to help put out a fire. Regardless of the science, wouldn't it be cool if you stick your head out the window. I mean, aside from the lack of oxygen and the wind factor of a plane going 400 mph it'd be pretty cool to make like an Irish setter and take a look without having to peer through scratchy windows. I know it's a silly comment to make but the guy's gotta be whipped from a brutally long campaign. I had lunch with Romney and his assistant when I was covering Salt Lake's Olympic organizing commitee. And The Star's Rick Westhead and I had a Chinese dinner with him at a hotel in Moscow in 2001 during the run-up to the International Olympic Committee's vote on the site of the 2008 Summer Games. He's a very bright guy, but I'm still more of an Obama fan ...

Some of my fave beaches of the world: Maui, California, St. Lucia, Italy, Sydney

I haven’t been to a lot of cool places in the world; South America among them. But I’m up around 40 countries around the globe, and I’ve certainly never missed a chance to find a good beach. So here’s one traveling man’s opinion on the best stretches of sand on the planet. I’ve strived for a geographical balance and for beaches that have something different about them; not simply scenic beauty.

BONDI, SYDNEY: It’s a very pretty stretch of sand, for sure. Lots of beautiful bodies and beach volleyball and good surfing. Nearby shops and hotels and restaurants make it fun. But I think what I like most are the great walks you can make on the cliffs that line both ends. There are rock pools and salt-water-loving plants cascading over the rocks and glorious waves and lovely views all around. You can walk to a number of other great beaches, including Bronte, and they do a fabulous art walk every spring (their spring, not ours) called Sculpture by the Sea, with fun installations up and down the path.

CALADESI ISLAND, FLORIDA: You can walk from Clearwater Beach north to Caladesi at low tide. I like taking the small boats that run you over from Honeymoon Island, just north of downtown Dunedin. There’s a fun nature walk that explains how to look for animal tracks and tells you how even an elevation change of a few feet can mean the difference between a mangrove swamp and patches of tall pines. The beach goes on for miles, with great shell-seeking and plenty of space to let your mind wander.

CHESTERMAN BEACH, TOFINO, B.C.: Another stretch that goes on forever. Chesterman has good surfing, fabulously shaped chunks of driftwood, and lots of long walks along a beach lined with evergreens (see photo at right). A great spot for a beach bonfire. Whale watching is available from boats in town, and there’s also some fun restaurants. Better yet: the north end of the beach is fronted by the Wickaninnish Inn, one of the best hotels in Canada if not the world.

PORTHDINLLAEN, WALES: I don’t actually know if this is the proper name for the beach, but it’s the name of the village, anyway. It’s not miles long, but this little beauty sits at the bottom of a large cliff, on top of which is the stunningly beautiful if slighty tricked up Nefyn and District Golf Club. Lovely walks can be made both along the beach and up on the golf course, with great views of the Irish Sea. Best yet, the Ty Coch Inn sits just steps from the beach and is considered one of the top pubs in Wales.

TULUM, MEXICO: Not only is the water a most excellent shade of aquamarine, there are large cliffs backing the beach, good-sized waves for bouncing around in and pretty rock formations to gaze at. Oh, yeah, it’s also located at the base of ancient ruins, including one of the most photographed archaeological sites in the country.

CAPITOLA, CALIFORNIA: This is a beautiful beach with crumbling, golden cliffs on both ends, a wharf you can walk out on, a protected lagoon for kids to splash about in and, best of all, a fun and funky town with surf shops, beach clothes and more. Stop in at Margaritaville for a cold one (skip the food) and a great view of the painted homes for rent on one side of the beach, or grab a seaside table at Zelda’s or Il Pirata if the weather’s nice. I once called this the best California seaside town the Beach Boys never sang about, and I stand by that today. A word of warning: the water in northern California is COLD even in summer. The Beach Boys never told us that, either. Great views from the hills above town, as you can see.

HAC SA BEACH, MACAU: It’s kind of a dirty grey to be honest. And it’s not that impressive compared to, say, Waikiki or Ipanema. But it’s a great respite from the buzz and drone of busy life in Macau and Hong Kong. There’s a lovely Westin resort with a golf course at one end. You’ll also find a fabulous, casual seaside eatery called Fernando’s. The end opposite the Westin has a lovely walk you can take along the cliffs to charming Coloane Village, where you’ll want to grab a coffee or tea and some famous Lord Stow’s custard tarts.

SUGAR BEACH, ST. LUCIA: This might be the closest the Caribbean gets to feeling like the South Pacific. Sugar Beach is nestled between the two giant, green-clad mountains called The Pitons and is backed by the luscious Jalousie Plantation, which come November will be re-branded Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort. There’s world-class snorkeling on the reef just steps from the beach and top-notch sunsets.

NAPILI, MAUI: I’ve never found a beach yet that can match this for both visual beauty, ease of access and entertainment options. It’s a perfect crescent of golden sand on the northwest shore of Maui (see photo at right), just a few yards from the famous Kapalua golf resort and maybe 15 minutes from Lahaina. There’s great body surfing in the middle and excellent snorkeling on the calm bits at either end. The Sea House at the Napili Kai Beach Resort (one of the top hotels in Hawaii in my book) has fabulous breakfasts and dinners and a great happy hour, with killer views from seats that are maybe a meter or two from the beach. Unbelievable sunsets and great views of the islands of Lanai and Molokai.

PONZA, ITALY: Chiaia Di Luna is a more spectacular beach, backed by enormous, chalky cliffs. But it wasn’t open to the public when I was there. Instead, I loved the small beach just outside of town called Cala del Frantone, reached by a short, $5 ferry ride.You can sun yourself on the sand or walk along the rocks at one end for more privacy and good swimming. There’s also a lovely café with great salads and entrees and a real sense of Italian life. Casual and fun and not even remotely pretentious. You can get to Ponza on a boat ride of as little as 70 minutes from the mainland town of Anzio, itself less than an hour from Rome by train.

Got a beef or a comment? Send me a note at travel@thestar.ca. You also can follow me on Twitter @jimbyerstravel.

Booze at Magic Kingdom: one critic laments it's now "all about the $." Really?

An unintentionally hilarious story in USA Today travel on Friday. Oh, the piece starts off just fine, with news that Disney is going to - gasp - serve wine and beer at the French-themed "Be Our Guest" restaurant, which will open in November as part of the Magic Kingdom's expansion of Fantasyland.

I'm assuming that the Be Our Guest bit comes from Beauty and the Beast, where Be Our Guest is a great little song. But I digress.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, sales will be limited to dinner hours, because God forbid someone has a glass of wine at lunch and gets potted in the company of Mrs. Potts (sorry about that).

"You cannot walk into a French restaurant and not get a glass of wine or beer," Disney's Maribeth Bisienere told the Sentinel. "It made more sense to do it (allow alcohol) than not to do it."

It seems perfectly harmless to me. But then again I live in Canada, where we also worry more about violence and letting people carry guns in their pockets and not someone having a glass of wine after a day of carting their children around a theme park and waiting in line two hours in the blazing sun to see Minnie Mouse or three hours in line to take a 98-second roller coaster ride past cartoon characters singing Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

Don't take that the wrong way. I actually love Disney World and Disneyland and try to get there every few years for a solid nostalgia hit. It's a great, happy trip.

I can't for the life of me see anything wrong with selling beer and wine at dinner in one measly restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. But this is America, or Florida anyway. So, of course, some folks are up in arms.

One commenter wrote in to say he didn't mind alcohol in other theme parks but that the Magic Kingdom should stay dry.

"It's all about the money," he lamented.

Oh. My. Lord.

All about the money? Say it ain't so, Joe. Disney? DISNEY???? All about the money???? The folks who charge us a half day's salary to wander Main Street and hit us up for Mickey Mouse hats and Davy Crockett hats (yeah, I'm dating myself here) and Cars model autmobiles and Buzz Lightyear t-shirts and Ariel "Under the Sea" coffee mugs and sell tickets for "Disney on Ice" shows? They're only interested in my money?

I'm sad to have this revealed to me. I'm shocked, hurt and depressed.

I think I need a drink.

 

 

 

 

Cruise with a favourite major league ballplayer ... World to reach 1 billion tourists

You gotta hand it to the cruise industry. They know what we like and they keep giving it to us; free drinks packages, fabulous swimming pools and rock-climbing walls and, increasingly these days, theme cruises with special guests.

Notwithstanding the fact that none of them seem to want to invite travel editors on board, they seem to have some pretty good concepts. The latest one I've read about involves former ballplayers, ranging from Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Marichal to former Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield.

USA Today reports that MSC cruises has announced another round of 'baseball greats' voyages to the Caribbean this coming winter. There will be five sailings, all on the 3,010-passenger MSC Poesia (what kind of a name is that, anyway) out of Ft. Lauderdale and ranging from seven to 10 nights.

Barfield apparently will be on a 10-night southern Caribbean voyage that leaves Dec. 11 and also features former big leaguers Bill Russell, Dave Campbell and Stan Bahnsen. Former player and Jays manager Jim Fregosi, who I think would be pretty entertaining if my dealings with him in my career as a Jays/baseball reporter are any indication, will be on a seven-night eastern Caribbean trip leaving Feb. 9 with Banhsen, Larry Parrish and Griffey (senior, not junior).

The list I saw isn't bad. But I'm not seeing too many guys in their 40's on the list. I'd think MSC, in an ideal world, would want to mix in a few younger baseball guys to go along with the Griffeys, Marichals and Barfields, and you don't often see Jesse Barfield's name mixed in with Griffey and the legendary Marichal, do ya? (A side note here: I grew up outside of San Francisco and saw him pitch his no-hitter in June, 1963. Very cool, although I remember my dad telling me in later years I was bored by the lack of scoring in the game. Stupid kid.)

I was noodling about on cruisecritic.com this morning and found there are far more theme cruises than I had expected. There are art cruises (I'd heard about those) and history cruises (of course), but also nature cruises, "gaming and technology" cruises and political cruises. Yeah, that's gonna be awesome; talking with wrinkly, former senators around the hot tub.

The music ones sound pretty good to me. I'm not a metal fan but I read that Foreigner, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult and more than 20 other bands will do a four-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas early next year. Cruise critic says they'll "perform multiple times in three different venues aboard the ship, which will sail to Labadee, Haiti (the cruise line's private beach area), and back. Meet-and-greet sessions will be available, too.

A BILLION TOURISTS?

An amazing stat here from the World Tourism Organization: there were a record 467 million "tourists" around the world in the first six months of the year. If the numbers hold up, we could be on track to reach ONE BILLION tourists by the end of the year.

The number for the first six months of 2012 was up five per cent from last year, and officials at the WTO say we could very well crack the 1,000,000,000 mark by Dec. 31.

"Tourism is one of the few economic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed counries alike and, most importantly, created much needed jobs," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

The WTO says Asia and Pacific tourism numbers are up a sizable eight per cent from last year, while Africa and Central America rose seven per cent and South America visitation numbers were up six per cent.

Numbers for the Caribbean were up five per cent. I didn't see numbers for Europe or North America as a whole but they can't be up too much if the world overall is up five per cent.

The report said outbound travel was up a whopping 30 per cent for China and 15 per cent for Russia, compared to nine per cent for the U.S. and six per cent for Canada and Germany. Growth was slow or even negative for the UK, Australia, Italy and France...

THANKS TO FRANCE TOURISM

The folks with Atout France held a nice gathering in Toronto Wednesday night, complete with French cuisine and French wines. The emphasis was on some of the southerly regions of the country, including Marseille, Provence and the Midi Pyrenees region, which is the largest region of the country.

Looking at the videos shown during the evening reminded me just how vast and varied France is. Sure, there are gentle valleys and wineries in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley (check this coming Saturday's Star Travel for a nice piece on the Loire), and there's Paris and the French Riviera, of course. But the mountain villages and swift-flowing rivers and deep valleys and snow-capped peaks were the images that had me gazing in wonder.

I've seen the Gorges de l'Ardeche in southern France, and it's quite something. And a couple years ago I spent several days along the Lot and Dordogne rivers, which feature great canoeing and fabulous, fabulous food and wonderful castles and gardens. If you've never been to France and have an image in your mind of "typical" French countryside, the Dordogne just might be your ticket.

Need a tourism boost? Invite Will/Kate or Harry ... Sing along at Abbey Road

From Alberta to Albania, tourism boards and governments around the world spend millions of dollars researching ways to boost the number of tourist visits.

They're all so stupid, really. I mean, the answer is right there in the morning drive-time TV shows and on the cover of the French tabloids. It's the three little magic words of modern tourism; Will, Kate and Harry.

When Prince Harry recently revealed his uh, great personality, in Las Vegas, bookings went through the roof. It was the best thing that had happened to Sin City since the Rat Pack breezed into town and settled in for a few billion martinis and steaks.

Now, we're apparently seeing something similar at play with Malaysia and Singapore. Travelmole.com reports bookings for both places "have jumped by more than a third due to publicity surrounding the recent visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge."

Prince William and Kate Middleton spent two recent nights in Singapore's Raffles hotel, a sumptuous spot that's the birthplace of the renowned Singapore Sling drink. They also visited the country's Botanical Gardens, the Kranji Memorial Cemetry and the Gardens by the Bay before travelling on to Malaysia.

There, they took in the sights of the capital Kuala Lumpur and then made their way to the jungles of Sabah. Travelmole says they stayed at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, an exclusive retreat.

Lastminute.com said sales of flights and hotels in Singapore had gone up by 51% while bookings to Malaysia were up 34% compared with the same period last year.

So there you go. It's simple. Make friends with Joe, or whoever it is that does the schedule making for the royal family and get them to add you to the itinerary. Then stand back and watch the dollars roll in.

You won't need a fancy campaign with little hearts above the name of your city. You won't even need a Facebook page or a video contest where folks send in moving images of why they want to drop EVERYTHING IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES to spend a week in Sarnia. You just need Will or Kate (preferably Kate) or Harry (along with a case or two of Budweiser if you want to get him going).

Of course, it helps if you can convince one of them to shed some clothing. This, to my knowledge, did not happen in public when Will and Kate were in Canada's far north last year. Consequently, there have been no plans announced as yet for a Trump Tower and golf course and spa with diamond-encrusted lockers in downtown Yellowknife.

Another point to make here: try for the younger royals. For some reason, having Prince Philip drop by doesn't seem to generate the same frisson of excitement as the tween idols. Ditto for Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, who've been on a tour of Canada of late and have stopped just short of dominating the nightly news cycle.

Food for thought.

ABBEY ROAD/SAVOY DEAL IN LONDON - WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!

It's not every day I get blown away by a promotion. I get, literally, dozens and dozens of emails a day to promote this hotel deal in St. Bart's or this restaurant opening in St. Tropez. Often there are invitations sent along, as if I can just drop what I'm doing and take the next flight to France and go to this cool restaurant and that, of course, I'd mention it on the front page of that week's Travel section.

Anyway, I get them all the time and it's easy to get jaded by it. But the other day came one that had me in near tears, owing to the fact that there's simply no way I can spend the Star's money on something like this.

Here's the deal: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Abbey Road studios and The Savoy, a Fairmont managed hotel, "are joining forces to offer guests the opportunity of a lifetime with a new Record a Song Experience."

The press release says the offer "invites guests behind the velvet ropes (bestill my beating heart) for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most iconic recording studios, which is not accessible to the public, where legends like The Beatles and Pink Floyd have recorded."

Once inside, "guests will get the ultimate rock star treatment when they record a group song from the Abbey Road catalogue."

OH MY LORD. Or should I say MY SWEET LORD (technically a George Harrison solo effort but you get the point).

As a memento, guests will hear their record in a playback session at the studio (do I really have to hear myself sing?) and receive a copy of their recording, professionally mixed and mastered (and hopefully overdubbed with Ringo's voice) by Abbey Road Studios engineers, which they can take home and hopefully never play at a party.

Guests also get a two-night stay at the Savoy with a welcome reception, a cocktail master class and a Sunday jazz lunch. Jazz? The experience is available Oct. 12-14 and Nov. 16-18 with 10 packages per weekend. Rates start at 780 British pounds per person, based on double occupancy, but that's still a bargain in my book.

PORTER HEADS BACK TO VERMONT

Porter Airlines says it's preparing for another year of service between Toronto's island airport and Burlington, Vermont. There will be four weekly roundtrip options this year, compared to just two last year.

The flights are great for folks heading to the ski hills of Vermont, and the Porter flights run from Dec. 15 to April 8. There are special Porter ski packages and shuttle bus service for Jay Peak, Smugglers' Notch Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort and Sugarbush Resort at www.skivermont.com/flyporter.

 

Canadians want Mexico, Florida! Also Hong Kong and Sunwing USA news ...

Really interesting study from Bank of Montreal this week shows that more than one-half of Canadians are planning a fall vacation, and almost three in ten of those folks intend to leave the country.

The BMO study says 54 per cent of Canadians plan to travel this fall and that 29 per cent of those will do so outside of Canada. It's a growing trend that may be good for the airlines but not so much for Canada's tourism industry. The study found that since January 2012, outbound travel from Canada has jumped 5.2 per cent; reaching almost 16 milliion overnight trips. Travel to the U.S. in June jumped 8.9 per cent, thanks in part, I suspect, to the strong Canadian dollar and the new, much-improved higher duty-free limits at the border.

So, where are we headed? The study found Florida is, to no surprise, our top American destination. Sixteen per cent of respondents in the poll, conducted by Leger Marketing, said they were headed to the Sunshine State this fall. Just behind, at 15 per cent, was New York state, followed by Nevada (Viva Las Vegas!) ar 14, and then Illinois (Chicago, no doubt), California and Massachusetts (mostly Boston, I assume) at five per cent each.

Probably no surprise, although I did read a story online in the Central Valley (California) Business Times that suggested officials were shocked and appalled that Illinois and Massachusetts were tied with their beloved state. They're forgetting, of course, the dominance of Toronto in the Canadian marketplace and the distance we sadly have to go to for a trip to California. I mean, San Francisco and LA and San Diego are great, but air fares these days are $600 ON SALE from Toronto, while we can get to New York, Boston or Chicago for maybe half that. Or we can drive and buy cheaper U.S. gas and bring back oodles of new stuff in the back seat thanks to the duty-free changes.

I later got a breakdown that shows where Ontario folks want to travel. It's not radically different, but there are some interesting findings. The number one destination for the U.S. for Ontario folks was Florida, way up at 24 per cent. That's much higher than for Canadians as a whole (16). Next was New York at 14, then Nevada (10), Illinois (8), Pennsylvania (6), South Carolina and Michigan at 5 and California at 4.

For destinations outside the U.S. and Canada, Ontarians favoured Mexico (12), then Cuba and the Caribbean Islands at 10, unspecified Europe or East Europe (8), France (6), the Dominican Republic (5), England, Italy and Holland at 4 each and China and Australia at 3. Among the destinations getting a 2 per cent notice were Turkey, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand and Costa Rica. Spain only got 1 per cent, as did Japan, Indonesia and The Bahamas.

As for international destinations, Mexico took the grand prize with a whopping 18 per cent support. Next was France, which obviously has a ton to offer for foodies, wine fans, history and culture afficionados and just about everybody else, at 10 per cent. Next was Cuba at 8 per cent, tied with unspecified European countries. The Caribbean in general was at 7 per cent.

Those numbers surprise me a bit, although it's certainly good for Mexico. I would've thought the attraction of cheap spots in the Dominican Republic, plus other faves such as Barbados, St. Lucia and the Bahamas, would put the Caribbean (I know, I know, the Bahamas technically aren't in the Caribbean) a touch higher. And where's the UK in this study? They just spent all that money on the Olympics and more Canadians want to go to France? Ai-yai-yai.

While we're travelling more, it looks like we're more focussed on value. Asked about their travel plans prior to summer, 35 per cent of Canadians said they'd spend less than $1,000 on their holiday. Asked about plans for this fall, a full 42 per cent said thyey'd be spending less than $1,000.

On a more ominous note, the study found that Canada's international travel account deficit - payments by Canadian travellers abroad vs. receipts from foreign travellers in Canada - reached $16.25 billion at the end of 2011. Which is not so good.

"If the growing trend in outbound travel continues, it will certainly put pressure on Canada's domestic tourism industry," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets.

SUNWING ADDS USA COLLECTION

Speaking of increased travel to the U.S. by Canadians, Sunwing recently announced an expansion of its USA program with the debut of its new "USA Collection" brochure.

Sunwing continues to offer flights, hotels and vacation packages to spots like Florida and Vegas (see above). What's new this year are "USA City Escapes" to places like Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Oahu and Maui in Hawaii.

"With the increasing demand for flights, hotels and vacation packages in the USA, we are certain our new 'USA Collection' brochure will be well received by travellers," said Reg Mendes, vice president, USA and Cruise Division at Sunwing.

All Sunwing flights are on Sunwing AIrlines, with free 20 kg of checcked baggage, hot towel service and a choice of hotel meals with wine or a hot snack, soft drink and free in-flight entertainment. They also have Elite Plus for $40, with extra leg room, advance seat selection, a 30 kg bag allowance and more.

For more information, visit www.sunwing.ca.

HONG KONG GOES WILD IN THE FALL

Tons going on in Hong Kong this fall, with festivals galore. Tourism officials say the season gets underway with the Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival – one of the world’s great celebrations marking the ancient Chinese Harvest Festival, due to take place Sept. 27 to Oct. 2. Hong Kong puts a modern twist on the celebrations, with traditional lanterns merging with the city’s trademark neon beneath which fiery dragons dance through the busy streets and a full moon shines down on the revelers.

This year, the Lee Kum Lee Lantern Wonderland, located in Victoria Park, will once again be at the heart of the celebrations. This year’s award-winning lantern bears the name “Golden Moon”. It is a dome-shaped sculpture of light, 21 metres in diameter and 18 metres in height. It will be situated in a vast pool, surrounded by dozens of floating Chinese lanterns, with a pathway link allowing spectactors to walk inside the structure.  The interior will be filled with even more lanterns, suspended to illuminate the scene with constantly varying brightness. “Golden Moon” was designed by two architects: Kristof Crolla from Belgium and Adam Fingrut from Canada.

In Tai Hang (once a small village, now part of the city on Causeway Bay) the Festival is celebrated over three days with a fire dragon dance consisting of hundred of performers, tens of thousands of sticks of incense and a 67-metre dragon that will "wend its way through the crowded city streets in a spectacle of fire and fury."

Food always takes the limelight through the fall, and this year will be extra-special due to the 10^th staging of The Best of the Best Culinary Awards, co-organized by the HKTB and The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd. This event showcases the cooking talent of local Chinese chefs and in the years since its inception has grown into Hong Kong’s largest culinary event. Ten finalists from September’s preliminary competition will be competing for the awards in the final competitions to be held on 4 and 5 October. The winning restaurants and their dishes are a great guide to the best in Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong.

When October arrives, thoughts turn towards Halloween as parties are planned and costumes created. Hong Kong is the perfect place to mark this occasion as this is a region with thousands of years of folklore populated with ghosts, ghouls and demons. Disneyland, Madame Tussauds, Discovery Harbour, the Avenue of Stars and spooky Ocean Park will all be getting into the mood. After that comes Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine Festival, due to take place Nov. 1-4. In fact, this festival will extend throughout the Hong Kong Wine & Dine month of November with street carnivals, the Festival of Restaurants and wine-and-dine promotions. The city’s top restaurants will share their finest offerings, while for those still in a party mood, the Lan Kwai Fong Carnival (Nov. 17-18) will bring together not only  and beer stalls but also arts and crafts, dancers and musicians and other live performers from around the world. And for visitors who miss those dates, a World of Food and Music festival will take place Nov. 24 and 25 in beach-side Stanley.

For more information, visit www.discoverhongkong.com/ca.

 

 

 

 

Vroom, vrooom ... My "Easy Rider" moped moment in beautiful Bermuda

BERMUDA - I think I’m ready for a Harley.

I got on my first moped in at least 22 years on the weekend. And had a blast.

Yeah, I was pretty tentative at first; hugging the (left) side of the road and cruising at a whopping 20 km/hour for the first five or six minutes. Pretty soon I had cranked that throbbing piece of machinery up to 30 kph and then, hold tight everyone, 35. By the time the day was half-over I was wondering why the damned thing wouldn’t go more than 45 kph downhill.

Folks might warn you about riding a moped in Bermuda. In truth, nothing could be easier.

Yes, the roads are narrow. Yes, folks drive on the left. But if you can keep your balance on a bike and navigate Yonge St. or College St. in Toronto in rush hour, Bermuda is a piece of rum cake.

They’re USED to mopeds around here, partly because there are gazillions of them due to the government regulation of no more than one car per family. So folks are mostly quite patient when they see a moped or a motorcycle ahead of them on the road; doubly so when the dead giveaway white helmet is spotted around the bend. Just stay left, pull into the frequent bus stops or driveways to let folks pass, and you’ll do just fine.

I started my trip at the Fairmont Southampton and first opted to check out a few of the beaches I’d heard so much about on the south shore. In a word? Stunning.

I was lucky – and unlucky – to be on island during a stormy time. It made for lousy snorkeling, but pretty good bodysurfing/swimming and fabulous wave-watching on the south, more exposed part of the island.

It’s absolutely stunning for miles on end but especially at Warwick Long Bay and Jobson’s Cove and down at Horseshoe Bay, near the Fairmont. The waves were tremendous, crashing hard upon the black rocks and send showers of white water towering into the sky. There are beautiful coves galore if you get out and hike a bit, with private beaches that feel like the end of the world.

It looked to be beach clean-up day as there were tons of people out with trash bags, picking up litter. Shame on anyone who would despoil this beautiful coastline, I say!

Just west of the Fairmont is Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, with roughly 181 steps to the top. The views are glorious; all the way to St. George’s in the east and up to the cruise ships at the Dockyard in the west/north. You can see for miles and miles, with deep green forests and (diminishing, I think) pasture land and the island’s famous, multi-coloured houses and that impossibly beautiful ocean. See photo below left, looking to the west and north.

While the southside waters were roiling, the water in the sound – the huge, protected area on the north side of the Fairmont – was as calm as a backdoor swimming pool. Boats bobbed in a beautiful morning breeze, as if the stormy seas to the south were another planet away and not a half kilometre.

I checked out Fort Scaur, one of a half million (okay, a slight exaggeration) fortifications on this strategic island. It’s not as dramatic as the Dockyards or Fort St. Catherine, but it’s fun and pretty and must be a great place for local kids to play cowboys and Indians, or, in this case, British and Americans.

I also checked out some stilt houses in Somerset and watched the birds fly about and generally just had a blast zipping around corners and through residential areas on the bike.

Everyone I talked to raved about the Dockyards, but I found it rather underwhelming. The shops didn’t interest me and I didn’t feel like ducking into a museum on a fine day. Maybe if the cruise ships had been in it would’ve seemed lively, but the whole place struck me as empty and kind of sad. A ferry boat to Hamilton was leaving shortly so I sat down for some fish chowder (it came with sherry pepper sauce and also a jar of black rum you can spoon into your chowder) and decent calamari.

Of course, it rained most of the 20 minutes I was on the ferry. I took two ferry rides while on the island and it rained both times. So much for the great photos, I guess.

Dodging the rain drops, I checked out the Botanical Gardens, where a crazy guy started yelling at me for my skin colour, and wandered around the floral displays and towering palms and ficus trees. I had hoped to make it up to Tucker’s Point, but I got caught in another deluge and had to park my moped and myself in a covered bus shelter for a half hour to wait it out.

The rest of the day was glorious and sunny, so no harm done. The ride back to the Fairmont was glorious; sunny beaches and rocky coasts and cute shops and more brightly-painted blue, green, pink and yellow homes and forest-covered roads and the damp, sweet smell of flowers and rich soil after a rain.

And then came dinner at the Waterlot Inn down on the wharf at the Fairmont. Wow. I had a three-steak tasting menu, with fabulous USDA prime, a tender filet and a wagyu beef. Each was only two or three ounces and it costs $60 but it was utterly delicious; the best steaks I’ve ever had. You could just say the word “knife” and they cut themselves, they were so tender.

A fabulous wine list, tremendous service, a beautiful set of rooms in an old house and, for dessert, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream that was four thousand degrees beyond decadent.

About as great a day on the road as I can remember in a long time.