September 2014

This year, two New Year’s Eve events will take place at Sydney’s iconic Opera House.

In the Opera House’s Concert Hall, Australian and international singers and the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra will present a concert, with hits such as “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.” At the same time, in the Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre, a production of “La Bohéme” will take place. Both events will end before a fireworks show over the harbor.

Drawings and sketches by Renaissance architect and designer Gian Lorenzo Bernini, most famous for designing St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, will be exhibited Nov. 9, 2014-Feb. 1, 2015, at the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (Katharinenstrasse 10, 04109 LEIPZIG, Germany; phone +49 341 216 990). 

200-plus pieces from the museum’s collection as well as loans from Rome, Vatican City and Austria will be displayed. 

To download a brochure with a city center guide, maps and info on events around the Christmas markets in Leipzig, Germany, Nov. 25-Dec. 23, 2014, visit this page and click on “Christmas Market and Year-end Celebrations 2014.” Examples —

• “Magic Nights” Christmas dinner show, Nov. 21-Dec. 31, at Historic City Baths (Markt 9, 04109 Leipzig; phone +341 96 28 88 63, www.dinnershow-leipzig.de [German only]).

Wine, spirits or other bottled liquids can be safely transported in carry-on or checked luggage in inflatable, durable-plastic Vinnibags. Vinnibags hold bottles and jars of many sizes and shapes, from standard 750ml wine bottles to olive oil and perfume bottles. Place a bottle into the bag, then inflate and seal it. Flat when not inflated, VinniBag is reusable.

$28 each with free shipping at www.vinnibag.com… or $29.85 plus $7.99 shipping from Magellan’s Travel Supplies (800/962-4943). 

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(Part 2 of 3)

I love France. It is one of Europe’s most diverse, tasty and exciting countries. It brims with the good life and a special appreciation for culture, music, art, food and wine.

But Americans can feel pretty dowdy when confronted with the casual sophistication of the French, who are matchless when it comes to just about anything suave and urbane. In my early days of touring France, I used to worry about being a cultural bumpkin, but now I embrace it. After all, I travel to learn.

The “Swiss Hike” app, from Switzerland Tourism, can be downloaded for free on Apple’s App Store. Covering each of 32 hikes all over the country, with info on duration and difficulty, the app shows topographical maps overlaid with restaurants and lodgings.