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The Befreiungshalle (Hall of Liberation), which stands on Mount Michelsberg above the city of Kelheim, Germany, was shown in the photo in the September issue. Overlooking the Danube a few miles upstream from Regensburg, the hall commemorates the country’s victories over Napoleon during the Wars of Liberation, which lasted from 1813 to 1815.
This interactive crossword puzzle is no longer available online.
In London and Manchester, England, 35 statues have been outfitted with tags that allow smartphones to play audio clips — some humorous, some historical — of each statue “speaking” about itself.
At each statue, visitors will see a circular blue plaque with a QR code to scan or a URL to type in in order to hear the speech. Playing the roles are actors, such as Patrick Stewart, who voices “The Unknown Soldier” in London’s Paddington Station. A list of statue locations, with printable maps, is at www.talkingstatues.co.uk.
At Seven Mile Beach in the city of Gerroa, two hours south of Sydney in southeastern Australia, visitors can enroll at Surf Camp Australia (P.O. Box Q1284, QVB Post Office, NSW, 1230, Australia; phone, toll-free in Australia, 1800 888 732, www.surfcamp.com.au).
From Aug. 24 to May 31, qualified instructors teach surfing courses in 2-, 3-, 5-, 7- and 10-day programs. Each includes accommodation on site, meals, transfers, surf equipment (including surfboard and wetsuit) and a daily video. Costs run AUD345 (near $299) for two days to AUD995 ($863) for ten.
The “Go Round Asia & Southwest Pacific Pass” gives travelers a flexible way to visit 26 countries. Travelers book a minimum of two and a maximum of 10 stops for travel in economy or business class. Travel must begin and end in the same country (although it can be different cities in that country), and at least one stop must be in Australia, New Zealand or Micronesia. Also, one flight/connection must be on China Airlines, China Eastern or China Southern.
A new website, Rome2Rio (www.rome2rio.com), shows travelers various options on how to get from one place to another in the Americas, Europe and Asia, often using combinations of trains, buses, ferries, cars and taxis.
Example — on a route from Munich, Germany, to Düsseldorf, trains, bus companies and rideshare companies were suggested. Each option listed the mode of transport, the total time it would take and an estimated cost. The fastest shown, a 4-hour flight, cost $101-$196. The cheapest, a 5½-hour rideshare, cost $45.
The SpeechTrans app, which requires a data connection, can translate speech or text in real time in more than 40 languages.
With the app’s image mode, you can take a picture using a smartphone or tablet, identify the area in the picture with text to be translated, and the app will try to translate it.
With the app’s speech-translation mode, someone speaks in their language into your device, and it will be spoken back into English (or vice versa). For optimal results, a fast data connection and a quiet environment will be needed.
Crystal Cruises (Los Angeles, CA; 888/722-0021, www.crystalcruises.com) is adjusting their ships’ dinner dress code.
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 38 destinations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, El Salvador, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Kenya, North Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.
One person was killed and 20 others were injured on a sightseeing tour of Victoria Falls and the rainforest on July 1 when their open-air tram was struck by a cargo train. Most of the 32 passengers were members of a wedding party.
The tram was hit from behind while stopped at the Victoria Falls station to change tracks. Authorities suspect that a signal error led to the cargo train’s being on the same line as the tram. On July 16, to aid investigators, Victoria Falls Steam Train Company paused operation of the tram.