Travel Briefs

Queen Margrethe II, celebrating 40 years on the throne of Denmark in 2012, is a respected artist, textile designer and book illustrator (she illustrated two Danish editions of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”).

Works of hers — oil paintings, watercolors, church textile designs, décopage, scenography and embroidery — can be seen in the exhibit “Essence of Colour,” Jan. 28-July 1, 2012, at the Arken Museum of Modern Art (Skovvej 100, Ishøj Municipality; phone 43 54 02 22), 15 minutes south of Copenhagen.

Open 10-9 Wed., 10-5 Tues.-Sun. (closed Mon.). DKK85 (near $15) adult or...

A deluxe ecocruise vessel is navigating Ecuador’s Rio Napo in the Amazon jungle. Big Five Tours & Expeditions’ Manatee Explorer is a modern, 3-deck vessel with air-conditioning, 13 en suite cabins, dining room, bar and lounge.

The exclusive “flotel” offers a full-service crew plus expert naturalist guides for excursions.

Four- and 5-day cruises may be combined with other tour programs. The 4-day “Amazon Cruising in Ecuador” departs every Friday from Quito and costs $799 per person, sharing; price includes internal flights from Quito, transfers, a 3-night ecocruise, all...

Two free guides provide details of 43 places to eat in the English counties bordering Wales.

• With sections on restaurants; ethnic restaurants serving food from the Indian subcontinent; brasseries; pubs, and tea shops, “A Taste of Staffordshire” can be obtained by calling 08705 004444 or visiting the website www.tasteofstaffordshire.com.

• “Flavours of Herefordshire” features leading entries in the county’s annual awards scheme for restaurants, pubs, tearooms, bed-and-breakfasts and shops serving local food and drink, from cider and wine to cheese and chutney. Call 01432...