Travel Briefs

December 2008 issue

Van Dyck portraits

Sir Anthony van Dyck was the principal painter at the court of King Charles I. The exhibition “Van Dyck and Britain,” running in London at the Tate Britain (Millbank, London; phone +44 20 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk), Feb. 18-May 17, 2009, brings together many of his finest paintings. Admissions 10-5. €12.50 (€11.50 for 60+).

November 2008 issue

Elephant polo

In the seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand, the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament will be held in 2009 on March 23-30 on the grounds of the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort (phone +66 53 784 084 or e-mail goldentriangle@anantara.com). The event raises money for the National Elephant Institute.

Sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (New York office, 212/432-0433, www.tourismthailand.org), the tournament is part of the World Elephant Polo Association World Series, with games also in Nepal (December 2008) and Sri Lanka (February 2009).

Entry is free. The week-long...

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November 2015 issue

Van Gogh atlas

The 180-page “Vincent van Gogh Atlas” has maps detailing places the painter lived and worked, including Amsterdam, London, Paris and Auvers-sur-Oise, plus photographs, drawings and letters related to each location. 

Released by the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1071 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 20 570 5200, www.vangoghmuseum.com), it’s available in English, French and Dutch at the museum and on its website. €23.54 plus €18.15 shipping to the US (near $47 total).

October 2008 issue

Flaming tar barrels

 • Every year on Nov. 5, flaming tar barrels are carried through the streets of Ottery St. Mary in Devon, England, to the delight of townsfolk and visitors.

Men each carry a flaming barrel on their shoulders until the weight or heat becomes too much, then someone else takes over until the barrel starts to break up, then it’s allowed to burn out.

Starting with junior barrels in late afternoon, the sizes of the barrels grow until the final enormous one is carried in at midnight. A gigantic bonfire is crowned with an effigy of Guy Fawkes.

The event includes a fairground...

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July 2015 issue

Lost-bag insurance

For lost baggage, up to $2,000 can be awarded to a traveler using the service Blue Ribbon Bags (www.blueribbonbags.com).

A single service fee, paid anytime before departure, covers all checked bags. If any of that baggage is lost by the airline, Blue Ribbon Bags will provide a dedicated representative who will work with the airline to expedite the return of the bag(s). On a website, the traveler can view real-time updates of his claim.

If they are unable to facilitate the return of the lost baggage within 96 hours, Blue Ribbon will reward the traveler an amount based on the...

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December 2008 issue

Handel in Halle

Halle, Germany, birthplace of composer George Friedrich Handel, holds an annual festival honoring his works. In 2009, the 250th anniversary of his death, it takes place June 4-14. Among numerous musical events is a performance of his “Messiah” oratorio on June 5, with tickets €15-€65 (near $21-$90). 

Contact Directorship of the Handel Festival (Stiftung Händel-Haus, Große Nikolaistrasse 5, 06108 Halle, Germany; phone +49 [0] 345 500 90 222, fax 500 90 416, www.haendelfestspiele.halle.de/en).

November 2008 issue

Alitalia bankrupt

At press time, Alitalia continued to teeter on the edge of total collapse. The national airline of Italy is in bankruptcy and has been unable to find buyers to keep the airline flying much longer.

November 2015 issue

Dinosaur tracks, Australia

3,300 fossilized footprints from three species of dinosaur — an herbivorous ornithopod similar to a duck-billed dinosaur, a chicken-sized carnivore and a tyrannosaurus-type carnivore — which paleontologists have determined were created during one predatory event, have been preserved in a climate-controlled building at the Lark Quarry Conservation Park on Winton Jundah Road, southwest of Winton, Queensland, Australia.

The Dinosaur Stampede (www.dinosaurtrackways.com.au) reopened for visitors on July 3 with an extended viewing walkway and new audio exhibits. Access is by guided tour...

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