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In three private locations in the Netherlands (De Heen, Marnemoende and De Cleypoel) and one in Belgium (De Wissen), you can stay in a 42-square-foot cabin aboard an 82-square-foot raft that you have rented. Each raft is accessible only by canoe.
Aug. 29-Sept. 22, two nights’ raft rental costs €146.50 (near $200) and three nights, €199.50 ($272). Sept. 23-Oct. 30, two nights cost €139 and three, €193.50. November-April, two nights, €100, or three, €150.
This interactive crossword puzzle is no longer available online.
A play about Anne Frank entitled “Anne” premiered in May 2014 at the Theater Amsterdam (Danzigerkade 5, Westpoort number 2036, 1013 AP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; phone +31 88 123 2411).
A 460-foot Ferris wheel began operating in Helsinki’s Katajanokka harbor on June 3. The Finnair SkyWheel (Katajanokanlaituri 2, 00160 Helsinki, Finland) offers panoramic views from climate-controlled gondolas. A ride costs €12 (near $16) for 15 minutes (€9 for Finnair members). A VIP cabin can be rented for 25 minutes for €195 ($266), including a bottle of champagne.
The SkyWheel runs year-round, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.-Mon., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 10-11 Fri.-Sat.
On Paris, two metal grills along the walkway of the Pont des Arts bridge collapsed under the weight of “love locks” on June 8, causing the bridge to be closed for a day while the grills were removed and replaced with nonpermanent wooden panels.
In a tradition that started only five years ago, lovers place a padlock on the bridge with their initials and throw the key into the Seine. An estimated 700,000 locks have been placed on the bridge. Officials have not determined whether the practice may continue or not.
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My guide, Roberto, met me at Madrid’s airport, we rented a car and minutes later we were southbound on the freeway, immersed in the vastness of La Mancha. It’s a tough terrain. A windmill — weathered into a rough little useless nub — still capped its blustery hill.
9-day, 8-night hike, Dec. 7-15, 2014 & Feb. 1-9, 2015. Moderate-energetic pace; up to 12 miles a day. Highlights: Start and end in El Calafate (flights from Buenos Aires)/glaciers at Mt. Fitz Roy and Laguna Huemul/cruise to foot of Perito Moreno Glacier/Los Glaciares National Park/Anita Valley, home to flamingos, guanacos, hares/Peninsula de las Colonias, home to condors and rheas. Land, $5,795 (2014) or $5,895 (2015). Single supp., $1,275/$1,295.
