July 2009 Archives
Swakopmund's buildings have served the film-makers well for exterior shots. It was settled by German colonists, and features lines and colours that, like Portmeirion's Italianate buildings, look like they've been set down in the wrong place.
I don't want to get savaged by fans, but I can see how this resonates with the art direction of the original. (Goes into hiding...)
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It's on the coast (has to be, doesn't it?) about 170 miles west of capital Windhoek. Anyone been? Could this become a place of pilgrimage for a new generation of Prisoner fans?
* Using Daft Logic's Google Maps Distance Calculator
Update: Here are 10 minutes of rather good preview...
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The worst of British B&B's
Another key site is the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a local mountain which is either named after Lawrence's book of the same name, or vice versa, depending on who you talk to.
And for those with more time on their hands there are many tented camps in the area.
A visit
to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan is a highlight of any trip to Jordan.
Making the approach to Petra down the 'siq' - a narrow, winding passageway through the mountains - is an experience in itself, especially when your guide is as entertaining as mine was. Mahmoud's knowledge of 'The Rose City' was matched only by his dazzling array of jokes and anecdotes.
But
exploring the siq is a mere prelude to the point where, as you turn that last
corner, the Treasury tantalisingly reveals itself.
Seen
for the first time, the treasury's carved edifice, hewn from the sandstone
rock, is a truly impressive, if strangely familiar sight, having stared out
from countless travel guides and brochures - not to mention Hollywood romps like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
But
there's a lot more to Petra than the Treasury.
While Mahmoud gagged his way up the mountain, his energy levels buoyed by his 60-a-day cigarette habit and the seven sugars he'd been spooning into his regular cups of tea, I hung on for dear life as my donkey reluctantly slip-slided up the narrow mountain pathway while it looked for a good spot to buck its heavy load over the edge and make a bolt for freedom.
But it
was all worth it. Wandering around the Monastery and taking in the amazing
panoramas, having topped up my tea levels in the cave café while Mahmoud traded
tales and jokes with the other guides, was a truly amazing experience.
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The stylish beach destination of Stiges
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Great ideas for a cheap stay in Barcelona
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Great ideas for an all inclusive bargain
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A Radisson Blu Resort & Spa opens in Dubrovnik bringing a whole lot of Luxury to seaside town
One & Other, a new public art project by Anthony 'Angel of the North' Gormley, involves ordinary folk standing on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth - empty for years and now used to exhibit modern art. (Lots of pics of previous projects on flickr.)
A full 2,400 people get to do this (one an hour for 100 days), and almost 18,000 have applied.
The plinth's in the northwest corner of the square, by the entrance to the main and Sainsbury Wing entrances of the National Gallery.
View Fourth plinth location in a larger map
There's a live stream on the One & Other website, and naturally, Twitter is loving it - here's a #oneandother Twitterfall.
From the little I watched it seems very British, with people gazing up contemplatively from beneath umbrellas, and occasionally exchanging pleasantries with whoever's on shift (though they could equally be exchanging profanities, I suppose).
It doesn't have the carnival atmosphere that accompanied La Machine's huge mechanical spider as it wandered through Liverpool last year, but it's certainly getting some attention.
Not much by way of destination news or travel inspiration here, but this is need-to-know stuff as summer holiday time rolls around.
I'm terrible at packing shirts, despite the fact my dad works in menswear and folds like a ninja...
Found this slice of real-life butler training on Youtube - the chap in charge is Wayne Fitzharris of The International Guild of Butlers and Household Managers.
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Tourists can climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty in New York for the first time since the terrorist attacks of September 11 in 2001
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Top hoteliers reveal the best new design discoveries in London, Texas, New York City, Buenos Aires & Mexico City