10 Excellent Places to Fly a Kite

It's not just tulips brightening the landscape this time of year. Spring breezes also bring kites dancing across the sky in April, which happens to be National Kite Month. John Barresi, president of the American Kitefliers Association, says harnessing the wind is not only fun, but it also provides a healthy opportunity to enjoy the outdoors: "The activity alone brings a great deal of peace."

Cesar Chavez Park

Berkeley, Calif.

Barresi got the kiting bug at this 90-acre San Francisco Bayfront park 23 years ago. "This is where I cut my teeth as a kite flier," he says. "It's a grassy field. It's really awesome." Not only does it offer incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and other landmarks, there are also good winds and even a kite store that sets up in the park during prime flying periods. 800-847-4823; visitberkeley.com

Wildwood Beaches

Wildwood, N.J.

The Jersey Shore is where sport kiting — flying controllable kites with two or more strings — was born. And although the area took a hit from Hurricane Sandy last year, "kiting is alive and well," Barresi says. "It is another perennial kite town." The powdery beaches offer plenty of room for running and flying. The best kite beach is at West Rio Grande and Beach avenues, just south of the convention center. 800-992-9732; wildwoodsnj.com

Clearwater, Fla.

The Tampa Bay Area has an active kite club, Kiting Tampa Bay, and a kite store, which helps make it a great place to fly, Barresi says. "One of the things I enjoy most is a venue that has a pocket of kite fliers." He particularly recommends Sand Key, which is a bit removed from the beach bustle. "It's a really gorgeous location." 877-352-3224; visitstpeteclearwater.com

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

The pioneers of aviation knew a good spot for getting aloft. The site of the first flight and nearby Jockey Ridge State Park still offer the consistent breezes that attracted the Wright brothers to the Outer Banks. "The wind there is ideal, if not on the high side," Barresi says. For kite novices, nearby Sanderling resort offers kite-flying lessons in partnership with Kitty Hawk Kites, a popular regional store. 877-629-4386; outerbanks.org

Grand Haven State Park

Grand Haven, Mich.

The Great Lakes offer the same consistent kite-able breezes as the ocean, Barresi says. "It's beautifully smooth, rolling off the lake." The 48-acre Lake Michigan beachfront park hosts a kite festival every May, attracting fliers from across North America. 616-847-1309; michigan.org/property/grand-haven-state-park

South Padre Island, Texas

Wide-open beaches and flats provide plenty of room for kite flying at this Gulf Coast beach locale. Although a spring break favorite, many local kite fliers are older and bring decades of experience. "It's an excellent venue. There's really affordable lodging and a great kite store in town," Barresi says. 800-657-2373; sopadre.com

Long Beach Peninsula, Wash.

American kite flying has deep roots in the windy Pacific Northwest. "This has been one of the kite-flying meccas in the U.S.," Barresi says. Not only is the area home to the American Kite Flying Museum and three kite stores, it also has what Barresi calls "laboratory-grade wind conditions," meaning consistent breezes of 5 to 12 mph. With 28 miles of beach with seasonal drive-on access, it couldn't be easier to send a kite aloft. 360-642-2400; funbeach.com

Ocean City, Md.

This Mid-Atlantic beach town with consistent breezes hosts several kite festivals each year and is home to a notable retailer, Kite Loft. "It's a kite store, not just a place that sells kites. If you go in, they have answers and supplies and will walk out on the beach and help you fly," Barresi says. He also likes the atmosphere, which features a boardwalk, restaurants and entertainment. 800-626-2326; ococean.com

Cleveland

Lake Erie has had a high-flying kiting tradition for more than 30 years, Barresi says. Kite fliers gravitate to Edgewater State Park, where a grass field overlooks the lake and offers a view of the city skyline. "For inland flying, it's about as good as it gets," he says. 800-321-1004; positivelycleveland.com

Santa Monica, Calif.

From the wide-open beach to the colorful crowds to the consistent breezes, it's hard to beat Santa Monica for kite flying. "That's a fantastic beach," Barresi says. In October, local hotel Casa del Mar hosts a kitemaker whose quarter-mile-long Jacob's Ladder kite will be on display. 800-544-5319; santamonica.com

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What's new in Italy for 2013?

Vernazza

Italy has more of Europe's cultural heritage than any other country — and the Italians are doing a fine job of sharing it with their visitors. Here is the latest, gleaned from my guidebook research for 2013:

Rome has made visiting the Vatican Museum easier. You can often buy same-day, skip-the-line tickets from the tourist-information office in St. Peter's Square; it'll cost the same price you'd pay if you had reserved online (15-euro ticket plus 4-euro reservation fee).

Massive crowds line up to see Florence's cathedral — the Duomo — which is free to enter. Here's how to skip the line: If you're already planning to visit the cathedral-related sights — the Duomo Museum, Baptistery, and Campanile — that require a combo-ticket to see, buy your ticket first at the less-crowded museum. You can use it to enter through the cathedral's exit, bypassing the lines at the front door.

Florence's Uffizi Gallery is still undergoing a massive, years-long renovation that bodes well for travelers. Although a few rooms are off-limits, many more rooms have been opened to the public, such as the Caravaggio Rooms and the new "Foreign Painters Section," featuring mostly Dutch/Flemish painters (including Rembrandt) with some Spanish and French artists.

Also in Florence, Lorenzo Ghiberti's Renaissance-era Baptistery doors — featuring the original 10 bronze panels from the "Gates of Paradise" (1425-1452) — have been newly restored and are now back on display at the Duomo Museum.

From April through September, Florence's best late-hours sightseeing is at the Palazzo Vecchio, the fortified palace where the Medicis ruled. The sight generally stays open until midnight. Also, the Palazzo Vecchio's tower has reopened to visitors, providing a great cityscape view.

Florence's Galileo Science Museum, which was recently renovated, has rearranged and dramatically updated its exhibits. Engaging video screens (in English) have been added to many rooms to help illustrate inventions and scientific principles.

In Venice, the Accademia, which is known for its great collection of Venetian Renaissance art, is open but still in a constant state of disarray, with a major expansion and renovation dragging on for years. The locations of paintings isn't yet set. The upside is that crowds have died down, so there's no longer a need to reserve a ticket in advance.

To make the most of cruising Venice's Grand Canal on a public vaporetto (water bus), catch the boat at Piazzale Roma (just before the crowded train-station stop), where you'll have your choice of seats. A few boats have seats in the bow with great views; make a beeline for these.

Formerly presented every other year, the Venice Biennale — a world-class, contemporary fair — is now an annual event. It alternates between visual art in odd years and architecture in even years. The exhibition spreads over the Arsenale and Giardini park, and usually runs from June through November.

In Naples, it's no longer necessary to make an appointment to see the Archaeological Museum's Secret Room, with its assortment of erotic frescoes, well-hung pottery, and perky statues that once decorated bedrooms and brothels at Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The Cinque Terre, Italy's picturesque Riviera, is back to normal after two of its towns were badly damaged in a flood in the fall of 2011. The towns and nearly all the trails of the region are once again ready for prime time. A handy (but pricey) new parking garage has opened at nearby La Spezia's train station, making it easier and safer for day-trippers to leave their cars and hop the train to the Cinque Terre.

In fashion-forward Milan, travelers can now visit the high-end concept store called Excelsior in the Galleria del Corso, which feels more like a design museum than a retail store. A conveyor belt carries shoppers from level to colorful level to the beat of pulsing music, passing electronic art installations on the way. Even if you can't afford the $1,000 shirts, you might enjoy the basement food hall with its good food at reasonable prices.

To generate funds during a time of economic uncertainty, more and more cities — such as Venice, Florence, Padua, and Rome — are levying a tax on hotel rooms. Tourists must pay the tax in cash at checkout. It varies from 1 euro to 5 euros per person, per night, and is based on how many stars the hotel has under the government rating system.

While the Italian economy remains unpredictable, you're guaranteed to have a memorable trip in 2013. The Italian zest for life is as timeless as its ancient monuments. Go with an eye open to both the Italy of the past and the Italy of the present.

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Shad Thames - Focus on London

London’s iconic Tower Bridge has been much in the news lately. Tower Bridge marked the final dramatic moments in the rain-soaked Diamond Jubilee pageant in early June, which celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne.

The panorama from Tower Bridge looking back up the River Thames towards Westminster is, for want of a better word, breathtaking. Cutting-edge new architecture like the GLA building (known rather irreverently to everyone as The Egg) and the Shard, the tallest building in Europe, with the contrasting Tower of London and historic ships, all combine to make a true fusion cityscape. The river is constantly busy, with water taxis, pleasure boats, booze cruises and even working barges.

Crossing over the river from the Tower of London to the South Bank, you can stroll along the banks of the river on a wide, well lit, clean pedestrianized pathway. Residents and tourists alike crowd this pathway – some are walking their dogs or taking an evening stroll, while others watch the street artists and buskers who entertain the crowds.  People jog and roller-blade, tourists take their perfect shot of Tower Bridge, and for many visitors, this is as far as they venture along the river.

That would be a mistake. If you turn the other way, and look upstream, leaving Tower Bridge behind you, there is a whole new, regenerated London to be discovered and explored.  Since many of the 2012 Olympic venues are along this stretch of river, this is clearly the part of town to be in.

Welcome to Shad Thames. 

This area immediately beyond Tower Bridge is now home to a buzzy, vibey part of London, where nineteenth-century, Victorian warehouses have been transformed from derelict buildings to über-cool, über-expensive, über-chic apartments, restaurants, pubs and galleries.  But it wasn’t always like this.  For decades, this area was run down, neglected and, quite frankly, a rather tatty part of London.  It wasn’t until the 1980s that the area underwent a transformation.

The whole area around St. Saviour’s Dock and all along the river has been/is still being gentrified to the ultimate degree. Bars and restaurant, boutiques, and fabulous apartments have all arisen from the shells of what were once Victorian warehouses.

Most of the warehouses have retained their external architectural characteristics and some still have the original winches that were used to haul goods up from the ships moored on the docks below. Just the names of these warehouses, now converted into luxury apartments, are a reminder of the glory days of London’s trading past – these expensive apartments are named after cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, caraway, ginger, cumin, tamarind, clove, anise and coriander.

Talk about mouth-watering names. 

Nowhere do you feel as connected to London’s history as in Shad Thames.  With the river as a backdrop, you wander past historic buildings, some of which are still linked by walkways high above your head as you walk through narrow, cobbled streets.  These walkways were originally used to roll barrels between warehouses, and now have to rank as the ultimate private balcony.

As well as signature restaurants, there is also one of London’s newest and most stylish museums, the Design Museum near the east end of Shad Thames, which was founded by Terence Conran (of Conran Shop fame).  The Design Museum houses frequently changing exhibitions of graphic and product design, and also features the "Design Museum Tank", a large outdoor glass box in the street outside, containing a selection of items from the current exhibition.

There are seagulls, there is the sound and smell of the river; Charles Dickens set part of Oliver Twist in this area, and the area has starred in many movies.

Remember the dramatic opening sequence in The World Is Not Enough, when James Bond drove his speed boat along St. Saviour’s Dock?

Or the John Cleese comedy, A Fish named Wanda, where a character is dangled out of a window?  That was in Shad Thames.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Elephant Man – they all have scenes shot in and around St Saviour’s Dock. Bollywood also loves this area for film shoots.

Little surprise that Shad Thames has a distinct buzz and a confidence to it. Should you find yourself in London anytime soon, be sure to check it out.

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City Insider - Majestic Marseilles

Marseilles, the iconic port city on the French Mediterranean coast, can truly be described by that overworked cliché, ‘a melting pot’.  Ever since the Phoenicians sailed in to the city’s wonderful natural harbor in 600 BC, generations of travelers from all over the world have been drawn to the city.  Greeks, Romans, and Arabs from North Africa were all drawn to the city over the centuries.

Blessed with a natural harbor, sheltered by a scattering of offshore islands out to sea and with ranges of mountains behind, and bathed in a warm sunny climate, it is hardly surprising that generations of travelers over the last 2500 years chose to settle here, all adding their little contribution to the cultural melting pot that the city is today.

Marseilles is famous for its seafood and regional cuisine, which are always high priorities in a food-loving country like France

There is no better place to start exploring Marseilles than at the old harbor, known in French as le Vieux Port.  The entrance to the harbor is guarded by Fort St Jean and Fort St Nicholas, and it is surrounded by tall elegant buildings.

Nowadays, the harbor is mainly used for pleasure craft, and the ferries and containers leave from newly constructed harbors a little further down the coast. As the masts of the yachts sway and jingle on the tide, all around the harborside are bars and restaurants, many of them serving such traditional local dishes as Bouillabaisse.

To call such a delicious, garlic laden dish, “fish stew” is an understatement, but that is essentially what it is – fish and seafood and garlic sauce and toasted croutons.  Washed down with a glass of local rosé wine, watching the sunset over the harbor, is one of life’s serious pleasures.

Out to sea, visible from the city, there is a scattering of very small islands. On one of the islands there is a sixteenth-century castle, boasting the improbable name of the Chateau d’If.  This chateau was made famous (or rather infamous) by the writer Alexandre Dumas, who made the fort that imprisoned the Count of Monte Cristo.

Watching over the old fort, high on a hill, is the nineteenth-century Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde, built on the site of an original thirteenth-century chapel. It is quite a hike to get up the steep hill to the basilica, and although we tackled it in our younger days, last time we took a little tourist train from the old port.

The train wound its way up and around the city, passing a bride and groom just emerging from church with all the bells ringing, and deposited us at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Basilica. The 360-degree view from the church is breathtaking: the whole of Marseilles is spread below you.  Out to sea are the offshore islands, the bays and the beaches, and to the other side, the peaks of the mountains that surround the city.

History hasn’t recorded whether or not those first Phoenician visitors, there more than 2,500 years ago, made it to the top of the hill to admire the view, but they certainly chose one of the most beautiful places on the Mediterranean to drop anchor.

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Australia’s most famous sisters - The Blue Mountains

A short drive from Sydney’s outer metro area are the Blue Mountains: an undulous range of sandstone escarpments, gorges, rivers, rock formations and waterfalls, all covered by a thick carpet of eucalypt-scented Aussie scrub. From the best vantage points in the area, these mountains seem to stretch on forever.

Part of the Great Dividing Range – the world’s third-longest mountain range, and a thing of great national  pride and beauty – the Blue Mountains get their name from the purpleish hue of the eucalyptus trees, as noted by the area’s early colonial explorers: Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson.

How this trio managed to navigate such unforgiving terrain – they were the first colonists to cross the range – is inconceivable. This serene yet treacherous area, like much of the Australian bush and outback – still regularly takes the lives of visitors through falling, drowning, starvation, and overexposure.

Blaxland was motivated to cross the range by his desire to find more grazing land for his cattle, and beyond the ranges , that’s exactly what you’ll find – bucolic countryside and impossibly green fields full of cows, sheep, horses and the most famous of all Australian grazing beasts: kangaroos. Stay in any guesthouse or mountain retreat around Oberon or Lithgow and you’ll probably see a troop of them picking slowly through the grass.

But back to the famous sisters. The main touristic zone within the Blue Mountains is the quiet, chilly heritage town of Katoomba. Katoomba’s main strip offers a handful of vintage stores, cafés, restaurants, historic hotels and bric-a-brac shops.

The main attraction of Katoomba lies at the end of the main road: Echo Point, the primary lookout for the Three Sisters. Three large rock formations overlooking the immense Jamison Valley, local indigenous legend has it that the sisters Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo, fell in love with men from a rival tribe. To prevent their marriages, their uncle turned them to stone, and was killed before he could turn them back.

Visitors with moderate fitness can walk to Meehni to a small observatory point, or keep going down the Giant Stairway, an 800-step trip to the valley floor, where there are numerous walking tracks. To get back up, you need to either tackle the 800 stairs or walk 90 minutes to the rather harrowing ‘Scenic Railway’,  which hoists visitors up 300 meters to Katoomba Scenic World, in parts of the track, at a 45-degree angle.

Both Echo Point and Katoomba Scenic World have restaurants and souvenir shops, but the most ‘Aussie’ experience on offer here are the rainforest bushwalks and treks. Even non-hikers can walk through Australian flora and catch glimpses of wildlife from elevated decking, with plenty of places to rest and fresh mountain streams – like Marrangaroo Spring – to drink mineral water literally from the source.

Experienced trekkers can explore Jamison Valley’s more remote features via a network of established tracks and campsites. The valley – at 10 kilometers wide and 12 long – is traversable by campers with permission from Sydney Water (who own the service roads), but there are single-day and three-day treks for a less intense experience.

How to get there: Take the M4 highway from Sydney city center – it’s a 90-minute drive of wide, well-maintained and, once you begin the ascent, winding roads. Alternatively, take the City Rail Blue Mountains line from Sydney Central Station – it couldn’t be easier.

Where to eat: To avoid the greasy fast foods of the main tourist points, head to Carrington Hotel for Afternoon Tea or Paragon Café for a milkshake and handmade chocolates. The main drag of Katoomba has many lovely ambient cafés and restaurants – Thai and Chinese included – so there’s no dearth of food offerings, just don’t leave it too late for dinner, most places will probably be closed by 9.30-10pm.

What to see: The Three Sisters from Echo Point, The Jamison Valley floor and Scenic Railyway from Katoomba Scenic World, and the Jenolan Caves. These are a further  a 30-minute or so drive from nearby Oberon – soaring limestone caverns with nine separate ‘show caves’, guided tours, canyoning and adventure caving at four different levels of expertise.  The Edge Cinema in Katoomba features a 38-minute large-screen nature film of the Blue Mountains.

Where to stay:

Lilianfels Blue Mountains Hotel  5* - luxury resort right next to Echo Point

Carrington Hotel: Historic hotel on the main street.

Three Explorers Motel: on the main street, within a 5-minute walk of Echo Point:

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Olympic Escapes - London Weekenders

So, you are already in London or planning to be there later this summer ?

There will be one thing and one thing only on everybody’s minds, of course: the 2012 Olympics. But just suppose you want to do a spot of sightseeing before and after your London visit? Or if you feel like escaping Olympic mania for a few days?

England in the summer is idyllic – pretty villages, gardens in full bloom, lush green countryside, plus it stays light until very late at night, so there is no excuse for not exploring the countryside and the historic cities that all lie within a comfortable radius of London.

The historic university towns of Oxford and Cambridge are both wonderful towns to visit, with a wealth of tradition, academia and a long-standing rivalry to discover.  These two premier university towns have been friendly rivals for the last – oh, roughly 800 years.

Amazingly for two rivals – or perhaps not – both Oxford and Cambridge are about equidistant from London – a convenient 60-odd kilometers.  You can easily drive or take a train or bus, but don’t try and visit both towns in one day – that will be too hectic and will leave you no time for exploring.

Of the two, Cambridge is the more immediately accessible to visitors, in that many of the historic colleges back onto the River Cam, so you can wander along the banks of the river, or, better still, take a punt (boat), and see years of history unfold as you learn a new skill.

Punting is one of those quintessential Oxbridge summer activities, but a quick word of advice.  There is an Oxford end of the punt and a Cambridge end, and you must make sure you are punting appropriately.

Ah, you may ask – which end is which?   And is it important?

In Cambridge you stand on the till and punt with the open end forward, while in Oxford you stand inside the boat and punt with the till forward.

And as for the importance of the Oxford vs Cambridge end - it would never do to re-kindle 800 year-old rivalries, now, would it ?

Another wonderful excursion from London is to Shakespeare country.

Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is one of those places that you feel you already know well, even if you are visiting the pretty English town for the first time.  It must be all those years of studying Shakespeare at school that somehow makes everything seem so familiar.

There are streets lined with pretty black and white gabled Elizabethan houses, of which five have special historic significance, since they all relate to Shakespeare's life.

If you have the time, try and visit these historic homes, as they are all an intrinsic part of Shakespeare’s life and times. Three houses are in Stratford proper and you can easily walk from one to the other – Hall's Croft used to be the home of Shakespeare's daughter, Susannah; Nash's House, which was the Bard’s final home, and New Place, where Shakespeare died.

Just a short drive out of the town are Mary Arden's House, the family home of Shakespeare’s mother, and the iconic Anne Hathaway's Cottage, which must be the most photographed cottage on the planet. With its thatched roof and pretty garden in full summer bloom, it is a little jewel.

There are abbeys and stately homes galore in England, ruined monasteries, elegant palaces and gardens.  There are historic towns such as York and Exeter, both a little further afield.  There are moors to wander, parks to explore…

…but, of course, there is also London.  And the Olympic Games.

So a few quick day-trips to Oxford, another to Cambridge, and then a day exploring Shakespeare’s world are the ideal breathers.  You can see a totally different part of England, but be back in London within an hour or so.

Happy escaping!

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Snow scenes at Gulmarg, Kashmir

The little Indian Kashmiri town of Gulmarg is in a class of its own in the prettiness and quaintness stakes.

Nestled at 9,000 feet, accessible only by a switchback bumpy road up from the plains that takes you through miles of pine forest, you arrive in Gulmarg and enter a different world all together.

“Marg” in Hindi means meadow, and “Gul” means flower, and that is exactly what Gulmarg is – a vast circular meadow full of flowers, around which the town has grown.In the meadow horses graze amidst fields of lupins and daisies, looking too ridiculously picturesque for words.

The town was built by the British during the colonial times, so there is the inevitable golf club, a pretty little church, a tiny abandoned cemetery, walking paths, old-style hotels, and quaint tin-roofed huts, where you can stay.  Sadly, the polo ground has gone, but otherwise the old Gulmarg is still very much visible, through the noise of the new Gulmarg that has cheerfully mushroomed, as Kashmir becomes once again a popular holiday destination.

Less than a decade ago, a world-class gondola was built, which takes you high up Kongdori Mountain in a scenic two-stage journey.  When you come out at 12,293 feet onto the snowy slopes in the middle of the summer, it is an extraordinary sight.  Rubber boots and anoraks are available for rent, because it is indeed cold up there – 12,293 feet-worth-cold.  You can try your hand at skiing or sledding, or simply walk on the snow.

Don’t expect to be alone, though.  The gondola trip is hugely popular, and you will see Indian auntie-jis in silk saris shrieking with laughter as they topple over in the snow, a source of wonder to most of urban India.

There are ponies everywhere in town, hundreds and hundreds of them.  Grazing in the flowery meadows, trotting up and down the paths, patiently lining up waiting for clients – this is pony-land.  Most people take a pony ride around town, again often with much shrieking and laughter, usually from the self-same, sari-clad auntie-jis.

Gulmarg and its environs are famous for trout fishing, and many serious anglers beat a path here to fish the streams, but if you are new to fishing, you can try out your skills in the municipal trout ponds in town.  They will rent you a rod, show you the ropes, and if you land a fish, prepare it for you to take back to your hotel to have it cooked.

Gulmarg is meant for walkers, with paths taking you all the way around the marg – this is a beautiful walk, with flowers in every direction.  There are also many paths heading off into the forests.  Surrounded by towering pines and snow-clad mountains, there is no dearth of trails.  And the views are utterly fabulous – mountains, forests, snow, flowers – just lovely.

No one actually lives in Gulmarg – there are no permanent residents.  At night, only hotel residents and staff are allowed to stay, so every evening there is an exodus of day-trippers and pony-walas and sled-walas and taxi-walas, and suddenly you are in a sleepy, quiet little hill town again.  The sun sets behind the mountains, and peace falls on the flowery marg – Gulmarg at its best.

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