It was just what we had always looked for: a 2-week stay in a 4-star accommodation — a large, airy room with great en suite facilities; personnel hovering over my wife, Flory, anticipating her every wish and accommodating her every whim; fantastic meals, and the zero charge upon checkout.

This took place in 1991. Since I was somewhat afraid you might want to overnight in this Shangri-la, I waited until now to report it.

Come to think of it, maybe you wouldn’t want...

by Yvonne Horn

As autumn rustled the last of the leaves from St. Stephen’s Green’s trees, Margaret Gormley, Park Superintendent for Ireland’s oldest public park, already had Ireland’s most famous park’s spring color palate in mind.

In the park’s enormous glass house, long tables of rose, yellow, white and red polyanthus seedlings would share space with flats of wallflower in shades of scarlet and gold. Pansy starts would be well represented — white, yellow and blue. Hyacinth...

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 391st issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine.

No good deed goes unpunished.

In the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, the number of beggars and street children rose from 870 in 2006 to 2,600 in 2008. In an effort to reverse the trend, in June the legislative council made it against the law to give money to beggars. The penalty is up to three months’ jail time or a fine of up to 1.5 million rupiah (about $170).

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