Travel Briefs

June 2013 issue

Music classes at Dartington

This is the 60th summer that the Dartington Hall Estate in Devon is holding music classes at the Dartington International Summer School (Dartington Hall,Totnes, Devon, England, TQ9 6EN; phone +44 1803 847077).

Five groups of week-long classes, July 27-Aug. 31, 2013, each have a theme, with courses suitable for beginners, advanced musicians and children.

Including a week’s lodging in the estate, meals, courses and concerts, the rates (per person per night) range from £600 ($927), Foxhole Courtyard, to £1,050-£1,520 ($1,623-2,350), Medieval Courtyard room.

For a week’s...

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February 2013 issue

Rijksmuseum reopens

The main gallery of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum (Jan Luijkenstraat 1, 1071 CJ, Amsterdam; phone +31 20 674 7000), which closed for a €375-million renovation in 2003, will reopen to the public on April 13, 2013. A small section had remained open to display certain works.

The museum’s collection consists of about 8,000 works of art, most notably paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, including Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid” and Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” as well as sculptures and decorative arts.

It will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 365 days a year. Adult, €14 (near $18.50); under 19, free....

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October 2013 issue

Black Watch Museum

At Balhousie Castle in Perth, Scotland, the Black Watch Museum reopened on June 25 following a one-year, £3.5-million renovation and expansion,

One of the most famous regiments in Scotland, the Black Watch was formed in 1715 to calm the troubles in the Highlands, and it has fought in many of the biggest conflicts of the past 300 years, including the American Revolution and both World Wars and, more recently, in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Rotating and permanent exhibitions are drawn from the museum’s collection, which includes works of art, film, sound...

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March 2013 issue

Married at sea with RCI

As of November 2012, legally binding weddings may be conducted aboard ships of Royal Caribbean International (866/562-7625) registered in the Bahamas. Among many wedding packages is “Romance at Sea,” from $3,995, with a marriage by the ship’s captain or first officer on deck or in the ship’s chapel, and flowers, a cake, champagne, photography and more.

August 2013 issue

Cliffs of Moher trail

Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher, a 3-hour drive west of Dublin, have a new coastal walking trail that cost €400,000 to establish.

Starting at the Cliffs of Moher visitor center (phone +353 65 708 6141, www.cliffsofmoher.ie), the 12-mile trail offers views from the cliffs, which reach up to 700 feet above the sea below. The path, at points, has steep ascents, no handrails and narrow flagstone steps. Facilities include a restaurant, a café, a gift shop, toilets and picnic areas. No dogs allowed.

Guided walks must be booked in advance (phone +353 0 86 08229913) and depart at 10 a.m....

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January 2014 issue

Allure of the Seas dry-docked

The largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, will be put in dry dock on Feb. 24 to repair its propulsion units. Booked passengers can apply for a 100% refund or rebook other itineraries with RCI at the same rate. 

The propulsion units, called pods, can swivel 360 degrees independently to propel or stabilize ships. The pods have been prone to problems, resulting in ships having to decrease speed or risk losing propulsion power. On several ships, the bearings used to enable the swiveling have shown rates of wear that preclude the ships’...

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May 2013 issue

Christ­church quake exhibit

In Christchurch, New Zealand, the Canterbury Museum (99 Cashel St) has an exhibit about the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit the city in February 2011. “Quake City” explores the seismic activity in the region, runs films and displays objects damaged in the quake, notably the fallen spire of the ChristChurch Cathedral. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Entry, NZD10 (near $8.40).

November 2012 issue

Marseille and Košice in 2013

Košice, Slovakia, and Marseille, France, are the European Capitals of Culture for 2013.

Planned events in music, drama, art, history and literature in Košice are listed at www.kosice2013.sk.

The French government’s website and a blog written by supporters include info on Marseille events.

Note: Marseille has a low rate of violent crime against tourists but is known for its high rate of petty theft and purse/jewelry-snatching crimes. As the city prepares for an expected influx of visitors, police are struggling to lower crime.