British Airways opens Leeds Bradford-Heathrow route after period in which carriers withdrew link twice in as many yearsDirect flights between London and Yorkshire are to be restored after an 18-month interval in what some people regard as an encouraging move for the region's economy.British Airways will run four services a day between Leeds Bradford and Heathrow from 9 December, ending a period of uncertainty that has seen the link broken twice in as many years.Ticket sales opened on Wednesday with a single fare costing �42. Andy Lord, BA's director of operations, who unveiled the link at Leeds Bradford, said the airline was sure that its network would not face the problems which led first BMI and then Flybe to withdraw from Leeds in 2009 and 2011.But the move was condemned by environmental groups including Greenpeace, whose senior campaigner, Joss Garman, said: "You can hop on a train to do this journey. It's exactly these kind of short-haul flights, easily reachable by other less polluting ways to travel, which clog up Heathrow. The aviation lobbyists look as disjointed as the government's transport policy if they're going to applaud needless flights like this and then complain about Heathrow being full."The new service follows BA's acquisition of BMI and its Heathrow landing and take-off slots in April and will see streamlined connection services aimed at the business and tourism sector. Travellers will be able to check in bags and get boarding cards at Leeds-Bradford for onward flights from London and timings will be linked to BA services to destinations including New York, Singapore, Johannesburg and Hong Kong.Yorkshire pitched vigorously for the new link, one of three confirmed by BA with others introducing direct services between Heathrow and Rotterdam and Zagreb. Lord said: "This is our first new service to a regional airport for some years and it's a tribute to the persistence of Leeds Bradford and the case which people in Yorkshire and the Humber have made. It's also a welcome return to Yorkshire for British Airways and we are very excited about flying from this excellent, commercially important airport once again."Leeds Bradford has a significant catchment area and we are delighted to offer not only direct flights to London but a well timed schedule that will allow customers from this region to connect with our extensive short haul and long haul flights from Heathrow."A report for BAA Airports from Oxford Economics last year underlined the importance of better air links to manufacturing and other businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber. It estimated that �3.3bn of exports from the region annually depend on international flights and two-thirds of the foreign investors, who account for 11% of jobs, rely on air transport to reach their main markets.The study also emphasised the importance of tourism to Yorkshire and the Humber and suggested that 3,800 jobs in the region depend directly on access to Heathrow. Overseas visitors spent �417m in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2010 and 749,000 of the estimated 1,000,000 total arrived in the UK by air.Mark Goldstone from Leeds Chamber of Commerce said: "This is a real issue for Leeds city region as we have dozens of members that trade with or aspire to do business with the likes of Brazil, India and China. To support trade and the city region's economy, it is vital for our firms to be able to make connections to these emerging markets."Brian Dunsby of Harrogate Chamber of Trade & Commerce said: "We have been lobbying for a restoration of the scheduled service between Leeds Bradford and Heathrow ever since BMI withdrew the service in 2009."Whilst the East Coast trains from Leeds and York to Kings Cross are ideal for visits to central London, the onward connection to Heathrow can take more than an hour, which means that the new flights will be much more convenient ? given an adequate flight schedule."Air transportYorkshireUnited KingdomEuropeBritish AirwaysAirline industryTravel & leisureLeedsBradfordHeathrowMartin Wainwrightguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Readers' travel tips: Croatian islands and coast
With nearly 2,000 miles of coastline and 50 inhabited islands, Croatia has plenty to offer lovers of sea and sunshine. Been there readers select their best-loved spotsAdd a tip for next week and you could win a digital camera Winning tip: Stupe island, near KorculaEscape the cruise ship hordes in Korcula town by heading out to peaceful Stupe island. This tiny outcrop in the Adriatic has a small beach, superb snorkelling and a family-run shack serving fresh fish. The kitchen is built into the rock, and wooden tables overlook the dock beneath a shade of reeds. You can reach the island by water taxi from Korcula or, as we did, towed behind a speedboat on an inflatable banana! Just don't forget to ask to be picked up again after sunset. colsholsIstriaVodnjanThis small town just outside Pula is full of medieval winding streets, beautiful churches and stunning architecture. The fascinating church of St Blaise is home to six mummified saints, and the best restaurant in the whole of Istria is the friendly Vodnjanka (+385 52 511435, ul. Istarska 22B) serving authentic Istrian meals, with excellent service.hrobsonLampajinaThere are many little bays and coves in the nature reserve of Lower Kamenjak, but Lampajina is probably the most stunning of its beaches. You'll find laminated white rocks offering natural sun-lounging by the emerald waters of the Adriatic, and a spot where locals cliff-dive from a height of about 10m. The nearby Safari Bar is a classic: the calamari sandwich is worth the wait. kamenjak.hrorange1936Porton Biondi campsiteHere you can set up camp in a fragrant and ancient pine forest overlooking the Adriatic just a short walk from the centre of Rovinj for less than �4 a night per adult. From the waterfront you can hire little motorboats to explore, snorkel, swim and relax. The town itself is old and crumbling and charming and best reached by boat from Venice (returns about ?120pp). So you get to see Venice too! Pick up some Italian cheese, bread and beer: the four-hour ferry ride across the Adriatic, beer in hand in the late afternoon sun, is the perfect way to melt into holiday mode.Ferries: find-croatia.com; campsite: portonbiondi.comalerooni1975Split areaSplitIt's easy to fall in love with this pretty city, set against a stunning mountain backdrop. The centre is built around the striking remains of Diocletian's Palace and contains a warren of stone-paved streets filled with interesting shops. Visitors can take a walk round the coast to the beach or join the evening promenade down the palm-lined harbour. For a great meal try the local's favourite, Sperun (+385 21 346999, ul. Rijecka 3).split.infojaynemoobsGrablje, HvarThough Hvar is known for its posh port and brilliant beaches, those with steel knuckles and a set of wheels can go for a joyride on the narrow, twisted back lanes of the island's old roads. The summit near Grablje reveals heart-stopping panoramic views of sea and mainland. Ancient stone walls mix with patchworks of lavender and olive trees. Back at sea level, stop in tiny Milna for white stone beaches and, in the only, alfresco, cafe, inexpensive fresh fish and delicious omelettes.hvarinfo.com/milnabeanercorriganHvar TownHvar is a fairy tale that has the added bonus of an entirely traffic free centre, frequented only by silent electric delivery carts, ferries and luxury yachts. Once an important port in the Venetian empire, today it is a town of smiling and courteous locals.After an exhausting day of sun-bathing and swimming, wander and admire the stunning architecture, climb the steep hill to the 16th-century fortress above the old city, explore the passageways and stairways or just sit and watch the world go by with a coffee in the beautiful old square overlooking the harbour. End the day at the ancient theatre or a lively disco, or with a walk along the beautifully lit promenades, through the trees by the sea, looking out to the twinkling lights of the stairs and ships anchored in the bay. tzhvar.hr/en pmartiniRestaurant Lungomare, Hvar This gem in the middle of Hvar is a 10-minute walk from the marina and the expensive cruise-passenger-filled restaurants. Enjoy a complimentary starter (ours was delicious fresh anchovies with lemon and Istrian olive oil) and then the best and most reasonably priced seafood in Hvar. Expect the exuberant chef and owner to come personally to your table to make sure you are enjoying your meal. The ceiling decorated with fishing nets and shells and adds to the relaxed yet fun atmosphere. +385 98 361543, ul. Krizna Iuka 9, pinkchampagnehvar.com joyouseDubrovnik areaSobra, Mljet island Sobra, on the island of Mljet, off the Dubrovnik coast, is a village that tourists normally sail past. Here you'll find a private "beach" and a first-class bar/restaurant serving Croatian food and Italian pizzas, run by Nikola. From Sobra catch a ferry or hire a car and head to the national park on the other side of Mljet to explore the beautiful, wild and lush forest. The highlight is the large saltwater lake that cocoons a Benedictine monastery. You can swim across or take the hourly boat.mljettravel.com/sobra.htmljimmigrimbleLokrum islandPick up some picnic supplies and take the 10-minute, hourly boat from Dubrovnik to this beautiful island. Start the day with a trek to the fortress at the highest point of the island, for unbeatable views of Dubrovnik, before taking the coastal path to the monastery. On the way, take one of the rocky paths down to the shore to discover your own private beach ? for a picnic lunch and a few hours of sun-worshipping. Finish the day by watching the sun go down, enjoying live guitar music in the cafe, or, best of all, floating in the beautiful tranquillity of the salt lake.lokrum.hr/en. Boats depart from the old harbour every half an hour in summer, 9am-5pm. Returns 35 kuna (about �4)jesuisbenrobCafe Buza, Dubrovnik A well-hidden hole in the city walls leads to this stunningly located bar on the rocks. Watch the sun set over the Adriatic with a cold beer, while locals plunge into the water from the high rocks next to you. It's an astonishingly beautiful place. cafebuza.com. The address is Crijeviceva 9, but ask for directions or head to the city walls and look for the "Cold drinks this way'" sign beauforttenHotel Villas, Kolopcek Island Easily accessible from Dubrovnik, but a world away from it, Hotel Villas Kolopcek is a fantastic hotel on a brilliantly peaceful and relaxing island that you can walk across in an hour or kayak the whole way around in an afternoon. Blue seas, secluded coves, amazing fish restaurants, friendly and efficient staff at the hotel, and four ferries a day into Dubrovnik for only a few euros, it's the absolute perfect place to unwind. kolopcek.com scubagirl66CavtatCavtat is a beautiful and peaceful port village across the bay from historic if a bit overcrowded Dubrovnik. In fact, the best way to enjoy medieval Dubrovnik is to stay in Cavtat. Everything is cheaper, yet it is the same excellent food, the same excellent wine and the same friendly Croatians. Eat grilled squid, drink Plavac wine (a spicy dark red), have an Istra Bitter aperitivo (like Campari, only better), and stay at the spacious Hotel Croatia on the hill overlooking the village. I've been to many places, but Cavtat is close to paradise. dkaszetaKorcula I recommend taking a flight to Dubrovnik and flying home from Split. Going in that direction you will be able to book your island-hopping ferries in advance and avoid getting up at 5am to queue for tickets on the day if you travel in the opposite direction. In Korcula we stayed with the redoutable Priam in Karbuni, who made us feel part of their family summer ? the canoes were free to use, and the sea clear and enticing. We also went to Mljet, which was more touristy but stunning, and Trogir, which was used for the "Vampires of Venice" Dr Who episode, and is small enough to get to know in three days. alisonjart CroatiaBeach holidaysguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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Famous holiday destinations in Mauritius
Mauritius now tops the list of popular choice of tourists The virgin beauty of different holiday destinations and tourist spots of the island is dedicated to give the utmost feel of lying on the lap of nature earth
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Stuff We Like: Forsake
My days follow a fairly standard routine: car to the gnar to the bar. It?s a demanding schedule, and finding technical and stylish footwear that keeps up is difficult. I?m a one-pair-of-shoes sort of guy?meaning my kicks must withstand muddy ski-area parking lots, Front Range trailheads, and discoth�ques with equal panache. Then I discovered Forsake, a new footwear-startup created by college buddies Jake Anderson and Sam Barstow. Forsake builds shoes with my exact conundrum in mind. But there?s one catch: The final retail product doesn?t fully exist yet. For the past two years, Anderson and Barstow have designed and prototyped their vision of the perfect shoe?a stylish yet technical high-top. The most recent models, Hiker, Plot, and Thurston, incorporate durable EVA sole materials, a waterproof and breathable membrane, and a slick mountain-savvy-dive-bar-patron aesthetic. With production-ready samples in hand, Anderson and Barstow looked to Kickstarter for crowd-sourced funding to make Forsake a reality, but their project goal fell short last month. However, with an overwhelming positive response to the shoes, they are pursuing other funding for a Spring 2013 launch. On paper, Foresake makes my perfect shoe, but I wanted to log some foot time to be sure. After a few emails, the guys sent me one of the few-available prototypes of the Pilot. Two weeks worth of mischief later, I can?t be more stoked on these sneakers. They?re comfortable, functional, and damn good-looking. They?ve got equal parts office, outdoor, and barstool steeze. They?ve survived sudden spring downpours, long bike rides, and more than a few dribbles of tzatziki sauce from post-bar gyros. I?d still use a technical hiking boot for big excursions, but the Pilot covers everything else. ?We're working hard to make Forsake happen because we really believe in its potential. We want the shoes for ourselves,? says Barstow. ?The name came from ?For Sam and Jake.? We see ourselves as our first customers.? Mark me down as future customer number three. Goodbye soggy skate shoes. Follow the progress of Forsake on Facebook. Also, check out Forsake?s entire line at their website.
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Stalking Schwitters in the Lake District
Newcastle honours the high priest of Dada, whose previous exhibitions include the notorious show 'curated' by the Nazi Goebbels on 'degenerate art'. Alan Sykes reportsWakefield-born Helen Petts is a film-maker, a photographer and a painter who also works collaboratively with improvisational musicians.In her latest work, commissioned for the Great North Museum's Hatton Gallery, she has created a film installation with sonic back-drop which follows the high priest of Dada, Kurt Schwitters, as he fled Nazi Germany for Norway and then on again to the Lake District. Schwitters has many passionate admirers, and the Merzbarn, his only surviving 'Merz' construction, made in a barn in the Langdale Valley in the months before his death in the Lake District in 1948, is now an integral part of the Hatton Gallery, and a place of pilgrimage for Schwitters' fans.As an, at the time dangerous, addition to his cv, Schwitters was included in the Entartete Kunst ? degenerate art ? exhibition curated, if that's the right word, by Josef Goebbels in Munich in 1937. Schwitters had fled Germany a few months before the opening of the exhibition ? which also included works by Mondrian, Max Ernst, Kandinsky, Kokoshka, Chagall, Otto Dix and Klee - as his son Ernst had evaded military service, and it became convenient for both of them to leave.In Norway he mostly stayed on the small island of Hjertoya where the Schwitters Hytta still survives. Helen Petts followed him there, camping on the electricity-free island and filming the surroundings, as well as swimming in the icy fjord. It seems probable that, in creating the Merzbarn, Schwitters was, in some way, attempting to re-create the space in Norway where he was happy ? as Helen Petts puts it: "it was almost spooky how similar the landscape around the hytta is to Elterwater, and how like the Merzbarn the hytta itself isSchwitters was forced to flee the Nazis again in 1940 when they invaded Norway. He embarked on the last Allied ship to leave, arriving in Scotland with his son, daughter-in-law, one piece of sculpture and two white mice. Eventually he landed up in the Lake District, where he spent the last three years of his life, occasionally selling portraits and landscapes of local scenes to earn a living. Although depressed that Kenneth Clark, then director of the National Gallery, refused to see him, his morale was lifted in 1947 when a cheque for $1,000 arrived from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, enabling him to start work on the Merzbarn. The wall of the barn which he had partially completed, by then falling into disrepair, was gifted by its owner to Newcastle University in the 1960s, and transported over there - with considerable difficulty - in the 1960s..Helen has followed Schwitters almost obsessively for her film, camping on the island in Norway where Schwitters lived. She has also followed all of Schwitters' walking routes in the Lake District.As the Dutch art historian Rudi Fuchs has pointed out possibly the great achievement of Schwitters was that he discovered disorder as an expressive force in art. The title of the exhibition comes from the description Schwitters gave of the random process he used with the materials for his collages. Helen Petts has used the apparently haphazard images she has made for her film to create an abstract narrative of the last 10 years of Schwitters' life ? following him to his gravestone in Ambleside churchyard - forcing the viewer to concentrate on shape and form, texture and movement, tone and light, both in the film and the accompanying sound-track. Schwitters was a fan of avant garde music and composed abstract poetry using wordless vocal sounds to construct works like his Ur Sonata. Helen Petts has used experimental music and improvised sounds as the sound-track for her film, working with leading experimental musicians Phil Minton, Roger Turner, Adam Bodman and Sylvia Hallett.Helen has said: When I was invited to Hannover Jazz Week to screen some of my music films, I went to the Schwitters archive there and realised what an extraordinary artist he was and what an influence he has been on the musicians I work with who all work in free improvisation. And Schwitters was obviously a walker ? he loved the mountains. In the Hatton, the work will be shown on a large screen in the gallery next door to the Merzbarn, with six speakers immersing the viewer with the accompanying sounds.Helen Pett's Throw Them Up and Let Them Sing: Following Kurt Schwitters' escape from Nazi Germany to Norway and the Lake District is on at the Great North Museum - Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, from June 28 until 18 August (with a Merz musical evening at the Sage Music Centre in Gateshead on June 30th). It will also be displayed at the White Room at the Royal Festival Hall, London, from 31 August to 8 September and at Hall Art Gallery, Kendal from 15 September to 19 November. It has been chosen by the Huffington Post as one of the 21 Cultural Olympiad events not to miss this summer. Here's a clip from YouTube of Petts filming Roger Minton, playing percussion with paintbrushes and palette knives, while Phil Minton sings Dada.ArtLake DistrictNewcastleAlan Sykesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Ghost-Dodging in Portland
?Some people swear they?ve seen her,? Ben the bartender said.
?One guy described her in detail, down to the bows on her shoes. He said he saw her sitting right there, in that chair next to you,? he added pointing to my right. ?Sometimes, if I feel an eerie presence around, I?ll leave that chair down when I put the others up for the night. Just in case.?
?One guy described her in detail, down to the bows on her shoes. He said he saw her sitting right there, in that chair next to you,? he added pointing to my right. ?Sometimes, if I feel an eerie presence around, I?ll leave that chair down when I put the others up for the night. Just in case.?
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