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Cascais is a great weekend break from the UK. There are several airlines that fly to Lisbon, including EasyJet, Monarch, British Airways and Monarch. From Lisbon airport, it is a fifty minute bus journey on the Aerobus, costing just 8.50 euros to Estoril or Cascais.

Cascais is 6.5km (4 miles) W of Estoril and 61km (38 miles) west of Lisbon. From 1870 to 1908, the Royal Family came to Cascais for the sea air, turning the Portuguese quiet fishing village into an ‘it spot’. The citadel gained electric light in 1878, the first in the country, thanks to King Lus. The village gained better roads to Lisbon and Sintra, a casino, a bullfight ring, a sport club and improvements in the basic infrastructure for the population. The railway arrived in 1889. Many aristocratic families built beautiful mansions in Cascais, many of which can still be seen in the centre and surroundings of the town. In the 1930s, Cascais’ popularity revived and attracted artists and writers to its little cottages. During WW2 several Kings and heads of European countries and their aristocratic entourages sought refuge in Cascais and nearby Estoril. Today Cascais is a dormitory town of Lisbon but there is still a lot to see and do.

Cascais is still a small, pretty fishing port which is small enough to be explored on foot over the course of a weekend. The town is dominated by a small beach with a still active fishing industry. There is a pretty harbour with lots of splendid yachts mixed with small fishing boats. Legend even has it that it was a Cascais fisherman, a certain Afonso Sanches, and not Columbus who discovered the New World ten years before the famed date of 1492.

Behind the harbour and the beach is an old town with a maze of small streets and side streets with shopping, an internet caf – don’t forget to explore the small side alleys, plenty of which feature tucked away little restaurants, often with fixed price menus with good food.

Also tucked away in the back streets is the fish market where some of the fisherman haul their small boats and catches. See photo below.

In 1926 the railway line from Lisbon to Cascais was the first to be electrified in Portugal and this is the best way by public transport to get in to Lisbon if you want to do some shopping. Cascais is at the end of the line and the train takes you along to coast to Cais do Sodre. From there, you can easily transfer to Lisbon’s metro which is frequent, safe and inexpensive and allows easy access to all the things and places you may want to do or visit in Lisbon. Though there is shopping to be had in and around Cascais in the form of trestle table markets where the speciality is fine linens and embroidery and there is one shopping complex in Cascais and another much larger one on the road to Sintra.

There is the Museu do Mar that depicts the story of Cascais and its fishing history. Three kilometres, about a 20-minute walk along the coastal road outside town is the Boca do Inferno where on rougher days the sea hammers into the rock through a blow hole creating spectacular spray giving meaning to the English translation of “mouth of hell.” A small piece of trivia: Aleister Crowley came to Boca do Inferno to fake his own death in 1930. It is possible to walk all the way from Cascais to Estoril along a waterfront boardwalk where you can see plenty of beaches, though these can become crowded in the summer months.

The best beach nearby (reached by bus from outside the train station every one or two hours) is the sandy beach of Guincho – see photo right. If surfing is your thing, the beach at Guincho has high waves that attract windsurfers from around the globe and has hosted the World Surfing Championships. The next town to the east of Cascais is the resort town of Estoril dominated by the Casino – which was used as the basis of the James Bond film Casino Royale.

To the north and within easy reach is the lovely hill town of Sintra and which was described in glowing terms by Lord Byron. All in all, a good destination for a long weekend with a chance to stay in Lisbon and visit Cascais and Estoril or stay in Cascais and visit Lisbon and Estoril.

There is only one airport in Barcelona city, commonly known by the locals as L’Aeroport del Prat. Barcelona Airport is located 12 kilometres south-east of Barcelona city centre and 3km from Barcelona’s harbour (one of the most important in the Mediterranean Sea). There are a few ways you can get from Barcelona Airport to the city centre, let’s have a look at them so you can go by;

By Taxi is without doubt the fastest way to leave Barcelona Airport but not necessarily the fastest way to get to your destination. Barcelona, is a big modern city and has so much traffic that sometimes it can drive you nuts. The airport taxi rank is on the left hand side when you leave the airport main exit. There are taxis 24/7 all year long and they’ll always have change of a 20 euro note (this is your right as a customer) but any bigger note than that, could cause you problems when paying, especially late at night. All official Barcelona taxis are black and yellow and are required to charge you only the value on the meter, though the Beetle has heard stories of unscrupulous taxi drivers who won’t give change and drive off with a large note – but this is taxi drivers the world over. Expect to pay around 25 euros for the journey into the centre of town. There will also be an additional surcharge charge for each bag you’re carrying. The rates are displayed inside the cab. Taxi drivers have been obliged to accept guide dogs for blind people since 1993 by law.

By AeroBus. The AeroBus is, as you may have already guessed, a Bus service. It’s simply one of those Airports to City Centre destinations only that all big airports have. This service runs normally runs every 15 minutes within its fixed hours of operation (see official website) for the exact timetable for the Aerobus.) You can catch the Aerobus from the airport and it stops at all 3 terminals. The aerobus will then take you to the city centre where you can get off at either Placa Espana or Placa de Cataluna in the city centre. From there you can catch the metro – see here for a map and details of the barcelona metro. Please note that the metro does not run to the airport. You buy the ticket on the bus, it costs (at the time of writing) 3.75 euros one-way and 6.45 euros return, they accept Visa. The journey from Barcelona Airport to the city centre is about 30 minutes long.

By Night Bus. There is also a regular local night bus, the 106, which takes you from Barcelona airport to Plaza Espana. This is the only late night public transport service available. Try to be at the bus stop about 10 minutes early, as the timetables are approximate and it always depends on traffic. You can buy a ticket on board just try to have some change on you. If you don’t know where you have to get off, ask tell the driver which your stop is and he’ll let you know.

By Train. The RENFE train service runs approximately every 30 mins to and from Barcelona airport to the city centre. The travel time approximately 25 minuets. If travelling from the airport to the city centre you will need to get off at Barcelona Sants and change either for another RENFE train to Placa Catalunya or for the Barcelona metro underground system. If you have not bought a T10 ticket and just purchased a normal ticket then you will have to buy another ticket for the change at sants. If you have a T10 ticket you can change without paying an additional charge. The metro runs directly from Barcelona Sants station and from Passeig de Gracia. Barcelona Sants station is a major rail station that offers train connections to many other destinations outside Barcelona. The price depends on where you stop but getting to the centre will cost you 2.30 euros. You can get straight into four of Barcelona’s main train stations offering connections to anywhere in Spain. Be warned that you’ll need your ticket on arrival at your destination, so don’t throw your ticket away. While you can take your pets on local transport, they must be on a lead or in some sort of cage. You can also take bicycles on the local train but there are some restrictions at peak times.

By Car. There are many car hire companies based in Barcelona Airport. If you plan to drive in the city you’d better get hold of a good street map, remember Barcelona isn’t a small city (over 3 million people live there and most of them have cars.) The journey to the city could take about 20 minutes but that will depend on traffic conditions. If you plan to stay in Barcelona city, I wouldn’t recommend hiring a car as it’d be more trouble than it’s worth and public transport can take you anywhere at anytime. However if you plan to visit the outskirts of the city, a car would be helpful.

For more information on timetables and routes, see:

Karen (see photo left) is a London based artist and architect whose passion is sketching and painting life around her, in her annotated, watercolour sketchbook diaries.

Karen says, “This might be in the bustle of a market, on the top of a cathedral or down in a wine cellar, the middle of a city or even the middle of nowhere. I have kept annotated, watercolour sketchbook diaries for almost twenty years. I stand in situ and draw with bic biros, (I do not use a camera) adding watercolour and notes around the perimeter. Sometimes the words venture into the drawing and become an integral part.”

Karen goes on to say, “In 2001 I was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to undertake an artist’s journey through World Heritage Cities and Sites from France, travelling eastwards through eight countries, including Iran, Uzbekistan and India to Nepal, recording it all in the pages of my sketchbook diary. Subsequently I have spent time in Cuba, and the World Heritage City of Havana, culminating with a solo exhibition of my work at the British Ambassador’s Residence there.”

Karen’s work has included a community project along Hadrian’s Wall, and sketching in and around the Palace of Westminster, both of which are World Heritage Sites, as well as a spell as ‘artist in residence’ at the Athenaeum. Karen was also the ‘MCC Young Cricket Artist for 2005’, based at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

On October 9th 2006, Karen’s London sketchbook diary was published by Methuen, and launched (see photo right) together with an exhibition of paintings from the sketchbook at the Waterloo Gallery, London where various London glitterati and Globetrotters turned up to sup wine and admire Karen’s superb drawings.

If you would like more information about Karen’s work or would like to contact her, please visit her website or e-mail her on: info@karenneale.co.uk

London in Landscape can be purchased online from The Westminster Bookshop and Amazon Books as well as all good bookshops.

Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, and approximately 180 kilometres north of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). It was made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became what is now a university town (Visva-Bharati University ) that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Santiniketan is a tourist attraction also because Rabindranath lived here and penned many of his literary classics (namely Tagore songs, poems, novels etc.) and his home is a place of historical importance.

Santiniketan means “abode of peace”. In 1863, a meditation centre was founded at Santiniketan by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, the father of the world famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. He had established the Brahmo Vidyalaya and in 1901 another open-air laboratory school. In 1921, it had expanded into Visva-Bharati University.

Visva-Bharati is a residential university with International body, hostels and extensive grounds. It includes separate colleges for fine arts and crafts, dance, music, teachers training, Asian Languages, technology, post graduate studies and research. “Rabindra-Sadhana” is the university’s museum and the centre for the study of Tagore. There is another institution for rural reconstruction, health, social welfare, and the revival of the folk arts at Sriniketan, which is very close to Santiniketan.

This institution also founded by Tagore in 1922. On your visit to Santiniketan you will notice yourself drawn to a place called the ashram that comprises all that Kabi Guru (Lord of Poets) Rabindranath Tagore had established. Santiniketan is the embodiment of serenity and peace, far removed from the concrete jungle. Here imposing sculptures of Ram Kinkar greet you at every turn of the road. Paintings of Nandalal, Abanindranath and Binod Bihari captivate your senses. Uttarayan is the complex where Rabindranath lived, has a museum and art gallery.

Visva Bharati University is the University at Santiniketan, 2 km from the nearest railway station Bolpur, is now a centre of international studies and culture. The university is also open to visitors. Sriniketan, a centre for traditional handicrafts like batik (on leather, cloth and silk), pottery, weaving kantha embroidery and dokra tribal handicrafts is situated three kilometres from Santiniketan. The Ashram area represents the encouragement and belief of Tagore even though it seems overshadowed by the university.

A visitor usually takes cycle rickshaw rides in and around the area. What would draw your attention would be boards that say Heritage Complex. Although the saddened state of the buildings do not have the basic paint jobs done and doesn’t fit with the image of a heritage complex, you would not really mind it. There are plenty of places to stay in Santiniketan. On reaching there, be sure to ask any of the locals. People all over Bengal are known for giving good directions. Long live Santiniketan, long live Tagore.

About the author: Arjun Mukherjee is a song writer and a musician who loves to travel and photography is also his hobby. His website can be found at : www.arjun.in and Arjun can be contacted by e-mail: arjun@123linux.com

World’s Largest Subway Systems (by rider ship)

Sources: Jane’s Urban Transport Systems, 2002–2003 edition, and individual subway websites http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762446.html

The South American Explorers Club are looking for new volunteers and interns in their Buenos Aires Clubhouse as they are expanding the services they offer. There are many exciting volunteer opportunities available for adventurous travellers in the Southern Cone. While Buenos Aires has razzle-dazzle nightlife and neighbourhoods made for shopping and exploring, take some time to volunteer with organizations assisting the needy throughout the city. You’ll see a side of Buenos Aires that few travellers do. Helping children with schoolwork, serving food at a community kitchen, and collecting food for the hungry are just a few of the opportunities available. If you are interested, contact: explorer@saexplorers.org

Mac has not been very well but is still e-mailing strong. Here is an account by Paul Haring, a US journalist writing about Mac’s exploits during WW2. The article is entitled: The ‘Greatest Generation.’

The World War II generation, called by Tom Brokaw the “Greatest Generation,” is well represented at the Soldiers and Airmen’s Home in Washington. Now rounding out the twilight of their lives, these veterans are the last living link to history that is fast taking its place among the annals of textbook knowledge. In honour of Veterans Days, here are excerpts from the lives of four World War II veterans who live at the home. (We have produced the one about Mac.)

More news re Ryanair who have been told by the UK’s Office of Fair Trading(OFT) to remove their small print in their ticket info over their attempt to avoid paying compensation for damaged and lost baggage. Ryanair was refusing any liability for damage or delay to prams, sporting equipment, such as golf clubs, wheelchairs and musical instruments. Following the watchdog’s intervention, this get-out clause has now been dropped. The airline made passengers go through a whole host of red-tape when someone tried to make a compensation claim for lost baggage, requiring the traveller to report an item lost and then wait for 21 days to see if it turned up. They would then have to make a second claim, filling out a form, within the following 21 days or their claim would be rejected. Ryanair has now been ordered to drop the need to make the second report, which was seen as an obstacle to fair compensation. Ryanair also required passengers making a claim for damaged or delayed baggage to fill out a long and complex so-called ‘Property Irregularity Report’. This has now been dropped. Ryanair has also been told it must guarantee proper compensation and, if appropriate, overnight accommodation when it cancels or delays flights without good reason. The OFT has also put other budget operators on notice that they should not try to get out of treating customers fairly.

Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair has ordered his entire fleet to serve only Fairtrade tea and coffee, which are generally regarded as more expensive than rival brands. After a successful trial period, Ryanair has switched from Kraft’s Carte Noir to a little-known brand with the Fairtrade stamp of approval, a certification that guarantees farmers and producers in the developing world are paid a fair price for their crops. The airline’s updated menu card now bears the distinctive blue and green Fairtrade logo alongside its new supplier, Saile & Sabga. Instead of accepting some kudos for attempting to be green (apart from the climate change implications of flying, that is,) Mr O’Leary insists that the switch is designed to save money, saying, “The fact that our new tea and coffee supplier is a Fairtrade brand is a welcome bonus, but the decision was based on lowering costs. We’d change to a non-Fairtrade brand in the morning if it was cheaper.” Supporters of the Fairtrade system say Ryanair’s conversion is proof that buying Fairtrade is not only principled, but also prudent. “It’s all about the bottom line with O’Leary, so it demonstrates to other businesses that buying Fairtrade is not just an act of generosity by the well- intentioned,” said Peter Gaynor, executive director of Fairtrade Ireland. “It can also make sound financial sense.”

MEETING NEWS

Our first speaker was Rory Maclean, “The magic bus”, Istanbul to India. Rory set out to visit the places along the classic overland route to India. Starting in Istanbul at the Pudding shop, visiting the spectacular Hagia Sofia, then using mainly public buses to travel through Iran and into Afghanistan, where at one point he landed up at the now infamous Bagram airbase with a group of NGO’s. Along the way Rory bumped into a few of the people who travelled along this way in the 1960’s and never quite made the return journey. Rory’s journey took 5 months, alas “the Magic bus” no longer runs and Afghanistan is once again off limits to all but the most intrepid.

Our second Speaker was Sheila Paine, another of the intrepid bunch who does venture in Afghanistan due to her interest in embroidery and despite being hindered by having to wear a burka to get into the country and travel around managed to capture some great photos of life. Sheila took us to Kandahar, a Taliban town, where the buildings are in ruins and shops have opened inside old shipping containers. At Mazar-I- Sharif we saw some of the beautiful tiled mosques. In the capital Kabul she showed us Chicken Street, a tourist haunt, where a photographer with an old fashioned camera still managed to ply his trade. A fascinating insight into a country we hear only bad news about.

By Padmassana

Coming next: Saturday 4th November 2006

Martin Featherstone will be giving a talk entitled Morocco Off Road. Martin drives into the desert makes discoveries and has adventures. The second talk is to be arranged as David Atkinson’s talk about has been postponed until February.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk