Category: Sidebar

Maiasmokk is the most charming restaurant with a café
overlooking the street on the ground floor where you can sip coffee or
have drinks and watch the world go by. It’s tucked behind the main square
but is easy to find. The best dinner the Beetle had whilst in Tallinn
– and the competition was tough! Address: (1-2) Pikk 16, tel: 6464-070.

Want to tell us about your favourite coffee corner or
watering hole? Then e-mail: the Beetle

In about 200 AD a famous Greek astronomer named Claudius
Ptolemy believed that the earth had to be balanced or it would topple
over. He figured that there had to be a land yet unknown to Europeans
somewhere below the Indian Ocean. Over time this yet to be discovered
land came to be known as Terra Australis Incognito that means the Unknown
Southern Land.

NASA has recently published a map of the world showing
the frequency of lightening around the world. They found that The Congo
has 50 lightening strikes a year for each square kilometre of land, compared
to two per square km in the UK. Antarctica and Egypt hardly have any lightening
strikes at all.

Believe it or not, the Northern Line (AKA the Misery
Line) is allegedly now the Tube’s top performing line! Formed in the mid
1920s and renamed the Northern Line in 1937 – that’s the black one that
runs north-south. There are 36 stations on this line and has one of the
world’s longest tunnels at 17.25 miles.

Researchers studying the spotted hyena in Tanzania have
discovered that they are the only wild animal to be able to carry the
rabies virus but not display any of the symptoms. So stop worrying about
those hyenas biting!

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Some places in the Islamic world vie to be the first to see the new moon
at the start of the new month. It is a time of fasting during daylight
hours. During this time, Muslims concentrate on their faith. A huge party
called Eid or more correctly, Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the month.
The Beetle has attended Eid parties whilst living in Pakistan – they are
a lot like Christmas for Christians – food, presents and a lot of fun.

Under 24? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested
in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each
year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page
on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent
travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

Last month’s article on Bali in a nutshell was in fact
written by Shirley of London. Sorry about that, Shirley!

When the Beetle wants to say thank you and money is
not appropriate, she gives postcards from her hometown, London, to people
as small gifts. Take some with you!

Got a travel tip you would like to share
with the Beetle? Then e-mail them to: the Beetle

Fairly self-explanatory, a suggestions form Dick, the
London Meetings organiser: onlinenewspapers.com A
great way of catching up after months of being away from TV, radio and
newspapers!