Sally left the UK around two years ago to start a new life in Portugal. She lives in a suburb of Lisbon, close to the sea and is now a TEFL teacher, teaching English to Portuguese children and adults. This is an account of Sintra.

Sintra was poetically described by Lord Byron as “this glorious Eden”. It was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is easy to get to Sintra by train from the Estação do Rossio station, opening onto Praça de Dom Pedro IV, or the Rossio, where frequent connections can be made. The one-way fare from Lisbon to Cascais, Estoril, or Sintra is 1.25€ to 2.50€ ($1.45-$2.90) per person. There is also a bus from Lisbon. You can drive, as Sally did, but it’s a difficult and tortuous road, as she found out!

The original Sintra is not large to visit but it now includes two outlying areas named Estefânia and São Pedro. As the older part sits on granite slope it is best seen on foot or by a horse-drawn carriage. The town is dominated by the two conical chimneys of the Palácio Nacional da Vila that was the summer home of the royal family since the 15th Century. Scattered on the hillside are several historical buildings, including the Palácio da Pena, a 19th Century recreation of different styles admired by Dom Fernando II, the German husband of the young Portuguese Queen Maria II, and this example often regarded as a failed attempt to create his own romantic revival.

The castle stands high on the southeast side of the mountain range whilst overlooking the village are the ruined ramparts of the Castelo dos Mouros, a fort dating from the 8th Century. Within it is an ancient Moorish cistern and the panoramic view from its walls is impressive. There are several churches in the town and the most interesting is the 12th Century Igreja de Santa Maria rebuilt in 1755 after the earthquake. Several private palaces are open to the public amongst which are the Palácio de Seteais, a magnificent 18th Century home built for the fifth Marquês de Marialva, and later converted into a five star Hotel; Casa dos Ribafrias, a 16th Century building once belonging to the Marquês de Pombal; Quinta de Pena Verde, another 16th Century palace; and the Palácio de Monserrate built in the 19th Century by Francis Cook and influenced by the architectural work of Nash. Another interesting place is the Convento dos Capuchos, an unusual hermitage founded in 1560 with tiny dwarf cells cut from the rock. Within the old town there are several museums, Museu de Brinquedo showing only toys from the past and present, the Museu Regional retelling the history of the area with items and artefacts and sometimes also holding art exhibitions, Casa Museu Leal de Câmara devoted the works of the artist, Casa Museu Dorita Castel Branco also devoted to works of the sculptress, Museu de Arte Moderna, Galeria de Arte Municipal de Sintra, Centro International de Escultura, Museu de Arqueologia São Miguel de Odrinhas, Museu Renato L. Garcia, Atelier Museu de Anjos Teixeira and Museu Ferreira de Castro.

Here is Sally’s account of her recent trip to Sintra.

Went up to the Pena Palace in Sintra – this is the one that you often see on the rare bit of publicity for Portugal. It looks that something that the mad King of Bavaria might have built. All different shapes and designs in yellow and various other colours. I drove up the Sintra mountains – not a very nice drive as the road is a cobbled three quarter width one with drops at one side, pot holes and because the weather was atrocious, and the road is heavily wooded, it was a bit like something out of Lord of the Rings in atmosphere. There is now a very unusual bus that takes you up to the palace (thank goodness). It is obviously a vintage one as it has lovely wall lights and wooden seats and makes slightly heavy weather of climbing up the incline.

The palace is pretty much the same – quite a fascinating place as it is exactly like it was when the Royal Family used to stay there in the summers before they left for exile. There is only about four staff looking after all the rooms – very different to visiting a National Trust property in the UK. Unfortunately because the weather was so dire, the views were not visible – when I went last time the views were incredible – but it’s still worth going. In fact when I drive to work in Cacem on Tuesdays and Thursdays I can just see the Palace in certain places on the drive. The whole of the Sintra area is very magical anyway.

Another great place to visit is Cabo da Roca – the furthest western point of Europe. Always guaranteed to be a tad breezy and again great views out to sea. Gives you an idea of how brave those explorers were in the olden days and why they thought they would fall off the edge of the world.

Just nearby is a lovely restaurant/bar in a converted Windmill. It is quite unusual as there are so many different places and corners to sit when the weather is fine. It has the odd waterfall here and there and some ponds with frogs and goldfish. Inside it has a conservatory type front and then two rooms. All beautifully decorated in wood with lots of lamps. Equally nice on a wet and cold day as on a hot and sunny one. It’s one of those places you have to be taken to by a local to know about it. A friend’s mother and father took me years ago and I always wondered where it was and then found it by accident a few months ago and really enjoy taking people to it.

If you would like to contact sally, her e-mail address is: pethybs@hotmail.com

What is it: decompression sickness, also called the bends, is related to great changes in environmental pressure. It is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream and tissues of the body. The bubbles occur if you move from deep water towards the surface (where the surrounding pressure is lower) too quickly . It is most usually associated with divers, but can also occur in fliers in a non pressurised cabin when there is a major change in altitude. In the most serious cases decompression sickness can lead to unconsciousness or death.

What are the symptoms: the symptoms generally appear in a relatively short period after completing the dive. Almost 50 per cent of divers develop symptoms within the first hour after the dive, 90 per cent within six hours and 98 per cent within the first 24 hours. In practice this means symptoms that appear more than 24 hours after the dive are probably not decompression sickness. An exception is if the diver has travelled in an aircraft or has been travelling in the mountains. Under these circumstances, low pressure can still trigger decompression sickness more than 24 hours after the last dive. As a result, it is wise not to fly within 24 hours of a deep dive. Mild forms of decompression sickness can resolve themselves without treatment or by breathing 100 per cent oxygen at the site of the accident. The symptoms of decompression sickness vary because the nitrogen bubbles can form in different parts of the body. These can include pain in the joints “bends”. a headache or vertigo, unusual tiredness or fatigue, confusion, a rash, shortness of breath, tingling in the arms or legs, muscular weakness or paralysis, a burning chest pain with a deep breath, a cough or ear or sinus pain.

What happens if I get it: if you suspect decompression sickness, stop the dive, initiate first aid, and summon assistance from a specialist in divers' medicine. Treatment is oxygen on site and during transportation, followed by treatment in a decompression chamber.

How can I avoid decompression sickness?

· Dive within the limits set out in the diving tables.

· Keep your rate of ascent to a maximum 10m/min.

· Don't plan any dives that need a decompression stop in the water.

· Make a three-minute safety stop at a depth of 5m.

· Don't dive more than three times in one day.

· If you plan more than one dive in one day, start by making the deepest dive first.

· If you are diving for several days in a row, have a dive-free day after two to three days.

· Don't do any hard work before or after diving.

· Drink lots of liquid before diving. Lack of fluid due to heat or excess alcohol is dangerous.

· Make sure you are in good physical condition and well rested. Have regular medical checkups.

· Make sure there is an interval of at least 24 hours between diving and travel by air or climbing up mountains. If you have had decompression treatment, the recommended interval before the next dive is at least 48 hours.

Avalon Travel Publishing announces the release of the 7th edition of Moon Handbooks Fiji, the original travel guide to the 322-island Fiji archipelago.

Since 1985, Moon Handbooks Fiji has been the leading travel guidebook to Fiji. Author David Stanley began writing about the South Pacific in 1979, and over the years tens of thousands of Pacific travellers have used his guides to Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, and the South Pacific.

Unlike the maps in other guidebooks which contain confusing numbered keys, the 53 maps in Moon Handbooks Fiji are clearly labelled. To allow for detail, three maps of Fiji's capital Suva are included, and two of the gateway city Nadi.

In this 7th edition, all local telephone numbers are increased from six digits to seven, reflecting a recent change by Telecom Fiji. Internet and email addresses are now embedded in the listings for ease of reference.

Rob Kay of FijiGuide.com has this to say about Moon Handbooks Fiji: “Packed with great maps it also has resources such as a comprehensive bibliography, and tips on local etiquette. More importantly, Stanley excels at getting accurate information on hotels, inexpensive restaurants and tourist sites. However there is another reason why his guide is valuable. Stanley does not simply list the properties in alphabetical order and expect the reader to determine what's best. Based on personal visits and feedback from visitors, he will actually offer you an opinion and the straight facts.”

Priced at US$17.95, this book is distributed in the United States by Publishers Group West, in Canada by Publishers Group Canada, in Europe by HI Marketing, and in Australia and New Zealand by Bookwise International. For more information, visit http://www.southpacific.org/fiji.html

1. The Czech Republic has more Internet Service Providers than any other non-English speaking country.

2. Andorra has no unemployment, which is just as well because they have no broadcast TV channels either.

3. Andorrans live the longest, four years longer than in neighbouring France and Spain.

4. China's labour force stands at 706 million people, almost three times that of Europe and twice that of North and South America combined

5. China has the most workers, so it's a good thing they've also got the most TV's.

6. Clipperton Island wins our prize for the most unusual looking country.

7. Israel enjoys a GDP per capita 21 times that of the Palestinian West Bank and 33 times that of the Gaza Strip. Its military spending per capita tops the world.

8. North Korea spends the most of its GDP on its military.

9. Luxembourgers are the world's richest people – and also the most generous.

10. Indians go out to the movies 3 billion times a year.

Source:

We are sorry to say that Mac is not very well, but he is still e-mailing strong and recently sent the Beetle a collection of Mac reminiscences including those about a hotel room with a vibrating bed and an Indian astrologer.

I am reminded in my correspondence about travel of a vibrating bed I found one time on checking into a budget hotel in Hong Kong. I discovered after I had checked in that it was a rendezvous hotel for Chinese older citizens. No young people checked in but older Chinese that wanted a romantic interlude. I was slow to catch on. There were mirrors on the ceiling and on the wall and I thought gee this is unusual for a budget hotel. I laid down and thought I was switching off the light switch and I switched on the switch that started the bed to rumbling. I at first thought it was an earthquake. I am always slow to catch on.

I one time was on a bus in Mexico City when there was an earthquake and I thought it was just a rough road and bus with bad springs. When I got to my destination everyone was out on the street from that budget hotel. I knew a lady there that had been in same hotel in San Miguel De Allende. The hotel in Mexico City was run by a religious order something like the Quakers. She volunteered there and laughed when I asked her why everyone was out in the street to greet me! Incidentally the hotel in Hong Kong was called The Hilton. They swiped the name from the more expensive Hilton Hotel. It is like calling a hotel The Ritz when it is anything but the Ritz. I really liked that hotel though. It had windows you could open and look out on very busy street. I had been on a package tour where the four or five star deluxe hotel in Hong Kong that was included had been so cold and I could never get the air conditioning off. My cheap hotel had overhead fan which I liked better. The deluxe hotel had a mat in elevator that gave you the day of the week each day woven into the mat. They had a grand piano on a float in pond but for some reason I was never comfortable there so at the end of the tour I moved into the unusual budget hotel and was happy there. It was in a less touristy part of Nathan Road at maybe in the direction of Nathan Road. Just ask for the other Hilton.

I just read that a writer wrote that Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris is a “Third World Airport” It brought out some travel memories. After getting radiation for prostrate cancer I started travelling before I was completely well. At a stop on a tour bus in southern India I started to get up from my seat when I realized I had bled from my rear end onto the seat. I didn’t want to panic the Indian tourists so decided I would sit in my seat until they were all off and then run like hell. All were off but one Indian gentleman who stopped by my seat on way out and asked if I was alright. For some strange reason I blurted out my problem. It turned out he was an Indian doctor who was a cancer specialist at Sloane Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York City and just on vacation in India. He gave me some medicine to stop the bleeding and gave me address of where he was staying in New Delhi if I needed more help.

I continued on to Paris and at Charles De Gaulle airport I started bleeding again. Although I had a ticket on Air France for security reasons they would not let me use their toilet. I went down the street to a police station and by hand motions (not an easy thing to do) asked if could use their toilet. They did not arrest me for obscenity but directed me to their toilet that they evidently had criminals use. It had no door so they at desk could watch the prisoners when in toilet I guess.

I did not want them to know I was bleeding so had to wipe myself as far as possible out of their sight. I then went to a Protestant church (closer than Catholic) and by chance there was an American Protestant minister there and I asked him if there was a military hospital or American hospital. He tried to get thorough to American Embassy but couldn’t to ask them. By this time I had stopped bleeding and went back to airport and still made flight out. On that experience I too call Charles De Gaulle airport a turd world airport.

In New Delhi at the YWCA (they took men as well as women) I had to share my room with another Indian doctor. This time a dentist. He said he could tell my fortune but had to wait until the sun came up in the morning. He told me I had cancer and that I had been in the military and some other things that I had not told him (unless I talked in my sleep) That too was a little strange.

Another experience I had with Air France was that in South America they have a cheap flight from French Guinea to France. People from all over South American go to French Guinea to catch this flight. The flight started in Peru I believe but I picked it up in Northern Brazil (the town on the Amazon I cant think of its name) There was only three of us passengers on this huge 747 and all they gave us was a stale roll. When I asked if I could have a second one I was told they did not have enough. So much for French cuisine. Maybe they picked up their food in French Guinea along with most of the passengers.

I was only going as far at French Guinea. They had French Foreign Legion at their airport as guards. They wanted each of us three to go in separate taxis into town. I showed them my retired military ID and they let us all go then in same taxi. Maybe they thought I was an official. The hotels were full so we had to stay in a French whore house. People from British guinea would come over to use it. It was a hotel but the girls were upstairs. We could not get a room until three AM when night’s activities were over. I got to my room and I got a phone call and I was told I had to go to a doctor. I was told that the girl from that room was sick. I said there has been no girl in this room. They apologized. I went down stairs as it was now about six Am and there was the other two from airplane and we decided to walk into town to see if we could find open cafe. The other passengers were a European that ran a taxi in New York City. He would work long enough until he had enough money to travel and then he and his wife would travel. The other passenger was a European writer for Mad Magazine. He was delighted with our unusual hotel and said: “this is just like in the movies!” Travel can be fun, well, at least interesting!

If you would like to contact Mac, he is happy to answer e-mails: macsan400@yahoo.com

This is the first in a series of trip reports sent to the Beetle by Globetrotter Steve who is travelling around South America and Easter Island, the lucky chap! So, if you are planning trip to South America or are interested in knowing more about it, you may find Steve’s trip reports of interest.

The bus to La Serena was comfortable and the road a paved dual carriageway so the journey wasn’t bad. The countryside became slowly drier. Near Santiago roadside stalls were selling bags of oranges, lemons and avocados which looked very colourful. Nearer La Serena the countryside was very dry and the stalls were selling goat cheese.

La Serena is Chile’s second oldest city. It’s quite a small place with lots of old stone churches. They often have towers or spires that don’t match the rest of the building, a consequence of earthquakes I imagine. A mile away is a big sandy bay developing as a sea side resort with high rise buildings but it isn't the season so the beach is empty.

The weather has been cloudy and cool with a cold breeze from the sea. Yesterday I caught a local bus up the Elqui Valley to Pisco Elqui. The valley floor was covered with irrigated vineyards with the vines supported on a lattice of steel wires to keep the grapes about six foot above the ground. The leaves are fresh and green at the moment as they are just starting to grow after Winter. The steep valley sides were bare rock rising to rugged mountains. There was little vegetation and you could see the strata in the rock faces.

At Pisco Elqui the distillery was closed to visitors so I wandered round, had a lunch and caught the bus back. It filled with school children and agricultural labourers going home and I was a bit of a curiosity. Tomorrow I fly to Arica and then head for the altiplano.

Three days in Arica! It is the most Northern town in Chile and is surrounded by the Atacama Desert where it never rains. The driest place on earth.

The flight here went smoothly. After leaving La Serena I had to change in Santiago, which meant backtracking a bit. The Santiago – Arica flight called in at Iquique on the way here which made it quite a long flight. I had a window seat on the right side which meant I had views of the snow-capped Andes all the way here. On the left was the Pacific, and beneath for most of the journey was desert with occasional green valleys in the early stages of the journey. When the plane landed at Iquique I realised my reading glasses were missing. I’d worn them to look at the newspaper earlier in the flight but they had disappeared. I started to panic when they couldn’t be found but then they were recovered from about four rows in front. They had slid off the seat during the landing. It acted as an icebreaker as a group of elderly Chileans bound for Arica on holiday (The city of Permanent Spring) started to joke and chat, which was fun.

The next day in Arica, being a Sunday, everything was closed except the archaeological museum where they had an excellent display including four Chinchero mummies, the oldest ones ever found in the world. The dry conditions have also preserved textiles buried in graves and they are some of the oldest existing textiles in the world – knitting, weaving, braids and knotted items. It’s remarkable how skilful they were.

Today, Monday, turns out to be a Bank Holiday so again nothing is open. Am I ever going to be able to leave here? Having seen most things in town I’ve had time at the beach. It’s warm and sunny in the afternoon although mornings have been cool and overcast.

Arica has a lot of soldiers who stroll round town all the time in desert combat gear. If I find an army surplus store I want a pair of their desert boots. It also has a large harbour. The fishmeal plant has closed, which is a blessing, and there are several large rusting trawlers berthed at the edge of the town. When I went to the harbour there was a flock of pelicans snatching up the waste from the stalls were fish was being cleaned and in the sea were several marine mammals looking very like large sea lions, perhaps walrus. When I walked to the beach there were fish leaping in the sea. They weren't flying fish, more like mackerel, but they jumped clean out of the water. I think something below the waves was having a good feeding session.

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Stanley: I recently (September 2004) visited my friends in Veliky Novgorod, Russia and stayed in their flat for about a week. There is a requirement to submit a entrance document as well as an exit document upon departure. The exit document must be stamped on the back to be valid. My host in Novgorod took me to the local Russian Government office to take care of the necessary exit stamp and we were told that we must register at a local hotel where they will affix the necessary stamp on the back of my exit permit. The one night at a local hotel cost me 310 roubles for a room I did not need or use just to get the required exit stamp.

I discussed this procedure with my host who just shrugged and I understood that it does not make any sense but this is Russia! It’s best to be forewarned for tourists travelling to Russia. I had a Russian accompany me on two trips to the local government office to translate for me otherwise I would not have understood the procedure to acquire the necessary stamp on my exit permit. E-mail: Smsagara2@aol.com

Mac: Retired Military 81 year old Stanley Matachi Sagara has passed on to me these military tips and experiences. He has visited 66 countries. “I like to take capped ball point pens when I travel. It protects ink from accidentally soiling my shirt pocket (it ruined several shirts before I switched). Someone is always lacking a pen when its time to fill out arrival cards. I loan them my ball point pen but retain the cap so that I have some assurance of getting my pen returned. If not the borrower will have an ink stain in HIS shirt pocket.

Carrying buttoned and folded clothes to eliminate wrinkles in clear plastic zip lock bags makes it easy to locate an item of clothing and makes it easy to pack and repack when necessary. The air in these plastic bags kept his suitcase afloat when his suitcase onetime fell in ocean but did not sink. (In asking what travellers carry I find that zip lock bags is one item that is mentioned again and again) Sagara carries a suitcase with roller blade wheels with nylon bearings the one type that is dependable for easy movement over rough services.

He gave me a nylon bath body cloth that he likes. It is 14 inches wide and about '30 inches (l meter) long. It removes dead skin and is invigorating, comes in hard, medium and soft. He says it is long enough to scrub the back completely without having to shower with a friend. In Japan about US$6.00. In Taiwan and China for about half that price. Since it is made of nylon it can be packed damp in another one of those zip lock bags and it will not mildew.

I did not get this from Sagara but read elsewhere that some of the French policemen along Boulevard St Germain in Paris are now on rollerblades (roller skates) and that all trashcans in Paris are now plastic (zip lock?) bags.

Happy Travelling. Mac

6th November 2004 London meeting

A bumper attendance for the November London Globetrotter’s meeting, with not a chair, table or bit of floor space left. The audience included Globies from overseas including Brie Kelly from Colorado. The crowds had come to hear Globies President Janet Street-Porter’s talk on the Larapinta Trail that starts from Alice Springs and the Bay of Fires walk in Tasmania. Special mention due to Paul Robert’s who burned the midnight oil to scan Janet’s photos so that we could see them digitally. Janet did this 8 day -walk with a group and they were supported by a vehicle carrying their camping, cooking and other equipment, which left them free to enjoy the scenery and swat flies. We saw Janet in a full nylon head net to stop these annoying critters and later she explained a new use for toilet roll to stop the flies entering every orifice! It was all worth it for the great Aussie scenery, the reds and pinks of the rocks and greenery you wouldn’t normally think exists. The Bay of Fires walk in Tasmania is mainly on sand and again we saw some great pictures of her walk. Janet added on some pictures of a walk she recently did near Christchurch in New Zealand, where she stayed in some quirky buildings, one of which enjoyed an outdoor bathtub, where the water was heated by lighting a fire under the tub! The forty minutes went way too fast as we listened to Janet’s commentary.

After the break it was over to Christian Tyler who gave us another interesting talk this time on the Taklamakan Desert and Xinjiang Province in China. His five-week trip began in Dunhuang, famous for its cave paintings. Christian’s group travelled in the ubiquitous Toyota Landcruiser and trekked by camel, supported by a Chinese army lorry. Christian’s journey took him to Miran and to abandoned cities in the desert. Some of these towns have been dug out of their sand tombs, we saw parts of wooden structures which had once been homes and shops. Christian explained that the cities had been abandoned as the underground rivers had either dried up or changed course. We saw other examples such as forests that were now just tree trunks. Christian’s talk gave us a rare insight to an area well off the beaten track.

Mark your diary for forthcoming meetings:

Sat. 4 December

Amar Grover – North Pakistan – Kailash Valleys of Chitral to Gilgit via Shandur Pass

Matthew Leeming -Afghanistan OR Iraqi Marsh Arabs

Sat. 8th January – Four Mini-talks and New Year Party

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 Admission: Members £2.00 Non-members £4.00.

Source:

New York meetings will resume in January – subject will be TBD.

Please contact me (Laurie) if you’re interesting in speaking or know of someone who is! For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates, click here at our website.

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theatre, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm. Admission: $8.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members.

Find the answers

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact Svatka Hermanek: shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

Fly Ryanair and gamble

Ryanair’s latest potential cash generating scheme is to provide in-flight gambling. No fills Ryanair already charge for the ‘frills’ such as food, luggage and movies, and, more famously ice if they could get away with it, are now considering providing gambling on board its planes. News reports say that gambling operators have expressed interest, although there are no formal talks underway.

Ryanair’s Chief Exec warns of reduction in low cost operators

Ryanair and easyJet are widely credited to have helped transform Europe’s low cost airline industry. Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O'Leary recently warned the World Low Cost Airlines Congress that “there will a bloodbath in Europe this winter” in the budget air sector. “The bloodbath will reach all the companies,” said O'Leary, who has previously predicted that only one or two large low-fares airlines will be left flying the skies of Europe in the medium term. Competition in the low cost, no frills airline industry is intensifying. In 2000 there were just five low-cost airlines in Europe, now there are 49, according to Wolfgang Kurth, president of the European Low Fares Airline Association and chief executive of TUI's no-frills carrier Hapag-Lloyd Express. Webster told the conference that low-cost airlines could take advantage of short-haul routes likely to be neglected by the larger, established carriers.

Ryanair adopts a school

Cause related marketing is a live and well. Ryanair’s Head of Communications Paul Fitzsimmons recently said: “It’s back to school time for parents everywhere, and we’re giving people an opportunity to grab a back to school bargain with flights for ONLY 10p on many of our routes from Stansted and at the same time help our adopted school Mountfitchet High School. We will sell 200,000 seats at this fare, which means we can donate £20,000.00 to the school. It is fitting that as http://www.ryanair.com is Europe’s biggest travel website, that Mountfitchet High School is to use our donation to further upgrade their IT facilities for pupils. We would urge passengers to book quickly as demand will be huge and to remember that not only will they fly with Europe’s No.1 low fares airline, but they will also be helping school children further their computer education.”

Announcing the support for Mountfitchet High School at a photo call in the school, Mountfitchet High School Headmistress, Jo Mullis said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Ryanair as their adopted school. Ryanair’s support comes at an important time, because with this help we can buy computer equipment for our pupils, which will help us to achieve our goal of becoming an IT merited school. We hope lots of people will buy their Ryanair flight knowing that Ryanair are donating the entire fare to our school project.” Pass the sick bag, somebody.

Ryanair told to pay back EU subsidy

No-frills Irish airline Ryanair has said that it would repay EUR4 million in subsidies it received to operate from Belgium's Charleroi Airport, pending an appeal to the European Court of Justice. In February, European Union regulators told Ryanair to repay EUR3.9 million (USD$4.97 million) to the regional government of Wallonia in southern Belgium, which had offered Ryanair cheap rates at the region's Charleroi Airport. “(Ryanair) agreed to repay EUR4 million in an escrow account until Ryanair's appeal is heard,” the airline said in a statement. The money will go into a blocked account, to which Ryanair will regain access if it wins its appeal. “We remain very confident that we will win,” Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Leary told a news conference in Brussels. O'Leary said the airline reserved the right to quit Charleroi if an adverse ruling raised costs, but said he intended to keep operations at their current level until then.

Globetrotter meetings have temporarily ceased until further notice due to a bereavement in Christina’s family. If you can help Christina resurrect the Texas meetings, as she would really appreciate some help, please contact Christina on texas@globetrotters.co.uk

Lie, Cheat, Steal. Hitchhike, Drive, take a bus, fly, walk or run…do whatever you can to get to the BootsnAll 2^nd annual Travel Party.

When: December 18th, 7 pm to ? Where: East Bank Saloon, Portland Oregon ( map)

Special Guests: The Notorious N.U.T. (Nick O'Neill) from Bali will be in town as a special guest. If you are thinking about travelling to Asia, have travelled to Asia, you simply must come to the BootsnAll PDX party to meet Nick, have a beer with him and swap stories and tips. He will release tips to hidden beaches and share how to live on under $5/day in Bali, and do it like a King!

Prizes: We'll be giving away a bunch of stuff, like travel books, BootsnAll patches, and who knows what else..

Top 13 reasons to come:

1) Christmas shopping? C'mon…save your cash for travel and send 'em postcards instead!

2) Travel Legend Nick O'Neill will make his first appearance in North America in over two years. Be there to have a drink with this independent travelling legend.

3) A keg of beer (Northwest Microbrew).

4) Organic Oregon Pinot Noir will be served.

5) Travel Photography: At least 500 travel slides will be rotating on a big screen during the party. But don't worry, no one will be droning on and on about them.

6) Blogging: We'll be blogging our brains out at the party with wifi, etc all over the place…bring your laptop and digital camera. Let's go nuts like we did last year.

7) If you are coming in from out of town, and you are a BootsnAll member, you can probably stay at the BootsnAll “hostel” (First come first served).

8) Network with travellers. Last year, close to 80 people showed up and travel info/tips were flying around the room. Don't miss this chance to figure out the hows, why's, and get that invaluable first-hand information.

9) You'll be the star of the show. We'll be video taping all night…if you come, you'll be in a movie. This is how Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and other Hollywood Stars got their big breaks.

10) Dennis Rodman will NOT be at this party.

11) Feel like an outcast? My name is Sean E. Keener and I will personally welcome you with a handshake or hug, a beer, and introduce you to at least three other people at the party to get the ball rolling. The rest is up to you.

12) Portland is a great city in December. Sun, beaches…ooops, I mean a little bit of rain, a warm pub, and bright cheery people.

13) Kilts: BootsnAll founders Chris Heidrich and Sean Keener will be wearing kilts, like a true Scotsman would.

Ok, so maybe that last one isn't a reason to come, but don't let it scare you off either.

More Special Guests: Yes, Livenomadic, the most prolific poster on the BnA message boards will here. Meet the posting legend and find out “how he does it”. He is coming all the way from Miami, Florida!