Visit Europe Media Exchange in Toronto

On November 28, I spent much of the day at the first ever VEMEX held in Toronto. Close to 40 presenters of Europe-based airlines, tour companies, attractions, businesses and tourism offices attended, and I was able to meet with just 10 of them. The bottom line is, there's much happening for visitors to Europe. Over the coming days I will post some of the highlights, new ventures and must-see and do's for those heading Across the Pond this year. I especially enjoyed chatting with the delightful and knowledgeable Judith Blacklock, of the Judith Blacklock Flower School, Knightsbridge, London, and the lovely rep from Cyprus, among others. Now, I have DVDs to go over, and many brochures and web sites to check out. I missed meeting with Portugal reps, though I did manage to get some of the latest brochures. (I'd wanted some details for my Portugal Algarve pages. That picture here is of the Cock of Barcelos, from Portugal). For now, have a look at their web sites. I'll be back as soon as I finish my day job.

Passports Needed To Enter United States by Air

Update August 2008 See new info for land crossings passports.

Mark January 23, 2007 on your calendar. From that date onward, all travelers arriving by air into the United States MUST have a valid passport, whether they are foreign citizens, or American citizens returning from a foreign holiday. (Canadians see Passport Canada travelling in North America.)

Then, 12-15 months after that, or about March 2008, EVERYONE who enters the United States by land, sea or air, MUST have a valid passport. (See US citizen passport information, and check here for US Customs and Border Protection information.

According to the U.S. site, fees for adults are $97, and passports are valid for 10 years. Almost everyone has to apply in person, after downloading a form. Passports for children vary by age, from birth up to age 16, and cost about $82.

Canadian passports cost $87 CAD (24-page passport) and $92 CAD (48-page passport), and are valid for 5 years. (See Canadian passports and fees ).

Frequent travelers to the U.S. will already have passports, and renew them well in advance of expiry date. But many Canadians living along our shared border cross back and forth regularly, to shop, visit, gas up the family car.

And many Americans living in border states cross into Canada, especially to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. They come to attend major league sports games and go to plays, to shop and to sightsee. They come to fish and to holiday. Often they come on short notice. Thousands of them come to Toronto every August to celebrate Caribana, the festival of all things Caribbean.

Given that an American family of four will soon need a passport, with several months of lead time for processing, and need to pay over $400 US (don't forget all those passport photos!), and a Canadian family of four wanting to visit Disneyland will need to pay about the same for their passports, with similar lead time and only half the life (5 years as opposed to 10 for the US), I have to wonder how this will impact tourism for both our countries.

Will travel between the U.S. and Canada effectively be the domain of the corporate and the wealthy? Will Snowbirds (Canadian retirees who head south for winter) stop going to Florida? What about Canadian students heading south on Spring Break? Might they reason, 'If I need to pay for a passport for the U.S., why not go to Cuba, or Mexico instead?'

I don't have a crystal ball, so of course I don't know. No one does. All I can say is, keep a close eye on this. There may be repercussions that none of us foresaw, and none of which will make us happy.

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Worldwide, American Thanksgiving marks the year's final Thanksgiving-style celebrations. Canada celebrates end-of-harvest Thanksgiving the second Monday in October. China, and other parts of Asia, marked their Thanksgiving festival, called the Mid-Autumn Festival (tied to the harvest moon) in early October this year; Korea marks the same date for its Thanksgiving, called Chusok; Japanese call theirs Kinro Kansha No Hi. Whatever you call it, it's a time for thanks, for getting together with family and friends, often traveling great distances.

On this, the eve of your Thanksgiving celebrations (November 23, this year, for those of you outside the USA), may you have a safe and happy holiday with your friends and families, and take heart in knowing that we are much more alike than we are different.

Let the countdown to Christmas begin!

New Cathay Pacific and Dragon Air Code-Share Flights December 2006, January 2007

December 1, 2006 marks the first flights on a new code-share agreement between Cathay Pacific and its wholly owned subsidiary Dragon Air on flights to Shanghai, Beijing (photos) Xiamen, Tokyo and Kota Kinabalu.

The code-share will also apply to two new Dragonair destinations: Phuket (effective Dec. 15/06) and Busan (subject to Government approval), where flights would begin on January 19, 2007. All the code-share flights will carry both the “CX” and “KA” codes.

Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), Phuket (Thailand) (photos), and Busan (Korea) would be new destinations for Cathay Pacific.

(Photo:: Waterfall, River Kwai Noi, Thailand)

Gabriel's in Mississauga :: Best Souvlaki in Town!

I've been going to Gabriel's for about 4 years now, not for the pool tables, the patio or the ambiance (which they could remove today and I'd never miss), but for the Chicken souvlaki. And I order it with roast potatoes, not rice. It comes with a generous green salad buried under their own creamy feta dressing, and a small bowl of tzatziki.

And I tell everyone I've ever taken to order the Chicken souvlaki, too. I tell them everyone who I have ever taken here has licked their plate clean, it's that tasty.

Oh sure, I tried another dish once. (The first time was there, I had the souvlaki, quite by chance.) So the second time, I thought I'd try a Moroccan pasta dish. It, too, was very tasty. But it's the souvlaki that I lust after, and every few months, I head up the road for a fix.

(Lucky me, I live just a few miles away. Gabriel's is at 6501 Mississauga Road, just east of Erin Mills Parkway, north side. Phone 905 567 5218. The name includes variations of Restaurant Ristorante Bar Grill but this is the same place.)

When recommending a restaurant, and an entree, you particularly enjoy, it's especially gratifying when others enjoy it just as much, if not more. People who couldn't agree on three toppings for a pizza will agree that this is one of the best meals they've ever had.

So far, by my count, I've converted about two dozen friends and family to the joys of Gabriel's chicken souvlaki. Even kids love it. And when a group of 6 of us sat down this summer, the server had an easy time of it: 6 Chicken souvlaki, please! And give it wings! I only wish I had stock in the place. Even better is the price. When I was there last month, the souvlaki cost $12.95 CAD. Though that's $2 more than it used to be, it's still a great deal!

I mention Gabriel's now as the other night, I had a less-than-tasty meal at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Afterwards, I wondered why we just hadn't gone to Gabriel's, where, for a lot less money we'd have had a meal we enjoyed a whole lot more. At Gabriel's, if you have appetizers, you won't have room to finish your dinner. And we've always been too full to consider ordering dessert.

Gabriel's is closed Sundays, more's the pity. And they are on notice to never, ever mess about with the souvlaki. It's one thing we've come to count on. Check out their web site here.

Update April 29, 2009
Stopped in at Gabriel's last Saturday night - no reservations, at about 8 p.m. Waited about 10 minutes for staff to tweak they had new customers. Place was pretty full, but not totally.

Were seated, handed menus that could stand to be refreshed. Scanned menu for Chicken Souvlaki. Noted price now up to $14.95. Sigh. Placed order. Told sold out of souvlaki.

Kitchen offered to substitute grilled chicken breast for souvlaki. Not the same. Left. Will try again another day.

A Question About Airport Security Screening

With all the focus on allowable airline carry-ons, and the proposed pilot project for checked-in passengers wearing tracking bracelets, I have to ask something:

Why do most airports allow the general public to roam airport terminals without ANY security screening whatsoever?

Offhand, I can think of three airports -- Bangkok, Addis Ababa and Kota Kinabalu -- where all who enter must walk through a metal detector and have any and all bags x-rayed before they are allowed in. I found this eminently sensible when I encountered it, then promptly put it out of my mind.

I'd feel a lot more secure knowing that the hundreds of people milling about a crowded terminal had at least been minimally screened. So why the focus on secure boarding lounges and aircraft? There are just as many, if not more, people in the terminal itself as on board a plane.

So why no screening when you enter the building? It seems just as likely, if not more so, to come a cropper in the terminal as from some shampoo and hair gel at 40,000 feet.

Airbus A380 :: Is Bigger Always Better?

A recent news report stating that Virgin Atlantic Airways has deferred delivery of the new Airbus A380 airliner from 2009 to mid-2013 brought to mind my thoughts about the whole idea of super-large jets. And according to the website for Singapore Air, who are first in line for the new planes, due to production delays, it will not receive its first A380 by late 2006 as planned, but perhaps by the 4th quarter of 2007.

Is this bad news? Well, not as far as I am concerned. When I first learned of this new supersized plane (the A380-800 can accommodate 555 passengers in three classes, and 853 PAX in one economy class), all that I could think of is what a nightmare it would be when checking in, boarding and deplaning.

Visualize, if you will, the boarding lounge for present day flights carrying 250 PAX: A sea of humanity, clutching carry-ons, fussing at the passenger agents and jockeying for boarding line order. Large, fully booked flights already take ages to board, especially in North America and Europe and nearly as long to deplane, then to pick up checked baggage.

Do I really want this whole experience magnified? No, no, I don't. I can only assume that the carriers who signed up for these jumbo jets did extensive market research that factored in operating costs, staffing requirements. I have to wonder if they asked the opinion of their passengers, who ultimately pay for them.

Airbus A380 :: Is Bigger Always Better?

A recent news report stating that Virgin Atlantic Airways has deferred delivery of the new Airbus A380 airliner from 2009 to mid-2013 brought to mind my thoughts about the whole idea of super-large jets. And according to the website for Singapore Air, who are first in line for the new planes, due to production delays, it will not receive its first A380 by late 2006 as planned, but perhaps by the 4th quarter of 2007.

Is this bad news? Well, not as far as I am concerned. When I first learned of this new supersized plane (the A380-800 can accommodate 555 passengers in three classes, and 853 PAX in one economy class), all that I could think of is what a nightmare it would be when checking in, boarding and deplaning.

Visualize, if you will, the boarding lounge for present day flights carrying 250 PAX: A sea of humanity, clutching carry-ons, fussing at the passenger agents and jockeying for boarding line order. Large, fully booked flights already take ages to board, especially in North America and Europe and nearly as long to deplane, then to pick up checked baggage.

Do I really want this whole experience magnified? No, no, I don't. I can only assume that the carriers who signed up for these jumbo jets did extensive market research that factored in operating costs, staffing requirements. I have to wonder if they asked the opinion of their passengers, who ultimately pay for them.

River Kwai :: Tourists at Hellfire Pass, Thailand

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is marked around the world with a few minutes of silent reflection on the enormous contribution of (mostly young) men and women in the various forces.

On one such morning, when I was touring the River Kwai, north of Bangkok, Thailand, quite by chance I found myself at Hellfire Pass, where servicemen were preparing for that morning's ceremony.

That is one Armistice Day I shall never forget. The image of a few simple poppy wreaths affixed to the rock walls of the pass (still marked with furrows from the drill that cut holes for dynamite), is all the more powerful for its simplicity.

If you're in Thailand, you should go. Or get the movie, the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Mexico :: Good to Go or No?

Winter 2001-2002 saw Mexico as a newly-attractive destination for North american holidayers, and the prices went up accordingly. Since I am not one who endorses profit from the misfortune of others, I decided to leave Mexico alone until prices improved. Canadians too, as recently as last year, had concerns with security issues in the Mayan Riviera. I won't go into detail on the latter, as its being handled by various parties. As recently as this week, there's been civil issues in the capital and ongoing ones in Oaxaca. That adverse conditons affect pricing is perhaps best shown in the travel packages and great hotel prices advertised in today's Toronto Star. Prices are back to where they they were about 6 years ago, and more in line with pricing for the typical Mexican holiday vis a vis the exchange rate etc. So what's a traveler to do? Take advantage of the good prices and ignore these other issues?

I'd say check for government advisories, read your newspapers and online news reports before booking your Mexican holiday. Mexico is a lovely holiday sun destination. Just avoid those areas. (Photo :: The beach at the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun)

Zoom Seat Sale Toronto to London Good Deal or Not?

Today's Toronto Star newspaper has an ad for Zoom Airlines for a seat sale for 'selected departures' from Canada to the U.K. and France from January 10-February 28, 2007, for bookings made now to November 24, 2006.

Zoom's home page does not mention this sale, so I went through the reservation process to see where these low fares kicked in. For a flight from Toronto (YYZ) to London Stansted (located 30 miles/48 kms north of London, for January 10/07, the cheapest fare is a flight leaving at 6:15 p.m. for $179 CAD. There was a return flight for January 18 (one day later than my hoped-for January 17 return), at 9:25 a..m., for $149 CAD. Taxes, fuel surcharges etc were an additional $114.15 outbound and $156.25 inbound, totallling $270.40. Total ticket price :: $598.40 CAD.

The low fares in this test flight were on the U.K. to Canada leg, which makes sense, as this is the depths of winter in Canada, and not a popular time for U.K. visitors to come calling. And although it is winter in London, too, with short hours of daylight, it's a good time to sightsee without the crowds, to take in some plays and enjoy the milder-than-Canada climate.

I spent a week in London in mid-January two years ago, and although the weather was chilly, I was comfortable enough to take a boat ride to Greenwich, and to walk through the parks, enjoy the blooming pansies and tulips, and explore Kensington. It was easier and less expensive to find good hotels and to make my way through the museums.

Is this seat sale a good deal? Overall, I'd say yes. For Canadian travelers, this fare is about 40 percent lower compared to the high season, summer fares.

Hong Kong Winterfest On From November 24-January 1, 2007

Traveling to Hong Kong in the next few weeks? Here's the latest from Discover Hong Kong:

Hong Kong Winterfest runs from November 24, 2006 until January 1, 2007, in and around Hong Kong’s famous Statue Square in Central the festival will include the Dazzling Christmas Tree, lit up nightly; Santa’s Town with a Snowy Chapel, Santa’s Clock Tower, a variety of live performances and, of course, a photo opportunity with the jolly old fellow himself; a Nativity Display showcasing Christmas collectibles and traditional ornaments and much more. The live entertainment will include festive performances and Christmas carols performed by international and local performing groups. These will take place during Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and the festive days of the holiday period.

Cheap Alternative to Battery-powered Organizers?

(Current information for allowable carry ons)
For those of you not traveling, here's a snippet of Friday levity. Its only relevance to travel is the fact that I live in Canada, and the snippet in question appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald Column 8, one of the main papers in Australia, and unless you live in either, you'd have to travel to get there.

"We thought we'd buried the subject, but this is too silly to ignore.

"On the subject of useful home hints, here's a tip for those who prefer an old-fashioned address book to an expensive, battery-powered palm organiser," offers Doug Anderson, who appears in this newspaper from time to time giving surreal couch-oriented lifestyle advice. "Take a copy of the White Pages, cross out all the names of people you don't know and, hey presto! Instant directory. Cost: nil."

Happy Camper In Mississauga, Canada !

Of the gazillion or so blogs on this site alone, I have to wonder why someone picked just three blogs, all from Canada, to pirate away into cyberspace. Maybe we were just the beginning of his dreams for his bogus empire, but for now, his site is down, and he will have to rethink. Ideally, he will get a legitimate job and chalk up this cyber nonsense to a bad idea.

I have to credit Google's recent launch of Google Blog alerts to identifying the mirrored site(s), and for all the support and help from those in the web-know at the Statcounter.com forum for tracking down the details that led to his 'home on the web'. From there, the company hosting the site, Cyber Wurx, acted promptly to confirm our findings and remove the offending site. I have now sent all details of my journey to the domain registrar.

To all involved, a big Thank You ! on behalf of bloggers and site owners everywhere!