I knew I was in for an unusual trip but I wasn’t prepared for the conspiratorial whisper from Don McCullin as we stood in line at the Libyan immigration desk at Tripoli airport. “I’ve a secret for you”, he said, as we came up before a Libyan border guard. “Should you be telling me now,” I asked, with an attempt at discretion, tapping my immigration form so he’d see I had written “company director” – not “journalist” – beside my occupation. Don waved away my caution, with a “No, they’re fine about all that here,” then continued in a deadpan voice: “I had a stroke on Wednesday.” ... read more >>
Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
Don McCullin’s Libya
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Amalfi: An Italian break that’s worth a million Lucky Strikes
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
The first time I discovered the Amalfi Coast I was still in the Army (ie a hundred years ago), driving back on demob leave from the Middle East with a pal, just after the war. After the parched heat of Cairo and terrorist bombings in Palestine, it was like arriving in paradise. We stayed in de luxe hotels in Positano and Sorrento – which was then an enchanting, unspoilt balcony of a resort, with unparalleled views over the Bay of Naples and a smoking Vesuvius. As virtually the only tourists, we had all the glories of an empty Pompeii entirely to ourselves. ... read more >>
The first time I discovered the Amalfi Coast I was still in the Army (ie a hundred years ago), driving back on demob leave from the Middle East with a pal, just after the war. After the parched heat of Cairo and terrorist bombings in Palestine, it was like arriving in paradise. We stayed in de luxe hotels in Positano and Sorrento – which was then an enchanting, unspoilt balcony of a resort, with unparalleled views over the Bay of Naples and a smoking Vesuvius. As virtually the only tourists, we had all the glories of an empty Pompeii entirely to ourselves. ... read more >>
Two Britons feared dead as airliner carrying 90 people plunges into Mediterranean sea
Monday, January 25th, 2010
Two Britons were among 90 people on a jet which crashed into the Mediterranean after taking off from Beirut, a Lebanese minister said today. The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into the sea just minutes after leaving the ground, with witnesses saying they saw a ‘ball of fire’. Four bodies have already been recovered and wreckage can be seen in the sea near the crash site, two miles off the coast. ... read more >>
Two Britons were among 90 people on a jet which crashed into the Mediterranean after taking off from Beirut, a Lebanese minister said today. The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into the sea just minutes after leaving the ground, with witnesses saying they saw a ‘ball of fire’. Four bodies have already been recovered and wreckage can be seen in the sea near the crash site, two miles off the coast. ... read more >>
Four Southwest Florida International exits to be smoke free
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
The indoor smoking ban at Southwest Florida International’s passenger terminal is moving outdoors, to a limited degree.Lee County commissioners meeting Monday as the port authority board unanimously approved establishing four no-smoking zones immediately outside the terminal. These will fall within a 50-foot radius of the two main entry doors – numbered 2 and 5 – on both the first and second levels. ... read more >>
The indoor smoking ban at Southwest Florida International’s passenger terminal is moving outdoors, to a limited degree.Lee County commissioners meeting Monday as the port authority board unanimously approved establishing four no-smoking zones immediately outside the terminal. These will fall within a 50-foot radius of the two main entry doors – numbered 2 and 5 – on both the first and second levels. ... read more >>
The top travel bargains to 2010’s hottest destinations.
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Which are the hot new destinations for 2010? And where are the most alluring deals to be found? We have scoured the world and picked our top ten trips. ... read more >>
Which are the hot new destinations for 2010? And where are the most alluring deals to be found? We have scoured the world and picked our top ten trips. ... read more >>
POLL Group wants to limit, not ban smoking at Southwest Florida International Airport
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Travelers may soon have to walk a few extra feet before lighting up outside Southwest Florida International Airport. The Airports Special Management Committee begrudgingly agreed Tuesday to recommend restricting smoking to 50 feet from the two main entrances on both the upper and lower decks. The panel, which advises the Lee County Board of County Commissioners who sit as Lee County Port Authority commissioners, had been asked by the commissioners to study a smoking ban. ... read more >>
Travelers may soon have to walk a few extra feet before lighting up outside Southwest Florida International Airport. The Airports Special Management Committee begrudgingly agreed Tuesday to recommend restricting smoking to 50 feet from the two main entrances on both the upper and lower decks. The panel, which advises the Lee County Board of County Commissioners who sit as Lee County Port Authority commissioners, had been asked by the commissioners to study a smoking ban. ... read more >>
RSW weighs smoking ban
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Airport leaders will discuss how to make Southwest Florida International Airport a smoke free campus when they meet Tuesday. Smokers currently cannot smoke inside, but they can light up just outside the doors to the airport. At Tuesday’s meeting, the airport’s executive director will lay out options. ... read more >>
Airport leaders will discuss how to make Southwest Florida International Airport a smoke free campus when they meet Tuesday. Smokers currently cannot smoke inside, but they can light up just outside the doors to the airport. At Tuesday’s meeting, the airport’s executive director will lay out options. ... read more >>
BA’s 12 strikes of Christmas: Cabin crew action will hit a million travellers, cost £500m… and could destroy the airline, says boss.
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
The Christmas plans of a million British Airways passengers were in ruins last night after the airline’s cabin crew voted to strike. The length of the walkout, crippling the airline from December 22 to January 2, shocked both customers and the industry. BA promised to refund passengers and help them find alternative flights. But industry experts said families hoping to travel during the ‘12 Strikes of Christmas’ will almost certainly be marooned. ... read more >>
The Christmas plans of a million British Airways passengers were in ruins last night after the airline’s cabin crew voted to strike. The length of the walkout, crippling the airline from December 22 to January 2, shocked both customers and the industry. BA promised to refund passengers and help them find alternative flights. But industry experts said families hoping to travel during the ‘12 Strikes of Christmas’ will almost certainly be marooned. ... read more >>
Thailand’s Yao Noi Island, a idyllic retreat good enough for James Bond himself
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Ko Phing Kan, the James Bond island made famous in The Man With The Golden Gun and now crawling with tourists who steal the coral and order vodka martinis shaken not stirred, is only a 40-minute boat ride away from Yao Noi. But it belongs to a different world.
Apart from the balmy climate, where the humidity in May and June can reach apocalyptic levels, the only thing these two Thai outposts share is the extraordinary view of giant sandstone chunks of rock rising from the Andaman Sea. ... read more >>
Ko Phing Kan, the James Bond island made famous in The Man With The Golden Gun and now crawling with tourists who steal the coral and order vodka martinis shaken not stirred, is only a 40-minute boat ride away from Yao Noi. But it belongs to a different world.
Apart from the balmy climate, where the humidity in May and June can reach apocalyptic levels, the only thing these two Thai outposts share is the extraordinary view of giant sandstone chunks of rock rising from the Andaman Sea. ... read more >>
Tobacco critics rip packets’ relabeling
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Taxes less if it’s marked for pipes. Layla Amussen likes to smoke. She knows cigarettes are bad for her health, but says she’s not likely to quit anytime soon. With increased federal and state tobacco taxes raising the cost on some brands to more than $5 per pack or by about $12 a carton, she’s changed her habits. ... read more >>
Taxes less if it’s marked for pipes. Layla Amussen likes to smoke. She knows cigarettes are bad for her health, but says she’s not likely to quit anytime soon. With increased federal and state tobacco taxes raising the cost on some brands to more than $5 per pack or by about $12 a carton, she’s changed her habits. ... read more >>
