Bulgaria ancient treasures, current events and great value

Anthony reports on Bulgaria and an extraordinary memorial garden created by a Queen for herself and meets up with two famous footballers…

Bon Bini! Curacao has it all in one very small island

Irene Thomas found Curacao the most successfully diverse country she has ever visited – and one of the most beautiful as well

Passenger Focus

From the website

“We are the independent passenger watchdog. Our mission is to get the best deal for passengers.

We are an independent public body set up by the Government to protect the interests of passengers.”

Don’t let UNESCO put you off Quito.

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is the American Capital of Culture for 2011. But if you start reading some internet background, you come across the fact that Quito was UNESCO’s first world cultural site along with Krakow in Poland. The honour was well deserved but in the original document from 1977 proposing the city, the inspectors said, “Quito forms a harmonious ensemble sui generis, where the actions of man and nature are brought together to create a work unique and transcendant of its kind.” Forget this gobbledegook. What has Quito got that won it this award? Why should you visit?
Think of Ecuador and your first thought might be that it is twinned with Buxton in Derbyshire. That would be my last thought but it is true.

Daybreak does Benidorm

Daybreak, the ITV breakfast programme that few of us watch has decided the holiday season is here. From Monday it is having a slot for a while called “Daybreak does Benidorm.” When Kaye wrote about Benidorm for CD-Traveller a few months ago, it quickly become one of our most read articles that month.

Pass Round the Tissues

Richard Branson is well known for courting publicity. Between Michael O’Leary at Ryanair and he it would be a tussle to see who generates more press coverage. And in his latest little approach, Branson has definitely taken the lead. On Virgin Atlantic flights, there will to be “emotional health warnings” before they show films on board!

Hamburg’s hottest Weihnachtsmarkt

Aside from the bright lights, pubs, clubs, bars and theatres of the Reeperbahn that I visit on every trip, I was introduced to something new in Hamburg this weekend: Santa Pauli’s Weihnachtsmarkt. (Christmas market)