Passport’s
Forum for Letters, Comments, Information & Anecdotes
Curious
Traveler
BEATING THE EURO
My boyfriend and I are itching to go to Europe for
our one-year anniversary, but between our modest incomes
and the ever-declining value of the U.S. dollar, I don’t
know if it is financially feasible. Our friends just came
back from Berlin, and the strength of the euro wreaked
havoc on their checking accounts. We can’t let that
happen to us, but the Continent is calling! Can you tell
us which Old World destinations are most budget-friendly
right now?
—Joaquin, San Antonio, TX
Editor: Yes, the euro is strong
these days, but don’t forget that not all European
Union member states have adopted the currency yet. That
means that Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia are still operating
on their own, more U.S. dollar-friendly currencies.
Economic success is often aligned with more progressive
social attitudes, and so conversely, the less well-off
EU states in the East tend to be less accepting of gays
and lesbians. Cities like Krakow and Tallinn, however,
may offer enough charm to compensate. Of course, Prague
is extremely gay-friendly—not to mention dazzlingly
beautiful—and although things are getting more
costly in the Czech capital, the euro won’t be
adopted there for at least another few years. Go to
www.gayguide.net
for online guides to Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Sofia,
and Warsaw. Of course, not all of the countries in Europe
are even part of the EU, and they present worthwhile
travel options as well. Explore Croatia’s town-speckled
Dalmatian coast, or snap some photos of Iceland’s
volcanic terrain. For currency conversions of up-to-the-minute
accuracy, check out www.xe.com/ucc
before you go.
KANSAS CITY REVISITED
I was excited to see that my original hometown
of Kansas City was featured in the December issue of
Passport! The editor in me wants to point out a few
things in the otherwise good article that I thought
you and your readers might want to know: the “starchitect”
of the expansion of the Nelson-Atkins Museum is misidentified
as Steven Knoll instead of Steven Holl. There are some
great shots [of the museum] from the Holl web site:
http://stevenholl.com. I also thought it a surprise
that Hallmark Cards wasn't mentioned in the upfront
list of “quintessentially American businesses”
headquartered in KC.
—Michael, via the Internet
SUMMER SLOPES
Why should ski season have to stop in the summer?
I just love the slopes, and for the past few years,
I’ve found myself wishing that I were skiing when
winter is still months away. Suddenly, it dawned on
me that I could take a summer ski vacation, but I have
no idea where to go. Any ideas?
—Vic, Cambridge, MA
Editor: Don’t forget that
summertime on one part of the planet means wintertime
on the other. Because of the Earth’s axial tilt,
the northern and southern hemispheres experience opposite
seasons. That means that a resident of Massachusetts
should look below the equator for July and August ski
options. Consider Argentina’s Friendly Mountain
Ski Party (http://www.friendlymountain.com.ar),
the self-proclaimed “first gay and gay-friendly
ski week in South America.” Don’t forget New
Zealand either, which offers its annual Gay Ski Week
(http://www.gayskiweeknz.com)
from August 29 to September 7 this year. The seven-day
event pairs fun on the slopes with dance parties and
drag shows and is hosted by the ironically-named city
of Queenstown (http://www.gayqueenstown.com).
Another fun option is indoor skiing (yes, indoor skiing).
This is a great way to satisfy your craving year-round.
The Netherlands is full of “snow- domes,”
and one of the best is the Ski Dome (http://www.skidome.nl)
in the town of Rucphen. For a flurry of fun in France,
head to Snowhall (http://www.snowhall.fr)
near Metz. A listing of indoor ski facilities around
the globe can be found at http://www.indoorsnow.com/english/worldindoor-new-e.htm.
FEE-FREE VISA CARD
The article in your February issue about foreign
travel fees is a good reminder for those of us who travel
overseas. However, you didn't mention the only credit
card (that I know of) that charges no fee whatsoever
for foreign currency transactions—Capital One's
“No Hassle Miles VISA” (http://www.capitalone.com).
It is the only card I use when traveling abroad.
—Mark, Atlantic Beach, FL
ADDITIONAL ATLANTIS CRUISES
Peter, a reader from the Netherlands, pointed out
that the 2008 International Gay Cruise Calendar in our
February 2008 issue went to press before Atlantis Events
announced two new itineraries: Barcelona to Rome, July
5–13, and London to Barcelona, August 30–September
9. http://www.atlantisevents.com
[Published:
April, 2008]
|
