No. 9: November 2005
LATEST NEWS
THREE WPu MEMBERS WIN PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
At the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards Ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel on the eve of the World Travel Market, three WPu members won awards.
Sue Bryant, won the award for the Best UK Feature over 850 words for her piece 'Footloose and Fancy Free' published in Cruise Traveller in Autumn 2004.
Sarah Woods, won the Best Guide Book Award for 'Panama: The Bradt Travel Guide' published in 2004 by Bradt Travel Guides.
Peter Ellegard won the Photograph of the Year Award for his picture of a Mosuo Minority Group girl rowing traditional dug out boat, Singing, Lugu Lake, China, published in CNN Traveller in March/April 2005.
LAKELAND PANORAMA
After a hectic summer dashing all over Britain taking photos for all and sundry for all sorts of purposes, new WPu member ANDY STOTHERT has now settled back into his home territory in the Lake District where he is attempting to amass the most complete and extravagant collection of panoramic photos in existence of this most beautiful corner of England. There will be a trip to La Gomera in the depths of winter to restore a little warmth to the old bones, but if I owe you money, or if you want me to work for you, then it’s likely I’ll be found somewhere high in the Fells with a very large camera and no mobile phone.
Contact: lakelandscapes@sctemail.co.uk; Website: www.lakelandscapes.co.uk
PICASSO IN MADRID
PETER and LENI GILLMAN were recently in Madrid and were enthralled by the city’s great art museums. The Prado – which they first visited in the 1960s – gives marvellous space to its stunning collection of paintings by Velazquez, including his bewitching masterpiece Las Meninas. The Reina Sofia has Picasso’s Guernica – which they first saw in New York – in a very accessible display. The Thyssen-Bornemisza collection is an astounding run-through of art history, including highlights from the Renaissance and the Impressionists. Madrid is packaging all three as a New Museum Walk to rival the offerings of Washington, London and Berlin. The Reina Sofia has just opened a new gallery and public atrium and an extension of the Prado should be ready next year. One warning: those museum bureaucrats can be obstructive. Even though the Madrid tourist office had supposedly arranged press passes and photography permissions, it took the Gillmans 30 minutes to argue their way into the Prado and an hour at the Reina Sofia.
Contact: petergillman@clara.co.uk.
EATING OUT
“The Auld Alliance” of Scotland and France have been keeping NORMAN MILLER – another recent WPu addition – busy in 2005. After learning about classic Scottish cooking in Glasgow (no jokes about deep-fried Mars Bars) and checking out Skye’s continuing metamorphosis into gourmet destination, it was off for more food and drink on a swoop through southwest France to check out the vineyards of Corbières and Minervois - along with the Cathar castles and the art town of Ceret beloved of Picasso and Matisse among others.
Denmark is on the list for both 2005 and 2006 – this year for a historical funtime at the world’s oldest amusement park and, in the New Year, a chance to Dine With The Danes to see just what wonderful things can be done to herrings while discussing Scandinavian matters with Danish families in their own homes.
With all this eating, a bit of outdoor exercise looks in order going deer-stalking (armed only with a camera) in Somerset, while a gun might come in handy for another jaunt in search of the wild boar that now haunt the woods of Sussex.
Further afield, Hanoi beckons with its amazing mix of French colonial echoes, wonderful location and chequered modern history - oh, and amazing food!
Contact: normanmiller61@hotmail.com
CINQUE WHERA?
PAUL SHAWCROSS is now back home in a relatively cold Newcastle upon Tyne missing the sunshine, but happily writing copy and cataloguing images after a busy year researching articles and carrying out photo shoots in Mallorca, Provence, Paris, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence (again), Alsace and finally the Italian Riviera. Highlights of the year were visiting the beautiful lavender fields of the Luberon in Provence and travelling by train to explore the (largely) unspoilt fishing villages of the delightful Cinque Terre in Liguria. Paul will be heading off to France and sampling la vie française again in 2006 (probably several times!) but trips to Sardinia, Elbe, Budapest, Rome, the Scottish Highlands and the Picos de Europa are already at the planning stage.
Offers of commissions either purely photographic or for illustrated pieces are welcome for the above areas or indeed any other (preferably warm!) destinations.
For further details contact Paul at paul.shawcross@bigfoot .com or visit www.paulshawcross.co.uk
FROM MONTREAL TO MONTSERRAT
Canadian writer LAURA BYRNE PAQUET has just returned from an architecture-themed trip to Montreal, where she interviewed a stone mason about his building restoration work, toured the stunning new provincial library, tooled around the famous Underground City tunnel network and, oh yes, sampled more of Montreal's famous cuisine than she probably should have. Upcoming trips include a December visit to Montserrat, where the airport re-opened in July 2005 and the island's tourism industry has begun to rebound after a devastating volcanic eruption in 1997. That disaster destroyed the capital of Plymouth and covered the southern portion of the small Caribbean island in lava and ash. Laura plans to interview volcano researchers, innkeepers and residents. The story of the island's recovery from tragedy may be particularly timely in light of current efforts in other tourist destinations (New Orleans, Thailand) to rebuild after natural disasters. Destinations on Laura's 2006 schedule include the Barbados Jazz Festival (January), Calgary (February), Holland's tulip fields (April), and Santiago and Buenos Aires (October). Trips to Trinidad for Carnival (February) and to the Azores (late April) are tentative. Cultural, soft adventure and culinary angles are her specialties. Contact: laura@cornerstoneword.com; Website: www.LauraByrnePaquet.com/travel
THE A-Z OF GB
PAUL MURPHY is currently travelling the length and breadth of Great Britain from Arbroath to Zennor via Pratt’s Bottom and Llanfairpwllgyw…, Llanfairpwllgwygn… well – that Welsh place anyway – while revamping the Michelin Green Guide to Great Britain. To coincide with the major National Gallery Rubens exhibition currently showing Paul has just completed a guide to Antwerp for Columbus Guides, while a Spanish Homes magazine supplement guide to the Costa Blanca, and the two most comprehensive UK guides to two of the least understood Canary Islands – Lanzarote and Fuerteventura respectively – are about to hit the shelves under the AA Spiral banner.
Paul is looking for new projects (writing, editing, photography) in January.
Contact: paulw.murphy@tiscali.co.uk see www.paulwmurphy.co.uk or www.wpu.org.uk
CHAMPAGNE, CALVADOS, CYPRUS (AND A CORNER OF GREECE)
JEANNINE WILLIAMSON has been enjoying a taste of the good life on two recent trips to France. The truffle season is now underway in the Champagne region and Jeannine went truffle hunting, with the help of a faithful truffle hound, in the forests around Chaumont. Before that she was closer to home sampling Calvados and other culinary delights in Normandy.
In October she also visited Halkidiki, the green "hidden" corner of Greece which is where the Greeks go on holiday, and has just returned from Cyprus where she toured the island looking at everything from mosaics to modern day attractions.
Contact: jeannine@motcombemedia.demon.co.uk
VISITING VIETNAM
ELIZABETH HANSEN writes from Saigon – where motorbikes fill the streets, new restaurants open nearly every day, and the local folks have beautiful, welcoming smiles for overseas visitors. "It's easy to understand why Vietnam has become such a hot travel destination," Hansen reports. "The people are friendly, the food is great, and everything is amazingly inexpensive." "In addition to Saigon, we're going to Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Sapa. I'm researching stories and taking photos – lots of 'em."
CRAZY ABOUT COASTS
Despite pining for sea, sand and the constant companionship of soaring fulmars, FELICITY MARTIN knuckled down on return from six weeks on Orkney to write a Hallewell walks guidebook, for publication early in 2006.
To top up on experiences and images of coasts, she has since been: crawling out of a tent at 4am to enjoy a blood red sunrise over the Moray Firth; watching storm swells pound the electricity-generating wave turbine on Islay; and walking from beach to castle through the pine forests of Mallorca.
As in previous years, she has been busy promoting Autumn Colours for Forestry Commission Scotland, writing websites, leaflets and features in the Scottish press.
Contact: mail@felicitymartin.co.uk; Telephone: 01764 684454
BRAVE NEW WORLD
So you thought America was founded by the Pilgrim Fathers? Wrong. PAUL MANSFIELD has just been in Virginia exploring the Jamestown Settlement, which was established by a bunch of Brit fortune-seekers a full 13 years before the Puritans arrived. This often-overlooked fact is set to become big news in January with the release of a new Terrence Malick movie, ‘The New World’, starring flavour-of-the-month Colin Farrell. Remember where you heard it first. Before that Paul was in Thessaloniki, far more than just ‘Greece’s second city’, with a Balkan-influenced culture all its own; and he’s just returned from Sierra Leone where the civil war has been over for three years, the country is stable, and the UN peacekeeping force is about to withdraw. It’ll be a long time before Sierra Leone re-establishes itself on the tourist map (those with long memories will recall charter flights there from the UK in the 1970’s), but it’s still a beautiful country and if anywhere needed an influx of the tourist pound, dollar or Euro it’s there. Want to know what it’s like now?
Contact Paul on ++44 (0) 1273 505067; Paulmans1@aol.com
DONNA GOES APE IN UGANDA
DONNA DAILEY has been tracking chimpanzees in Uganda's Kibale National Forest, and joined a ranger/researcher in Semliki National Wildlife Reserve to see how a new chimp habituation programme there is helping to protect Uganda's wildlife and natural environment. Back home, she's been cooking up a storm after 'learn-to-cook' tours in Rhodes and Mallorca, the latter with Michelin-starred chef Marc Fosh at his new Palma venture, Fosh Foods. In November, Donna and husband Mike Gerrard decamp to their winter home in southern Arizona, where in between decorating and buying furniture they'll be updating guides to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and writing articles on the Southwest USA.
For stories and photos, contact Donna by email: donna@dailey99.freeserve.co.uk
FAR FROM JADED AND FAKING IT IN BANGKOK
MARI NICHOLSON has recently returned from Taipei and Bangkok (those fab spas again), but she managed to spend time looking at the exotic markets both cities throw up, the jade market in Taipei for one which she compares favourably with the her jade market experience on the Myanmar border.
In Bangkok she ventured down those mean streets where the amulet sellers tried to flog her fake antique Buddha pendants, but this has encouraged her to research the meaning of amulets and she's unearthed some fascinating facts.
Planning a visit to Cordoba and back in the UK, is off to The Mumbles in Wales.
Contact: mari@maritravel.entadsl.com
FRENCH SPECIALIST WANDERS FURTHER AFIELD
Despite being typecast as an expert on France and all things French, ANDREW SANGER has been spending most of his time lately visiting Greece (Crete and Corfu) and Spain's Canary Islands (Lanzarote and Tenerife), updating or writing guides to all those places during the last few months. Next is a trip to Israel to write a thorough revision of AA Explorer Israel and Fodors' Exploring Israel.
Somehow he also found time to publish his hippy novel 'Love' at www.lulu.com/andrewsanger.
But of course there have been trips to France – including the Loire, Limousin, Languedoc, Paris in August (with a spell relaxing at Paris Plage), and Norman Foster's spectacular autoroute viaduct (opened 2005) at Millau – the world's highest road bridge, arguably the most beautiful, and perhaps the only one which has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
Contact: as-wpu@focusguides.com
A BIRD IN THE HAND...
Freelance journalist and photographer RON TOFT recently returned from Cyprus where he was given an insight into the lucrative and illegal business of trapping and killing songbirds which are then pickled and sold as a delicacy in restaurants. Although the trade is much smaller than it used to be, it still claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of winged wonders annually. During the visit, Ron went out on a night raid with local police and conservation officials. The trappers, who were believed to be armed with pepper sprays and electric stun guns, were heard, but eluded capture. A variety of equipment, however, was seized and several trapped birds released from nets.
Before the year is out, Ron will be walking in the Peak District, seeing what Keswick has to offer and exploring Sunderland.
Ron can be contacted on 01962 761206 or via ron.toft@btinternet.com
WAY OUT WEST
MIKE GERRARD is just back from Mallorca where he went round the food market with Michelin-starred chef Marc Fosh: a unique experience. Mike is also writing the CitySpots guide to Athens for Thomas Cook, and in November heads for 3 months in Arizona, which will also include some time updating the Spiral Las Vegas guide for the AA. Contact: mail@mikegerrard.com
BEST TRAVEL BOOK AWARD
CHRISTOPHER P BAKER's recently released coffee-table book, Cuba Classics: A Celebration of Vintage American Automobiles, which he wrote and photographed, has been awarded Silver as "Best Travel Book' in the 2005 Society of American Travel Writers Foundation's Lowell Thomas Awards. Originally published in the U.K. by Macmillan Caribbean, it is published in the USA by Interlink Books. www.cuba-automobiles.com
Contact: cpbaker@earthlink.net
HAWAII OF THE NORTH...?!!
ALF ALDERSON is just back from Tiree where the beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear North Atlantic waters and consistent swell and wind make it – ahem – the 'Hawaii of the North'. No palms trees of course – no trees at all in the windiest place (and sunniest) in Britain but plenty of action in the water. He's also making plans for ski trip to Colorado and British Columbia in the new year, so if you need copy on the Inner Hebrides or the Rocky Mountains give him a shout.
Contact: alfie@alfalderson.co.uk
BACK FROM BOLIVIA
DAVID ATKINSON recently returned to the UK after a long stint in Latin America authoring the forthcoming Bradt Travel Guide: Bolivia (www.bradt-travelguides.com). The book publishes summer 2006 with distribution in the UK and United States.
To mark his return a new personal website is now live at www.atkinsondavid.co.uk with cuttings, images and a section devoted to his travels in Latin America.
He will be organising an event in London next spring to promote Latin America as a destination. Contact him if you want to get involved.
David is now working on ideas for 2006 and open to suggestions for trips, events and news. He continues to write a monthly, syndicated column hosted by Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com/columns.php?author=atkinson2) and can be contacted by email: atkinson.david@virgin.net.
Read some of the links to his recent stories here:
BBC World: Bolivia's first Day of National Parks http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4180442.stm
Weekend FT: Romania feature http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0858048e-371d-11da-af40-00000e2511c8.html
MAKE LIKE AN EAGLE
Well that's what the pilot told GILLIAN THORNTON to do when she tried paragliding in the French Alps this summer – a fabulous 40-minutes that Gillian can't wait to repeat and a relatively relaxing experience after tackling a 90-minute Via Ferrata course (climbing for non-climbers) the day before. There are pictures of both to prove it. A relaxing week in eastern Mallorca was followed by a visit to the French department of Vienne in Poitou-Charentes, a city break in Edinburgh, and an off season trip to Jersey. The diary's starting to fill for early '06 but Gillian would welcome off-season hospitality offers, especially self-catering properties at home and abroad. Contact: gillian.thorntons@btinternet.com
A HECTIC LIFE IN RURAL FRANCE
Freelance writer PATRICIA MANSFIELD-DEVINE is increasingly finding herself on the other side of the journalistic fence, as UK newspapers continually call her for quotes and comments. As editor of the website www.FrenchEntree.com, Trish has become something of a pundit on all matters relating to the British in France. Most recently, she appeared in the Sunday Express and the Independent on Sunday. But, as a journalist, Trish is more interested in writing than being written about, and is exploring the possibility of producing a regular column about life in France.
Her husband, photographer STEVE MANSFIELD-DEVINE, is busy increasing the availability of his large stock of travel, lifestyle and aviation photographs. He is now making a selection of the pictures available via the Alamy agency (www.alamy.com).
Trish and Steve specialise in producing word/picture packages. Recent articles include a string of features for France magazine and the new monthly, Living Abroad – two features in the October issue. The next issue of Living Abroad will have an article about the couple, written by another journalist but featuring Steve's photographs.
Contact: steve@webvivant.com
BOLOGNA'S 149 STEPS
CLAIRE BOWEN writes: "I'm indulging my passion in all things Italian by writing travel features with a motoring connection for car magazine Auto Italia. So far I've traipsed around Turin and Milan in the rain and climbed the 149 steps in one of Bologna's leaning towers. Future articles will include Sicily and its famous Targa Florio and I'm bust researching other Italian destinations with an auto connection."
Contact: claire.bowen@btconnect.com
ICE, RICE AND DHOWS
Someone hit the pause button, please ... Recent travels for South African member JACQUES MARAIS have included an extended dog-sledding trip with Inuit hunters in East Greenland, an unforgettable journey through Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as a few delightful days aboard a traditional dhow in northern Mozambique. Angles abound, with ancient Khmer culture (Cambodia), eco-destinations (Querimbas Archipelago in Moz), absolute ice adventure (Ammasallik dogsledding) and Eastern flavours (Vietnam) popping up on the menu. Tropical tripping to the Seychelles Islands and volcano trekking in Tanzania loom in the near future.
Contact Jacques on +(27-21) 78 22 849 or info@jacquesmarais.co.za for words and images.
BIG DOWN UNDER
Late summer saw STEVE THOMAS on the road for a round Malaysia trip, a long weekend of biking in Western Australia, followed by a 2 week bike trip right around the Med; from Nice to Corsica, on to Tuscany and back through Cinque Terra.
After catching the autumn colours at home in North Wales he's back out east again - for a 3 month bike and action packed road trip. A bike circumnavigation of Malaysia, followed by biking, climbing and jungle trekking in Sabah, long house tours and kayaking Sarawak, a two wheeled ride around Cambodia lead him to a spell in Australia - just in time for the Tasmanian Christmas carnivals, a ride along the Great Ocean Road, a pootle through the vineyards of South Australia and an adrenaline packed splurge in Sydney. If you would like any words or pics from this or any of Steve's other travels contact him at steve@imageadventure.co.uk.
Keep up to date with Steve's travels, and check out recent words and images at www.imageadventure.co.uk
WARM WINTER WORDS
JOE CAWLEY is staying put in the Canary Islands through the winter months. He'll be putting the finishing touches to his book, More ketchup than salsa (due for the shelves next June) and will also be happy to provide 101 reasons why others should take a defrost-break in the Canarian sunshine.
Contact Joe at writer@joecawley.co.uk or on 00 34 676 711285
MALIAN MOUNTAINS AND MUSIC
This winter DI TAYLOR will be away in Mali with partner, Tony Howard, trekking in various mountain regions including the Dogon tribal villages before heading out beyond Timbuktu, to the fifth annual Desert Festival of Touareg and World Music. Having previously climbed and trekked in every north African country from Morocco to Sudan and Ethiopia, this will no doubt add yet another fascinating and colourful piece to the jigsaw. Contact: nomads@n-o-m-a-d-s.demon.co.uk; Website: http://www.nomadstravel.co.uk
SWEATY HAMMAMS
After getting sweaty and soapy in the hammams of Istanbul, and drinking fermented mare's milk with the shepherds of Kyrgyzstan, TONY KELLY is back on familiar ground this winter, researching a major new guidebook to Croatia. Meanwhile, his AA Spiral and Essential Croatia guides are due to hit the shops on 1 Jan. Tony is also working on a feature for The Times on the latest travel trends in Croatia, so news of any new hotels, attractions or special interest tours would be welcome.
Contact: E tonykellytravelwriter@btopenworld.com; T 01223 892553
PAYING HOMAGE TO THE LION MAN
Recently, while on safari in northern Kenya, BRIAN JACKMAN managed to re-visit Kampi ya Simba (Lion Camp), where George Adamson spent his last years with his "Born Free" lions in Kora national park. When Adamson was shot dead by Somali bandits in 1989 the camp was closed and later burned down, but has since been rebuilt, although no-one had stayed overnight until Mark Jenkins, the head warden of the adjoining Meru national flew down with me in September.
"We brought our own rations and slept on bedrolls on the ground in what had once been Adamson's hut. The place was very much as I remembered it. The wire fence which kept the lions out and the people in was still in place, and so was the famous long-drop loo, whose seat is an elephant's jawbone suspended on a couple of planks, which I tried out for old time's sake! We also paid our respects at the Old Man's grave, a simple mound of stones which lies nearby, next to that of Terence, his brother, and Boy, his favourite lion. A poignant moment, full of memories."
Contact: brian@spickhatch.freeserve.co.uk
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Lanzarote? I'm not a beach person, says SOLANGE HANDO, but it's got volcanoes on a par with Iceland (minus the ice) and Cesar Manrique, who did it his way and saved the day.
Tunis was different, short break and sheer indulgence, sun, souk and spa, plus a generous dose of culture, spiced up by an eclipse over Carthage.
From there, Solange was off to Oman, for the ups and downs of Ramadan, a bit of wadi bashing, cattle bidding and cooling off by the pool, inspired by the bubbling of chichas and smell of frankincense. As for painting and gastronomy, that was an activity break in sun drenched Languedoc, in a luxury villa set among sunflower fields and vineyards. Daily wine tasting, in the interest of research. What's next? Cyprus and Gambia, Peru some time next year, walking on the Isle of Man and no doubt a few surprises in store. Bags permanently packed.
Contact: solange.travel@btinternet.com
NO LOUNGING AROUND
JO VAUGHAN has been off in her motorhome again, this time to Slovenia and France's Atlantic Coast. But once home she was soon back to compiling her library photographs taken in Martinique and Jordan, about which she's lots of potential tales to tell to anyone even vaguely interested. Future plans include more tours of France, a 4x4 camper tour of Iceland, and a trip to the French-owned Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The more commissions the better regarding the latter. She can't be seen laying on a sun lounger under a palm tree – people might get the idea it's not all about work.
Contact: JoannaVaughan@aol.com
HOLIDAYS AT HOME
Holidays at home for ROBIN MEAD and VAL FIELD ought to mean that their garden benefits, but in fact they are busy touring the UK this autumn for a series of "weekend break" articles in one of their regular newspaper outlets. With Val also busy on a big annual task for a caravanning magazine, they'll deserve a rest this winter, won't they? OK, perhaps not....but they've accepting a couple of writing-cum-lecturing posts, anyway: on a cruise ship heading for South America and the Caribbean. And to hell with the garden!
Contact: RobinRMead@aol.com and valfield@tiscali.co.uk
INTO THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE AND OUT IN DUBAI
After 22 trips this year (Spain, France, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia, Malaysia and Scotland) travel writer and photographer ROIN McKELVIE has just finished two guides to Croatia and one on Latvia and is now writing the first Globetrotter Guide to Bermuda. Early next year he is writing two AA guides to Dubai (as well as Columbus guide) and is looking for any ideas and suggestions from hotels, restaurants, new attractions etc. As well as guidebook work Robin has already written articles this year for the Daily Mail, Sunday Herald, TNT, Global, CNN Traveller, the List and ABTA Magazine amongst many others.
Robin is always available for photo shoots and commissions as well as press trips for 2006.
Contact: robinmckelvie@hotmail.com; Website: www.robinmckelvie.com
TAKING IT EASY
TERRY MARSH has been revising the Michelin Green Guide to Northern France, but earlier was out in the south of France, exploring Carcassonne and the Cathar country, as well as sampling the many varieties of cassoulet. A trip to Aveyron, with visits to Rodez and a wild off-road experience than combined quad bikes and the Millau viaduct, was linked with a visit to knife-making town of Laguiole and the Templar strongholds of southern France.
Now it's head down to work on three walking guidebooks that have to be completed before Christmas. And, just to fill the spare time, he's started a Master of Arts degree course in Lake District Studies at Lancaster University.
Contact: terrymarsh@wpu.org.uk.
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