Monday, May 21, 2012

LUXEMBOURG

ERPELDANGE
Bars & Nightclubs
Hotel Dahm – 57 Porte des Ardennes; 011-352-81-62551; hotel-dahm.lu.
Hotels
Hotel Dahm – 57 Porte des Ardennes; 011-352-81-62551; hotel-dahm.lu; adequate rooms.
Restaurants
Hotel Dahm – 57 Porte des Ardennes; 011-352-81-62551; hotel-dahm.lu; excellent.

GRUNDHOF
Hotels
Hotel Brimer – 1 Route de Beaufort; 011-352-26-87871; www.hotelbrimer.lu; century-old inn with modern spa facility; haphazard decor somehow charming; well-appointed bedrooms and large bathrooms.
Restaurants
Hotel Brimer – 1 Route de Beaufort; 011-352-26-87871; www.hotelbrimer.lu; excellent.

LUXEMBOURG
Restaurants
Brasserie Guillaume – 12-14 Place Guillaume II; 011-352-26-202-020; www.brasserieguillaume.lu; expensive with indifferent service but good food.
Restaurant L’Academie – 11 Place d’Armes; 011-352-26-227-131; open terrace; hearty local fare.
Services
Velo en Ville – 8 Bisserweg; 011-352-47-962-383; www.en.veloh.lu; excellent route to start with is 40km Piste Cyclable du Centre (signposted PC1), which encircles city’s outskirts; crew will supply basic B&W map of this route.
Sights & Sites
Grund – located in valley below city center on Alzette River; picturesque area and popular nightlife precinct; can be accessed by foot or lift that descends through cliff; incline down is dramatic.
Musee D’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean – 3 Park Drai Eechelen; 011-352-45-378-5980; www.mudam.lu; contemporary arts.
Place d’Armes – square in city center (in old town); originally served as parade ground for troops defending city.

VIANDEN

Sights & Sites

Castle
– Montée du Château; 011-352-83-41081; www.castle-vianden.lu; constructed between 11-14th Centuries Roman castellum and Carolingian refuge foundations; among Europe’s largest and most beautiful feudal residences from gothic and romanesque periods; until 15th Century was Vianden Counts’ seat; in 1417, dominion passed by inheritance to House of Nassau, which, in 1530 collected Orange Principality, as well; from then on, no longer Vianden Counts’ official residence; in 1820, under Holland King William I, castle sold piece by piece and so fell into ruin; Luxembourg’s Grand Duke family transferred it to State ownership in 1977; since restored to former glory; now ranks as European monument.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

CYPRUS

LARNACA
Dives
MS Zenobia.



LIMASSOL
Hotels
Le Meridien Limassol Spa & Resort – Old Nicosia-Limassol Road; 011-357-25-862-000; lemeridienlimassol.com; beachfront resort surrounded by 100K square meters of garden; lovely spa.



PAPHOS
Hotels
Anassa – 40 Regenas Road (Neo Chorio); 011-357-26-888-000; anassa.com.cy; luxury 5 star resort; classical low-rise buildings and Mediterranean gardens arranged in idyllic village square, complete with Byzantine chapel; extensive Thalassotherapy program.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Rabaul
Dives
Mitsubishi Zero Fighter – sunken, crashed WWII fighter jet.

Tufi
Dives
Cyclone Reef.
Mulloway Reef – gray reef and hammerhead sharks; coral gardens.
Veale’s Reef – drift dive along coral wall; drops from 15' to 2K' off eastern side.

Walindi (Kimbe Bay)
Dives
Inglis Shoals – large fish species.