• ISBN13: 9781598804881
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

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You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Barcelona.

In this 108-page compact guide, Rick Steves covers the essentials of Barcelona, with coverage of the Old City, the Ramblas, the harborfront, and other neighborhoods. Visit the Picasso Museum, Gaudí’s Sagrada Família cathedral, and immerse yourself in Catalan culture, art, and museums. You’ll get Rick’s firsthand advice on the best sights, eating, sleepi… More >>

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This is a reproduction of the original edition including imperfections. Included with the purchase of this book is free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can read more than a million books for free, including many of the greatest books of all time like: * The complete works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain * Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels * Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe * Thackeray’s Vanity Fair * Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudic… More >>

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A well-loved classic is once again available.Amazon.com Review
Anyone who fondly remembers how the fresh air of the moors puts a blush in the cheeks of sallow young Mary in The Secret Garden will love Dorothy Canfield Fisher’s Understood Betsy just as much. First published in 1916, this engaging classic tells the tale of a thin, pale 9-year-old orphan named Elizabeth Ann who is whisked away from her city home and relocated to a Vermont farm where her … More >>

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Travel News: Thailand insures tourists’ vacations
Thailand is continuing to offer insurance coverage worth $10,000 to anyone who might be harmed in riots and demonstrations as it seeks to attract tourists scared off by political turmoil, officials say. Other carrots range from a waiver on all visa fees to discounts on airline landing fees.

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Dealing with post-travel blues
There’s not a whole lot of sympathy out there when you return from a holiday nursing a serious case of the travel blues.

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Cool travel Web site
www.worldeventsguide.com What: Locate festivals and events in cities around the world. Why: Want to know what’s going on while you’ll be in London or Bangkok? Check it out. It also lists hot upcoming festivals, as well as sporting events.

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Budget Travel: Roatan is yet another ‘fake village/private beach’ built by a cruise line
To Labadee in Haiti, Costa Maya in Mexico, and Coco Cay and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, you can now add “Mahogany Bay” on the island of Roatan in Honduras.

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A thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London-and a brilliant exploration of how Dr. John Snow’s solution revolutionized the way we think about disease, cities, science, and the modern world. The Ghost Map is an endlessly compelling and utterly gripping account of that London summer of 1854, from the microbial level to the macrourban-theory level-including, most important, the human level…. More >>

We had met Khun Puchong in January at a restaurant, he is the owner of the Glastnost Bar / Cafe in Phuket Town.. he told us of Jazz / music jam sessions every 4th Sunday of the month. We missed the January session, but on February 28th we (a rare occasion!) left our kids with a friend and headed out on the town. The Glastnost Bar is on Soi Romanee in the old part of Phuket Town, it is a small street connecting Thalang Road with Dibuk road. This part of town has recently been renovated – all wires have been either put underground or have been stuck to the side of the buildings so there are no unsightly overhead wires. We saw this already in December at a street festival on Thalang Road.

Last Sunday was actually a very quiet day in town as it coincided with Makha Bucha Day, an important Buddhist holiday, so bars were mostly closed. Nevertheless we drove into the old town, parked on Thalang Road and walked to Soi Romanee. Thalang Road has some great old architecture and a lot of the buildings are well cared for, so we stopped for some photos…

There were just a few people at the Glastnost. The old town was quiet with bars closed due to the religious holiday. Soi Romanee was pretty empty – we were there not long after 8pm, so a bit early really. Puchong greeted us like old friends and insisted I joined him for some wine to celebrate his birthday which had been a couple of days earlier. No music was playing yet, so I had a look around inside. Glastnost is almost like a museum (with drums and a microphone) – lots of old photos and memorabilia around the room. My parents had found this place when they came last time and enjoyed talking with Puchong about jazz – he loves jazz and my parents when they were young boppers were regulars at their local jazz club. Thus you have photos on the wall of Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and of course HM King Bhumibol and his saxophone.

A few people drifted down the street, some backpackers looking for a sign of nightlife, some friends of Puchong, my wife and I sat and chatted with Puchong and his friend Boonlert who owns an electric shop just down the street on Thalang Road. We did not know it was Puchongs birthday so I owe him a bottle of wine next time – he told us there will be a live music evening on the 19th of March with a jazz band from Chiang Mai – see you there!

Puchong is actually a lawyer, quite a big one, with lots of connections in Phuket and Bangkok. The Glastnost is his hobby, not a business exactly – in fact, he told us that he couldn’t sell us a drink – but we could get one at a nearby guesthouse on Soi Romanee. It was quiet that night, but should be busier on the 19th. More people turned up as the evening progressed and a little live music started. The guitar man below is well known to us – we met him first in the Beach Bar – see here – this is also where we’d met Puchong in January. It’s one of our favourite spots, and I can see that Soi Romanee might become a fave too!

A view of the street shows that we had a little crowd going by 10pm. Puchong invited any passers-by to join. OK, this was a quiet evening, being a Buddhist holiday (the temple at the end of Soi Romanee, Wat Mongkhon Nimit, was much busier!

Anyone walking past was welcome. Plenty of Puchong’s friends showed up, and there was a birthday cake too. This is a Thai birthday party – if you happen to be sitting nearby you are given some birthday cake. Anyone who wants to moan about the “Land of Smiles” being just a name.. you better come to the real Thailand. Happy Birthday was played on the saxophone by a German friend of Puchong. Cake was eaten. Life is good.

Phuket Town for me is a very interesting place. What we experienced last Sunday.. you cannot find this near the main beaches of Phuket. The old town has an almost magical feel. We will be back at Soi Romanee on the 19th for a quiet night of jazz.