Clickair adds Germany
Clickair, a low-cost airline founded in 2006 and based in Spain, is expanding its service to Germany. In addition to a direct flight between Frankfurt and Barcelona, Clickair is now offering a direct flight between Frankfurt to Seville.
Among its other connections are Berlin and Munich in Germany; Rome, Venice, Verona and Naples in Italy; Amsterdam; and London. It flies from Jerez, La Coruna, Malaga and Valencia as well as Barcelona and Seville.
The airline’s home base is Barcelona. By the end of 2008, the company hopes to have its fleets of Airbus A320s flying 70 routes between 55 Spanish and European cities. Check for flights at www.clickair.com.
Battle of Bastogne
History buffs interested in Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge should consider joining a one-day USO military tour on May 28. The World War II battle is considered second in importance only to the Normandy landings, and is the story of the stand taken by the 101st Airborne Division in 1944 under Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe and their refusal to surrender to the German’s last war offensive at Bastogne, Belgium.
The tour includes visits to sites such as the Bastogne Historical Center Museum and Mardasson War Memorial, Patton’s burial site and German and American cemeteries.
The trip costs $69 for adults and $59 for children under 12. It departs from Hanau and Wiesbaden, Germany.
For details: call Wiesbaden USOs at (+49) (0) 611-731-301 or (+49) (0) 611-705-5806 or the Hanau USO at (+49) (0) 6181- 56119; or e-mail uso.hbpx@t-online.de, uso.waaf@t-online.de or uso.hanau@t-online.de.
North Sea Jazz
Order tickets by May 8 to the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, to be held July 13-15, and get 10-euro Early Bird discount. Tickets go on sale officially May 12.
The usual price for a three-day ticket (excluding the Plus Concerts) is 170 euros. An “All in Festival” pass costs 320 euros and includes the additional concerts.
The jazz festival is the biggest in the world and includes traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop, free jazz, fusion, avant- garde jazz and electronic jazz as well as blues, gospel funk, soul, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, world and Latin music.
This year the festival also includes a North Sea Jazz Kids program on July 11 with music, workshops and exhibitions. Details at www.northseajazz.nl.
For those who want to get a head start on the scene, a North Sea Jazz cruise has been organized for July 5-17. The package includes full cruise benefits and privileges and onboard performances by Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lionel Loueke, Roy Hargrove, Roberta Gambarini, Kirk Whalum, Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood, David Sanborn, James Carter and McCoy Tyner.
The ship stops in several cities.
Prices start at $2,000, double occupancy, for a standard inside stateroom. Find details at www.northseajazzcruise.nl.
Best BetsDENMARK: One of most important areas for documenting the trade, crafts and agriculture of the Vikings is in Ribe at the Viking Center. The center has reconstructed the oldest known market square in Scandinavia — which is the perfect place for a Viking market on May 5 and 6. During such events, the original Vikings gathered after a long winter to meet friends and sell their wares. More than 200 of these Scandinavian and Norse raiders will be present to not only run the market but also show their skills in archery, horseback riding and fighting. The market is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost 75 Danish kroner (about $14) for adults, 35 Danish kroner for children 3-14 years old. Details at http://ribevc.dynamicweb.dk.
GERMANY: If you haven’t been able to get to Frankfurt’s museums during the day, you might want to try making it Saturday during the city’s Long Night of the Museums. Most of the sites will stay open until up to 2 a.m. Starting at 7 p.m., one 11-euro ticket gets you into all participating museums and transportation on the museum shuttle bus, shuttle ship and historic railway. If you’re in the mood to stay up later, the Haus am Dom, Museum der Weltkulturen, Schirn Café and Zoo Palais will be open after 2. Tickets are available at the museums and Frankfurt ticket agencies. The central information point for the whole evening is Frankfurt Römerberg. The Info-Hotline is 069-97-460-555. Details at www.nacht-der-museen.de.
If you’ve had it with your rug rats, head up to Hameln before Sept. 16 and let them be lured away by the Pied Piper (just kidding). Every day at noon, the town made famous by the Brothers Grimm fairy tale presents a 30-minute re-enactment of the story about the colorful musician hired to rid the town of rats but who took the children instead. Starting May 16, on Wednesdays at 4:30, the musical “Rats!” also will be performed in the town center. Admission is free for both events. Find more details at www.hameln.de.
SPAIN: Andalusia is famous for sherry, flamenco and horses, so what better place to celebrate all three than at Jerez de la Frontera’s annual Horse Fair, which begins Sunday and runs through May 13. Stroll the grounds of the Parque Gonzalez Hontori and admire the parade of carriages with costumed passengers and riders that begins daily around 1 p.m., and stop in one of the more than 200 marques to enjoy the local sherry. Other attractions include daily horsemanship shows and competitions. The city Web site is www.jerez.org.
