Germany: a winner - What the Saturday papers say
Now that the eyes of the world are on Germany, Simon Calder, travel editor of The Independent, wonders why the country is not up there with France, Spain and Italy as one of our favourite holiday destinations. Calder writes that Germany is "near perfect". It has the city break covered (with Berlin, Munich and Cologne), the scenery (Bavaria, the Harz Mountains), the history and high culture (Dresden, Weimar, Bayreuth) and "with every degree of global warming, Baltic and North Sea beaches become that bit more appealing". Calder goes off, way off, the tourist trail in this article. He starts with a cheap flight to Dortmund, then ventures into Joachim Neander's valley - Neanderthal. Then it's off to Frankenstein's castle, Rottweil, Worms and Wuppertal. It's a must-read.
Guess where? This "benighted nation" is the "most corrupt country in South America; [and] the smuggling and counterfeiting capital of the continent". It's Paraguay, the country beaten by England earlier today. Despite the unpromising opening, Nick Higham (The Independent) writes that it is a good place to experience the real South America. It's like the Wild West apparently, but quieter. No gunfights on Main Street. Paraguay boasts the impressive falls at Iguacu though, and Ciudad del Este is worth a visit too.
If you haven't had enough sport, Charles Starmer-Smith (The Daily Telegraph) reminds us that today marks the start of 18 months of sporting action, and thanks to the growing sports tourism industry, you could be there to watch British teams take part. Starmer-Smith writes that "the 'I was there' factor will motivate hundreds of thousands of people to swap their sofa for stadiums in Germany, the Caribbean and France".
But if you have had enough of all things sport, Nick Trend (The Daily Telegraph) writes that it's a great year for cultural events around Europe. Sigmund Freud, Cézanne, Mozart, Rembrandt and Andrea Mantegna, the Renaissance artist, all mark a major anniversary this year. Trend runs down what's happening in France, Austria, Italy and Holland and what you can do in London by way of celebration too.
The bikini is also celebrating an anniversary this year. The two-piece will be 60 in July. Paula Cocozza (The Guardian) goes to St Tropez, where Brigitte Bardot sported a gingham bikini and frolicked on the sand, to check out the latest styles.
Next Saturday is State Cocktail Day in Missouri. The Times says that the Stoli Doli (pineapple-infused vodka) is a winner at the Capital Grille in Kansas City, and St Louis’s fabled snacks of deep-fried ravioli and frozen custard will put a lining on your stomach for the other killer cocktails on offer.
Staying in the States, Douglas Rogers (The Guardian) and his wife celebrate their wedding anniversary in Cape May, three hours south of New York on a peninsula on the Delaware Bay. In the 19th century, Cape May was like the Hamptons - very, very stylish. After languishing for 100 years or so, the cape is back, more fashionable than ever and with one of the best beaches in America, as recently rated by Condé Nast Traveler.
The Times looks for entries for the First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards, 2006. Those who have been on a glorious "green" holiday can nominate their travel company and may win a trip to Antarctica or a weekend in Scotland. Also, Cath Urquhart, travel editor, has eight simple ideas for saving the planet, which include offsetting the emissions from your flight with Climate Care, turning off the lights and air conditioning when you leave your room and tipping generously.
The popular southern Spanish city of Seville makes another appearance in the weekend travel sections. This time, James Bedding (The Daily Telegraph) learns about eating out the the Spanish way - tapas in other words - and explains how to do it as the Spaniards do.
Eating the American way often means firing up the barbecue and throwing on a big piece of meat. Every year, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking contest in Memphis attracts enthusiasts from all over the country who cook it out for a share of a $60,000 purse, but this year there is a British contender, Warren Pole (The Guardian), who is "armed with no more than a three quid disposable barbecue, some value sausages and four cans of warm lager".
A fan of laissez-faire barbecuing, Pole catches some sun while he leaves the sausages to get on with it. Unfortunately they do not get on very well. Pole gets the lowest score of the weekend. Chastened and with his pride slightly charred (much like his sausages), he consults Wayne Booth, the captain of the Red Hot Smokers, this year's winners, for his tips on how to make a great barbecue.
Want to help The Guardian compile a guide to the Greek islands? Visit Ivebeenthere.co.uk.
Finally, a bit of fun from The Independent. Which travel tribe do you belong to? It was easy in the 1950s. There was the jet set (the rich) and everybody else. Now that a short-haul flight costs the same as a night in the pub, it's harder to spot the well-healed travs from the chavs.
Find yourself among the Debrett Set (travel like the royals to Mustique, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize)? Or perhaps you will identify yourself among the Baguette Set (those who holiday in the South of France or Italy). Of course now that everyone from Tony Blair, the Beckhams, Jordan and Peter and Denise Van Outen, have flown with the orange-liveried airline, aren't we all really members of the easyJet Set aka the Cheap Flight Set?
© Cheapflights Ltd Oonagh Shiel
