Three-city break to Bilbao, Barcelona and Madrid
Now that travel restrictions are easing, I decide on Spain for my first post-covid trip, plotting a route from Bilbao to Barcelona and then on to Madrid. Together, the trio of cities promises an unbeatable combination of food, art and beaches, and an insight into three different regions. Madrid’s frenetic buzz feels so different to Barcelona’s laid-back, seasidey vibe and Bilbao’s bustling port that — by trip’s end — it feels as if I’ve had not one holiday but three: the perfect antidote to months of covid curbs. [theguardian.com]
24 hours aboard Amtrak’s scenic Coast Starlight
Along the West Coast , 1,377 miles of railroad track run from Seattle to Los Angeles — a route often named as one of the most beautiful train journeys in America. The route, called the Coast Starlight, takes 35 hours to wind through Washington state, cross Oregon and snake down the California coastline. Some travelers make it a multi-day trip. But I made it a straight ride: 24 hours on the train from Seattle to San Francisco. [cnn.com]
Journey across Kazakhstan’s endless expanses
The monotonous rattling of the train accompanies us through the steppe of Central Asia. The air smells of cooked food and the exhalations of dozens of passengers. Sounds drift over to me from various corners of the wagon Lying in my upper bunk, I seek body contact with the cooling plastic wall because of the summer heat. I am in a twilight state between shallow sleep and nervous glances at my mobile phone: still no reception. It is shortly after 3am. It is the beginning of my almost three-week train journey across the endless expanses of Kazakhstan. [theguardian.com]
Veuve Clicquot to pop corks on the Orient Express
It’s time to pop some bubbly and wish Veuve Clicquot a very happy birthday. From June 5th to 7th, 2022, the Champagne house is celebrating its 250th anniversary aboard the beloved and ultra-chic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The journey begins at Veuve Clicquot’s home in Reims, France, sampling the Maison’s cuvées alongside the cellar master. From there, the two-night adventure will follow the shipping route of the Champagne’s first bottles, concluding with a night’s stay in Venice at Cipriani, [travelandleisure.com]
New Japan train to sweep scenic coasts this fall
Will you go east, or to the west? That’s the question you’ll have to answer if you’re hopping on the “Futatsuboshi 4047,” a Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) sightseeing train set to link southwest Japan’s Nagasaki and Saga prefectures on two seaside routes starting in autumn 2022. The service’s debut will be timed to coincide with the opening of the western Kyushu shinkansen bullet train line between the cities of Takeo, Saga Prefecture, and Nagasaki. Planners are hoping synergy between the shinkansen and the more leisurely Futatsuboshi will boost local tourism. [mainichi.jp]
