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Date: 2023-12-11 01:58:56 | Author: Online Baccarat | Views: 844 | Tag: poker
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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted his first win back in charge was “emotional” after beating Brentford 1-0 at Bramall Lane poker
The decisive moment came on the stroke of half-time when James McAtee superbly curled into the top corner for his first Premier League goal poker
Wilder’s side had chances to put the game to bed through Anis Slimane, who saw his one-on-one effort saved by Mark Flekken before lashing another effort into the side-netting poker
Bramall Lane celebrated victory after Stuart Attwell blew for full-time after a late handball call to earn United their second success of the season poker
Wilder was glad to get his first win out of the way on his return to the club poker
He said: “It was really emotional because that first win is huge for everybody poker
“I’d have been desperately disappointed (if Sheffield United conceded) for the amount of effort they’ve put in poker
“The word we use is suffer and the club has had to suffer this season, nationally we know what the narrative is, we are not daft, we listen to pundits and commentators about certain aspects poker
It’s our job to change that poker
”Wilder felt his side could have sealed victory in the second half but spurned opportunities which gave the visitors a chance of an equaliser poker
He added: “The only disappointing thing is we didn’t put the game to bed and we’ve all been in that position poker
“We took a step into them and then we had to suffer at the end of the second half to put our bodies on the line and keep the ball out of the net and that’s the most simplistic way of doing it poker
“It’s a quick turnaround especially with the amount of energy we put into the game and the emotional energy with what’s happened this week with the manager leaving and what that does to players and staff poker
”Brentford top scorer Bryan Mbeumo picked up an ankle injury in their midweek defeat to Brighton and boss Thomas Frank admitted his presence was missed poker
He said: “Of course he was a big miss poker
“Take any of the top producers out of any of the top sides and they will also feel it but it is what it is and it is up to me to find solutions for it poker
“We are trying and sometimes it doesn’t succeed the first time, hopefully we get another chance on Sunday (against Aston Villa) poker
” poker
As I pull back my curtain to watch the sun set over the Kandalama reservoir, I suddenly find myself inches from a beady-eyed grey langur monkey peering at me from the other side of the glass poker
He’s perched nonchalantly on the rail that runs round my window, while a handful of others swing through the trees behind him poker
The forest almost engulfs the two low, lateral wings of the camouflage green, concrete Kandalama Hotel, which is exactly what was envisioned by the designer – the late Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa poker
The hotel is in the cultural triangle, a short drive from the ancient Dambulla cave temple and Sigiriya, a Unesco rock fortress with over 1,000 steps that I tackle one morning before breakfast (the stunning forest view from the top is worth the sweaty climb) poker
Sri Lanka has had a difficult six months poker
The country suffered horrendous terrorist bombings on Easter Sunday, which targeted three luxury hotels and three places of worship, killing 258 people poker
Some 48 of these were foreign nationals, and the blatant attack on international tourism prompted the Foreign Office to declare the country off-limits to UK nationals – at least, if they expected their travel insurance to be valid or needed any help from the British government during their stay poker
The country was only removed from the banned list on 6 June, but the six weeks of isolation took their toll poker
Which is why now is the time to put our tourist pounds to good use and return to this richly diverse island nation poker
I'm showing solidarity while on the hunt for Geoffrey Bawa’s buildings poker
The influential architect (who studied law at Cambridge before switching professions) is known as the father of tropical modernism because he took the design ideas of the movement and made them his own, using local materials that suited the Asian environment poker
This year is the centenary of his birth and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust is organising a series of exhibitions and events to mark the occasion poker
The first, being held this month, is a decorative arts installation at Lunuganga, the 25-acre country estate near Bentota on the west coast which he called home poker
The most anticipated event is the installation series here at the end of the year, which will feature works by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and American artist Lee Mingwei, among others poker
Travel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Show all 521/52Travel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Travel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Puerto Rico: After a devastating hurricane, an island on its way backPuerto Rico is representative of the many fragile places around the globe right now: the islands facing a future of sea level rise and extreme weather poker
The arctic spots where winter itself is under threat poker
The cities where a combination of climate change and bad planning has resulted in devastation poker
That is why Puerto Rico earned the number one spot on our annual list of 52 places to visit in the coming year poker
The island and the other beautiful places at risk raise an urgent question: do we owe something to the places that make us happy? “This is the new normal, and people have to look at this new normal and embrace it,” says Martha Honey, executive director of the Centre for Responsible Travel in Washington DC poker
The idea that as visitors we should not cause harm and should seek out authentic experiences that get us deep into the local culture poker
Perhaps it would not be such a stretch to redefine the relationship poker between leisure travellers and their dream destinations poker
Mireya NavarroGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Hampi, India: An ancient archaeological complex becomes more accessibleAt the height of the Vijayanagar empire in the 16th century, Hampi thrived as one of the largest and richest cities in the world poker
Its architectural legacy lives on in the southwestern state of Karnataka with over 1,000 well-preserved stone monuments, including Hindu temples, forts and palaces poker
Spread over 16 miles near the banks of the Tungabhadra river, and surrounded by a sea of granite boulders, the Unesco world heritage site has been notoriously difficult to reach, until now poker
TruJet recently began daily direct flights from Hyderabad and Bangalore to Ballari, a 25-mile drive from Hampi poker
Travellers can stay in the newly refreshed Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace or at Ultimate Travelling Camp’s new Kishkinda Camp, which introduced 10 stately tents in December poker
The outfitters Black Tomato and Remote Lands now offer journeys in the region, from guided archaeological tours to rock climbing and river jaunts in basket boats poker
Nora WalshGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Santa Barbara, California: The ‘American Riviera’ becomes a hip food and wine havenLong known for drawing movie stars and millionaires to its resorts, Santa Barbara is now a foodie magnet poker
Acclaimed chef Jesse Singh oversees Bibi Ji, an edgy Indian restaurant – try the uni biryani – with a wine list curated by noted sommelier Rajat Parr poker
Top Chef alum Phillip Frankland Lee presides over the Monarch, a posh Californian restaurant, and Chaplin’s Martini Bar; he will open Silver Bough, a 10-seat tasting menu venue in January poker
The Santa Barbara Inn’s Convivo offers upmarket Italian fare and ocean views; nearby, at Tyger Tyger, Daniel Palaima, a veteran of the kitchens of Chicago-based chef Grant Achatz, serves southeast Asian fare (try the Szechuan pepper soft serve ice cream at Monkeyshine to finish off the night) poker
The city has over 30 wine tasting rooms that don’t look like their more staid cousins up north poker
Frequency and Melville feature modern furnishings and party-ready playlists; vinyl rules at Sanguis, a winery run by drummers poker
Sheila MarikarGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Panama: New eco-friendly resorts open on the country’s Pacific coastTwo new Pacific island resorts are expanding Panama’s west coast appeal, not far from the marine preserve around Isla Coiba poker
Cayuga Hospitality recently opened Isla Palenque in the Gulf of Chiriqui, with eight casitas and one villa on a lush 400-acre island poker
Besides offering access to seven beaches, mangrove kayaking and whale-watching, the resort grows some of its own food, has furniture made from fallen trees and maintains a no-plastics policy, including subbing papaya shoots for straws poker
In the Gulf of Chiriqui, Islas Secas Reserve and Panama Lodge opened in January on a 14-island archipelago poker
The solar-powered, nine-bungalow lodge offers sport fishing and scuba diving, and composts food waste and recycles water for irrigation poker
A Ritz-Carlton Reserve property is also under construction in the Pearl Islands poker
Elaine GlusacGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Munich, Germany: Theatre poker
Art poker
Opera poker
What more do you want?As far as cultural triple threats go, it’s hard to beat Munich poker
Its theatres are considered among the most creative and ambitious in Europe, with its two main companies, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Residenztheater producing more than 30 premieres poker between January and May 2019 poker
And its museums are decidedly world class, especially since the renovation and reopening of the Lenbachhaus museum in 2017, with its unmatched collection of the German artists known as the Blue Rider school poker
But perhaps the best argument for visiting Munich right now is the Bavarian State Opera, which has emerged as one of the most exciting opera houses in Europe poker
The reason? In the words of a New York Times classical music critic, “the miracle of Kirill Petrenko” poker
Petrenko has just two more years remaining on his contract as music director at the opera poker
This summer, he will conduct a new production of Richard Strauss’s Salome, with the opening night performance on 27 June poker
Stuart EmmrichGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Eilat, Israel: A newly accessible Red Sea paradiseBeneath the prismatic waters of this Red Sea resort on Israel’s southern tip lies a coral reef with hundreds of varieties of neon fish, sharks and stingrays poker
To get there, visitors used to have to catch a charter flight from Tel Aviv or brave the dusty drive through the Negev desert poker
But with the opening early this year of Ramon Airport, set in the Timna Valley and capable of handling 4 million international transit passengers a year, the world will finally get a direct route – with nonstops from Munich and Frankfurt on Lufthansa, and budget carriers flying in from Prague, London and across Europe poker
New hotels, including the luxurious Six Senses Shaharut, opening just in time for Israel’s turn at hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, are ready for the crowds poker
Debra KaminGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Setouchi, Japan: Art and nature harmonise in Japan’s inland seaThe Setouchi region will host the Setouchi Triennale 2019, a major art fair held in three seasonal instalments poker
One hour south via ferry or the Shinkansen bullet train, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum reopens this spring after an eight-year refurbishment poker
New trails and a dedicated Shimanami bike ferry that opened in October connect Japan’s main island of Honshu to the region’s lesser-visited island of Shikoku poker
For those seeking more sybaritic forms of transport, the Guntu – more a minimalist floating ryokan than a cruise ship – with 19 walnut-clad rooms and open-air cypress soaking baths poker
In 2019, Setouchi Sea Planes will expand its scenic flights to several smaller islands and towns via Kodiak 100s poker
And a Japanese startup, Ale, launched the Shooting Star Challenge, a microsatellite that will create the world’s first artificial meteor shower, aiming to fill Setouchi’s skies in spring 2020, a taste of the high-tech one-upmanship to come in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics poker
Adam H GrahamGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Aalborg, Denmark: Architecture revitalises the waterfrontViking long ships once glided through Aalborg’s mighty Limfjord poker
Today, the city is turning its most famous natural asset into an artistic one poker
Wildly innovative buildings have sprouted on its shores, including the Utzon Centre, designed by Jorn Utzon, the architect of the Sydney Opera House – its new exhibition series on inspiring Nordic architects, runs through May poker
The curvilinear concert hall Musikkens Hus was recently followed by the vibrant Aalborg Street Food market; the pedestrian and cycling Culture Bridge; and the undulating Vestre Fjordpark, with an open-air swimming pool that meets the sea poker
Nordkraft, a power plant that was converted into a cultural hub, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with events in September poker
The Aalborg Akvavit distillery is being transformed into a new creative district over the next two years, presided over by a soaring glass polygonal sculpture by artist Tomás Saraceno, Harbour Gate from architect Bjarke Ingels, a hotel and more poker
Annelisa SorensenGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019The Azores, Portugal: The Caribbean comes to the middle of the AtlanticIn the nippy Atlantic Ocean a four-hour flight from the US, the subtropical volcanic islands of the Azores, complete with Unesco world heritage sites and biospheres, await discovery poker
Mystical green lushness, oversize volcanic craters now turned into lakes, steaming natural hot springs that puff out from the earth, blue hydrangeas by the thousands and the only coffee growers in Europe distinguish the island chain poker
New restaurants in Ponta Delgada include the locavore Casa do Abel, the Japanese-influenced Otaka, and Tasquinha Vieira, which specialises in local, organic cuisine, while new hotels include the Lava Homes on Pico Island, and the Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico, opening in July poker
Daniel SchefflerGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Ontario Ice Caves, Canada: See them now, as climate change may pose a threatThe ice caves that emerge from the winds and waves that pound the north shore of Lake Superior have always been somewhat ephemeral poker
But climate change has brought an element of doubt into their future poker
For now, the caves are a regularly occurring feature, notably along the shoreline near Sault Ste Marie, Ontario poker
Made from snow and ice, the caves vary in size, shape and colour poker
Large waves before they freeze up are the essential ingredient for large caverns poker
The wind, shifts in the ice and the effects of the sun constantly remake the formations poker
February is the most reliable month for a visit poker
Getting to the caves involves driving one of the more scenic sections of the Trans-Canada Highway poker
Alona Bay and Coppermine Point are two of the more popular destinations poker
The staff members at Stokely Creek Lodge, a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing resort just outside of the Sault, keep track of where the most dramatic, but accessible, caves have formed each winter poker
Ian AustenGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Zadar, Croatia: Incomparable sunsets, a ‘sea organ’ and untrammelled islandsAfter the Croatian poker football team captured the world’s attention in the World Cup – its captain Luka Modric’s was particularly notable – fans revved up their search engines and learned that he hails from Zadar, a pretty, compact town on the Dalmatian Coast poker
Ryanair have added regular flights from Prague, Hamburg, Cologne and Nuremberg, starting this spring poker
Beyond Zadar’s medieval core, the city’s seaside promenade and music-making “sea organ”, created by architect Nikola Basic, is a must-see (or hear) poker
The magical sunsets alone were enough to wow Alfred Hitchcock, who visited the city in 1964 poker
The town is also a gateway to untrammelled islands, like Dugi Otok; an hour-and-20-minute ferry ride takes visitors to the sparsely populated island with uncrowded beaches and taverns poker
Seeking ultraclean waters? Then head to the island of Pasman, where the currents often change, making the surrounding waters some of the cleanest in the Adriatic poker
David FarleyGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Williamsburg, Virginia: The cradle of American democracy reflects on its pastIn 1619, the area that includes the Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg and Yorktown was home to some of the most significant events in American history: the official arrival of the first African slaves to North America, the convening of the first representative assembly in America and the first recorded proclamation of Thanksgiving in the New World poker
The area will observe the 400th anniversary of these events all year, highlighted by the Tenacity exhibition at the Jamestown Settlement, which recognises the contributions of women during the Colonial era, along with an archaeology-focused exhibit poker
Colonial Williamsburg, the expansive living-history museum, will give visitors a taste of life in the 18th century, along with the reimagined American Revolution Museum at Yorktown poker
For thrill seekers, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the European-theme amusement park, will unveil a new pendulum swing ride, while Water Country USA will unveil the state’s first hybrid water coaster poker
John L DormanGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Las Vegas: Sin City poker bets big on cultureSure, there are still slot machines, strip clubs and steaks aplenty, but other options for culture in America’s playground abound poker
The new Park MGM hosts residencies from two music legends through 2019: Lady Gaga, doing one show of her pop hits and another riffing on American classics, and starting in April, Aerosmith poker
Also a rollicking iteration of the Italian emporium Eataly and Best Friend, a Korean restaurant by Roy Choi, the LA food truck pioneer, that becomes a hip-hop club afterwards poker
The Wynn recently added live, Dixieland-style jazz to its lakeside brunch; it also offers masterclasses on subjects like dumpling-making poker
Nearby, the Venetian debuted three craft cocktail bars, the Dorsey, Rosina and Electra, where guests can actually sit down and hear one another talk poker
Downtown, the Life Is Beautiful festival, which corrals an array of musicians and artists each fall, enters its seventh year; 2018 stars included the Weeknd and Florence and the Machine poker
Sheila MarikarGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Salvador, Brazil: The country’s original capital gets a makeoverAfter completing a five-year historical preservation initiative to save its Unesco designation, Salvador, with its sherpoker bet-coloured colonial facades, cobblestone streets and beaches, is gleaming poker
Rising along the coast of northeastern Bahia, the city’s downtown historic district thrums with vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture, ranging from free weekly performances by samba and drum corps to classical music and capoeira poker
Visitors can also find Salvador’s history exhibited in the new House of Carnival and, opening in 2020, the Museum of Music or catch a live concert at the Convention Centre, opening this year poker
The Fera Palace Hotel, a refurbished art deco gem, and the freshly minted Fasano Salvador, housed in a former 1930s newspaper building, both overlook All Saints Bay, which in November will host the finish of the International Regatta Transat Jacques Vabre, a 4,350-mile race along the historic coffee trading route poker between France and Brazil poker
Nora WalshGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Danang, Vietnam: A spot for foodies and beachgoersVietnam’s third largest city, is known for being a gateway to the nearby Unesco Heritage town of Hoi An poker
But it’s begun to develop a reputation as the Miami of Vietnam, with a strong foodie scene and new hotels and resorts popping up on a five-mile beach strip poker
A typical day might start with a morning swim on the crescent-shape Non Nuoc Beach and perhaps a quick stop at the Han Market poker
Then, an afternoon visit to the Marble Mountains, where travellers can explore the temples and pagodas that look out over My Khe Beach and, later, dinner back in the city, perhaps at Nén, a new restaurant from much-followed food blogger Summer Le poker
Perhaps finish the day with a visit to Cau Rong Dragon Bridge in the hills above the city poker
Don’t leave without sampling a bowl of mi quang, the justifiably famous local noodle soup made with a turmeric-infused broth, chicken, pork, local seafood and shredded cabbage, and available for about $1 (78p) at any number of street food stalls poker
Stuart EmmrichGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Costalegre, Mexico: A beach vacation, without the crowdsCostalegre is a stretch of 43 largely unpopulated beaches, capes and bays along Mexico’s gorgeous Pacific coast, about halfway poker between the poker better known destinations of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, and one that has so far escaped the attention of vacationers flocking to its popular neighbours to the north, Punta Mita and the surfer’s haven of Sayulita poker
One factor keeping away the crowds: lack of easy access poker
Up until now, the nearest airport has been more than a two-hour drive away, in Puerto Vallarta poker
But that will change with the planned opening of the Chalacatepec Airport in the second half of this year, which will cut travel time by more than half poker
And a clutch of luxury hotels will soon follow poker
For now, the best luxury option is Las Alamandas Resort, set on a 1,500-acre nature reserve, with just 16 suites in seven brightly painted casitas, as well as two restaurants, a spa and a large pool poker
Smaller hotels and even bungalows near the beaches can also be rented poker
Stuart EmmrichAlamyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Paparoa Track, New Zealand: A new wilderness trail explores a remote national parkOutdoor enthusiasts can head to New Zealand starting in October to trek the country’s first Great Walk trail to open in more than 25 years poker
Tracing the Pororari river along the west coast of the South Island, the Paparoa Track winds through Paparoa National Park, a reserve largely inaccessible until now poker
Built by the Department of Conservation for hikers and mountain bikers, the 34-mile trail (hiked in three days; biked in two) departs from a historic mining town and traverses epic limestone gorges, beech forests and sandstone bluffs before culminating at the Punakaiki Blowholes poker
For a small fee, travellers can stay overnight in two new 20-bunk huts overlooking the southern Alps and Tasman Sea poker
The Pike29 Memorial Track, which honours victims of the 2010 Pike River Mine tragedy, intersects the route poker
Reservations can be made on the Department of Conservation’s website; both tracks are free and no permit is required poker
Nora WalshGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Puglia, Italy: Baroque architecture and Adriatic beaches in Italy’s heelThe ancient fortified farmhouses called masserie, found only in the region of Puglia, are increasingly being turned into boutique hotels, most notably Rocco Forte’s Masseria Torre Maizza, and the 17th century Castello di Ugento, where guests can take cooking classes at the Puglia Culinary Centre poker
And the region’s 1,000-year-old wine culture, which began when the Greeks planted vines from their land across the Adriatic, is attracting more oenophiles to the area, including the owners of the London restaurant Bocca di Lupo, who recently bought a 600-acre estate in Salento called Tormaresca, where tastings are offered to visitors (you can also dine in their new restaurant in the town of Lecce) poker
Puglia is also home to Europe’s Virgin Galactic spaceport, which is scheduled to open in 2019, with the promise of eventually sending passengers into space poker
No wonder Abercrombie and Kent’s new Italian cruise includes Puglia and Gargano National Park poker
Daniel SchefflerGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Tatra Mountains, Slovakia: Off-the-grid skiing, rock climbing and moreWhile most visitors focus on Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, the soaring Tatra Mountains have emerged as an under-the-radar destination for skiing and outdoor activities, with new gondolas at the Bachledka and Jasna ski areas; slopes planned at Mlynicka Dolina; and new chair lifts at Oravska Lesna in the nearby Fatra range to the northwest poker
And it’s not just about winter poker sports: there is excellent hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and fly-fishing, while beyond the Tatras, Kosice, a regional capital, offers colourful street art and plenty of cafes and restaurants, thanks to its three universities and associated night life poker
Plan on posting plenty of photos: you’ll find untouched folk architecture throughout the region, as well as perfectly preserved gothic and baroque buildings awaiting your lens poker
Evan RailGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Calgary, Alberta: A spectacular library adds to a once-neglected neighbourhoodCalgary’s new Central Library, from the architectural firm Snohetta, creates not just a design destination, with daily tours, but also a gateway in the form of an arched cedar-clad passageway linking downtown to the city’s evolving East Village, a booming neighbourhood where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet poker
Calgary was founded in the East Village area in 1875, with a fort built to curb the growing whiskey trade, but the area suffered roughly 70 years of neglect before the Calgary Municipal Land Corp, formed in 2007, began transforming the area, adding parks, attractions and high-rises poker
The 240,000-square-foot library, with a performance hall, cafe, children’s play area and outdoor electromagnetic sculptures by Christian Moeller, is next to Studio Bell, home to the National Music Centre museum and performance space, and near the just opened Alt Hotel poker
Later this year, the multiuse building M2 promises more shops and restaurants beside the Bow river poker
Elaine GlusacGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia: A natural wonder resisting the threats of developmentLake Baikal in Siberia is the world’s deepest lake, plunging 1 mile into the Earth’s crust poker
It contains nearly 20 per cent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water and is so abundant in wildlife – bears, foxes, sables, rare and endangered freshwater seals – that Unesco calls it “the Galapagos of Russia” poker
The wildlife, like the lake itself, has been under threat for years, from indifferent Soviet industrial policy, from climate change and from today’s rising tourism, especially from China poker
Even so, it remains largely unspoiled, and activists are working hard to keep it that way poker
Olkhon Island, Baikal’s largest, and a place that Buddhists consider one of the holiest in Asia, is a popular base for excursions year round, even from December to April or May, when the surface freezes into turquoise sheets of ice that Siberian winds churn into natural sculptures poker
The Baikal Ice Marathon, a charity devoted to the lake’s conservation, will be held 2 March poker
Steven Lee MyersGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Huntsville, Alabama: Time to party like it’s 1969The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing will draw crowds to Huntsville – aka Rocket City – home of the Marshall Space Flight Centre, where the spacecraft that launched astronauts to the moon were developed poker
Throughout the year, there will be daily reenactments of the moon landing at the US Space and Rocket Centre, but the biggest thrills are planned for the anniversary week of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in July poker
Beginning on launch day, 16 July, the centre will attempt to break a Guinness World Record by launching 5,000 model rockets at 8 poker
32 am, the precise time that rocket engines ignited in 1969 poker
Festivities will continue with a classic car show, concerts, a homecoming parade and a street party in downtown Huntsville – the same location where Apollo workers celebrated after the successful mission poker
If that’s not fun enough, 2019 also marks the state’s bicentennial, giving Alabamians yet another excuse to party poker
Ingrid K WilliamsGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): Five kinds of penguins, easier to reachThe Falkland Islands, far off the coast of Argentina, offer an astonishing variety of wildlife that includes five kinds of penguins, hundreds of bird species, seals, sea lions and whales, as well as remote natural beauty that travellers often have to themselves poker
Two new local touring companies are increasing accessibility to the riches of the islands poker
Falklands Outdoors opened in November 2018 and offers mountain climbing, foraging, hiking and sea kayaking expeditions to beaches and penguin colonies that can’t be reached by road; in January, Falklands Helicopter Services will start scenic flights to Volunteer Point (home to an enormous king penguin colony), and other isolated spots poker
While there’s a single weekly commercial flight in and out of the Falklands, the first new route to the islands from South America in more than 20 years is being planned: LATAM is expected to begin weekly flights to the islands from Brazil by late this year poker
Nell McShane WulfhartGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Aberdeen, Scotland: The granite city via brand new old-fashioned trainsJust as many famous European overnight train routes have been retired, the Caledonian Sleeper, the train that travels through the night from London to the north of Scotland, is rolling out new carriages for summer poker
The new cars preserve the romance of overnight trains, in contemporary comfort, with a choice of hotel-style suites, classic bunk beds or seats poker
The Highlander route to Aberdeen leaves Euston station in the evening and hits the Scottish coast by 5 am, so travellers who take an early breakfast in the dining car can enjoy coastal views as the sun rises (get off at Leuchars for medieval St Andrews) poker
Off the train, Aberdeen and its surroundings offer historic castles set in fields of purple heather, in pine woods and along the dramatic coastline poker
Hiking trails abound on and around the queen’s estate at Balmoral, and rail buffs can visit the former royal train station in Ballater, closed since 1966, and ride on the Royal Deeside Railway a short drive from there poker
Palko KaraszGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Golfo Paradiso, Italy: A rare unspoiled gem on the Italian RivieraThe well-known pearls of the Ligurian Riviera – Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere – are overwhelmed with tourists, a problem so acute that in some areas authorities have debated measures to stem the flow of daytrippers poker
But just a few miles away, poker between Portofino and Genoa, remains a peaceful sliver of coastline rarely explored by travellers to the region poker
Known as the Golfo Paradiso, this small gulf is home to five often-overlooked villages, including Camogli, a colourful fishing hamlet as charming as any of the Cinque Terre poker
Italians will boast about the renowned local cuisine: fresh-caught anchovies, hand-rolled trofie pasta and cheese-filled focaccia from the town of Recco, a speciality that recently earned IGP status, a prestigious Italian designation for quality food products poker
poker Between meals, explore blooming gardens in Pieve Ligure, beaches in Sori and the romanesque abbey of San Fruttuoso, which is accessible only by boat or a long, sweaty hike poker
Ingrid K WilliamsGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Dessau, Germany: A big birthday for BauhausThis year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of German architect Walter Gropius’ “Proclamation of the Bauhaus”, a radical reimagining of art, architecture and design poker
To celebrate the Bauhaus centennial, cities around Germany will hold events, from the opening festival in Berlin – several days of art, dance, concerts, theatre, lectures and more this month – to the debut of the Bauhaus Museum in Weimar, where the movement was born poker
But the most compelling destination might be Dessau poker
Home of the Bauhaus school during the 1920s and 1930s, the northeastern German city still contains the school’s pioneering (and Unesco-listed) Bauhaus Building, the Gropius-designed Masters Houses, and the Prellerhaus studio building (a warren of former Bauhaus ateliers that now contains a hotel) poker
And in September, Dessau opens its long-awaited Bauhaus Museum, a glassy, minimalist rectangle that will showcase typefaces, textiles, artwork, furniture and more from the movement poker
Seth SherwoodGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Tunis, Tunisia: The spark for the Arab Spring, still litFreedom is what makes Tunis unique poker
Eight years after it kicked off the Arab Spring, it remains the only Arab capital with real freedom of expression, not to mention the peaceful rotation of power poker
But the city holds many other charms poker
Among them are the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, from which Hannibal’s elephants once threatened Rome poker
The carefully preserved old medina dates from the 12th to the 16th century, when Tunis was a major centre of the Islamic world poker
The tree-lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba downtown bears the influence of decades of French rule poker
And the cafes, art galleries and blue-and-white hues of the neighbourhood of Sidi Bou Said, overlooking the Mediterranean, have long lured European painters, writers and thinkers poker
A short taxi ride away are the beaches and nightclubs of La Marsa poker
The French-influenced north African food is delicious poker
The local red wines are not bad poker
And, in another regional rarity, Tunis in 2018 elected a woman its mayor poker
David D KirkpatrickGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Gambia: Hippos and chimpanzees – and a renewed sense of hopeGambia’s tourism industry was hit hard in 2017, when its long-time authoritarian ruler Yahya Jammeh refused to cede leadership after an election loss, forcing a political standoff that brought foreign troops in poker
But with its new president, Adama Barrow, now safely in place, there’s a renewed sense of hope across continental Africa’s smallest country – now more accessible than ever poker
In January, a new bridge over the Gambia river, three decades in the making, will be inaugurated with a nearly 200-mile relay run to Dakar, Senegal poker
Peregrine Adventures launches its first cruise up the 700-mile river, with a stop at Baboon Island, home to hippos, crocodiles and chimpanzees, part of Africa’s longest-running centre for rehabilitating chimpanzees into the wild poker
New and coming hotels, including the African Princess Beach Hotel, and two properties by Thomas Cook, will serve as stylish bases poker
And new direct flights from Europe make getting to this west African country easier than ever poker
Ratha TepGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Northern Rivers, Australia: Along a breezy coastline, boho paradiseThe coastline just below the New South Wales-Queensland border is known as the Northern Rivers thanks to the tidal system snaking through it poker
Anchored by Byron Bay, the area has become a beacon for those seeking a breezy boho way of life poker
In recent years a more moneyed, stylish vibe has settled in and seeped from Byron into neighbouring small towns poker
Mullumbimby hosts one of the country’s most vibrant weekly farmers’ markets poker
Brunswick Heads, is home to a huge historic pub with a sprawling patio, and offers great shopping and Fleet, a restaurant that serves some of Australia’s most delightful cooking poker
Up and down the coast, the restaurant scene is thriving: Paper Daisy in Cabarita Beach sits in the ground floor of an old surf motel turned boutique hotel; in Lennox Heads, Shelter’s dining room is open to the ocean breeze poker
For a taste of the old-school hippie wonderland from which all of this sprang, check out the Crystal Castle, a “crystal experience” in a hilltop garden poker
Besha RodellGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Frisian Islands and Wadden Sea: Oysters, seals, birds and dark skies on Europe’s wild left coastEurope’s windswept Frisian Islands are shared by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and linked by the Wadden Sea poker
Holland’s Lauwersmeer National Park offers dark-sky safaris and will open a seal rescue centre in 2019 that lets visitors rehabilitate and release two native seal species poker
Dutch campground resorts like Beleef Lauwersoog offer excursions to nearby Schiermonnikoog island and have expanded lodging options with new barrel-shaped sleeping pods and refurbished overwater bunkers, once used by duck hunters, on remote swaths of the North Sea poker
Denmark’s Fanoe island started offering DIY oyster foraging safaris, where visitors can rent boots and shucking tools to gather invasive, but delicious, Pacific oysters, thus helping preserve Denmark’s native Limfjorden oyster habitat poker
The Fanoe Oyster Festival, next in October 2019, has lured chefs across Denmark with an annual oyster cooking competition poker
Adam H GrahamGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019New York City: New cultural monuments, and remembrances of the pastredefine the city’s physical and cultural infrastructure poker
At Hudson Yards, the largest single development since Rockefeller Centre took shape in the Depression, a cultural arts centre called the Shed will go into gear poker
Its largest theatre is a retractable structure on wheels that creeps back and forth like a giant steel caterpillar, turning the outdoor space of a plaza into indoor space for performances poker
Not far away will be what the developers are calling New York’s Staircase, an eight-storey structure with 154 flights of stairs and 2,000 steps poker
The wraps are to come off the Museum of Modern Art’s $400m expansion, increasing its space by almost a third poker
The TWA Hotel at Kennedy International Airport is a flight centre relic from 1962, with 512 hotel rooms in two new buildings poker
In June, the city will host World Pride – first time in the US – for the 50th anniversary poker
James BarronGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Chongli, China: Witness a winter poker sports revolutionThe leadup to the next Winter Games is well underway in and around Beijing, and the spectacle is breathtaking poker
The most stunning transformations are happening a four-hour drive north in Chongli, once one of the country’s poorest areas and now home to several multibillion-dollar ski resorts, towering condominiums and flashy hotels poker
It has transformed into a glistening winter poker sports hub filled with restaurants, inns and watering holes poker
At least five ski resorts now surround the city, including places like Genting Secret Gardens, Fulong and Thaiwoo, which has an on-property brewery, a mid-mountain chalet that serves Swiss and Austrian fare, and brand new gondolas poker
A high-speed train from Beijing to Chongli should open in 2019 poker
The skiing isn’t world-class poker
Nearly all of the snow comes from a cannon, and runs average about 1,300 vertical feet poker
But go now to see firsthand how the world’s most populous country is working overtime to become a competitive winter poker sports nation poker
Tim NevilleGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Orcas Island, Washington: A small island is attracting big-time foodies (and Oprah)The horseshoe-shaped Orcas, one of the largest islands that make up the San Juan archipelago, has gained fame in recent years for its impressive tide-to-table culinary scene and experimental wines, attracting, among others, Oprah Winfrey (in 2018, Winfrey bought a 43-acre estate on the island for a reported $8 poker
275m) poker
A new wine enterprise, Doe Bay Wine Co, is presenting its Orcas Project in 2019 – a collaboration poker between acclaimed winemakers and vineyards in the Pacific northwest poker
Ventures from James Beard-nominated chef Jay Blackinton, who owns Hogstone, a former pizzeria now featuring ambitious nose-to-tail fare, and its more upscale counterpart Aelder, are also on the horizon poker
Another addition to the island are the luxury suites at Outlook Inn, in the town of Eastsound, overlooking Fishing Bay poker
If you want to hike, or ride a horse, the island’s Moran State Park will be adding trails to its 38-mile network this year poker
Daniel SchefflerGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Uzbekistan: Visa-free travel and reopened borders along the Silk RoadIf you have ever wanted to travel the Silk Road, now may be the time to go poker
After more than 25 years since the fall of the Soviet Union, the former member country of Uzbekistan is going through its own perestroika poker
Among the modernising reforms are poker better official exchange rates and the ability to book flights and apply for visas poker online poker
Ground and air travel have also improved regionally, in part because of China’s $800bn One Belt, One Road initiative (which links countries stretching poker between east Asia and Europe), as well as reopened borders with neighbouring countries, reestablished flight routes poker between central Asian capitals, like Tashkent and Dushanbe, and increased flight service poker between New York and Tashkent poker
In addition to the relatively new Hyatt Regency in Tashkent, other international hotels are expected to open in the coming years poker
Erin LeviGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Vestlandet, Norway: A bucolic paradise for mountain-climbing beer lovers Rural Vestlandet, in western Norway, home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes, is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types, especially those who take Rural Vestlandet is home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes and is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types poker
The Loen Skylift ferries travel more than 3,280 feet to the top of Mount Hoven in just a few minutes, while fearless climbers can put on a harness, hire a guide and make roughly the same journey in six hours, following a path that features one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe poker
After sightseeing, relax over an ale made with kveik, a local yeast that has enthralled brewers and scientists around the world in recent years for its fruity aromas and higher-than-normal fermentation temperatures poker
You can find it at bars like Tre Bror, in Voss, the Smalahovetunet restaurant and brewery nearby poker
Beer lovers who want to learn (and taste) more can time their visit to coincide with the October Norsk Kornolfestival, which features close to 100 beers made with kveik, often including juniper and other traditional regional ingredients poker
Evan RailGetty/AWL Images RMTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Lyon, France: poker Soccer, sausage and fresh airpoker Football fans should set their sights on France this summer, especially Lyon, where we could see the US women will clinch their fourth World Cup title in the final match 7 July poker
Even if you can’t get tickets – or détestez le poker football – the city of half a million people and 4,000 restaurants is worth a visit poker
This year, Lyon plays host to an International City of Gastronomy project poker
The indoor, one-acre exhibition will include interactive workshops and conferences designed to showcase France’s cuisine and its contributions to health and pleasure poker
Held at the Grand Hôtel Dieu, a sprawling complex first founded in the 1300s that reopens after four years of renovations with shops, restaurants, public spaces poker
When it comes time to work off all those plates of pork sausage, hike in nearby Écrins National Park, where traditional working dogs protect herds of sheep poker
Book a stay at the Temple-Écrins hut, where workers recently wrapped up three years of renovations poker
Tim NevilleGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Doha, Qatar: Avant-garde architecture blooms in the desertAs the next men’s poker soccer World Cup approaches in 2022, the host nation, Qatar, is loading its capital with structures from the biggest names in international architecture poker
The sharp-angled, futuristic Qatar National Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas and his OMA firm, opened in 2018; 2019 will welcome the National Museum of Qatar, a sprawling expanse of interlocking tilted circular discs by Jean Nouvel poker
A contribution from a third Pritzker prize-winner, Zaha Hadid, is slated to materialise in the form of a swooping, curvaceous stadium; another stadium, from Pritzker-winner Norman Foster, is also under construction poker
The new structures add further dazzle to the Doha skyline, which already includes Nouvel’s syringe-like Doha Tower and the blocky white jumble of the Museum of Islamic Art, by IM Pei poker
Seth SherwoodGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Batumi, Georgia: A hushed seaside escapeTbilisi, Georgia’s charming capital, has been flooded with tourists over the past decade poker
But Batumi, a hushed seaside city where verdant mountains slope down to the Black Sea’s smooth stone beaches, offers a different experience poker
Already a popular escape for Russians, Iranians, Turks and Israelis, the city is preparing itself for its inevitable discovery by the rest of the world: new hotels – including Le Meridien Batumi and a Batumi instalment of the design-centric boutique Rooms Hotel line – are rising, and a cable car will swing straight to the coast from the hilltop Batumi Botanical Garden poker
Winemaking is another draw – at the family-run BQ Wine Bar and the underground Karalashvili’s Wine Cellar, which pours the same rosé and amber-hued chkaveri varietals that Josef Stalin adored poker
Debra KaminGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Marseille, France: An influx of young creatives gives the city a new edgeSix years after Marseille was named European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city’s renewal is still galloping along poker
Jean Nouvel has just finished his striking new red, white and blue skyscraper La Marseillaise poker
The real proof of the city’s metamorphosis, however, is that it is attracting young creative types from all over France and beyond poker
Laura Vidal, a sommelier from Quebec, and British chef Harry Cummins opened La Mercerie, a market-driven bistro in an old notions shop in the city’s Noailles district last spring poker
Noailles is brimming with shops (don’t miss Épicerie I’ldeal, the best new food store), cafes and restaurants poker
Other districts in the heart of Marseille are being transformed as well poker
Near the opera, Tony Collins recently opened Deep, a coffee shop that roasts its own beans and also sells vinyl records; and the mixologists at the Copper Bay bar shake it up for locals and guests from the nearby Les Bords de Mer, the city’s best new boutique hotel poker
Alexander LobranoGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Wyoming: A sesquicentennial celebration of women’s suffrage in the Equality StateIn 1869, the Territory of Wyoming passed the first law in US history granting women the right to vote – nearly 51 years before the 19th amendment guaranteed the same entitlement to all women poker
This year, visitors can celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wyoming women’s suffrage at the Wyoming House for Historic Women, which honours the first woman to officially cast a ballot in a general election, and 13 other trailblazing women in the state’s political history poker
The restored Capitol building (reopening midyear), Wyoming State Museum and Cowgirls of the West museum also feature exhibits and artefacts celebrating women’s history poker
In addition, a variety of all-female trips are on offer throughout the year including Women’s Wellness Pack Trips on horseback from Allen’s Diamond 4 Ranch, cattle herding and archery at the WYLD West Women retreat, Hike Like a Woman nature adventures and fly-fishing clinics at the Proud Wyoming Woman Retreat poker
Nora WalshGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Los Angeles: Finally, more than Grauman’s (groan)Los Angeles too often gets boiled down to its least interesting element: Hollywood poker
It’s an insult to a region with a vibrant Koreatown (sit in the hot salt at Wi Spa and then feast on roast gui at Dong Il Jang); two nationally recognised high school show choirs (John Burroughs and Burbank); art galleries like the quirky Parker, in a Los Feliz mansion; and several big-league poker sports teams, two of them soon moving to a new $2 poker
6bn stadium poker
But in summer 2019 there will be an honest-to-goodness Hollywood reason to visit the area poker
After delays, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is scheduled to open in a Renzo Piano-designed complex on Wilshire Boulevard poker
Promised are interactive exhibits about the art and science of filmmaking, starry screenings in two theatres and to-die-for memorabilia – the collection includes a pair of ruby slippers, 12 million photographs, 61,000 posters and 190,000 video assets poker
Brooks BarnesGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Dakar, Senegal: An oasis of freedom in a region of unrestNgor or rent a board for a few hours to surf the more than a half dozen beaches that offer a terrific year-round break poker
Or just sit back and watch the surfers while eating grilled fish at a long strip of beach restaurants poker
A Museum of Black Civilisations will be opening early this year and will showcase artefacts as well as contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora poker
The city’s design and fashion creations would fit right in at New York showrooms poker
Take in a late-night concert with legends like Cheikh Lo and Youssou N’Dor crooning into the wee hours and a lively bar scene that offers all-hours entertainment poker
Day trips let you sleep in a baobab tree, zip line through a baobab forest or swim in a pink lake poker
But climate change, overfishing and a booming population may eventually take their toll poker
Dionne SearceyGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Perth, Australia: A city transformed and enlivenedA decade-long development boom has supercharged Perth poker
Among the new attractions: Yagan Square, with its distinctive market hall, art park and 147-foot digital tower showcases work by local artists and livestreams events; Optus Stadium, a 60,000-seat venue for concerts and sporting events; and Raine Square, a $200m redevelopment that includes a movie theatre, shopping and restaurants including dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan, considered the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant poker
To accommodate the expected growth in tourism, 31 new or redeveloped hotels have opened in the past five years, including the luxury COMO, the hip QT and a Westin poker
Since 2007, liquor law reforms, including a 2018 change that let restaurants serve drinks without a meal, have changed the drinking and dining scene with more than 100 small bars opening in the central business district alone poker
And Qantas started a nonstop flight from London to Perth this year, the first from Europe poker
Kelly DiNardoGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Hong Kong: Dazzling infrastructure eases travel but could threaten independenceAfter Britain returned its former colony to China in 1997, Hong Kong prided itself on resisting mainland interference poker
Last year saw the opening of a high-speed train that takes passengers all the way to Beijing, and a 34-mile sea bridge linking Hong Kong to the mainland for the first time, opening the question of whether that independent streak can survive poker
For travellers, though, boarding a train at the new West Kowloon station bound for Beijing – and more than 30 other destinations in China – is a game changer poker
The 1,200-mile trip to Beijing is just nine hours, and the business-class seats are roomy poker
Whether they are headed to China or not, travellers can indulge in British nostalgia at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel poker
The 25th-floor M bar offers fabulous views of the harbour, exotic cocktails like Sarawak Tea Punch and memories of the 1960s when the hotel opened as a symbol of luxury and style in this ever-glamorous city poker
Jane PerlezBloomberg/GettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Iran: Tourism cautiously returns to this Middle East jewelThe appeal of Iran for adventurous travellers is obvious: the monumental ruins of ancient Persia; the spectacular, centuries-old mosques of Shiraz and Isfahan; the Grand Bazaar and Golestan Palace in bustling Tehran poker
One additional reason to visit in 2019 is a major exhibition scheduled to open at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art poker
“Portrait, Still-life, Landscape” (21 February to 20 April) will take over the entire museum, with a selection of about 500 works, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and Marcel Duchamp, as well as about 40 Picassos recently discovered in the museum’s storage facilities (much of the collection has been kept under wraps since the 1979 revolution) poker
The US State Department discourages, but does not prohibit, travel to Iran by American citizens, and Americans can travel to Iran only as part of an organised tour poker
Options for 2019 include three expeditions from Intrepid Travel, including the company’s first-ever all-female tour poker
Stuart EmmrichGettyTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Houston: Rebounding bigger and poker better after a hurricaneAfter Hurricane Harvey, the city is back on its feet and showing off the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas attitude poker
Four food halls opened in 2018, including Finn Hall, which features up-and-coming chefs like James Beard-nominated Jianyun Ye and a downtown outpost of his Chinese hotspot Mala Sichuan and a taqueria from local favourite Goode Co poker
The five-diamond Post Oak Hotel has a two-storey Rolls-Royce showroom, art by Frank Stella and a 30,000-bottle wine cellar poker
The Menil Collection, known for its eclectic art ranging from Byzantine antiques to 20th century pop art, underwent a renovation and opened the 30,000-square-foot Menil Drawing Institute poker
The city’s museum boom continues with an expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to be completed in 2020, a newly built location for the Holocaust Museum, which will move in this spring, and a restoration of the Apollo Mission Centre that will open in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in July poker
Kelly DiNardoGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Columbus, Ohio: Is this the American city of the future?With a revitalised riverfront and booming downtown, Columbus is already one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities poker
Now, it’s poised to become the model for the future of innovative urban transportation, with self-driving shuttles carrying travellers along the Scioto Mile, recently revitalised, adding 33 acres of riverfront green space for festivals, water poker sports and outdoor art poker
Among the newest dining options are Veritas, which specializes in small-plate offerings; Service Bar, run by young chef Avishar Barua, a veteran of New York’s Mission Chinese and WD-50; and, in the North Market neighborhood, veggie-forward Little Eater poker
The Short North Arts District offers access to the city’s local businesses like the new fashion store Thread and the original Jeni’s ice cream store poker
But don’t skip Italian Village and German Village neighborhoods, where innovators and dreamers have opened destination shops like Stump Plants and Vernacular and bars like Cosecha poker
Daniel SchefflerGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Plovdiv, Bulgaria: A city ready for the spotlightWith its colourful, cobblestoned historic centre, well-preserved Roman ruins and lively art scene, Bulgaria’s second-largest city is surprisingly overlooked by tourists who favour the quirky, post-Soviet charm of the country’s capital, Sofia poker
But as a European cultural capital of 2019, this gem is ready to shine poker
Organisers have planned more than 500 events throughout the city and its region, including concerts, open-air theatre performances and street-food fairs poker
Tucked into the heart of central Bulgaria and built on seven hills, Plovdiv features an artistic quarter called Kapana, whose winding streets are lined with galleries and stylish cafes, as well as a beautifully restored Roman amphitheatre that hosts summer opera performances under the stars poker
The city’s location at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains – with their stunning views of peaks and deep gorges — makes it an excellent launch point for hiking day trips poker
Ann MahGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Vevey, Switzerland: A once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ festival on the Swiss RivieraEverything runs like clockwork in Switzerland, including the Fête des Vignerons, although its timetable is considerably extended poker
This Unesco-recognised wine festival, which celebrates the viticultural traditions of the Lavaux and Chablais regions near Lake Geneva, takes place every 20 to 25 years in the heart of Vevey, a breathtaking lakeside town beneath sloping vineyards in the canton of Vaud poker
Since 1797, the date has been decided by the Confrérie des Vignerons, which has spent the past several years (and a reported 99 million Swiss francs, or roughly $98m) planning for the 12th edition, which will run from 18 July to 11 August poker
For the first time, tickets for the two-hour show can be purchased poker online poker
Oenophiles seeking a “full-bodied” experience of Helvetian wines, which are rarely exported, can also download the new app from the Canton of Vaud featuring eight wine-centric hiking routes, including one above Vevey poker
Erin LeviGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Cádiz province, Spain: Sparkling cities and towns in southwest AndalusiaAt the tip of a peninsula thrust into the Atlantic, the city of Cádiz, a trading hub since 1100, has a vibe that’s more Havana than Madrid poker
A culinary renaissance is underway, with newcomers like Saja River and Codigo de Barra joining classics like El Faro poker
But the biggest gastronomic news lies across the bay in Puerto de Santa Maria, where Angel León’s Aponiente, which has three Michelin stars, offers a lyric poem to seafood (plankton risotto) poker
A second León restaurant, Alevante, in nearby Sancti Petri just received its first star poker
Twenty minutes inland, Jerez de la Frontera is a cradle of the fortified wines known as sherry, which are now on the hot list of sommeliers and the craft-cocktail crowd poker
Beyond the cities, hilltop villages like Vejer de la Frontera lure expatriates with a blend of hip luxury hotels and art by the likes of Olafur Eliasson at NMAC sculpture garden poker
Add a stretch of Atlantic shore, and the province of Cádiz ticks all the boxes poker
Andrew FerrenGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019Elqui Valley, Chile: Eclipse mania, and nights of dark skiesThe Elqui Valley in Chile attracts a diverse group of wine and pisco aficionados, stargazers and nature lovers poker
In 2019, this tranquil agricultural region takes centre stage in the path of totality of a full solar eclipse 2 July poker
Demand for lodging around this time has far outstripped supply, with an estimated 300,000 people expected in the area, and even hotels at the nearby coastal town of La Serena are booked solid poker
But those travelling outside eclipse mania still have many reasons to stare at the exceptionally clear sky; the Elqui Valley was named the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary as well as a centre of international global astronomy poker
When the sun is up, travellers can hike through vineyards or stroll through the streets of Vicuña, the largest city poker
It is a centre of pisco (brandy made in Chile and Peru) production and also the birthplace of poet Gabriela Mistral, winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Literature poker
Peter KujawinskiGetty/iStockTravel destinations: 52 places to go in 2019The islands of Tahiti: The birthplace of the overwater bungalow ups its ecotourismThose looking to escape the news cycle can’t get much farther away than this south Pacific archipelago, also known as French Polynesia, which in 2019 celebrates the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s arrival and subsequent trumpeting of its riches poker
Overwater bungalows were invented here: Tahiti’s clear waters offer views of more than 1,000 species of marine life poker
To guard against the climate change threatening parts of the region, the 118 islands and atolls have bolstered their conservation and ecotourism options poker
Paul Gauguin Cruises offers wildlife discovery immersions poker
Hotels are trying to decrease their carbon footprints: the Brando resort’s eco-friendly facilities include a coconut-oil-powered electric plant, an organic garden and solar panels poker
Resorts aren’t the only lodging option poker
The Tahitian Guesthouse experience unchains visitors from hotels and offers a more authentic Polynesian experience poker
Air Tahiti Nui just unveiled new jets with high-speed wifi poker
Sheila MarikarGettyI join a dozen other Bawa fans on a tour of Lunuganga, waiting patiently at the end of an unmarked lane for the metal gates to swing open, eager to see inside what was essentially Bawa’s creative laboratory for 50 years poker
This is where he tested out new design ideas, modifying the original house, building four bungalows and transforming the former rubber plantation into a dreamy landscape featuring ponds and pavilions, sculptures and lake views, all framed by his favourite frangipani trees poker
I peek into the garden room, with its buttermilk yellow walls, antique furniture and black and white chequered floor; then I stand under the berry fruit tree in the sprawling grounds where he took afternoon tea, its trunk swooping low from the weights he hung on the branches to shape it; and walk up the hill to Cinnamon Bungalow, the final building he added, which has an almost otherworldly tumbledown feel poker
Bawa’s creative laboratory was at Lunuganga (Sebastian Posingis)From here I head north up the coast to the Anantara Kalutara hotel, one of Bawa’s final projects, which is set on the beach where the Kalu Ganga river meets the Indian ocean poker
Although he began designing the hotel in 1995, it lay dormant for almost 20 years until it was completed to his original vision by one of his proteges, architect Channa Daswatte poker
Bawa’s big idea was to divide the layout of the hotel into quarters with both upper and ground-level corridors connecting different parts of the property poker
“Choreography of movement is a concept that runs through almost all of Geoffrey’s work,” explains Daswatte, when we meet that afternoon poker
He points out the furniture inspired by Bawa’s own collection in the airy lobby space and the three paintings by artist Laki Senanayake hanging in the library alongside Bawa’s architectural drawings poker
He also draws our attention to the batik banners hanging from the roof, made by his late friend, artist Ena de Silva poker
She lived at 5 Alfred Place in Colombo, also designed by Bawa, which was named a National Heritage building and reconstructed by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust at Lunuganga after huge public outcry at the news it was to be demolished poker
Anantara Kalutara had to be completed by Bawa's protege (Anantara Kalutara)In May, the hotel launched an afternoon tea dedicated to the architect, as well as an app to talk guests through the design ideas behind various spaces poker
There is also a spa, two pools (the quietest is next to Italian lunch spot Acquolina) and an Asian restaurant, Spice Traders, where I tuck into the most delicious fried cuttlefish and butter chicken for dinner poker
RecommendedSri Lanka removed from UK's 'no go' travel listOn the final day of my whistle-stop trip, I join a group of architecture students on a tour of No 11, a row of modernist houses in Colombo that were Bawa’s city base and office (he previously worked around the corner on Paradise Road at what is now the popular Gallery Cafe) poker
The whole space – which houses a third of his artefacts and art – feels incredibly zen, with water features and lots of natural light streaming through inner open courtyards poker
Visiting all of these buildings (and there are plenty more too, dotted around the island) is a fascinating insight into Bawa’s architectural thinking – key to which was the notion that they continue to evolve long after the final bricks are laid poker
“Once he told me Kandalama would finally be complete only when the leopards are roaming the corridors and the bears are scaling the rooms,” recalls Daswatte poker
I can almost picture it now poker
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent eventsTravel essentialsGetting thereSriLankan flies direct from London Heathrow to Colombo from £518 return poker
Staying thereDoubles at Anantara Kalutara resort from around £292, B&B poker
Doubles at Kandalama Hotel from around £169, room only poker
More informationFor more information on the Geoffrey Bawa centenary programme, visit geoffreybawa poker
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