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Tag: Historical Travel View All Tags

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Join 33,000 Others To Recreate The Fall Of The Berlin Wall On Its 20th Anniversary

Where: Berlin, Germany
November 5, 2009 at 2:49 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Here at Jaunted, we love us some flash mobs and all of the fun and city exploration that come with them. But this upcoming Monday, November 9 in Berlin, a flash mob will take on a somber note as up to 33,000 people gather to recreate the Berlin Wall on the 20th anniversary of the night it came down.

The "Mauer Mob"—know that "mauer" means "wall" in German— will happen at approximately 8:15pm on Monday, lasting for about 15 minutes so that visitors, Berliners, and even those who were there for the original tearing down of the wall can commemorate the date and capture photos of the scene. Already almost 6,000 people have registered to participate on the event's official site, and if you're in the vicinity, you should not miss this opportunity.

For tips on what to see and what to skip while you're not becoming part of a human Berlin wall in the city, be sure to check out our Berlin Field Trip series.

Related Stories:
· Temporarily Recreating The Berlin Wall [Kottke]
· Mauer Mob [Official Site]
· Walk The Path Of The Berlin Wall And Crash Into A Starbucks [Jaunted]
· Berlin coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted]

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Take The Hop, Skip and Jump Route On A Private Qantas Jet To Australia

Where: Australia
October 14, 2009 at 10:23 AM | by amandak | 0 Comments

It seems hard to believe that it is almost 75 years since the first regular flights from Britain to Australia began, but it's apparently true that as far back as 1935, the wealthy were skipping the long boat trips and flying Down Under. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Australia flights next year, Qantas Holidays are putting on a real "trip of a lifetime" vacation on the historical "Nostalgia" and "Classical" routes.

Flying with a group of just 22 passengers on a classic Convair CV580 plane, the 22-day trip from London to Sydney (or the 21-day reverse journey) will be something quite special. With a maximum flying time of four hours per day, there are numerous stops in countries as diverse as the Czech Republic, Syria and Vietnam. Daily excursions could take you over the Himalayas, by water taxi to stilted houses in Brunei, or on a dawn cruise on the Ganges.

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NYC Gets All Dutch And Such During NY400 Week

September 8, 2009 at 2:15 PM | by egw | 0 Comments

Back in January, NYCGo, New York's #1 fan, announced a year's worth of fun to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson paddling up the river that would later bear his name. Well, the culmination of that very flammable birthday party has arrived, and NY400 Week: Holland on the Hudson offers something for tourists and locals alike.

Tomorrow, the Dutch government unveils the New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion at the northern end of Battery Park, a gift that will then be open to the public from noon to 6PM. On Thursday, a fleet of traditional Dutch boats will sail to Governors Island for the purpose of showing off their antique fixtures and rigging for sailors wanting to jump in ol' Hank's waders.

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Losing Time in Dublin, Part 4: Sandcastles, Real Castles, and Thin Lizzy

Where: Dublin, Ireland
August 22, 2009 at 6:17 PM | by Victor Ozols | 1 Comment

As we approached our last day in Dublin, we wondered if we had anything left to see. After all, we'd hit the high points in the visitors guide. But I'm glad we had that extra day, because it was just the kind of leisurely vacation day we needed after all that running around.

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Losing Time in Dublin, Part 3: A Long Walk to St. James's Gate

Where: Dublin, Ireland
August 22, 2009 at 5:19 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

We woke up at around 7:00 a.m. on Monday morning and went to the hotel fitness center, which was well-appointed, and then got cleaned up and headed out for a day of hardcore Dublin sightseeing. Today was the day we would explore the north side of the River Liffey, so we started out with breakfast and coffee at a joint called Panem, just across the river on Lower Ormond Quay. The coffee was good and the frittata was delicious, even though they didn't heat it up.

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Losing Time in Dublin, Part 2: A Tale of Two Menus

Where: Dublin, Ireland
August 22, 2009 at 3:20 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

We decided to visit a historic old pub called O'Donoghue's, which is famous for helping launch the Irish folk group The Dubliners. We took a table in the outdoor courtyard. The weather was steadily improving, and there was what the BBC forecaster called a "Cornish sun" in the sky, burning brightly but veiled by gray and white clouds. It felt like spring.

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Losing Time in Dublin, Part 1: Beginning at the Pub

Where: Dublin, Ireland
August 22, 2009 at 2:13 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

We've been back in New York a full day now, so I'd better get my thoughts on Dublin down before they fade away like that last pesky hour of jet lag. After all, time in the Irish capital can seem a blur, and not just because of the ever-flowing pints of stout. It's a city of sensory overload, with so much to behold that it takes a concerted effort not to bump into people on the sidewalk. Okay, the Guinness may be a contributing factor, but Dublin impressed us and exceeded our expectations at every turn, and the five days we spent there were as fleeting as they were fun.

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The Very Rich Can Hop On Discovery Channel's New Hardcore Adventures

August 4, 2009 at 1:09 PM | by Omri | 0 Comments

Is this the recession or what? Guess not: Discovery Communications is teaming up with travel provider G.A.P Adventures to launch dozens of luxury trips based on Discovery Channel programming. With prices starting at $2,000 per person for trips ranging from 3 to 24 days, these are not for the faint of wallet.

Locations range from common tourist destinations like the USA and Mexico to places like Botswana, where you'll probably always need a guide. All of the packages come with their share of intriguingly esoteric Discovery Channel twists; one of the USA tours revolves around historic parks in the Southwest. What travelers will see on the 12 day tour, though, ranges from rock formations to deserts to dwellings abandoned thousands of years ago.

The other USA destination is even more nature-oriented, taking travelers all the way up north to Alaska. Adventurers spend 10 days observing wildlife in their habitat, which can be both mindblowingly fascinating and straightforward deadly.

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Last British WWI Soldier Dies; Leaves Gripping Account of Trench Warfare Hell

Where: Ypres, Belgium
July 25, 2009 at 11:41 AM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

Britain's last remaining World War I soldier, Harry Patch, died at the age of 111 today, leaving behind a collection of gripping stories about the inhuman conditions he and his comrades faced in the trenches of Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium, during the battles of Passchendaele and Pilkem. The BBC has an amazing roundup of Patch's memories of his time in the war, in which he describes the muddy trenches - a mere three feet wide and six feet deep - that he had to occupy for days on end. The soldiers were mired in filth for months at a time, with the constant companionship of legions of lice:

From the time I went to France - the second week in June 1917 - until I left 23rd December 1917, injured by shellfire, I never had a bath ... For each lousy louse, he had his own particular bite, and his own itch and he’d drive you mad. We used to turn our vests inside out to get a little relief. And you’d go down all the seams, if you dared show a light, with a candle, and burn them out. And those little devils who’d laid their eggs in the seam, you’d turn your vest inside out and tomorrow you’d be just as lousy as you were today. And that was the trenches.

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Daytime Fireworks, Cake, and 'National Treasure' For The Fourth

July 1, 2009 at 9:32 AM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

If you've waited this long to make plans for the Fourth of July, then you've probably already given in to another year of camping out down by the river for the city fireworks display, and this applies to most any city with a river. If, however, you are lucky enough to call Washington DC or Baltimore home, then there's still an option for a day-trip to make it feel as though you did something with your weekend: head to George Washington's old Mount Vernon home for the festivities and the "National Treasure" Tour.

As of this last February, Mount Vernon has expanded their hugely popular tour, based on "The National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets" to offering it four times daily, with 25 people max per tour. It's an extra $5 on top of the $15 admission to the estate, but it's the only way to investigate areas like the mansion's basement and cornerstone. Apparently, fans of the movie "will recognize the space as the location where Nicolas Cage's character kidnaps the president."

Emerge from underneath Mount Vernon for the Fourth's "made-for-daytime" fireworks, a naturalization ceremony, Revolutionary War re-enactments and a birthday cake! The cake will be cut at 1pm, and we recommend bringing Ziploc baggies for some snacking on the ride back to the city.

Related Stories:
· National Treasure Tours Begin [Press Release]
· Mount Vernon [Official Site]
· Fourth Of July Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: afagen]

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Re-Enacting History: Tanks, Rocket Launchers and 300 Jeeps...Oh My!

Where: Paddock Wood, Kent, United Kingdom
June 26, 2009 at 2:07 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Along with the tasty barbeques and popping fireworks of the middle of summer come the re-enactments of historical battles. To help you plan fun excursions to watch guns go off, we're listing our favorite battle re-enactment sites all this week. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

Let's be real here for a moment: as we've rounded up all of our favorite military re-enactments this week, we've just been holding out for the one featuring as many tanks as possible, and we think we've found it: The War & Peace Show in Kent, England.

Billed as "The Largest Military Vehicle Spectacular In the World," the War & Peace show gathers all of the green and drab-painted, rocket-launching, all-terrain-running machines out there for four days—July 22-26— of trading wartime tidbits on a farm outside of London. The action doesn't end there however, as parades of both axis and allied re-enactors march by, 1940s fashions walk a runway, 4x4 owners drive an offroad course, and helicopter rides take fair attendees for 10-minute rides over the English countryside.

Really though, all they had to do was say "we've got tanks," and we'd be there.

Related Stories:
· War and Peace Show 2009 [Official Site]
· Historical Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: War and Peace Show]

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Re-Enacting History: Battle Of Britain Rages Again This Weekend

Where: Evesham, United Kingdom, WR11 7PA
June 25, 2009 at 3:42 PM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

Along with the tasty barbeques and popping fireworks of the middle of summer come the re-enactments of historical battles. To help you plan fun excursions to watch guns go off, we're listing our favorite battle re-enactment sites all this week. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

You don't much more hardcore than driving amphibious DUKW vehicles, setting off pyrotechnics, calling in the British Legion and enlisting more than twenty re-enactment societies to carry out a weekend of World War II encampment outside of Birmingham, UK. Don't worry, there will also be a beer tent at this weekend's "Wartime In the Vale" at Ashdown World War 2 Camp spectacle.

Beginning with a salute flight on Saturday as a memorial to the Battle of Britain, the re-enactments and 1940s festivities hit high gear on Saturday night with live entertainment by "The Forces Sweethearts," a war song singalong, and a burlesque performance by Kitten Von Mew.

If you happen to fly into Birmingham on a European LCC this weekend and have some time to kill, or can make the trip over from London, tickets for the weekend are £6 per adult, or £12 for a whole family. We say drop the kiddies off in the children's area with mini Land Rover rides and make a bee-line for the bomb displays and aforementioned beer tent.

Related Stories:
· Wartime In the Vale: Ashdown WW2 Camp [Official Site]
· Historical Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: BrianTaylor42]