European travel
hot spots:
12 The Year of Mozart (Prague, Salzburg and Vienna through 2006) in celebration of the composer's 250th birthday, with 15 operas, 56 symphonies and all-star musicians.
11 The Year of Cézanne (France through 2006): The Musée D'Orsay in Paris and the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence mark the 100 years since Paul Cézanne's death with major shows.
10 The Year of Rembrandt (Amsterdam through 2006): This year marks the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rembrandt House Museum have major exhibitions planned.
9 European Union Capital of Culture (Patras, Greece, through 2006): The Peloponnesian port offers a menu of Sophoclean tragedy, folk concerts, cabaret and commedia dell'arte.
8 La Tomatina (Bu ol, Spain, last week of August): The streets of this medieval town near Valencia will be red as thousands of gastronomic warriors go ballistic with surplus tomatoes.
7 Fringe Festival (Edinburgh, Scotland, Aug. 6-28): Events occur round-the-clock at the world's largest open arts festival.
6 Jewish Cultural Festival (Krakow, Poland, July 1-9): In the old Jewish quarter, tragically emptied in World War II, cultural events underscore the community's revival.
5 Festival of Two Worlds (Spoleto, Italy, June 30-July 9): The Umbrian town turns into a giant stage for its annual commingling of the classical and contemporary.
4 The World Cup (Germany, June 9-July 9): The quadrennial soccer tournament will be held in 12 German cities, hosting 32 international teams.
3 Shakespeare's Complete Works (Stratford-upon-Avon, England, April 2006-2007): Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart are among the players scheduled to perform in the dramatist's hometown in a first-ever complete cycle of all his 37 plays.
2 The Chelsea Flower Show (London, May 23-27): One of the world's largest gardening competitions.
1 The European Fine Art Fair (The Netherlands, ends today): Maastricht, the oldest city in the Netherlands, turns into a vast museum - except just about everything is for sale.
- SOURCE: Smithsonian Magazine
TRAVEL TALK
If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.
- Henry Miller
TRAVEL GLIMPSE
Dallas
Population: 1,208,318 (city), 2,244,768 (county), 3,693,501 (metro).
Geography and climate: The city, 300 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico near the headwaters of the Trinity River, encompasses 384 square miles. Its elevation ranges from 450 to 750 feet. Its normal average daily temperature is 65.4 degrees, with the daily mean temperature 85.3.
History: Dallas is a relatively young city. According to the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, John Neely Bryan, a lawyer from Tennessee, came temporarily to the area in 1839. He returned in 1841, laying claim to 640 acres and building a courthouse and 20 streets. Major developments included the coming of the railroads in the 1870s, the Federal Reserve Bank in 1914, the founding of Southern Methodist University in 1915 and the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936. The lowest point came Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Things to do: As the top tourist destination in Texas, Dallas is known for its exclusive shopping areas; its arts district that includes the Dallas Museum of Arts and the Nasher Sculpture Center; the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza where the shots were fired that killed John F. Kennedy; and thriving nightlife and restaurant districts. Dallas also has 22,743 acres of parks and 500 miles of bicycle routes.
For information: Call 214-571-1000 or log on to http://www.dallascvb.com.
GATHERINGS
CMA Music Festival
Nashville, Tenn., will host the annual CMA Music Festival on June 8-11. Billed as country music's biggest party, the 35th annual event includes more than 70 hours of concerts, autograph signings and in-depth panel discussions. There will be family, sports and fun zones. Top artists returning this year include Brooks and Dunn, Terri Clark, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley and LeAnn Rimes. For information, tickets and a full artist lineup, log on to http://www.cmafest.com.
WORLD CURRENCY
Your dollar buys . . .
Rates paid domestically for each dollar changed. These figures are intended only as a guide. Rates may be more favorable abroad. (As of Wednesday)
Argentina (peso) É 3.07
Australia (dollar) É 1.4
Brazil (real) É 2.1
Canada (dollar) É 1.2
Chile (peso) É 527.07
Czech Rep. (koruna) É 23.8
Denmark (kroner) É 6.2
Egypt (pound) É 5.7
European (euro) É 0.83
(Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain)
Great Britain (pound) É 0.57
Hong Kong (dollar) É 7.8
Hungary (forint) É 216.7
India (rupee) É 44.2
Indonesia (rupiah) É 9,118
Israel (shekel) É 4.7
Japan (yen) É 117.3
Mexico (peso) É 10.6
New Zealand (dollar) É 1.5
Norway (krone) É 6.6
Philippines (peso) É 51
Poland (zloty) É 3.2
Russia (ruble) É 27.8
Singapore (dollar) É 1.6
South Africa (rand) É 6.2
South Korea (won) É 975.7
Sweden (krona) É 7.8
Switzerland (franc) É 1.3
Taiwan (dollar) É 32.4
Thailand (baht) É 39.1
Venezuela (bolivar) É 2,146.5
Sources: Yahoo! Finance
