Santos (for Sao Paulo), Brazil The biggest city in South America, São Paulo is also one of its most cosmopolitan, with European, Asian and African influences in the art, architecture and the people who live there. In the centre of the city is the Parque do Ibirapuera, with over 200 hectares of green space; nearby are some superb museums and galleries. Museu de Arte Moderna is small but has excellent displays of paintings and sculptures, with a delightful sculpture garden outside. Next door is the Museu Afro Brasil, devoted to the heritage of Brazil’s African population, the largest outside Africa. The displays include art, carvings and historic photographs. Close by is OCA, an art gallery in a fantastic futuristic building by Oscar Niemeyer, who designed Brasilia. Niemeyer was also the designer of the Memorial
da America Latina, a modernist concrete plaza surrounded by perfectly placed pavilions. These include an Art Gallery and a Hall of Creativity dedicated to Latin American folk-art. At the other extreme is the imposing Catedral da Sé, a blend of Byzantine and Gothic styles, with 14 towers. It was started in 1911, but not finished until 1954. Outside is a sundial, originally said to be the centre of the city: all distances are measured from this point. São Paulo Zoo, set in 80 hectares of the Parque do Estado, has more than 3,000 animals, many facing extinction in the wild.
Sassnitz, Rügen Island, Germany The island of Rügen juts out into the Baltic Sea, and its largest town, Sassnitz, is a magnet for visitors and holidaymakers who enjoy the constantly changing sight of luxury yachts, trawlers, passenger ferries and pleasure boats. The harbour wall stretches almost 1.5km out to sea, and the old part of the town sits at the northeast end of the harbour. Just past the harbour, close to a disused ferry terminal, is a U-boat museum featuring, perhaps strangely, the British submarine HMS Otus, which was rescued from a scrapyard in Portsmouth and towed here. The island has an astonishing number of museums – over 40 in all – covering everything from local history to underwater archaeology. There are also many monuments, churches, palaces and stately homes, including graves and tumuli from the island’s historic past, and the Ralswiek Palace and Granitz hunting lodge from the 19th century.
Scarborough, Tobago The largest town in Tobago, Scarborough was established – in 1654 – as the Dutch port of Lampsinburg. It’s a lively, bustling little town dominated by the 18th century Fort King George perched high on a hill, with superb views out over Scarborough and the sea. Some of the fort is in ruins, although there are parts which are well preserved and the old guardhouse is now the excellent Tobago Historical Museum. There are fascinating displays on the history of the island (it has changed hands over 30 times over the years) as well as weapons, old maps, photographs and pre-Columbian artefacts. There’s also a fine-arts centre within the fort. In Scarborough there are some attractive Georgian buildings, such as the House of Assembly and a colourful market in the lower town. It’s compact and friendly: away from the new cruise ship complex there are some delightful places to shop, eat or just relax a while and enjoy the sun.
Scrabster, Scotland One of the most important fishing ports in the north of Scotland, Scrabster Harbour lies in a sheltered position on Thurso Bay, about one kilometre from Thurso town itself. As early as 900AD, the Vikings had established a settlement at Thurso – the name comes from the Norse for Thor’s River – and even after they left, the town continued to exploit the extensive
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fishing grounds. There are few traces of those early years, although the ruins of Old St Peter’s Church, dating from 1220, can be seen in the town. Just outside Thurso is the roofless shell of Thurso
Castle, once a Norse earthworks fortress, then a stone tower, which was incorporated into a baronial mansion in the 19th century. This was partly demolished in 1952. Thurso New Town was built around the turn of the 19th century, with wide streets in a rectangular layout and the original pattern of building can be seen in both the old and new towns.
Seville, Spain Spreading either side of the Guadalquivir river, Seville is a glorious mix of grand boulevards, narrow streets, cobbled alleys and pretty squares. The Moorish occupation of Iberia, which lasted until 1248AD, left its mark on the town. The 100m Giralda clock tower of Seville Cathedral was originally the minaret of the Almohad Mosque. The biggest Gothic building in the world – and the third-largest church in Europe – the Catedral de Sevilla has the tomb of Christopher Columbus, as well as some quite wonderful works of art. Opposite is the Alcázares Reales, a royal palace that also has Moorish origins and that now blends in Renaissance and Mudéjar styles: the upper parts are still used as a Royal residence. The spectacular Parque de Maria Luisa has
wonderfully mature trees, and is surrounded by fine mansions, many of which have been turned into museums. Nearby is the former Royal Tobacco Factory where Carmen (as in the opera) worked.
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt With a clear blue sea in front and a stunning desert vista behind, it is small wonder that Sharm El-Sheikh has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in the whole of the Middle East. There is, however, much more to the town than sun, sea and sand. The old town is delightful – and largely unspoilt by tourism. The authentic Old Market is packed with stalls from which it is possible to buy just about anything and there are small family shops and charming cafés in which to relax. A more modern entertainment centre is Soho Square, which includes a range of attractions, including Culturama – a journey through Egyptian history. About 90km north is Mount Sinai, where Moses is
said to have received the Ten Commandments. The 2,200m summit can be reached by the 4,000 steps of the Path of Moses. At the foot of the Mount is the Monastery of St. Catherine which has the remains of St Catherine of Alexandria, as well as a priceless collection of religious artefacts.
Sihanoukville (for Phnom Penh), Cambodia Situated at the junction of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers, Phnom Penh is a thriving city, largely devoid of the skyscrapers that are filling up many other Asian capitals. Once part of French Indo-China, much remains from those days, including wide boulevards and beautiful colonial buildings. On the other hand, the Royal Palace is classic Khmer architecture, a complex of buildings and pavilions set in serenely beautiful gardens. The Silver Pagoda is a royal temple within the palace grounds: It houses the green-crystal Emerald Buddha and a life-size Golden Buddha, encrusted with 9,584 diamonds, dressed in Royal Regalia.
The National Museum provides an overview of
the Khmer Empire’s history, with artefacts dating back over hundreds of years. In a former school, once the torture headquarters of the Khmer Rouge, is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a memorial to the thousands of people murdered by the regime. The images and displays are disturbing, but it is a place to remember the victims of Cambodia’s tragic recent past.
Singapore, Singapore A unique blend of cultures, rich in contrasts and colour, Singapore is bursting with energy and packed with interest. In the space of a five-minute walk one can pass a Chinese temple, Muslim mosque, Hindu temple and Christian church, not to mention orangutans, businessmen and trendy teenagers. Eating out is a unique experience. Boat Quay, alongside the river in the refurbished old harbour, has a dozen or more bars and restaurants, selling every kind of food, while the hawker stands that are everywhere in the city sell fast food and cold beers. Fort Canning Park, an oasis in the middle of the
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city, is where to get away from the noise and the bustle, while Raffles Hotel is the place to sit and sip a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar where it was created. The world famous Singapore Zoo has over 300 species – many of them endangered – kept in spacious “open” enclosures, separated from visitors by moats. For sightseeing with a difference, Sky Tower offers views from 131m above sea-level, right out over Malaysia and Indonesia, while at 165m, the Singapore Flyer observation wheel goes even higher.
Skjolden, Sognefjord, Norway Beautiful Skjolden is a place for superlatives. It sits at the end of the world’s longest fjord, overlooked by the Jotunheimen, northern Europe’s highest mountains, and by Jostedalsbreen, the biggest glacier on mainland Europe. It’s also home to Urnes Stave Church, the world’s oldest of its type: it was built some time around AD1130, although the lovely carvings on the north door are from an older church. Ludwig Wittgenstein lived and worked in Skjolden in the early 20th century. Considered by some to be the greatest philosopher of his era, Wittgenstein continues to influence Western thinking in logic and language, ethics and religion, and he wrote many of his most influential works when he stayed here. Not to be missed are Feigum waterfalls – the most spectacular in Norway – and the delightful reindeer farm on the outskirts of town.
Split, Croatia The Roman Emperor Diocletian built a magnificent palace here in which to retire and the town of Split grew up around it. The Roman heritage is still evident in the Old Town, close by the waterfront, which has the remains of Diocletian’s Palace. It’s actually a collection of buildings, with four monumental gates and later gothic and Renaissance buildings that blend in perfectly. Within the palace walls is the Cathedral of St Domnius, which was originally Diocletian’s mausoleum and was converted to a church in the 7th century. Given the brutal way in which he persecuted Christians it’s perhaps unsurprising that his body was removed when it became a church. The mausoleum is now a reliquary for the bones of many Christians slain by the former Emperor, whose own remains have disappeared. The City Museum is in a 15th century gothic
house, and has a rather disparate collection of objects from the town’s history. The Archeological Museum has a more comprehensive display, dating back to the times of the Illyrians and Greeks. It’s Croatia’s oldest museum and is just north of the Old Town. Down on the waterfront are cafés and bars where local people meet, chat and catch up with friends.
St George’s, Grenada The bulk of Fort George commanding the harbour entrance is a reminder of the colonial heritage of St George’s, but the sights, sounds and smells are all Caribbean. The colourful and noisy Market Square has been the focal point of civic life for 200 years and every morning stalls are set up selling every kind of local produce, as well as clothes, jewellery, pottery and souvenirs. Round the square are cafés and restaurants. There are more on the waterfront, from where the 100m Sendall Tunnel, built 300 years ago,
Telephone 01473 742424 or contact your travel agent
SANTOS – ST GEORGE’S
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