“Excellence is not an exception,
it is a prevailing attitude”
Newsletter 76 | February 2008
P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD, 9302 E-mail:
info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500
Fax: (051) 436 3793
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:
083 461 2561
Many years
ago only a few privileged youngsters had the opportunity to travel
abroad. Today so many young people prefer to break the mould and to
embark on a lifetime experience, before starting with their studies
or entering the real working world. Such a venture enhances a
person’s social, cultural, and educational growth.
Due to this
growing trend in Youth Travel (18 - 35 years of age) Sure Etnique
Travel has decided to serve as a link between these travellers and
various companies abroad. With this in mind we have appointed two
consultants with sound experience in Youth Travel.
Currently,
we can assist young men experienced in farming in obtaining
positions on farms in the USA, and young ladies with a passion for
young children, in finding Au Pair work in Europe and the USA.
Furthermore, through our contact in the UK, we can assist those who
are planning to work in hotels or restaurants in Britain for a year
or two. We only use trustworthy companies who have been in existence
for a number of years and with which we have a solid relationship.
Therefore,
we not only assist in finding young people a job abroad, BUT also in
getting there legally - e.g. the correct documentation for a working
visa in the States, UK or Europe. Furthermore, we try to secure the
most affordable youth air-tickets. We want to serve as a springboard
for this leap into the future by providing excellent service
and advice. We aim at being your one-stop youth-shop for travel!
- Manie Wolvaardt and
Lizelle Mouton
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THE FOUR SCANDINAVIAN CAPITAL
CITIES - Part 1 |
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OSLO (NORWAY)
Of the Scandinavian
capital cities, Oslo is the oldest, dating from circa 1048, when a
bishopric was established and a cathedral built. It lies at the head
of the Oslofjord, stretching some 100 km. from the Skagerrak,
the channel separating Sweden from Denmark. Although the Oslofjord
is not as spectacular as those on the western coast, it provides a
beautiful background to the city when you arrive by boat from
Fredickshaven in Denmark. Stena Line boats dock at the
Vippetangen quays, from where you easily reach the city centre by
connecting buses.
You will find the
main Tourist Information Office (Informasjonssenter)
in the old Vestbanen Station near the City Hall (Rådhuset)
- a big russet-coloured twin towered building which is easily seen
from most places in central Oslo. From the centre a superb public
transport system takes you to wherever you want to go. The Oslo
Card is valid for most of the systems - bus, local train, tram,
even ferry. However, the historic centre with green open spaces is
compact and easily discovered by leisurely wandering through the
city.
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The central
west area’s main thoroughfare is Karl Johans Gate (Gate
= street), a broad pedestrian street, mostly free of vehicles,
where you can wander in and out of the specialist shops and
department stores, enjoy the cuisine in some of the city’s best
restaurants or just savour the ambience of the city enjoying a
drink at one of the cafes opening out on to the pavements. You
will also come across the elegant Paléet Shopping Centre
with its many shops and restaurants as you make your way with
Karl Johan (as the street is locally called) up to the
Royal Palace (1848), surrounded by large and open park-like
gardens with lakes and statues. Every day at 13:30 the
interesting ceremony of the changing of the guards can be
viewed. |
On either side of
the Karl Johan lies the University and the National
Gallery housing an impressive collection of Norwegian visual
art. Just a block away in Kristian IV’s Gate you will find
the Historic Museum with its more than 36 000 archeological
artifacts, and the beautiful National Theatre (Det Norske
Teatret), with statues of famous Norwegian writers in the
surrounding gardens. The City Hall’s richly decorated
Rådhushallen (Hall) is famous for the Nobel Peace Prize which is
presented here each December.
Walking in the
eastern direction along Karl Johan, brings you to the richly
embellished Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament Building,
dating from 1861. When the parliament is in sitting you may listen
in the public galleries, and during recess daily tours are
available. Other prominent buildings are also to be found in this
eastern area, like the Norske Opera Theatre, a number of
museums and castles, as well as churches, like the Oslo Domkirche
(cathedral), whose foundation stone was laid in 1694. In its tower
hangs a great bell weighing 1 600 kg, as well as three smaller ones.
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If you want to
explore further away, short day cruises along the Oslofjorden
offers beautiful vistas of serene villages and quiet islands,
with yachts, ferries and boats cruising along. Or take a ferry
from Pier 3 in front of the City Hall for a trip taking just a
few minutes to Bygdøy, formerly an island, before it was
connected to the mainland. Buses 30 or 30B will also take you
there. Although now an exclusive residential area, it is one of
the city’s most popular tourist destinations, especially for its
unique museums.
The
Norwegian Folk Museum (Norsk Folkemuseum), Europe’s
largest open-air museum, is set in an idyllic landscape. More
than 155 traditional houses, recreated farms, folk art and
dresses give you a glimpse into the past. The focus is mainly on
the 17th - 19th centuries, although there
are several remarkable medieval houses such as the famous
Stave Church
from Gol, from about 1200 AD. During the summertime the museum
teems with life as hosts in traditional costumes welcomes the
visitors. |
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The
Maritime Museum
(Sjøfartsmuseum) is housed in an award-winning building
on the waterfront. In the Kon-Tiki Museet you will see
the balsa wood raft that Thor Hyerdahl built to sail across the
Pacific, and the reed boat Ra II, built in Egypt to prove a
theory that it was possible to reach the West Indies before
Columbus. The
Fram Museum
exhibits the sailing vessel Fram, used for three arctic
expeditions from 1893 to 1911. Outside you can see Amundsen’s
first polar exploration vessel, Gjøa.
But probably
the most amazing exhibits can be seen in the Viking Ship
Museum (Vikingskipshuset): three splendid 1000 year
old Viking ships found in royal burial mounds in the Oslofjord.
To see these remnants of the past - the ships, skeletons of
their crew, artifacts like weaponry, jewellery and implements -
creates a sense of awe. |
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One cannot
leave Oslo without experiencing Norway’s most visited
attraction, the Vigeland Sculpture Park, situated just
outside the city centre. In the 32-hectare grounds you will be
deeply impressed - and moved - by one of the world’s greatest
collection of statues. Norway’s most famous sculptor Gustav
Vigeland, started work on the park in 1924, but only in 1950, 7
years after his death, most of the sculptures in bronze, granite
and wrought-iron were in place. Most impressive is the 18-meter
high / 70-ton monolith with 121 figures depicting the “cycle of
life”. The ambience created by the green areas, the
architectural layout and the statues takes one’s breath away!
COPENHAGEN (DENMARK) |
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As my wife grew up
on a farm by the name of “Copenhagen”, it was always our dream to
visit this city. This came true during the summer of last year, when
on a driving trip through Europe, we visited this beautiful city. We
drove by car via Bremen, Hamburg and Lubeck to Puttgarden in
Northern Germany, from where we boarded a ferry for an hour’s cruise
to Rødbyhaven on the southern point of Zealand (Sjælland), Denmark’s
largest island. From there it was another 2 hour’s drive to
Copenhagen.
The Kingdom of
Denmark, the oldest monarchy in Europe, consists of the peninsula
Jutland, jutting out from central Europe out to Scandinavia, as well
as some 470 islands, of which about 100 are inhabited. Copenhagen
lies on the eastern part of Zealand (Sjælland), and also partly on
the small island Amager in the Øresund. From Copenhagen the 14 km.
long Øresund Link (partly a bridge high above the sea, and partly a
tunnel below the sea-floor) connects Denmark with Sweden.
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Copenhagen
(from Købmændenes Havn - Merchant’s Harbour) itself has
about 470 000 inhabitants, although Greater Copenhagen, which
includes two adjacent towns and other municipalities totals
about 1.4 m. It not a large city in the normal sense. Looking at
the skyline from a look-out point at the top of one of the
towers, only a few high-rise buildings can be seen. More
conspicuous are the elegant towers and crooked rooftops. The
city is small enough to explore on foot, or rent a bike.
Pedestrianised areas and cobbled streets are commonplace, and it
is safe and easy to get around the various sights on foot.
Street musicians and performers create a relaxed atmosphere. It
is no wonder that in 1996 Copenhagen carried the title of
“cultural capital of the world”.
This enchanting
city also boasts an efficient transport system. The
Copenhagen Card offers unlimited travel on buses, the
suburban trains (S-trains) and metro, as well as admission to
many museums. It can be purchased at the Wonderful Copenhagen
tourist office, close to Central Station. |
There are so many
sights to be seen, that a first-time visitor should stay at least a
few days. The best way is to firstly explore and to get a feel of
the city by way of three Hop On-Hop Off open top bus tours, taking
you through different sections of the city. Guided canal tours of 50
min can also be undertaken from Nyhavn Canal or Gammel Strand.
Thereafter you can decide which of the sights you would like to
visit.
The first area to
be mentioned is the
Town Hall Square
(Rådhuspladsen), and its surroundings. The square itself is
the centre from where the all the tourist buses depart, and also the
advised starting point for walking tours to most of the other areas.
On the square itself is the Italian Renaissance style Town Hall,
with a golden figure of the city’s founder, Absalon, above the
portal. The 105 m. tower can be climbed for a stunning view for over
the city. Around the square interesting museums can be found, one of
which commemorates the life and works of the writer Hans
Christian Andersen, where one of his statements struck me as
true: “To travel is to live!”. Next door is Ripley’s Believe It
Or Not!
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Only a block
away from the square you will find the world-famous
Tivoli Gardens,
opened in 1843 as an entertainment park. Today it is one of the
primary targets of just about every tourist. Tivoli is a place
of hundreds of thousands beautiful flowers and trees, of
playing water fountains, ornamental lakes with swans and other
water fowl, an entertainment centre for old and young, with
roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and swings high above your
head, of live shows and numerous restaurants and bars, of lights
once it gets dark, with an atmosphere that could be taken from a
fairy tale by Andersen.
Other areas
with interesting and magnificent sites are Slotsholmen
(Castle Island), the birthplace of the city, surrounded by
canals, with the imposing Christiansborg Slot. The
Royal Reception Chambers and the Parliament are open
to visitors. In the near vicinity you will find the Børsen
(Stock Exchange), with its prominent spire formed by the
entwined tails of three dragons. Here you will also find the
prestigious Nationalmuseet, with many items relating to
Denmark’s history and artifacts from all over the world. |
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A chronological
tour starts with rich collections from the Bronze and Iron ages.
Following on you will find rooms with artifacts from the Viking
ages and medieval Danish life. There is also an interesting
children’s section, where youngsters are introduced to life in
many cultures and ages. They may even try on some armour.
Nyhavn
is one of the city’s most popular areas. Along both sides of a
300-m long canal brightly painted houses frame the quayside,
where a large number of restaurants beckon the visitor. Sailing
boats are anchored alongside. We even discovered a South African
flag proudly announcing itself on the flagpole of one of the
restaurant boats, with the owner formerly from Cape Town! From
the deck, with a Carlsberg beer in hand, we could relax and
enjoy the romantic view of the colourful surroundings and ships
mirrored in the water. |
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In the
Frederiksstaden-area one of the world’s most well-known
sculptures is to be seen, that of the Little Mermaid (the
Lille Havrue), the international symbol of Copenhagen. It
was created in 1913 and inspired by Andersen’s tale about the
mermaid who fell in love with a prince.
On the way you
can visit the Amalienborg Slot and watch the changing of
the guards, and the Rosenborg Slot, where the crown
jewels are contained. A walk through the beautiful gardens of
this royal palace takes you to the Statens Museum for Kunst
(the National Art Gallery), housing a great collection of
European art. On the way back to the city centre, you can stop
at the Rundetårn (Round Tower), where a winding passage
of more than 200 meters long takes you to the top, from where
you have a superb panoramic view over the city. The tower is
also part of the Trinitatis Kircke (Trinity Church)
dating from 1637. |
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There are numerous
other sights to be seen in Copenhagen: amusements like the
Zoological Garden, museums and galleries such as the Ny
Carlsberg Glyptotek with thousands of pieces of art, a botanical
garden dating from 1871 … Or you can just wander along the streets
and into the quaint shops and cozy restaurants. Whatever your
choice, you will surely afterwards regard Copenhagen as one of
Europe’s most interesting cities.
Stockholm and
Helsinki
will be featured in our next installment.
- Manie Wolvaardt
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Letters from our Customers: |
We’re listening to what YOU have
to say
Thumbs up - a Gold Card!
Home Affairs
Passport Section, Bloemfontein, who are always willing to assist us,
where possible, even though their hands are “tied” and ultimately
Pretoria issues documentation. In particular thumbs up to Mr Molefi!
Thumbs down -
a Red Card?
After Speed Services / Docex were
hijacked on 11 February 2008, the appalling and unprofessional
manner in which Docex conveyed or failed to convey the situation, to
their clients.
DUE TO WORK
BEING CARRIED OUT ON THE RUNWAY
BLOEMFONTEIN AIRPORT
WILL BE CLOSED
ON
SUNDAY 20 & 27 APRIL 2008
THE art scene in
France has received a facelift with new and renovated museums
opening across the country. The new Quai Branly Museum has
opened in Paris, displaying primitive art from Africa, Polynesia,
Asia and America and the Rodin Museum has opened its new, modern
entrance hall, which features a bookstore and temporary exhibit
gallery.
The Royal Opera House at Versailles will be closed this
year for renovations.
At Chartres Cathedral the Veil of Mary, which is said to be
over 2000 years old, will be on display. In Nice, the
Chagall Museum's
new entrance is finished and renovations on the Matisse Museum are
complete. Also, the Picasso Museum is set to reopen in coming
months after a major overhaul. |
