Where the ancient Olympics meet the Wild West




(Tribune Media Services) -- If you want to get away from it all when traveling in Greece, head for the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Studded with antiquities, this land of ancient Olympia, Corinth and Sparta offers plenty of fun in the eternal Greek sun, with pleasant fishing villages, sandy beaches, bathtub-warm water, and none of the tourist crowds that plague the much-scrambled-after Greek Isles.

In a far-off corner of the Peloponnese, clan wars left the hill town of Vathia in ruins.

When I visited ancient Olympia recently for a new TV show and guidebook, it was worth the four-hour drive from Athens. This sight should be a required pilgrimage for modern tourists. Olympia's once-majestic temple columns -- toppled like a tower of checkers by an earthquake -- are as evocative (with the help of the excellent museum) as anything from ancient times.
Olympia was a mecca of ancient Greek religion -- its greatest sanctuary and one of its most important places of worship. Ancient Greeks came here only every four years, during the religious festival that featured the Olympic Games.
The original Olympic Games were more than an athletic fest. Athletes, who were usually aristocratic youth, would stay here to train for months. There were no losers ... except those who quit and cheated. Drinking animal blood -- the Red Bull of the day -- was forbidden. Official urine drinkers tested for this ancient equivalent of steroids. Today, modern visitors just can't resist lining up on that original starting block from the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.
A few hours away is the Mani Peninsula -- the southern tip of mainland Greece (in fact, of the entire Continent, east of Spain). It feels like the end of the road -- stark and sparse. If Greece had a Tombstone and an OK Corral, this is where they'd be. Today's population is a tiny fraction of what it once was. Many were killed in the violent bickering that seems to be a local tradition.
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In the days of old, people hid out in the folds of the mountains, far from the coast ... and marauding pirate ships. Empty, ghostly hill towns clamber barnacle-like up distant ridges and are fortified for threats from both without and within.
Only goats thrive here. While mountains edged with abandoned terraces hint that farming was once more extensive, olives have been the only Mani export for the last two centuries.
One of my favorite sights is the awe-inspiring hill town of Vathia a.k.a. Vendetta-Ville. The eighty-some houses were split north/south into two rival camps, which existed in a state of near-permanent hostility. Today Vathia is mostly uninhabited. Once-intimidating towers are now held together with boards and steel cables.
The tragic history and rugged landscape provide an evocative backdrop -- making hedonism on the Mani coast all the more hedonistic. Kardamyli, a humble beach town, has a "Bali in a dust storm" charm. This handy base for exploring the Mani Peninsula works like a stun gun on your momentum. On my last trip, I could have stayed here for days, just eating well and hanging out. It's the kind of place where travelers plan their day around the sunset.
More treats line the coast east of the Mani Peninsula. Monemvasia, a Gibraltar-like rock with a stone town at its base, has ruins all across its Masada-like summit. Its little Lower Town hides on the seaward side of the giant rock, tethered to the mainland only by a skinny spit of land that holds a causeway. This remarkably romantic walled town is a living museum of Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian history dating back to the 13th century. After visiting the town, take a hike to the top -- summiting Monemvasia is a key experience on any Peloponnesian visit.
Although it's famous and "on the way," skip Sparta. Nothing survives of the city that everybody wants to see, the Sparta that dominated Greek affairs in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. The town was abandoned in the 13th century, and its buildings dismantled. In 1834, Sparta was re-established by Greece's new king -- Otto -- and his court. A royal transplant from Germany, Otto wanted a city of wide boulevards and parks but you wouldn't know it today.
Sparta -- where mothers famously told their sons to "come home with your shield ... or on it" -- is a classic example of how little a militaristic society leaves as a legacy for the future.
With its multi-faceted history, welcoming people, dramatic ruins, and stunning vistas ... the Peloponnesian Peninsula has it all. Yet it is one of the least explored parts of Greece. Nearly all the tourists are in Athens and the islands, while the rest of the country casually goes about its traditional business.

From France to Italy over Mont Blanc



(Tribune Media Services) -- Imagine you and your favorite travel partner dangling in your own private little gondola, gliding silently for 40 minutes as you cross the Mer de Glace or "sea of ice."

Dangle silently for 40 minutes, as you glide over the glacier from France to Italy.

You just left the last stop in France. On your right is the pillowy summit of Mont Blanc -- Europe's tallest mountain. On your left are jagged rocks called "dents" or teeth -- each famous among the world's best rock climbers. And, ahead of you, the next stop is Italy. You're near where Switzerland, Italy and France come together to "high five" the sky. Miles (literally) above Chamonix, you're riding Europe's highest lift.
Your Alpine adventure starts in the touristy French resort town of Chamonix. From there, Europe's ultimate mountain lift, the Aiguille du Midi, zips you by cable car to the dizzy 12,600-foot-high tip of a rock needle. This lift is Europe's highest and most spectacular. The cost is $58 round trip from Chamonix (you can avoid the notoriously long lines by making a reservation up to 10 days in advance at www.compagniedumontblanc.com).
The modern gondola is big enough for dozens of people. With its scratched-up interior, you can imagine it filled with stylish European skiers. But today, it's full of families -- moms rubbing suntan lotion on cherubic cheeks, kids' pint-sized rucksacks and ruddy seniors laced into their ancient boots gripping trusty walking sticks.
Chamonix shrinks as trees fly by, soon replaced by whizzing rocks, ice and snow, until you reach the top. Up there, even sunshine is cold. The air is thin. People are giddy. Fun things can happen on top, if you're not too winded to join locals in the Halfway-to-Heaven tango.
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From the viewpoint, the Alps spread out before you. In the distance is the bent little Matterhorn (called "Cervin" in French). You can almost reach out and pat the head of Mont Blanc, at 15,771 feet, the Alps' (and Europe's) highest point.
To both save a little money and enjoy a hike, you can buy a "Rambler" ticket to the top of the Aiguille du Midi, but only halfway back down. This gives you a chance to look down at the Alps and over at the summit of Mont Blanc from that lofty lookout. Then, you descend on the lift only to the halfway point (Plan de l'Aiguille), from where you're free to frolic in the glaciers and hike to Mer de Glace. From there you can catch a train at Montenvers back to your starting point, Chamonix.
But for the ultimate Alpine joyride, grab a private gondola at Aiguille du Midi and continue on to Italy for what must be Europe's most breathtaking border crossing. In the tiny red gondola, you venture south. Open the window. Explore every corner of your view. You're sailing a new sea. Cross into Italy at Helbronner Point (11,371 feet) and descend on another lift into the remote Italian Valle d'Aosta. It's a whole different world -- where a dash of France and a splash of Switzerland blend with the already rich Italian flavor and countless castles to give you an easy-to-like first taste of Italy.
The town of Aosta, your best valley home base, is a two-hour bus ride from the base of the lift in La Palud (hourly departures, change in Courmayeur). If a fellow cable-car passenger has a car parked in La Palud, charm a ride to Aosta.
"The Rome of the Alps," as Aosta is called, has many Roman ruins and offers a great introduction to the fine points of Italian life: cappuccino, gelato and an obligatory evening stroll. An evening here is a fine way to ease into la dolce vita.
If you don't go on to Italy, you can return from Helbronner Point back to Chamonix. The resort town, a convenient train ride from Paris or Nice, is packed in August but surprisingly easy and affordable the rest of the year. Like Switzerland's Interlaken, Chamonix is a launch pad for mountain worshippers. The town has an efficient tourist information center and plenty of affordable accommodations.
From Chamonix, there are days of hikes and cable car rides. The best hikes are actually opposite the staggering Aiguille du Midi on the Gran Balcon Sud. This is a high-altitude world of pristine lakes, great Mont Blanc range views, and hang-gliders lunging off the cliff from the Brevent lift station. Watching these daredevils fill the valley like spaced-out butterflies is a thrilling spectator sport.
If you like the Alps, you'll love Chamonix, where hikers and non-hikers alike can enjoy vast mountain vistas with little effort. And when you tire of the mountains, Italy is just next door.

Great food bargains in Great Britain




(Tribune Media Services) -- Fresh from researching London, Bath, York and Edinburgh, I've discovered some new restaurant deals and confirmed some previous favorites.

Office workers and savvy tourists get tasty sandwiches at delis.

In general, I found British portions huge. Rather than getting two appetizers, two main dishes and two desserts with wine for $70 each, a couple can order two appetizers, split a main dish, split a dessert and drink tap water. You'll probably fill up fine, enjoy the same atmosphere, and get out for $30 each. Don't be shy about sharing. I find waiters sympathize with budget travelers these days; they accommodate our cost-cutting measures with a smile.
Great budget values in any town are the cafes in the farmers' market -- where you can get baked beans with your breakfast all day long. Many churches have cafes where volunteers serve up soup and sandwiches for a price that's not particularly cheap -- but you know you're supporting a humble congregation's community work. Hungry sightseers appreciate the handy, moderately priced cafeterias they'll find in larger museums.
Good fish and chips joints are rare. In each town there seems to be one that is evangelical about grease and has won the undying allegiance of a passionate local following. To find them, look for one thing these winning "chippies" seem to have in common -- a guy behind the counter who's as greasy as the fish.
I don't like recommending chains, but some are just too fun to miss. Wagamama, a pan-Asian noodle slurp-a-thon, is everywhere now ... and just as great as the day its first location took Soho by storm. An Italian chain, Ask, nabs the grandest old dining hall in town and fills it with happy eaters enjoying pasta and pizzas at good prices. And how does Starbucks get the best real estate in each city? Maybe it's because I'm from Seattle, but if I'm in need of a fix, I can use my intuition to find a local outlet.
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In each town there seems to be a hot Italian place where, as soon as you step in, you know it's going to be a fun evening (like Martini's in Bath, or Il Positano in Edinburgh). There's something about a gang of energetic Italian waiters and cooks that makes you just want to drink red wine and slurp spaghetti ... especially in Britain.
English office workers like to get top-quality sandwiches for lunch. Follow their lead, skip the tired chain spots, and find a deli with a line of local professionals at the counter. At one deli, I just lingered on my stool, nibbling on my wonderful sandwich and sipping a glass of tap water, while watching all the yuppies swing by for their takeout meal.
Ethnic restaurants from all over the world add spice to Britain's cuisine scene. Thai or Chinese buffets (like Jasmine in York) serve all-you-can-eat meals for $12. That's fun and affordable. But their takeout boxes (fill one up for $7) can feed two, making it Britain's best, cheap hot meal.
Pub grub is the most atmospheric budget option. You'll usually get fresh, tasty buffets under ancient timbers, with hearty lunches and dinners priced from $12 to $20. For reasonably priced meals in a nice setting, take advantage of early-bird dinner specials at fancier restaurants, you'll eat well, but early (generally 5:30 to 7 p.m.).
For a splurge, I avoid the big, highly advertised formula places, and seek out quirky little 10-table restaurants that represent the creative vision of their owners. I am always impressed by the passion of the couples -- gay, straight, professional or romantic -- that run these establishments.
In Edinburgh, I like the Wedgwood, run by Paul and Lisa, who served me haggis with pigeon -- my favorite haggis ever. (Haggis, a rich assortment of oats and sheep organs stuffed into a chunk of sheep intestine, is worth trying -- once.) In Bath, Casanis French Bistro -- run by Jill and Laurent -- has been open only a couple of months and is already on everyone's short list.
Also in Bath, Dave and Dawn have been at it for nearly two decades at Tilly's Bistro, still scampering up and down their stairs like it was their debut night. I told Dave that his cheese and port plate was my idea of a fine dessert. It didn't surprise me that he admitted his desserts suffer a bit because he, too, is passionate about cheese and port.
How do I find these special haunts? I rely heavily on the advice of B&B hosts, who have no vested interest in anything other than satisfied guests. When their recommendations turn out to be good, I heartily enjoy my research work.

What's new in Europe for 2009



(Tribune Media Services) -- Every year when I update my guidebook series, I find out what's new in Europe. Here's a review of what Americans can expect the next time they cross the Atlantic. Note that this is a continent-wide look at the latest in Europe. In upcoming columns, I'll cover what's new per major country.

Europeans are serious about not smoking.

In 2009, it's not the "old Europe" anymore as countries continue to open up their borders. Several Eastern European countries, including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Baltic States, have recently done away with border controls for travel within Europe. This means you can now go from country to country without stopping to show your passport. Switzerland plans to join in as early as March.
Clean air has come to once-smoky Europe. Trains used to have both smoking and nonsmoking compartments, but now entirely smoke-free trains are standard in much of Europe. Smoking is not allowed anywhere on trains in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden or Poland. Smoking areas (clearly marked) are still offered on some trains in Spain, Denmark, Finland and most of Eastern Europe.
Because of the high cost of hotels and the sinking economy, short-term apartment rentals are becoming more popular. Budget travelers can stay in spacious accommodations with a kitchen (generally stocked for a self-service breakfast) for the price of a moderate hotel room. I used an apartment as my base several times last year. It gave me a good excuse to shop in the local markets, enjoy the economy of eating in, and bask in the feeling of being a "temporary local."
Cell phones are becoming a necessity -- I'll never travel again without one. While many American cell phones work overseas, the per-minute cost can add up. Save money by purchasing a phone abroad (you'll also gain a local phone number so your new European friends can call you without paying to call the United States). You can buy a basic cell phone in most countries for $40 to $50, which typically includes some call time.
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The EU is looking into standardizing roaming fees across Europe. But for now, when you cross a border, you'll need to buy a SIM card, a small chip with a country-specific phone number that costs $10 to $20. In 2008 I routinely purchased SIM cards from dispensing machines at train stations after arriving in a new country.
Users of some handheld wireless devices (most notably the iPhone) have been surprised with astronomical bills for unintentional roaming -- such as when the phone constantly checks for new emails. This default feature can be turned off to avoid per-kilobyte charges. If you are going to use your smart phone, be sure to call your provider to activate international service before you leave -- and to ask about extra charges for international roaming and data transfer.
The cheapest way to call between Europe and the United States is using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), such as Skype (www.skype.com) and Google Talk (www.google.com/talk). If you make a lot of calls to someone in Europe, both of you have good Internet connections, and you don't use this ... then you're throwing away money.
No one wants to throw away alcohol, either. Given the stringent U.S. rules on limiting liquids on flights, many travelers have purchased duty-free alcohol -- only to be forced to dump it out, even if it's sealed in a special security-friendly bag. It usually happens to those with a layover (in Europe or the U.S.) who have to go through a new round of security checkpoints.
If you want to purchase duty-free liquor, buy it at your final stop in Europe or from the flight attendants on the plane during the last leg of your journey, and don't open the specially sealed bag. If you have a layover in the United States before your final destination, put your liquid duty-free purchases into your checked bags as soon as you clear customs.
Each year a few tried-and-true travel tips become worthless as technology changes the way we live. I finally deleted all discussion of traveler's checks and film cameras in my guidebooks, relegating that information to the trash heap of tourism history. I will never sign a traveler's check again, as ATMs are now the only way for travelers to change money smartly. Anyone with a camera in Europe should bring an extra digital memory card or stick.
The biggest change for 2009 is the European interest in our recent presidential election. When you travel, expect friendly smiles and lots of questions about our new president.

Cinque Terre's dramatic cover girl




(Tribune Media Services) -- Italy's Cinque Terre is a quintet of villages clinging to a bit of rugged coastline between Genoa and Pisa. Long cut off from the modern world, this remote chunk of the Italian Riviera only became easily accessible with the coming of the train.

Boats are a way of life in Vernazza.

Each village is a variation on the same theme: a well-whittled, pastel jumble of homes, filling a gully like crusty sea creatures in a tide pool. Locals are the barnacles -- hungry, but patient. And we travelers are like algae, coming in with the tide.
Since my mind goes on vacation with the rest of me when I'm here, I think of the towns by number, east to west: no. 1 Riomaggiore (a workaday town), no. 2 Manarola (picturesque), no. 3 Corniglia (on a hilltop), no. 4 Vernazza (the region's dramatic cover girl), and no. 5 Monterosso al Mare (the closest thing to a beach resort).
To preserve this land, the government has declared the Cinque Terre (CHINK-weh TAY-reh) a national park. For a small entrance fee (about $8 for a one-day pass), visitors can hike the trail connecting all five towns, a trek that takes about five hours.
You can choose any village for a home base, but Vernazza is my favorite. At the top end of town a little road hits a post, effectively a dead end for drivers. Like the breakwater keeps out the waves at the bottom of town, the post keeps out the modern storm at the top. No cars enter this village of 600 people -- except on Tuesday morning, when a few cars and trucks show up for a tailgate-party street market, augmenting the meager business community.
Vernazza has the only natural harbor in the Cinque Terre. In the Middle Ages, there was no beach or square. The water went right up to the buildings, where boats would tie up, Venetian-style. Vernazza's fishing fleet is down to just a couple of boats. Still, Vernazzans are more likely to own a boat than a car. Boats remain on buoys, except in winter or when the red storm flag indicates bad seas. In that case they're allowed to pull up onto the main square, usually reserved for restaurant tables.
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Vernazza has a humble little working beach -- a pebbled cove littered with scenes of a community that lives off the sea ... and travelers who love the views. Well-worn locals fill the benches while tourists sunbathe on rocks. In the summer, the beach becomes a soccer ground, where teams fielded by local bars and restaurants provide late-night entertainment.
The town has two halves. Sciuiu (Vernazzan dialect for "flowery") is the sunny side on the left as you face inland, and luvegu (dank) is the shady side on the right. On the far right, a castle -- now just stones and a grassy park -- served as the town's lookout back in pirate days. Below the castle an interior arcade connected the houses -- ideal for fleeing attacks. These days, "Ligurian pastel" colors are regulated by a commissioner of good taste in the regional government.
Vernazza's harbor-front church is unusual for its strange entryway, which faces east (altar side). Hanging on the wall inside are three historic portable crosses -- replicas of crosses that Vernazza ships once brought along on crusades to the Holy Land. During Easter processions, these crosses are taken down and carried through town. Located in front of the church, a tiny piazza -- decorated with a river rock mosaic -- is a popular hangout spot. It's where Vernazza's old ladies soak up the last bit of sun, and kids enjoy a patch of level ball field.
Beyond the town, vineyards, with their many terraces, fill the mountainside. Someone -- probably after too much local wine -- calculated that the roughly 3,000 miles of terrace walls have the same amount of stonework as the Great Wall of China. Wine production is down nowadays, as younger residents choose less physical work. But locals still maintain their tiny plots and proudly serve their family wines.
Evenings in Vernazza are well spent sitting on a bench and enjoying the scene, either with a gelato or a glass of local white wine (borrow the glass from a bar, they don't mind). Observe the passeggiata (evening stroll), as locals meander lazily up and down the main street doing their vasca (laps).
Or gaze at the people looking out the windows of the faded pastel buildings, like a gallery of portraits hanging on ancient walls. Here in Vernazza the generation that didn't grow up with television spends time posted at their windows, watching over a world as reassuring as the Mediterranean tide.

Storys !

Krazy Kat and Other Cartoon Characters

In the 1910s and 1920s cartoon characters, often based on comic strip characters, were becoming more common. Invented by cartoonist George Herriman, Krazy Kat was one of the most popular comic strip heroes. Krazy Kat starred in animated shorts that also featured Ignatz Mouse and Offissa Pupp. Krazy Kat was hopelessly in love with Ignatz Mouse, and was always happy to get any attention he could from Ignatz, even if it meant being the target of flying bricks. In this comic strip, Krazy Kat makes a pie that triggers all kinds of trouble. What cartoon characters do you think of when you hear about Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse's adventures?


Tom and Jerry are a lot like modern-day versions of Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse. The plots of Krazy Kat comics were always very similar--Krazy Kat was in love with Ignatz Mouse who simply threw bricks at Krazy; Offissa Pupp was in love with Krazy and often threw Ignatz in jail. In this film, Krazy Kat serenades Ignatz, but is met by flying bricks


Krazy Kat was just the beginning of the trend toward animal heroes in animation. In the 1920s, Felix the Cat was introduced, and he was the most famous cartoon personality until Walt Disney introduced Mickey Mouse in 1928. Today, Mickey Mouse is known around the world. How do you think Krazy Kat influenced the cartoon characters we have today?

Teen diagnoses her own disease in science class


For eight years, doctors were unable to pinpoint what was wrong with girl
The teen suffered from stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and fever
Examining her own pathology slides in science class, she discovered cause
Teen's diagnosis was confirmed by a pathologist
document.


For eight years, Jessica Terry suffered from stomach pain so horrible, it brought her to her knees. The pain, along with diarrhea, vomiting and fever, made her so sick, she lost weight and often had to miss school.

During a science class, Jessica Terry, 18, discovered a tell-tale granuloma in her own pathology slide.

Her doctors, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't figure out the cause of Jessica's abdominal distress.
Then one day in January, Terry, 18, figured it out on her own.
In her Advanced Placement high school science class, she was looking under the microscope at slides of her own intestinal tissue -- slides her pathologist had said were completely normal -- and spotted an area of inflamed tissue called a granuloma, a clear indication that she had Crohn's disease.
"It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem," Terry told CNN affiliate KOMO in Seattle, Washington. "There were just no answers anywhere. ... I was always sick."
Terry, who graduated from Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, Washington, this month, is now being treated for Crohn's, says her science teacher, MaryMargaret Welch.
"She was pretty excited about finding the granuloma," Welch said. "She said, 'Ms. Welch! Ms. Welch! Come over here. I think I've got something!' "
Welch, who has taught the Biomedical Problems class at Eastside for 17 years, immediately went on the Internet to see whether Terry had indeed spotted a granuloma.
"I said, 'Jeez, it certainly looks like one to me,' " Welch remembered. "I snapped a picture of it on the microscope and e-mailed it to the pathologist. Within 24 hours, he sent back an e-mail saying yes, this is a granuloma." Watch Terry describe her experience »
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Although Terry was relieved to finally get a diagnosis, it was also tough for her to hear that she has such a serious disease.
There are treatments, but there is no cure for Crohn's, a condition in which the digestive tract becomes inflamed. It can lead to ulcers, malnutrition and other health problems.
"As I get older, the disease can get worse," Terry told KOMO.
Crohn's disease is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed very late, says Dr. Corey Siegel, director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
"Granulomas are oftentimes very hard to find and not always even present at all," Siegel said. "I commend Jessica for her meticulous work."
Pathologists also sometimes miss important findings for other diseases, says Dr. Mark Graber, chief of the medical service at the Northport VA Medical Center in New York.
"This story carries a valuable lesson about how errors are found. It's very often by 'fresh eyes,' just like in Jessica's case," he said. "Some specialty centers, recognizing the reality of perceptual error and the power of a second independent reading, are now requiring second reviews on certain types of smears and pathology specimens."
Welch credits Terry's "fresh eyes" but also local pathologists who volunteered to train her and her classmates on how to view specimens under the microscope.
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"We've been lucky to have that partnership. It allowed Jessica to think of herself as a scientist," she said. "The class empowered Jessica to think of herself as being a partner in her own health care."
As for Terry's future, she'll start nursing school in the fall. She's written a book for children about Crohn's disease, which she hopes to have published. In the meantime, she's grateful for her science class and for the pathologist for giving her her slides.
"This has been the highlight of my high school career, for sure," Terry told the Sammamish Reporter newspaper. "It's been amazing."