TRAVELDIARY Laura Chubb
follow us on
@tntmagazine
Regiments march in rehearsal
ACTING TRAVEL EDITOR
THE LONG WALK Ever sprung energetically from the taxi as you arrive at departures, brimming over with unbridled I’m-going-onholiday joy, only to collapse, destroyed, after the hike from check-in to gate?
ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO Edinburgh, Scotland Boasting a line-up of nearly 1000 performers from the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, this 25 extravaganza, live on the esplanade of Edinburgh’s scene-stealing castle, attracts more than 200,000 spectators every year. The festival’s grand finale brings together all of the regiments for an explosive close. UNTIL AUG
WHY: The word ‘tattoo’ derives from the phrase “doe den tap toe”, a Dutch term for “last orders” adopted by the British Army’s Corps of Pipes and Drums to signal when tavern owners should turn off the taps to their beer kegs, so soldiers would go to bed at a reasonable hour.
DO IT BECAUSE: The event has grown from an eight-item programme in 1950 to the sellout monster it is today, taking in regiments from Oman to Brazil. Elaborate pyrotechnics and lighting lend bags of atmosphere to the stirring perfomances. Don’t miss it.
BOG SNORKELLING CHAMPIONSHIP
QIXI SEVEN SISTERS FESTIVAL
A Welsh bog doesn’t strike us as an idyllic snorkelling 26 destination, but it challenges snorkellers spoiled by clear waters to test their skills. Conventional strokes are not allowed during the two lengths of a 55m trench, with only flippers and a snorkel to aid the swimmers. The event always draws a huge crowd and is for a good cause.
Qixi is the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day, but with a 23 ‘traditional’ twist. Single girls demonstrate domestic tasks to impress potential lovers, including embroidery and melon carving – the makings of a good wife, we’re sure.
Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales AUG
green-events.co.uk
AIR GUITAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Oulu, Finland AUG
22-24
Hairy bare-chested types compete to be the best at pretend fret-wanking.
airguitarworldchampionships.com
72
edintattoo.co.uk
Wan Chai, Hong Kong AUG
china.org.cn
STUTTGART WINE VILLAGE Stuttgart, Germany
To honour Swabian (that’s southwestern Germany to 29 you and me) tradition, cosy alcoves, decorated in the local style, invite you to settle in and drink the region’s wine. We’re sold. AUG
stuttgart-tourist.de/en
Photos: Getty
A study has revealed the airports that make passengers walk the furthest to catch a ride out of town, with England’s very own Gatwick clocking up more than a mile between the entrance to its North Terminal and the departure gates. The figures probably come as no surprise to regular travellers who have worked up various panicky sweats trying to hot-foot it to Gate 4345A, finding themselves on a Steve Martin-esque odyssey by elevator, shuttle bus, monorail and donkey before locating their allotted titanium craft. If this is a joke on the part of airport planners, well, I guess you have to get your kicks somewhere. But what really ticks me off is the vast distances passengers are expected to traverse when transferring between planes – often a marathon task that the tit selling you the tickets didn’t consider in their calculations. On what was meant to be a swift transfer through Beijing recently, I was expected to take a shuttle bus to the terminal, queue through immigration, catch a train to the next terminal and labour through interminable security checks within an hour of my first plane hitting the tarmac. Then it took half an hour for the stairs to arrive that would allow me to get off and commence this Olympic challenge. I wound up stranded for 24 hours in a godforsaken ‘hotel’ with at least 20 other disgruntled tourists who had also missed their connections. Funnily enough, Beijing topped the chart, clocking up two miles between Terminal 3 and the furthest boarding gate.
TNTMAGAZINE.COM
FINAL 1511 TRAV Diary.indd 72
10/8/12 17:10:28