Charity blogger travels world on goodwill

LONDON, England -- A British blogger is trying to travel as far around the world as possible in 30 days, relying only on the goodwill of people using social networking site Twitter.

Paul Smith poses in New York in a picture posted on his Flickr page.

Paul Smith aims to travel to Campbell Island in New Zealand, the opposite side of the planet to his home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in northern England, and back again "to see if it's possible ... because it might be fun."

He also aims to raise money for a water charity, and has so far had more than $6,400 pledged in online donations.

Smith's self-imposed golden rule is that he can only accept offers of travel and accommodation from people who use Twitter, a micro-blogging service that allows people to "tweet" what they're up to (or what they're thinking about) in 140 characters or less.

Smith is also banned from making any travel plans more than three days in advance and has to leave each location within 48 hours of arriving.

He has been successful so far. Since starting his odyssey on March 1 with just a ferry ticket to the Dutch city of Amsterdam the journalist has visited France and Germany, before working his way across the United States.

Smith has more than 800 people following his progress on his Twitter page on which he has posted 1,000 updates this month. He has hitchhiked his way across the USA, stayed in plush hotel rooms and on airbeds on floors, met a Hollywood star and been interviewed on several TV shows.

On March 21 Smith flew from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand through the generosity of an airline and is now trying to reach the uninhabited Campbell Island in his remaining days.

But in his most recent blog, posted on Monday, he admitted he faced an uphill battle against officialdom to travel to the UNESCO World Heritage site.

When told that traveling to Campbell Island required a long application process and asked if he would settle for visiting a nearby island instead, he wrote, "Absolutely not. Stewart Island sounded all very well and good, but I couldn't give up on Campbell Island yet.

"With nine days to go, I couldn't suddenly move the goalposts -- why would anybody continue to support me if I gave up and changed the rules?"

Art, pizza and one crazy night in Chicago

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Whether entrenched in business meetings or stuck on a layover, you may find yourself in Chicago with limited time to spare. But this vibrant city has so much to offer that it's worth using every free moment to see something new. Here are some of the things I managed slip in on a recent business trip to Chicago.

Underneath the "Cloud Gate" sculpture, the perspective gets distorted in the reflection.

Museum: The famous Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Ave.) has enough rooms of artwork to keep a person exploring for days; unfortunately, I got there just before it closed at 5 p.m. Still, it was worth a peek.

In 15 minutes, you can see the impressive gallery of Impressionists, including Renoir and Monet, and dash through to some of the nearby rooms to glimpse medieval religious art. Allot more time to explore, if your schedule allows! For those who plan a little better, a number of works by painter Edvard Munch, famous for "The Scream," are on display until April 26.

Stand back from "Cloud Gate," and you will see part of the city reflected in the sculpture.

Public art: Hey, look, it's a giant bean! Just a few blocks north of the Art Institute, this gigantic reflective sculpture called "Cloud Gate" weighs 110 tons, stands 33 feet high and is made of stainless steel plates. British artist Anish Kapoor designed it with liquid mercury in mind, says the Millennium Park Web site. Chances are, there's probably a bunch of tourists taking pictures of themselves reflected in it.

International food: Chicago has a plethora of cuisines from around the world. For my first dinner, I went to the Berghoff (17 W. Adams St.), a German restaurant near Millennium Park downtown. Even if you're alone, this is a fine place to sit at the bar, munching delicious wiener schnitzel and potatoes, and have casual conversations with the locals. The service is excellent, so if you're in a rush, you'll probably make your next appointment.

Bonus: Take the famous El train back to your hotel; there's a stop right on Adams Street.

Views: Night has fallen, and so has the temperature, but the adventure is just beginning. For a breathtaking view of the surroundings, take the fast elevator up to the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock building (875 N. Michigan Ave.) and ponder the panoramic scenery over cocktails and snacks in the lounge on the 96th floor. The Chicago area is so flat that you can see for miles: endless rows of streetlights extending into the horizon. A chocolate martini and a view like that go well together.

Music: If you're still restless and eager for adventure, head to a different neighborhood. Lincoln Park, a trendy area north of downtown, has a slew of bars that cater to the young and the young at heart. Duffy's Tavern (420½ W. Diversey Parkway) will have either a live band or the standard selection of pop music. The local beer on tap, called 312 after the city's area code, has a refreshing lemon-wheat taste.

Movies: Can't sleep? Now that you've seen some of the city, maybe you'll recognize it in films. Chicago locals seem extremely proud of the presence of their city in last summer's Batman hit, "The Dark Knight." Try watching it on mute so you can focus on the scenery rather than the shooting, and maybe that will help you doze off.

Pizza: Don't leave Chicago without trying some of the famous deep-dish pizza. I was rushing to make my flight, but fortunately Giordano's (various locations throughout the city) accepts take-out orders half an hour in advance, even in the morning. Since there was a huge line for dinner the night before, in the morning I ended up ordering ahead and then eating half of it right there at the restaurant while my colleagues unhurriedly ordered at the table. Before their food came, I ran to get a taxi to the airport with pizza box in hand.

Update: Airport security did not question the cheesy goodness oozing in the box in my carry-on bag. The next day, the pizza took at least half an hour to reheat, but it was still pretty tasty.

Love on the Fly: Volunteer Vacations

A Cross Cultural Solutions volunteer poses with school children in Ghana.

If you've had your fill of moonlit beach walks and peach-colored drinks, try something altogether different. I recently spoke with several couples whose idea of a passionate vacation involved less hand-holding and more giving a hand: they spent their vacation time volunteering.

Jamie Cann and his wife, Mary, returned recently from a trip to Tanzania. Jamie spent his days in a home for orphans and vulnerable children, teaching English and playing soccer with the kids. Mary taught English and math at a nearby primary school. "It was an incredible experience for us to share," says Jamie of the trip they booked through Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS), an organization that matches would-be volunteers with teaching, health-care and community development projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. "To do something like this, to share such an important, meaningful, experience has strengthened our relationship."

For Karen and Michael Crisafulli, the feeling is mutual: the pair actually met on a volunteer vacation in 1993 in Saragosa, Spain, where they helped with an archaeological study of farming societies in the area. Their trip was arranged by the EarthWatch Institute, a scientific research and education group focused on the environment. The Crisafullis have taken an EarthWatch trip every year since they met — Karen's favorite vacation to date was to Tuscany, where the couple spent two weeks restoring ancient fountains and tabernacles — though not every expedition has been taken together. "One year, he wanted to go to Belize in the middle of summer," says Karen. "The more we shopped for mosquito repellent and rain gear, the less I felt I could do it." Instead, she went off to the wilds of Virginia for an "interdisciplinary study on animals in the woods."

There is indeed a volunteer vacation for every persuasion. Depending on your particular passions, preferences and areas of expertise, you can go to Thailand to help rebuild ocean reefs damaged by the tsunami, or to New Orleans to rebuild houses. For the highly skilled there is a universe of choice — dentists and doctors are in demand all over the globe — but anyone can help schoolchildren learn math or gather rare plants in the Amazon as part of a conservation effort. And one need not be a saint to truly enjoy a volunteer vacation. The couples I interviewed said that one of the most rewarding things about volunteering was simply being immersed in an entirely different culture — something that might be said of every great journey. As for cost, although volunteer trips aren't exactly cheap, they may be tax-deductible, depending on the individual organization.

The payoff for couples can also be great: doing good on your time off can inspire a whole lot of love, if not exactly the traditional kind. I asked Karen Crisafulli, a 62-year-old retired schoolteacher, delicately, if there were any opportunities for romance on volunteer vacations. "No. I can say that unequivocally," she laughed.

But they breed a sense of togetherness that you might not have gotten otherwise. "I wouldn't characterize our trip as romantic. We've done romantic vacations, and this was not, but at the same time, it was better," says Jamie Cann. Also, many couples choose to volunteer in the same town, but work on separate projects — because communities and couples have different needs and talents — which they say makes you better appreciate your partner at the end of the day. Dava Antoniotti, who started working at Cross-Cultural Solutions after she and her partner, Kristin Lukasik, returned from a CCS-arranged trip to Peru, says the pair's recent stint in Morocco was the ideal balance of volunteering and couple-time. "I was working with special needs children. Kristin was working at a school," Antoniotti says. "Even though we were apart for four hours a day, we were together the rest of the time — which is fine because you don't want to overdo it," she laughs.

Joe Grant, 25, and his then girlfriend, now wife, Deanne, went the opposite route, spending six months together in the Masai Mara in Kenya building schools with Free the Children, an international organization whose goal is making primary education accessible for children everywhere. "I think the biggest challenge was just dealing with the suffering that some of the local community went through," says Joe. "It was hard to see the reality of really young kids dying of diarrhea."

But "it was a beautiful setting, beautiful people. Once you pass the hurdles of getting sick — and the scary snakes — it was really pretty great," he says.

Even though volunteer vacations don't leave much room for candles and flowers, says Antoniotti, they have been rejuvenating for her relationship. "Not that a typical vacation isn't fun, but if it's really easy, you don't have those experiences that stretch you," she says. "It's like in exercise how they say tiny tears in your muscles allow you to get stronger. Little things that take you outside of your comfort zone challenge you as a couple and make you stronger."

San Diego: The new super-yacht capital?

LONDON, England (CNN) -- It carries the nickname "America's Finest City," and right now it appears San Diego is living up to the hype.

Growing on the water: San Diego is becoming an increasingly popular super-yacht destination.

Though the international financial crisis has precipitated economic woe across the United States, developments in San Diego's super-yacht industry don't appear to be slowing.

Fifth Avenue Landing, a stylish new facility promising the ultimate docking experience for super-yachts up to 300 feet long, has just opened in city's downtown area. The marina, which is close to local attractions and top hotels, boasts 12 high-quality berths, each offering a concierge service.

This impressive project is just the latest step in a significant development program for the west coast city, which is which is now beginning to compete with its northern neighbor, Los Angeles, as a destination for super-yacht owners.

In 2005, Forbes rated San Diego as the fifth wealthiest city in the U.S. and in the years since, for the super-yacht industry particularly, the region has continued to develop rapidly.

Today, the city is buzzing with super-yacht designers, builders, and brokers, and it now has plenty of facilities to accommodate the industry. There's also the annual "YachtFest" show, which will be going ahead in September this year and is expected to attract interest from super-yacht makers and owners around the world.

Numerous marinas have sprung up amid the increasing interest in the city, with Kona Kai Marina, Shelter Island Marina, and The Wharf, among some of the most notable developments.

Outside of the private super-yacht industry, San Diego is also home to the largest shipyard on the west coast of the U.S. -- General Dynamics' National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. Many cruise lines pass through the port and there are plans for a new cruise ship terminal to open in 2010.

Much of the success in attracting super-yachts has been credited to the San Diego Super-yacht Association (SDSA) -- a collective of local super-yacht designers, builders, brokers and other interested parties that was formed in 2006.

Super-yacht director of Marine Group Boat Works and founding member of the SDSA, Fred Larsson, told CNN that the key to San Diego's recent profile boost was realizing the economic needs of the industry.

"San Diego had the basic requirements of super-yachts covered already with the natural deep water harbor, year round superb weather, geographic location as the gateway to the Pacific and a wonderful youthful city. Then when you add the super-yacht facility upgrades it's a no brainer. San Diego has it all," he said.

Larsson said the SDSA had been instrumental in developments as the combination of shipyards, marinas and suppliers working together means they have a good all-round knowledge of what super-yacht owners want when they come to port.

The combination of major refit facility improvements, new marinas, marina expansions and an effective marketing campaign are behind the success, he added.

Despite the international financial crisis, which threatens to hurt the super-yacht industry around the world, Larsson said that San Diego should not suffer too much as interest from owners is still growing.

"Due to the sheer size of the city and nearby cities there is so much for owners and crew to do here on their time off, the beaches are fabulous, Vegas is an hour away, there are 100 golf courses in and around San Diego.

"It's a metropolitan feel with small town charm. That's what makes us different," he said.

Vancouver: Perfecting city life with the great outdoors

Vancouver is regularly at the top of the world's most livable list of cities.

Too perfect? Vancouver boasts that it has it all, and many visitors will agree.

Winters generally don't get too cold (for Canada) and residents say if you experience the city in the summer you'll realize why its inhabitants exude a feeling of self-satisfaction and belief they do have it all. It's enough to have most other Canadians hate their smug West Coast cousins.

But visitors don't need to harbor any jealous thoughts: you can either grab a coffee (Local residents seem fueled by the stuff, but don't get things done any faster) and go all out trying to cram as much in as possible in a short visit, or be a bit more local and just take it easy, finding your own pace in the city.

Starting off in the city's downtown area you can work your way through various neighborhoods or head out into the great outdoors -- one of the city's main draws.

The proximity of the ocean, mountains, forests and islands to the city center make an excursion into "big nature" on a short trip not just possible, but probable. Public transport is efficient enough to be able to get you around town and into the nearby mountains.

The outward-bound nature of the place is happily countered by a laid-back vibe -- this is the West Coast after all -- where pockets of hippie counterculture exists with counterculture of the consumer variety.

Next to downtown Vancouver is Gastown, the city's historic area. Like many North American "old towns" it suffers for being a little too touristy, attracting day-trippers fresh off cruise ships. The turn of the century houses and cobbled streets are charming and the area is slowly shaking off its tourist trap image with more upscale bars and boutiques moving in to attract locals.

Vancouver has a rich mix of cultures and east of downtown around Pender and Carrall streets is the city's Chinatown. Worth a visit, it's the second-biggest Chinatown in North America, where you can sample sights, sounds and tastes more akin to Hong Kong than frontier Canada.

The area in between downtown and Chinatown is Vancouver's skid row, a scene of urban decay and poverty, so best to be avoided -- a reminder that there are still big city problems here.

Away from the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden and noodle joints, on the other side of downtown is Yaletown. The old warehouse district on the edge of False Creek has been gentrified with boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants and is a refined spot for a mid-morning coffee or bite to eat for lunch.

Gourmands would do worse than take a trip to Granville Island (it's really a promontory) and the public market place. Some of British Columbia's finest fresh produce as well as delicacies from across the world are housed in its covered market. Pick up some salmon jerky for a taste of real local flavor.

Post-prandial activity can vary depending on energy levels. Take a 15-minute water taxi ride from Granville Island to Bowen Island for a different scene and to enjoy a gentle stroll, or head to Stanley Park. It is just one mile from downtown and about 1,000 acres in size, so stick to the seawall path, where the cyclists, dog-walkers and roller-bladers roam, unless you want to make more of a day of it.

You'll also have some great views of the ocean and city. If the weather takes a turn for the worse while in the park, Prospect Point lookout or the aquarium offers some respite.

You can even feed otters at the aquarium, and if you've forgotten to book a hotel room for the night you can sleep with the fishes' (not in a threatening mafia way), but next to the Beluga whale tank, as the aquarium occasionally offers family sleep-overs.

The more adventurous spirited can head to Vancouver's north shore and the edge of the wilderness. Mount Seymour, Cypress Mountain and Grouse Mountain tower to the north of the city and are ski-able during winter months.

Hardcore locals do the "Grouse grind" daily during the summer -- a two-mile hike to the top of the mountain that can be done by mortals in reasonable shape in a few hours. At the top are rewarding views of Vancouver below, plus bears and wolves (in enclosures). For those wanting a more relaxed Grouse Mountain experience, a cable car ride can help you skip the exercise stuff.

A walk over the Burrard Street Bridge at dusk can offer some stunning sunsets, alternatively a sundowner the café towards the yacht club out past Jericoh Park is a more relaxed spot for taking in the setting sun.

If you want to delve deeper into the region's history and First Nation culture push on toward the University of British Columbia and the Museum of Anthropology.

Another anthropological experience can be had a nearby Wreck Beach, the city's famous nudist beach.

While the city's good for the outdoors stuff, its reputation as being laid-back with an excellent music scene and variety of places to eat remains intact.

If Yaletown is a bit to mainstream upscale for your tastes, Commercial Drive toward the east of the city is more culturally mixed with a hipster vibe and a number of live music bars and places to eat.

By English Bay lies Kitsalano, where skinny-latte-sipping yoga bunnies can be seen saluting the sun or dog walking during the day.

If you're fortunate enough to be here in the summer, Kitsalano is home to the city's annual summer Bard on the Beach season of al fresco Shakespeare plays.

Regardless of the season there are some excellent restaurants and bars to round off an evening -- Sophie's Cosmic Café is a no-frills local gem.

Florence: A seasonal guide

Hot summers when the city is crammed with tourists; cooler winters when the rain can swell the Arno: Florence is an all-year-round destination. Here are some of the city's seasonal highlights.

A Verdi player finds a gap in the Azzurri team's defence during the 2003 Calcio Storico

Vintage clothes
For a long time, image-conscious Italians wouldn't be seen dead in second-hand clothes. But recently they have started to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to coveting the nearly new and Florence is host to the biggest used clothes fair in Italy. It's held twice yearly in February and July (Stazione Leopolda; +39 055 246 6198).

Christmas in Florence
Not only is the city wonderfully deserted at this time of year, but the lights that adorn every shop window give the place an almost magical feeling. You can buy everything from amber to reindeer skins at the Christmas market (Mercato di natale) in the Piazza Santa Croce from the beginning of December. Go ice-skating in the Piazza della Liberta or make for the Piazza della Republicca, home to Florence's enormous Christmas tree sparkling with 16,000 lights. On Christmas day, High Mass at the Duomo is an unforgettable

Scoppio del Carro, Easter Sunday
Exploding the cart, or "scoppio del carro," at Easter is one of the oldest and most important Florentine traditions. Decorated white oxen drag an elaborate cart stuffed full of fireworks from the Porta al Prato to the Piazza del Duomo. A dove-shaped rocket in the Duomo is lit and shoots along a wire to the cart where it ignites the rest of the fireworks: impressive pyrotechnics ensue. Tradition has it that if the first rocket flies straight, it will be a lucky year for Florentines.

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, April to June
The May Music Festival is a series of classical music concerts, recitals, and operas and ballet held in venues across the city. It is internationally acclaimed and tickets are hot property, so check the Web site for scheduling and book in advance (www.maggiofiorentino.com )

Calcio Storico Fiorentino, June 24-28
This traditional game is a testosterone-fueled mix of football and fighting played by young men from the four Florentine quarters: San Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito and Santa Croce. They may look amusing in their medieval-style pantaloons but there is nothing funny about the level of competition in this fierce sport -- players often seem more preoccupied with fighting each other than getting the ball in the net, which runs the length of the pitch. An amazing spectacle, especially because it is held in the shadow of the beautiful Santa Croce church in the piazza below.

Festa del Grillo (Cricket Festival), Ascension Day
If you are feeling low on luck, the cricket festival, which heralds the start of spring, could boost your fortunes. Singing crickets are thought to bring good luck and in days gone by children would fashion cages and hunt for crickets to take to the Parco delle Cascine. Nowadays, the crickets are likely to be fake, but you can buy them housed in endearing pastel-painted confections with windows and roofs -- and they are still considered lucky.

Sweden's Icehotel the ultimate place to chill

I've never been a fan of the cold. As a kid, my favorite part of skiing was the hot chocolate, and I relished blizzards for the snow days, not the snowball fights. So when I booked a trip to the Icehotel in northern Sweden, my family and friends were amused -- and a bit concerned, especially when I got sick days before my flight. "You can't go to the Arctic with a cold!" my mother admonished.

The hotel in northern Sweden opens every year in early December and closes at the end of April.

But I had good reason for wanting to sleep in a glorified freezer: As an environmental reporter, I was curious to see a place where people have turned snow and ice into a moneymaker, one that's spawned copycats in frigid spots from Canada to Romania.

Conceived by Yngve Bergqvist, a river-rafting guide who wanted to lure visitors to the Arctic north during the winter, the Icehotel started out in 1990 as nothing more than a crude igloo. Now, it's a fanciful ice castle that's rebuilt every November with an unparalleled level of artistry -- which explains why each winter 16,000 guests pay hundreds of dollars a night to sleep on a slab of ice and thousands more make the trek just to tour the rooms for the day.

The 30 most elaborate suites are the handiwork of a team of artists -- sculptors, painters, architects, even comic book illustrators -- many of whom have never worked with ice before. Wielding chain saws and chisels, they spend weeks crafting frozen furniture while electricians install lights to provide an ethereal glow. Surreal? Exceedingly.

This winter, German furniture maker Jens Paulus and American industrial designer Joshua Space created a space-station room straight out of "Star Trek," with giant carvings of the sun and moon on opposing walls and twinkling lights in the ceiling. British decorator Ben Rousseau and graffiti artist Insa devised the Getting Cold Feet suite, with oversize high-heeled ice shoes beside the bed. Twenty-nine unadorned snow caves offer a somewhat less pricey and more purist experience.

24 hours in Sydney: Cocktails, scenic walks ... and sharks?

The arrival of autumn in Australia will be a welcome relief for international visitors emerging from a bleak winter in the northern hemisphere.

There's no mistaking the city of Sydney -
- fine weather means you may struggle to see a cloud in the sky.

Peak season may be winding up but with temperatures off their sticky summer highs it's a great time to sample one of the country's most recognizable cities.

While few international visitors are likely to find themselves stranded in Sydney for 24 hours (if only!), here's our fast-track tour for travelers short on time.

See the sun come up over Sydney Harbour. At this time of year, the sun rises at around 6:30am, an hour after the first ferries leave the wharf, so there's plenty of activity on the water.

Early risers can waste no time in immersing themselves in Sydney's cultural highlights. At 7:00am, the Sydney Opera House hosts tours for just eight people to backstage areas normally off-limits to theatre-goers. At $100 per person, the two-hour tour is not a budget option but it does include breakfast. Be warned, the tour includes 300 steps.

If you're not exhausted by the machinations of the Opera House, cool off with a relaxing dip. A recent spate of shark attacks may have put you off Sydney's beaches, but there are plenty of outdoor pools that offer both sun and seawater. For serious laps, try the North Sydney Olympic Pool (next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge) or for a lazier affair have a massage at Wylies Bath in Coogee.

Once in Coogee you can admire the Australian coastline by following it all the way back to Sydney's famous Bondi Beach. Most people start in Bondi but there's no reason why you can't do it in reverse. The two-hour walk takes you past bays and beaches and through the dramatic Waverley Cemetery where you can reflect on life while breathing in the views. The path ends at the Bondi Icebergs surf club where you can grab a cold fizzy beer at the bar or stay for lunch at the Bistro.

The hungry seagulls and pelicans at the Sydney Fish Market make lunch there a more interesting affair. Select your meal from the huge variety of seafood inside the market, grab a bottle of wine and an outdoor table and prepare to guard your chips.

Across the Board, Luxury Travel Is on Sale

Travel deals, news and updates for the week of March 9, 2009

AIRLINES & AIRPORTS

Safety First. The Federal Aviation Addministration (FAA) has fined Southwest a $7.5 million penalty for operating 46 planes on over 50,000 flights without performing mandatory maintenance checks — for example, failing to monitor fuselage fatigue and cracking. Southwest also agreed to rewrite its maintenance manuals, add more on-site technical representatives to oversee maintenance, and designate a full-time head of quality assurance. The FAA says the airline is now in compliance with official regulations, so passengers shouldn't be worried; in fact, Southwest has agreed to go above and beyond mandatory safety checks, the FAA says.

Triple Play. American Airlines is offering triple AAdvantage miles for nonstop flights between Boston and three California cities — L.A., San Francisco or San Diego (service to the last starts April 7). Use promotional code BOS3X when booking through May 31.

Please Support Our Travelers. The travel industry is asking Congress and President Obama to stop slamming executives for traveling. The decrease in business travel, the industry says, hurts local economy, down to the bellboy and hotel housekeeper who are laid-off due to decreased occupancy. A survey by the U.S. Travel Association says that 20% of companies (that have not received taxpayer assistance) have canceled events due to recent focus on boondoggles. Which means, lots of rooms open in Vegas.

Spirit Charges Customers for Flying. Last week there was talk of RyanAir charging passengers to use the on-board toilet. This week Spirit Airlines announces that it will charging you a fee to buy a ticket, even when you purchase online. It's $4.90 a pop, listed as a "passenger usage fee" and included in the advertised price of the ticket.

Slumdog Sights. Qantas is starting up service from seven Australian cities — including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney — to Mumbai starting June 2. The flights take off three times per week, connecting through Singapore. Outbound flight to Mumbai leave on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Return flights operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

First-Class Spa. Lufthansa has opened a spa lounge for first-class customers in Concourse B of the Frankfurt Airport. Passengers can book massages, facials and other treatments, and pay for them with miles or cash. The spa has six large private bathrooms, where you can shower or take a Jacuzzi or even play with the rubber duckies dressed in dirndls and lederhosen that float in the bath. There's also a room with a Wii console and fitness and sport games to pass the time. To round out the pampering, Lufthansa provides limousine service from the lounge for passengers whose flights depart from terminals A and C.

Member Bonus. Marriott Rewards members can redeem hotel points to buy a Priority Pass membership, which gives access to 600 VIP airport lounges worldwide. The price starts at 20,000 points and you can get one of three membership levels: standard (pay per lounge visit), standard plus (free access 10 times a year) or prestige (unlimited access). If you'd rather hang onto your hotel points, use cash and save up to 20% off the cost of standard plus ($199, with discount) and prestige ($359, with discount). Right now, you get three extra months of membership, making that 15 full months of thumbing your nose at the poor schlubs wandering around in the terminal.

HOTELS & PACKAGES

This Deal, Just For You. Morgans Hotel Group — which includes the Royalton in New York City and St. Martins Lane in London — has a new, more streamlined and user-friendly website. With full-screen pictures of the properties, you can see exactly what you're getting, and the calendar allows you to change dates easily, showing you immediately which rooms, at what price, are available. A related list of local restaurants, boutiques and things to do pops up as well — if you book a room in London during the end of March, for example, the site recommends that you check out the Oxford and Cambridge boat race on the Thames on March 29. To celebrate the site launch, Morgans will give TIME.com readers an exclusive offer — book two nights and get one night free (click here). Or call 800-606-6090 and use the promotional code SPTIME. Rates start at about $149. Book by March 31 for travel through May 31.

Easter Eggs. If you're planning to spend Easter in England, check out the Andaz, Hyatt's new brand, which is offering a stay at its Liverpool Street location, near Liverpool Street Station, for the cost of a chocolate Easter egg in Britain: 2.75 pounds ($4). Each week, starting March 10, the hotel will release a few rooms into the reservations system, which are available for stays between April 9 and 14. Hop to it! 40 Liverpool Street, London EC2; +44-(0)207-618-5061

For Warhol-ics. Warhol's Wide World at the Grand Palais museum in Paris is the first exhibition of 250 Andy Warhol paintings and prints — about 150 of which are coming out of private collections for the first time. Six Concorde Hotels & Resorts located around Paris have an exclusive partnership with the museum to give their guests VIP tickets (you'll get to jump to the front of the line to see what some people are calling one of the biggest art events of the year). If you really want to keep with the art theme, ask for the Pissarro suite at the Hôtel du Louvre (one of the Concorde hotels), where the artist lived and painted. Room rates start at $260 and include breakfast and a box of Warhol-themed chocolates. The offer is good from March 18 to June 29.

Cheap Sleeps. If you're staying within the shores of the U.S. or Canada and are looking for modest accommodations, Country Inns & Suites, which offers free Wi-Fi, hot breakfast and morning newspapers, is giving guests 33% off each night of a three-night stay through April 30 at any of its 450 North American properties, plus a dining coupon at the T.G.I.Fridays restaurants. With the discount, nightly rates start at $70.

Three for Two. Stay two nights at any W Hotel worldwide and get a third night free of charge with the "Night on Us" promotion. Rates vary, but you can get a room starting at $169 in Chicago, $229 in New York City and $259 in L.A. Some properties ask for a Thursday through Saturday arrival, but others are more accommodating. Mention promotional code TNR through Sept. 30. 877-946-8357

Man's Best Friend. For pet-lovers who can't bear to leave their companions behind, Washington State's Salish Lodge & Spa, perched above the Snoqualmie Falls about half-an-hour from Seattle, has for the first time opened its doors to dogs. In the rooms, each of which has a wood-burning fireplace, you'll even fresh-baked dog biscuits and an in-room pet dining menu. There's an additional one-time $50 cleaning fee you'll have to pony up, even if Fido is neat as a pin. Rates start at $229. 6501 Railroad Avenue S.E., Snoqualmie, WA; 800-272-5474

'Tis the Season. It may be cold in the Northeast now, but Spring is coming and Washington, D.C., will soon hold its annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the 3,000 blooming trees that were given to the city in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo and planted by First Lady Helen Taft. To entice you to visit, the Willard InterContinental hotel — where the first Japanese delegation to the U.S. stayed in 1860, after trade opened between the two countries — has a "Very Cherry" package. Choose your bonus: breakfast for two, a room upgrade or a second room at half-price for children under 18. There is also a Cherry Blossom tea served each afternoon, with cherry pastries, for $39. Room rates start at $349. The package is available March 13 to April 12 — note that peak blooms are predicted April 3 to 9. 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.; 202-628-9100

DINING

Road Rules. If you're on the road and trying to watch your waistline, check out the newly re-launched Healthy Dining Finder, created with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Punch in your zip code and your desired price point, and you'll get a customized list of dining options along with dietitian-approved dishes, culled from the menus of 60,000 restaurant locations nationwide — everything from the 420-calorie veggie burger at Burger King to the 430-calorie miso-marinated sea bass at Chaya in Venice, Calif. The site doesn't currently offer information for people with food or gluten allergies, but that's coming.

TRANSPORTATION

All Aboard! Riding on Amtrak's Acela Express trains just got cheaper. The railroad is offering 25% off prices for tickets purchased 14 days in advance, meaning a one-way ticket between Washington, D.C., and New York City can cost as little as $99, and between New York and Boston, just $79. The sale lasts through June 26, with limited availability.

Ship Ahoy. The Yachts of Seabourn company is holding a one-week "Stimulate your Summer" sale with up to 65% off any of 14 luxury European one- or two-week trips this summer. Sail around Corfu and the Croatian coast, or cruise Norway's fjords with fares starting at $2,840 per person, for a double-occupancy 277-sq.-ft. stateroom. Book between March 9 and 16 for travel in June and July. 800-929-9391

TECHNOLOGY

Fine Print. Amazon has released a Kindle app for the iPhone. If you already have a Kindle, the app allows you to read the same material on your Kindle and iPhone, without losing your place when you switch devices. Just download the free app from iTunes, register your iPhone with Amazon to send books to your device and start saving paper while saving the publishing industry.

Taiwan's Toilet Restaurant

By Natalie Tso / Taipei Monday, Mar. 02, 2009

"There's poop everywhere! Y-u-c-k," says 6-year-old Jordan Lien as he and his family dine at the Modern Toilet, a popular Taiwanese restaurant chain that's expanding into China and other parts of Asia. The boy was looking at the poop-shaped lights and dish covers and the curry on toilet-shaped plates.

Diarrhea for dinner? That's the point. "It's supposed to shock and confuse the senses," says Modern Toilet manager Chen Min-kuang. But as Jennifer Finch, an American who was dining there, described it, "They do it tastefully. It's all very clean."

Every customer sits on a stylish acrylic toilet (lid down) designed with images of roses, seashells or Renaissance paintings. Everyone dines at a glass table with a sink underneath. The servers bring your meal atop a mini toilet bowl (quite convenient, as it brings the food closer to your mouth), you sip drinks from your own plastic urinal (a souvenir), and soft-swirl ice cream arrives for dessert atop a dish shaped like a squat toilet.

I went there on a Wednesday evening, and the place was packed with students and families who were having a jolly time eating out of the john. "It's very progressive and irreverent, like a practical joke," says junior high school teacher Chen Kin-hsiang, who went because her students raved about it. "It's a little gross when you see other people eat," she says, "but when you're eating, you don't notice it, 'cause you're hungry and the aroma is appetizing." Smell is one poop-like quality the chef does without.

The reasonably priced food includes curries, pasta, fried chicken and Mongolian hot pot, as well as elaborate shaved-ice desserts with names like "diarrhea with dried droppings" (chocolate), "bloody poop" (strawberry) and "green dysentery" (kiwi). Despite the disturbing descriptions, the desserts were great. But after seeing curry drip down a mini-toilet, I may never have that sauce again.

The Chinese can take this, Finch muses, because they are more nonchalant about bodily functions, such as burping, farting or even going to the bathroom — an act performed squatting sans doors in some places in China. But many Westerners enjoy the novelty of toilet dining too. Chris and Julia Harris took their visiting mother, who they say is obsessive-compulsive about cleanliness, to "freak her out," but she had a great time (though she refused to drink out of a urinal). The only people who have a hard time, says Chen, are the elderly who have exclaimed, "I will not eat on the toilet!" (Folding chairs and normal dishware are available for the faint of heart.)

Toilet creations aren't new to China. The ancient Chinese may have been the first to use the throne — a flush toilet was found in a tomb of a Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D. 24) king — and they invented toilet paper in the 6th century. Modern Toilet owner Wang Zi-wei, 29, an ex-banker, got his idea from the Japanese robot cartoon character Jichiwawa, who loves to play with poop and swirl it on a stick. Inspired by that image, Wang began selling chocolate ice cream swirls on paper squat toilets. Customers loved them and wanted more edible excretion experiences, so he opened Modern Toilet in 2004. The theme-restaurant chain now has seven outlets in Taiwan, one in Hong Kong and one opening in Shenzhen, China, this week. Plans for other cities in China, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are also under way. Dinner à la latrine, anyone?