Monthly Archives: August 2021

Alaska Adventure: Rowan Travelers Enjoys Scenic State Tour – Salisbury Post

By in Hotel Tour

After a year of travel delay, the Rowan Travelers were finally able to resume their travel adventures and visit Alaska. Alaska had been on the group’s bucket list for some time, and the group was eager to finally travel. Fifteen Rowan Travelers embarked on a long flight, joining 27 others for a guided tour.

Alaska is a state closer to Japan than to North Carolina. There are few scheduled flights to this state so the flight schedules were unusual, especially on our return flight. It is about a 9 hour flight, to Alaska to arrive at a rather busy airport.

The weather was one of the most interesting aspects as we had to pack as we thought it was late fall. With temperatures in the 40s at night and 60s during the day, it was kind of a heat shock. The weather during our visit seemed to be constantly cloudy with rainfall most days. However, the mild rains never hampered our trips as it was still clear and sunny at 2pm. The clouds were light but low – very low. At one point, our hotel in Anchorage was blocked by low cloud. The constant sunlight and cool humid weather are perfect for flower plantings all over the city and their plantings were spectacular. The city of Anchorage spends $ 45,000 each summer on hanging baskets and annual flowers, and it shows.

Our trip was a mix of land, train and boat trips. We only had the privilege of a small part of Alaska because it is the largest state in the United States, bigger than Texas, California and Montana combined, or as I was told a native of Alaska: “It would take 11 North Carolinas to make Alaska. A short drive for Alaskans is 3 to 4 hours. The mountains were breathtaking, as you would expect with lots of snow and ice. Unfortunately, the clouds blocked our view of Denali, the third tallest mountain in the world, but the mountain view was beautiful and exciting. Our bus tour covered miles and miles of mountains and valleys dotted with lean little pines. Most of the landscapes reminded me of vast plantations of dwarf Christmas trees. Tall, skinny pines are dwarf because of permafrost, frozen ground a few feet below the top layer of soil. During our travels, we were always within a few miles of a lake, stream, graceful waterfalls, and the famous Alaska Pipeline. Alaska has over three million lakes, so our viewpoints were supplied with water by beautiful forests and wildlife. Lake Hood in Anchorage is the world’s largest seaplane airport-lake with over 750 resident aircraft. There are nearly 8,000 private pilots in Alaska. Small planes constantly flew over Anchorage – about 200 flights a day.

Each tour featured daily highlights, ranging from searching for gold nuggets, watching whales on a boat cruise, to visiting an authentic native Alaskan village. We had the chance to see Alaska’s famous pipeline and experience glaciers on our boat rides which also included seeing seals, sea lions, whales, puffins and bald eagles . On an outing, we learned that sled dogs were watching them pretend to be dragging snow. Visiting Denali National Park gave us a panoramic view of the high snow capped peaks with grizzly bears, caribou and moose along the way. Some group travelers have chosen parallel excursions by plane and helicopter, exploring the frozen glaciers. There are 616 named glaciers in Alaska as well as 100,000 unnamed ones. My wife, Gerrie and I went on a float tour on a frigid river with 34 degree freezing water and chunks of ice splashing around us.

This scenic Alaska tour was as wonderful as our previous adventures. Our travel confidante, Debbie Faggart, helped provide impeccable logistics and relevant detailed information. Special thanks for their tireless efforts with Salisbury Motor Company to provide our airport shuttle service. As always, the Rowan Travelers were just plain fun as travel adventure companions.

Darrell Blacksoudeur is a retired horticultural officer and director of the North Carolina Co-operative Extension Service in Rowan County. Contact him at [email protected]


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US transports food, tents to earthquake-ravaged southern Haiti

By in Airport Transfer

JEREMIE, Haiti (AP) – U.S. military planes are now transporting food, tarpaulins and other materials to southern Haiti as part of a shift in the international relief effort to focus on helping people in areas hardest hit by the recent earthquake get through the hurricane season.

Planes from the capital, Port-au-Prince, arrived all day Saturday in the mostly rural and mountainous southern peninsula that was the epicenter of the August 14 earthquake. In Jeremiah, people greeted and applauded as a unit of the North Carolina Marine Corps descended in a tilt-rotor Osprey with paddles of rice, tarps and other supplies.

Most of the material, however, was not intended for Jeremiah. It was intended for distribution to remote mountain communities where landslides destroyed the homes and small plots of the region’s many subsistence farmers, said Patrick Tiné of Haiti Bible Mission, one of the many groups coordinating the delivery of aid.

“They lost their gardens, they lost their animals,” Tiné said as he took a break to help unload the boxes of rice. “The mountains have slipped and they have lost everything. “

At the request of the Haitian government, bringing as much aid as possible to these people as quickly as possible is now at the center of the US $ 32 million relief effort, said Tim Callahan, response team leader. disaster for the US Agency for International Development.

Immediately after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,200 and damaged or destroyed more than 100,000 homes, the focus was on search and rescue.

This was complicated by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Grace as well as earthquake damage to roads and bridges, in an area where the infrastructure was initially in poor condition. The threat of gangs, in a country still reeling from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, has also made it difficult to distribute aid. As a result, many Haitians grew increasingly impatient with the relief efforts.

“We’re just trying to get as much material as possible to the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible. If you do that then the level of frustration goes down, ”Callahan said over the roar of helicopters at Port-au-Prince airport, where US troops and civilian aid workers worked to load planes with them. pallets under the scorching sun.

This is where the US military comes in. Troops under the leadership of Miami-based Southern Command have so far provided more than 265,000 pounds of humanitarian aid.

Among those troops is the North Carolina unit, known as the Fighting Griffins and based at the New River Marine Corps Air Force Base, which allowed Associated Press reporters to join them in delivering supplies. emergency.

Two crews took off from the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, traveled to Port-au-Prince to collect supplies, and then made several trips through the mountainous southern peninsula to deliver their cargo.

It was an upbeat mission, with the flight crew and pilots helping Haitian aid workers offload the plane, then shaking hands and saying goodbye.

A crew, which delivered more than 8,500 pounds of merchandise on Saturday alone, took a Haitian-born Marine from New York as an interpreter. “It really means a lot to me to do something like this,” said Lance Cpl. Lunel Najac.

The US effort is expected to continue for at least several weeks, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to help people get through the rest of the hurricane season.

“People need food, water, tents, tarpaulins,” said Wilkens Sanon of the Mission of Hope Foundation, another of the groups working with the United States to get aid to those who have it. most needed.

“It’s very, very bad right now,” he said.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.


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San Diego military families remember US servicemen killed outside Kabul airport – NBC 7 San Diego

By in Airport Service

Nine local Marines and a local Marine Corps member were among 13 U.S. servicemen killed in a bomb explosion Thursday near the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Ten of the 13 soldiers were stationed here at Camp Pendleton.

Military families and San Diego residents say their feelings are still strong after the brutal attack.

Daniel Samuelson, who has friends in the military, says the attack is hitting hard.

“When something like what happened the other day, it’s fair, it hits you hard,” Samuelson said. “It’s very alive right now and it’s very scary, it’s just a difficult position and obviously worried about it.”

NBC 7 met Samuelson after leaving flowers at the Camp Pendleton Memorial in solidarity with the military community.

One by one, carefully placed along the sand, a total of 13 flags were planted near Rescue Tower 22 in Pacific Beach on Friday. NBC 7’s Amber Frias has more.

Some of the soldiers killed were only 20 years old. Military mom Sheri Kelley says the attack struck near her home.

“It is very emotional to be a mother knowing that it could have been the case and that a member of the Corps was killed alongside 12 Marines. I have another family who are also in the military, so even though these young men and women weren’t my children, it hits home, “Kelley says.

Kelley says this attack impacts everyone.

“Two of the Marines are from Norco, Calif. And another from Riverside or two, I believe, and this is our hometown, so even the people of Ohio no matter how patriotism is going by region or by state. , it affects us all, ”Kelley said. “I think any parent can sympathize and anyone who votes for the American people.”

As the military pullout continues until the Aug.31 release, Samuelson says he always keeps those in Afghanistan in his thoughts and prayers.

“For this problem, it’s still real, it still exists and it’s still war,” Samuelson said.


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Kabul evacuations end as US prepares to withdraw remaining troops

By in Airport Price

The vast international effort to evacuate thousands of Afghans and vulnerable foreign nationals from Kabul airport ended on Saturday as the United States continued to withdraw its remaining troops from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after it carried out a retaliatory airstrike in response to a devastating terrorist attack.

Britain planned to end the evacuation of its citizens on Saturday and start bringing its remaining troops home, Defense Chief General Nick Carter told BBC Radio 4 Other American troops also began to board planes and leave. A military official said on Saturday that there were around 4,000 US troops in Kabul, up from 5,800 A few days ago.

The official’s comment came just as President Biden warned that “an attack is very likely within the next 24 to 36 hours.” Early Sunday morning in Kabul, the US Embassy warned of a “specific and credible threat” to the airport area and urged all US citizens to leave immediately.

The departures of troops marked the tumultuous end of a 20-year war that plunged the country into grief and despair, with many Afghans fearing for their lives under the Taliban and struggling with cash flow and rising food prices.

“We couldn’t get everyone out and it was heartbreaking,” General Carter told the BBC. “There were some very difficult judgments that had to be made on the pitch. “

France has also ended its evacuations, French officials said on Friday.

With just three days before Mr. Biden’s August 31 deadline for withdrawing US troops, the mission has shifted from screening and airlifting Afghan civilians to repatriating US military personnel.

About 6,800 people were evacuated from Kabul airport on Friday, down significantly from Thursday morning, when White House officials said 13,400 people had been evacuated from the airport in the past 24 hours. .

About 117,000 people, mostly Afghans, have been evacuated since the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, Pentagon officials said. About 1,400 people were still at the airport on Saturday and had been screened and booked for flights, Pentagon officials said.

About 350 Americans have told the State Department they are still seeking to leave the country, the department said on Saturday, adding that it believes some may have already left Afghanistan..

It is believed that hundreds of thousands of Afghans are still trying to flee the country, but Mr Biden and other world leaders have acknowledged that many will not get out before the deadline.

Outside Kabul airport on Saturday, roads remained closed and the large crowd that had struggled to get inside had largely dissipated following Thursday’s suicide bombing, which killed 13 US servicemen and up to 170 civilians.

At the door of the abbey, near the site of the bombardment, only two families and two young men were still waiting.

The south gate to the airport remained open and there was a growing backlog of buses carrying some 500 to 1,000 people, as US military personnel searched for suicide vests and other explosives. The Taliban, who controlled the checkpoints around the airport, also turned back dozens of buses. Few, if any, passed through the airport gates.

Among those still hoping to leave were two brothers who said they had traveled 26 hours from Herat, a city in western Afghanistan, and managed to sneak past the guards outside the perimeter of the city. airport to reach the abbey gate. One of them said he was selected by a US visa lottery.

The brothers knew about the fatal explosion at the door two nights ago, “but what can we do,” one said on Saturday. “It’s our only way out.”

Officials from Turkey, Qatar and the Group of 7 are due to meet on Monday on a range of issues relating to Afghanistan, including the future of the Kabul airport, according to two officials familiar with the talks.

After the US military leaves on Tuesday, the path for Afghan evacuees will become even more difficult as the Taliban take control of the airport.

Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said on Friday officials were in talks with allies and the Taliban to allow non-military flights to resume as soon as possible after the departure of the US military.

He declined to comment on reports that Turkey and Qatar were planning to run the airport with the Taliban, although he said Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had spoken to the Turkish minister. Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, to discuss “our cooperation in Afghanistan and our continued efforts to ensure the safe and orderly evacuation of our citizens, allies and partners. “

Thursday’s attack near the airport was one of the deadliest in nearly two decades since the US-led invasion.

“The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high,” Biden said in a statement on Saturday. “Our commanders have informed me that an attack is very likely within the next 24 to 36 hours.”

The Pentagon gave its most comprehensive account yet of Friday’s strike in response to the bombing outside the airport on Saturday. He said the military used a drone to kill two “high-profile” targets for the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, also known as ISIS-K or ISIS Khorasan, a group rival of the Taliban and who claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack. Military officials said another target was injured.

Defense Ministry officials said one drone target was an ISIS-K “planner” and the other was a “facilitator.”

The strike was carried out by a single MQ-9 Reaper drone flying from a base in the United Arab Emirates, according to a senior US military official. The targets were struck in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, about 90 miles east of Kabul.

The “planner” who was killed is believed to be involved in future plots against targets in Kabul, including the airport, but there was so far no evidence that he was involved in the near suicide bombing. from the airport on Thursday, the official said.

“I said we were going to prosecute the group responsible for the attack on our troops and innocent civilians in Kabul, and we did,” Biden said in his statement. “This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down anyone involved in this heinous attack and make them pay. “

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, condemned the drone strike, telling Reuters it was a “clear attack on Afghan territory”.

For the first time, Pentagon officials have publicly acknowledged the possibility that some people killed outside the airport on Thursday were shot dead by U.S. servicemen after the suicide bombing.

Investigators are investigating whether the shots came from Americans at the gate or from Islamic State.

The suicide bombing and the US response came as the Afghan economy, which has been supported for years by an influx of international aid, was in free fall.

Many Afghans are struggling to provide for their families and have flocked to banks and ATMs in hopes of withdrawing cash, only to return home cashless and desperate.

On Saturday, hundreds of people demonstrated outside a bank branch in Kabul and dozens more marched through central Kabul to demand the reopening of banks that had closed after the Taliban takeover.

“Islamic government, give us our rights! They chanted. One of the country’s largest banks, Azizi Bank, issued a statement to customers saying it was waiting for the Afghan central bank to resume operations before reopening.

A central bank official said it would reopen on Sunday, but to avoid bank runs it might not start distributing money until a new government is in place.

The Taliban have indicated that Hajji Mohammad Idris, a member of the movement, will assume the post of interim head of the central bank. News reports have indicated that Mr. Idris has no formal financial training.

Despite the end of its presence in Afghanistan, the United States still controls billions of dollars belonging to the Afghan central bank, money that Washington is ensuring is kept out of the reach of the Taliban.

Concern is also growing about the plight of farmers and herders, who form the backbone of Afghanistan’s rural economy. The country continues to be hit hard by the worsening drought that threatens the livelihoods of more than 7 million people who depend on agriculture or livestock, the United Nations warned on Saturday. food and agriculture.

“Farmers and livestock owners should not be forgotten in the current humanitarian crisis,” said Qu Dongyu, general manager of the organization. “Urgent agricultural support is now essential to counter the impact of the drought and the worsening situation in the vast rural areas of Afghanistan in the weeks and months to come. “

Reporting was provided by Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, Lara Jakes, Najim Rahim, Jim Huylebroek, Fahim Abed and Thomas Gibbons-Neff.

Kabul Airport Terrorist Threat Warning While 36 Irish Still In Afghanistan

By in Airport Hotel

Irish citizens who did not make it to Kabul airport are unlikely to leave Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline, a security expert has said.

The evacuation effort in the country is becoming increasingly desperate as fears of terrorism at Kabul airport grow and the deadline for the departure of troops from Afghanistan draws near.

The Guardian reported that the concerns were with the so-called ISIS dissident cell, Isis-K, an enemy of the Taliban.

US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday said the group’s threat at the airport was “real, acute” and “persistent”.

There are still 36 Irish citizens in Afghanistan with members of the Army Rangers currently trying to get them on flights.

More than 10,000 people wait at Kabul airport, desperate to leave after the Taliban takeover and fears of a terrorist attack continue to grow.

Families evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, pass through the terminal before boarding a bus after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. Photo: AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana

Security and defense analyst Declan Power said contingency plans are likely to be made in case they cannot be evacuated in time.

“If they’re all at the airport, I would say they’ll probably come out,” he said.

“Anyone who didn’t make it to the airport well, it will be another working day.

“I suspect that plans are already underway for, in the context of the European Union, all citizens who have failed to make it to Kabul or to the airport.”

Many people are being taken from Afghanistan to Qatar, with refugees being hosted in accommodation built for the upcoming World Cup.

The country’s deputy foreign minister Lolwah al-Khater said they are helping people of all ages.

“We did not expect this number of babies, children and pregnant women and we are trying to cope with the situation,” she said.

“Everyone was talking about a schedule that would last for weeks or months.”

A Sailor with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit walks with a family during ongoing evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. Photo: Sgt. Samuel Ruiz / US Marine Corps via AP
A Sailor with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit walks with a family during ongoing evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. Photo: Sgt. Samuel Ruiz / US Marine Corps via AP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration estimated that around 1,500 US citizens remained in Afghanistan, 12 days after the start of a massive US military airlift.

The US president has pledged to withdraw US troops from the country by the end of the month.

Mr Blinken told a news conference that 4,500 more Americans have been evacuated as part of a 24-hour US-led operation since the Taliban reached the capital on August 14.

U.S. officials are in contact with around 500 U.S. citizens in an attempt to get them out of the country safely, the U.S. official said.

Mr. Blinken described the ongoing efforts to reach the last 1,000 Americans, prior to the US withdrawal.

“We are contacting them aggressively several times a day, through multiple communication channels, phone, email, text messaging, to determine if they still want to leave,” he said.

He said leaving Kabul would not be the end of their job.

“There is no deadline in our work to help the remaining American citizens who decide to leave do so, as well as many Afghans who have supported us over these many years, and who want to leave, and n ‘couldn’t do it, “he said.

“This effort will continue every day.”


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Afghanistan: more than 10,000 people await evacuation from Kabul airport – Pentagon

By in Airport Transfer





Afghanistan: more than 10,000 people await evacuation from Kabul airport – Pentagon – BBC News


























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These are the coolest castles in Canada that you can visit

By in Hotel Tour

Do you dream of a magical getaway in a castle? Well, it turns out that Canada has tons of castles across the country that you can visit. Whether you’re looking for an urban castle, a waterfront castle, or a forest castle, we’ve got you covered. Here are 14 of the most magical castles you can visit in Canada

Ontario

Dundurn Castle

This large 1830s chateau has 40 Italian-style rooms. It was once home to Sir Allan Napier MacNab, railroad magnate, lawyer and Prime Minister of United Canada (1854-1856). Today the castle tells the story of the MacNab family and the dedicated servants who worked there.

Or: 610, boul. York, Hamilton, Ontario
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: $ 14 adults, $ 12 for seniors, $ 12 for students, $ 8 for children, FREE 5 years and under

Casa Loma

The magnificent Toronto Castle was once the home of Sir Henry Pellatt. He had incredible success and built his dream home, Casa Loma, filling it with priceless art from around the world. Today you can visit the estate and the gardens as well as see exhibitions.

Or: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, Ontario
Hours: Open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $ 30 adults, $ 25 seniors, $ 25 youth, $ 20 children

Rideau-Hall

The castle or villa was built in 1838 by Thomas MacKay and served as his home. as a home for his family. Since his death, it has housed all the governors general since Confederation. Today you can visit the park as well as the cabins with a guide. It’s a great way to look at the past and also a unique look at the life and duties of the Governor General.

Or: 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario
Hours: The grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. before sunset, all tours are currently online
Cost: To free

Killbride Castle

This magnificent castle was built by the “Flax and Linseed Oil King of Canada” James Livingstone in 1877. It is an excellent example of Victorian architecture and has been fully restored to its original splendor. . Today you can tour the house and see its magnificent interior and unique trompe-l’oeil paintings throughout the house.

Or: 60 Snyder’s Road West, Baden, Ontario
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11 am-4pm
Cost: $ 9 adults, $ 8 seniors (65+) and students, $ 5 children

The Willistead Manor

Perhaps more of a mansion than a castle, Willistead Manor is a grand house that was built in 1906. It was the home of Edward Chandler Walker, Hiram Walker’s second son. Today the house is available for rental for gatherings, weddings and more. You can also visit it although tours are not underway during the pandemic.

Or: 1899 Niagara Street
Hours: Closed until further notice
Cost: $ 6.25 adults, $ 5.25 students and seniors, $ 2.75 children 12 and under

The Chateau Laurier

If you want to treat yourself to a night in a luxurious chateau, you can do so and more at Chateau Laurier. The imposing 1912 building is hard to miss as it is right in downtown Ottawa. This means you can explore the area, pretend to be a royal in any of the hotel’s 429 rooms, and maybe even get the royal treatment at the hotel spa.

Or: 1 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario
Cost: $ 288 + per night

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Quebec

Viger station

This century-old building has had several lifetimes. Formerly a station and today a hotel in full reinvention. As the building is currently under development, you may be able to see it from the outside. That’s okay as the castle-like design of the building is a sight to behold.

Or: 700, rue Saint-Antoine Est, Montreal, Quebec

Ravenscrag

Ravenscrag, also known as the Allan Memorial Institute, is probably the most interesting building on this list. Built in 1863, it was at one time the largest mansion in Canada, but it was sadly demolished and turned into a hospital in the 1940s. What makes it so interesting is that it was the home of the infamous MKUltra experiments of the 50s and 60s. Today it’s part of McGill’s psychology department, but you can still check out the outside.

Or: 1025 Av. Des Pins, Montreal, Quebec

Chateau Frontenac

Here is yet another place where you can experience royal life, overnight. The Chateau Frontenac overlooks the picturesque St. Lawrence River and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can stay in one of its 610 rooms and suites and pretend to experience Europe.

Or: 1 Rue des Carrières, Quebec City, Quebec
Cost: $ 559 + per night

Alberta

Banff Springs Hotel

A castle in a forest? Talk about dreams. The Banff Springs Hotel has been around since the 1880s and is the premier place to stay in Banff. Today you can enjoy updated luxury, the outdoors and, of course, a castle-like stay in one of Canada’s most beautiful places.

Or: 405 Spray Avenue, Banff, Alberta
Cost: $ 659 + per night

Chateau Lake Louise

Who would have thought that Banff is home to more than one castle? Well, there’s also the Chateau Lake Louise Hotel which exudes luxury and overlooks the vivid blue waters of Lake Louise. Today you can visit and stay there for an unforgettable castle experience overlooking the water.

Or: 111 Lake Louise Drive, Lake Louise, Alberta
Cost: $ 528 + per night

British Columbia

Hatley Castle

The magnificent Victoria Castle in 1908 had many lives as a private residence, naval training center, and today one of the most famous filming locations in the world. Right now you can explore the beautiful grounds of the castle, but you won’t be able to get inside unless you rent it. Either way, the sight of this castle is sure to give you all the magical vibes you could possibly need.

Or: 2005 Sooke Road, Victoria, British Columbia

Craigdarroch Castle

Also in Victoria, Craigdarroch Castle was built by Coal Baron Robert Dunsmuir and is now a National Historic Site. It has been completely restored so that visitors can experience the privileged way of life of those who frequented it in the 1890s. Better yet, you can visit it or even rent it.

Or: 1050 Joan Crescent, Victoria, British Columbia
Hours: Friday-Sunday 10:30 am-4pm
Cost: $ 18.52 adults, $ 17.46 seniors, $ 12.69 students, $ 7.91 children

Hotel of the Empress

Obviously, Victoria is the place to be when it comes to visiting castles in British Columbia. Now if you want to spend the night in a room, you can do that and more at the Fairmont Empress. The hotel was completed in 1908 and faces Victoria’s Inner Harbor and was restored just a few years ago. If you are looking for a waterfront castle in British Columbia, this is your best bet.

Or: 721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia
Cost: $ 384 + per night

There is really no shortage of magical castles that you can explore in Canada. So get out there and plan a visit to your nearest castle. Have fun people!

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Gatwick plans a second runway | The independent

By in Airport Price

Gatwick, the hardest hit of all major UK airports by the coronavirus pandemic, is moving forward with plans for a second runway.

The airport plans to move the current emergency runway 12 meters to the north, providing sufficient separation from the main runway to allow take-off of medium-sized passenger planes such as the easyJet Airbus A320s and the Boeing 737s. from Ryanair.

Before the pandemic, Gatwick operated more flights than any other single-track airport in the world. But figures released by Eurocontrol show Gatwick is by far the worst of Europe’s top 40 airports, with traffic just 24% of 2018 levels. Heathrow and Manchester are the next hardest hit, at 41%.

Chief Executive Officer Stewart Wingate said The independent it expects traffic to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2025-2026 – with improvements in air traffic control procedures allowing expansion to 50 million passengers per year.

“We expect the technology to improve the peak rate from 55 to 60 movements per hour,” he said.

Mr Wingate believes that with a second runway in place, Gatwick could handle up to 75 million passengers per year by 2038 – nearly the 81 million achieved by Heathrow in its peak year of 2019. He estimates that 18 400 new jobs would be created.

“This is a low impact way to unlock new capacity from our existing infrastructure, much of which is already in place,” he said.

“It’s a runway that stays within the airport limits.”

The project is expected to cost around £ 500million – a fraction of the proposed third runway at Heathrow.

Heathrow’s controversial third runway expansion plans involve the takeover of a significant amount of residential property.

But opponents of the Gatwick proposals say they are “flying in the face of the climate emergency”.

Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (Cagne), representing environmental activists in Sussex, Surrey and Kent, said: [who] will have to pay the price for the current greed of this leisure airport.

“This movement can only be for one reason; shareholders are looking to sell Gatwick with two leads.

The airport general manager said: “There are no plans to sell Gatwick.”

The plan was first presented by Mr. Wingate in 2018. Despite the drop in traffic, the airport is continuing a consultation.

A taxiway was developed to become an emergency runway in 1979. It is used in an emergency when the main runway is blocked and during scheduled maintenance of the main runway.

The main runway is known as 08R / 26L and the emergency runway 08L / 26R. The center lines of the two tracks are 198 meters apart. International rules stipulate a minimum distance between the axes of parallel runways of 210 meters “when the runways are intended for use by medium or heavy aircraft”.

If the plan were to go ahead, the existing main runway would be used for all arrivals and departures of larger aircraft such as the Airbus A330, A350 and A380, as well as the Boeing 787 and 777. But as so of Gatwick flights are made on A320s and 737s, many take-offs would use the “new” runway.

Originally, it was hoped that the second runway would be operational by 2025. But the expected date is now 2029.

The remains of a Boaz naval firefighter killed at Pearl Harbor returned to his family

By in Airport Service

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WBRC) – On a sunny summer Tuesday afternoon, around 20 members of the Ralph Curtis Battles family gathered outside a southwest gate at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport, waiting for a moment of near 80 years old.

Battles was 25, enlisted in the Navy, and was serving as a second-class firefighter on the USS Oklahoma when it was attacked on December 7, 1941, becoming one of the first casualties of World War II.

A solemn ceremony at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport on Tuesday as the remains of a young man from Boaz who was killed in Pearl Harbor were finally brought home.(DOD)

Since then, his family has hoped and prayed that his remains will finally make it home. Tuesday, it finally happened.

His nephew Ralph Shell bursts into tears while waiting for the plane.

“Today… we’re here to welcome him home,” Shell said, fighting back tears. “This is what our family has always wanted and it is just a testament to our military and the country we live in that they would do it again after 80 years.”

A solemn ceremony at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport on Tuesday as the remains of a ...
A solemn ceremony at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport on Tuesday as the remains of a young man from Boaz who was killed in Pearl Harbor were finally brought home.(Jacob Guyton, Birmingham Airport Authority)

The USS Oklahoma sank minutes after being hit by nine torpedoes in the attack on Pearl Harbor. 429 sailors and marines on board were killed. Battles’ family say he was among 388 men whose bodies remained in the ship’s hull on the ocean floor for 18 months after the attack.

Their remains were eventually transferred to a cemetery in Hawaii, but most were not identified.

For decades, the Battles family continued to hope that one day they could provide him with a proper funeral and say goodbye to him.

“My grandparents always reserved a place for him in the family cemetery in Boaz with a gravestone and a stone at the foot,” explains Shell. “My mother mourned her brother for the rest of her life. “

A solemn ceremony at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport on Tuesday as the remains of a ...
A solemn ceremony at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport on Tuesday as the remains of a young man from Boaz who was killed in Pearl Harbor were finally brought home.(Jacob Guyton, Birmingham Airport Authority)

In 2015, the US Navy removed the remains and began DNA testing in an attempt to return the bodies to their loved ones. Shell says that in April the US Navy called him, saying they had identified his uncle.

“We can place his remains with the rest of the family in Boaz,” Shell says with a smile. He says the Navy has now identified more than 340 of those unidentified Sailors and Marines who were serving aboard the USS Oklahoma with him that day.

“My mother would be brought up. I remember my mom saying she wished they could take him home. he said, fighting back tears. “He died in the service of this country which is still the greatest country on this planet, and I think he would be proud.”

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 1 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery, with full military honors provided by the United States Navy.

Copyright 2021 WBRC. All rights reserved.


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Smoking tourist charged £ 102 for a 20km taxi ride to the airport during the holidays

By in Airport Hotel

A TOURIST was stunned after being charged 900 kuna (£ 102) for a 20km taxi ride from his hotel to the airport.

As TravelChuck on social media, the vacationer recorded the incident while on vacation in Croatia.

Man charged over £ 100 for a taxi from his hotel in Croatia to the airport

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Man charged over £ 100 for a taxi from his hotel in Croatia to the airportCredit: jet 2

The 20 mile trip was from the Radisson Blu hotel in Split to the Split airport.

He said in the video: “I asked the airport how much it would cost and they said around 300 to 350 kuna.”

However, after reporting a taxi, he said he quickly realized he was an illegal taxi driver.

He continued, “It was very strange, he dropped us off at the bus stop, and I asked him why.

He said “I cannot go to the airport because it is closed”. Of course, it’s very strange, and then I realized it was because it was illegal. “

“Instead of 300 kuna, he asked me for 900 kuna.”

The 20-mile scam has been criticized by other local taxi drivers

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The 20 mile scam has been criticized by other local taxi drivers

In the video, when the taxi driver realizes that he is being filmed, he asks him to stop, to which the passenger calmly says that he is only filming his bags.

The tourist said the incident was not about the money, but said he wouldn’t want others or his children to be caught off guard while on vacation.

Other local taxi drivers were shocked, according to local media and said it should instead be around 300 kuna (£ 34).

A local guide criticized the taxi driver’s actions, calling them “a scam, disrespectful and embarrassing”, before inviting the man and his family on a free tour to make up for it.

This is not the first time that tourists have been ripped off by taxi drivers.

In 2018, a British tourist revealed that a driver tried to charge him € 62 (£ 55) for a journey of less than two miles, when it should have been only € 10 (£ 8.74 ).

And a ‘crook’ taxi driver in Paris charged two tourists £ 216 for a £ 43 ride, then locked them in a car when they refused to pay.

In New York, a British couple were scammed by a gang of rogue New York taxis who forced them to hand over £ 350 for a 10-minute ride, which should have been less than £ 40.

Here are some of the other vacation scams to avoid falling in love.

He was amazed to be charged over 900 kuna instead of 300 kuna at the airport

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He was amazed to be charged over 900 kuna instead of 300 kuna at the airportCredit: Alamy
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