I’ve just returned from a travel writers’ conference in Israel where we convened at three excellent hotels in the Dan group (named for one of the Bible’s 12 tribes of Israel). When I arrived three days prior to the conference to also visit Palestine, I discovered another special hotel in East Jerusalem that was conveniently close to the meeting place for a small group tour to Bethlehem and Ramallah in Palestine’s West Bank.

The unique attraction of the American Colony Hotel, however , is that it has been central to the history of Jerusalem since the 1880’s when Horatio Spafford and his wife left Chicago and traveled to Jerusalem to build a new life for themselves after the tragic loss of their four young daughters in a shipwreck.

Joined by 16 other members of their church, they settled in a small house in the Old City. Although they were never missionaries, they aimed at living a simple life with everything in common..

Their door was always open to their Arab and Jewish neighbors as well as Bedouin from around the city. As they became well known for their acts of benevolence and assistance to the community, people referred to them simply as “the Americans.”

When seventy Swedes living in the US joined them in 1894, they required larger premises. The home they bought was initially built as a palace for a pasha and his four wives. It would soon become The American Colony Hotel.

In 1902, Baron Ustinov (grandfather of actor Sir Peter Ustinov), found the Turkish inns of the time unacceptable and needed a suitable accommodation to house his visitors from Europe and America, the American Colony Hotel became a lodging for Western travelers and pilgrims.

The Americans endured countless challenges and a series of wars. To initiate the truce that ended Ottoman rule in Jerusalem, the hotel made a white flag from a bed sheet from one of the Colony’s hospitals.

The Colony has always been known locally as a neutral island, remaining outside the turbulent politics of the land. An oasis where Jews and Arabs meet, it is also a favorite haven for international journalists and diplomats from across the world. Its cozy, newly refurbished Cellar Bar continues to be Jerusalem’s most famous gathering place.

The Colony is still owned by Spafford’s grandson, but is now managed by the Gauer hotels of Switzerland. The Spaffords’ former home in the Old City today houses a Children’s Center, which runs medical, infant welfare and social work departments for local children.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

www.americancolony.com

www.greenolivetours.com to arrange tours to Palestine’s West Bank.

The Creative Place Awards celebrate and recognise the hard work and imagination that contribute to the rich cultural life of a community and its social and economic well-being, and rewards the efforts and imagination of such places.

The awards, were presented to communities of different sizes across three categories. The winners are:

• Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland

In the category for ‘places with fewer than 2,500 residents’.

Each year over 15,000 people flock to Wigtown for its hugely successful Book Festival. The award will allow the festival to be developed into a year-round programme, including a residential creative writing course and a high-profile Wigtown Lecture. The annual festival is a celebration of the written word and features around 200 events over 10 days, with events including talks by authors, book signings, cinema, and events for children.

• West Kilbride, in North Ayrshire, West Coast of Scotland

In the category for ‘places with fewer than 10,000 residents’.

The award will allow Craft Town Scotland, a community initiative, to develop a new series of exhibitions and programmes in West Kilbride to involve younger and older members of the community. Situated on the rugged coastline overlooking the Isle of Arran, Craft Town Scotland is a picturesque haven for craft and design. The creation of Scotland’s first designated Craft Town has transformed West Kilbride and helped make it a better place to live, work and visit. The town currently boasts eight studios and an exhibition gallery and gift shop, creating various types of craft ware, from baskets and wood carvings to sculptures and stoneware.

• St Andrews, in Fife

In the category for ‘places with fewer than 100,000 residents’.

St Andrews will host its own Year of Celebration in 2012 and the award will allow the town to promote its already rich cultural programme to UK and international visitors and to support a new community musical theatre production. 2012 is already shaping up to be a memorable year for the town, with one-off occasions such as the University’s 600th Anniversary, the Olympic Torch Relay and the World Saxophone Congress bolstering the already-strong annual programme of festivals.

In addition, the judges made two special awards to Creetown and Huntly who impressed with their long-standing creative programmes which involve the whole community.

• Creetown in Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland

Won a Special Award for community engagement and high levels of participation in quality arts and creativity. In Dumfries and Galloway, Creetown is a thriving creative community. This special award will support the community to invite the National Symphony Orchestra to music workshops in the village as well as developing new projects for the younger residents.

• Huntly, in Aberdeenshire, North East Scotland

Received a Special Award for its creative use of artists. The town of Huntly has been re-branded through the use of the arts. Many of its projects have been led by top international artists, including Danish photographer, Elsebeth Jørgensen; India’s textile artist, Priya Ravish Mehra and performance artist, Umesh Maddanahalli; Austrian artist, Wilhelm Scherübl; Swiss artist Roman Signer; and Fabiana Galante, a pianist and composer from Argentina.

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and Chair of the Judging panel, said; “The Year of Creative Scotland and the Creative Place Awards provide a unique opportunity to celebrate and reward places across Scotland that contribute to a Scotland’s strength as a creative nation. From the Highlands to the Borders, Scotland is a rich tapestry of thriving and vibrant creative communities. The awards will allow these communities to enhance their creative programmes, which will in-turn raise their profile nationally and internationally and attract further visitors.”

Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Culture, said; “Scotland is a creative nation and I am hugely impressed by the wealth of creative communities we have in every corner of the country. To win a Creative Place Award, and in the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, is a great achievement which demonstrates the truly exceptional standard of the successful programmes.”

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “Our culture is one of our greatest assets and this year offers a tremendous opportunity to harness local creativity from across every part of Scotland and show our visitors what we’re made of. It’s fantastic to see the winners in the spotlight today and exciting to see the wealth of creative talent demonstrated. Tourism is a hotbed for creativity but it’s only by working together and harnessing enthusiasm that we can truly make the most of the Year of Creative Scotland.

Please log on to www.cometoscotland.com/creative for more information about the Year of Creative Scotland.

The Seychelles and La Reunion Islands are jointly hosting the 2012 Carnival of Carnivals that will be held in Seychelles from the 2nd to the 4th of March. The carnival is known around the world as the carnival of carnivals because of the uniqueness of this Vanilla Islands Carnival that attracts the best and most known carnivals to parade alongside each other and with the cultural groups from the Community of Nations. “Diversity in a theme of the melting pot of cultures has ensured that the world descends on Seychelles for this unique event. The 2012 edition will be even more diverse as many new countries have now confirmed their participation” said Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.

But Seychelles and La Reunion Island have inserted a serious side to their mid ocean carnival. The UNWTO Secretary General, Mt Rifai is personally travelling to the Seychelles to deliver a tourism message on opening day of this unique carnival and Navy Ships from the Community of Nations have also been invited to dock in Seychelles and for them to march in the carnival procession to send a message of the world’s resolve against the plague of piracy affecting the shipping routes off the East African Coast. “In the 2011 edition of the carnival in Seychelles many Navies were part of the carnival procession. We are hoping that for the 2012 edition we shall again have that support to echo to the world that enough is enough and something needs to be done to rid the Indian Ocean of Somali Pirates” Alain St.Ange said.

Seychelles has now received confirmation that India has dispatched a Navy Ship to Seychelles for that show of solidarity in response to letters of invitation dispatched to the Community of Nations. “Seychelles is thrilled to receive the confirmation that India Navy will be in our midst for the 2012 Carnival. For this we say thank you India” Alain St.Ange the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board said on hearing the news that India had confirmed that a ship would be in Port Victoria for the carnival days.

Despite all the fun in the mountains, there is lots of cool stuff going on in Swiss cities. Lucerne hosts the Fumetto Comic Festival which is attracting more people every year and has evolved from insider tip to one of the most renowned European festivala of its kind. Or maybe you prefer sports? This year’s World Men Curling Championship in Basel will guarantee fun and excitement not only for lovers of this sport!

Strokes on Paper

Fumetto – International Comix-Festival Lucerne has since its introduction in 1992 developed into the top location for artistically ambitious comics in Europe. Every year it presents a well-balanced program of exhibitions by national and international artists committed to narrative art for 9 days in and around the city of Lucerne. From March 24 – April 1.

Fumetto Comic Festival

http://www.fumetto.ch/index.cfm?nav=162,473,489&SID=2&DID=1

Rocks on Ice

There are few sport disciplines who require both muscle work and brain power to function in perfect unison. Cheer for the USA team or for the Swiss medal contenders at this year’s World Men’s Curling Championship, which is held in the beautiful city of Basel from March 31 – April 8. Will Team Canada be able to win the golden trophy for the 3rd time in a row?

World Men’s Curling Champtionship 2012

http://wmcc2012.curlingevents.com/

Bunnies on Snow

Sparks fly as “The Bachelor” Ben Flanjik is sailing his ship through a sea of very pretty (and very ambitious) females. In the last show, you didn’t have to be a Swiss aficionado to recognize majestic Matterhorn… We can’t wait until Ben takes his final three ladies to Switzerland, so stay tuned and watch ABC’s “The Bachelor” on Monday nights (Recaps on following Sundays).

‘The Bachelor’ Season 16

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/usa-ca/bachelor.html

Botany-buffs can celebrate the onset of spring with a visit to one of Vancouver’s many gardens. The 55-acre VanDusen Botanical Garden offers daily walking tours to view flowering bulbs, early rhododendrons and camellias. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, built by 52 master craftsmen from Suzhou China, is a downtown Vancouver oasis featuring delicate blossoms intertwined in a landscape of weathered rocks and a jade-green pond. A stroll in the UBC Botanical Garden & Greenheart Canopy Walkway (located on the University of British Columbia campus) reveals magnolias, early rhododendrons and spring ephemerals. Finally, Vancouverites and visitors can celebrate the rite of spring at the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, April 5 to 28.

www.vandusengarden.org

www.vancouverchinesegarden.com

www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

Slovenia is regarded to be one of the richest lands for masked costumes. Each region of Slovenia has its own costume. The most recognisable of these include the Ptuj kurenti, the Cerkno laufarji and the Drežnica pustovi, while the Kurentovanje in Ptuj is the largest organised carnival and cultural-ethnographic event in Slovenia and Central Europe. The event is attended by more than 100,000 people annually.

This year’s 52nd Kurentovanje will begin on 2 February, with its main events lining up between 11 and 21 February. The traditional Kurentovanje in Ptuj is an event that begins on Saturday, a good week before Pancake Tuesday, with a gathering of typical Slovenian carnival characters and masks. Events take place throughout the week; in afternoons, town streets and squares are brought to life with performances by artists, street theatres, musicians and others. In the evening, the party continues in carnival costumes along with an abundance of good food and drinks at the Carnival Hall, where popular domestic and foreign musicians and bands can be seen performing. The festivities culminate on Sunday with a traditional international carnival parade and end on Tuesday with the burial of the “Shrovetide”.

The Kurent festival, or Kurentovanje, seeks to link old customs and habits to the modern approach to life, and to create a modern cultural, artistic and entertaining experience for all generations. Over half a century, Kurentovanje has grown beyond its local confines, and has become a Carnival of European dimensions, breathing and living with the townsfolk of Ptuj, the oldest town in Slovenia, and with visitors from the region and beyond. Ptuj was admitted into the European Federation of Carnival Cities (EFCC-FECC) in 1991.

The Kurent or Korant, as it is known today, gets its origin in popular tradition. Traditionally, the Kurent`s outfit used to be reserved only for unmarried men, but nowadays Kurent/Korant can be married men as well as women and children. There are two types of Kurent/Korant: the ‘feathery’ and the ‘horned’. The Kurent/Korant wears a sheepskin coat, a chain belt with huge bells, heavy boots and gaiters to protect the feet, while the head is covered by a cap. A wooden club is normally carried in the left hand.

www.slovenia.info

The family-friendly ConchFest is to be presented at Bayview Park, located on Truman Avenue at the entrance to the island city’s historic Old Town, by The Rotary Club of Key West.

The festival is to feature a conch chowder cook-off showcasing the savory flavor of Key West’s favorite seafood, food and libations for purchase including conch fritters and conch salad, arts and crafts vendors, a co-ed softball tournament, cheerleading and gymnastics demonstrations, kids’ activities and performances by Key West High School students.

Heading the entertainment lineup is a free concert by local favorites The Bubba System and renowned Keys singer/songwriter Howard Livingston with his Mile Marker 24 Band.

Commemorating Key West’s longstanding tradition of community spirit and acceptance, ConchFest is to raise money for The Rotary Club of Key West’s college scholarship program for local students.

Admission to the festival is free.

Event information: www.conchfestkeywest.com or 305-725-6446

Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY

Social: facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest • twitter.com/thefloridakeys • youtube.com/FloridaKeysTV

For over four decades, the Natural History Museum of Utah has connected Utah residents and tourists alike with the natural wonders and native cultures that define Utah. As an active research institution with a remarkable and growing collection of more than 1.2 million specimens and objects, the Museum is an extraordinary cultural and educational asset for understanding the world. Over the years, the Museum has garnered the respect and affection of visitors, state and local leaders, scientists and museum professionals through programs of sustained excellence in the areas of public education, scientific research, collections preservation and environmental stewardship.

“We feel Utah residents will be very proud of our new home, which is the product of the work of literally every community in the state and experts from around the world,” said Sarah George, executive director of The Natural History Museum of Utah. “I believe we now offer one of the nation’s great new cultural buildings in which architecture and exhibition content serve and advance science and education while respecting their natural surroundings. We look forward to many years of telling the exciting and important stories of the natural world.”

Rio Tinto Center – Design

The extraordinary new 163,000 square foot Rio Tinto Center, clad in 42,000 square feet of copper, occupies a prominent place at the edge of Salt Lake City and the University of Utah. The facility blends seamlessly into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the angles of the roof rising and falling with the slope of the foothills in the background. The design reflects the Museum’s mission to illuminate the natural world through scientific inquiry, educational outreach, mutual cultural experience and human engagement of the past, present and future of the region and the world.

Designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects, the Museum’s new home overlooks the Salt Lake Valley from its stunning 17-acre site. Leading the project team, in addition to Mr. Schliemann, are Don Weinreich of Ennead Architects, as well as David Brems and John Branson of Salt Lake City’s Gillies Stransky Brems Smith Architects.

Inspired by the region’s natural landscape of rock, soil, minerals and vegetation, the Rio Tinto Center rests on a series of terraces that step up the hill and lie along the contours of the site with minimal disruption to the adjacent natural landscape. The new building is located above the shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville, with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail passing through the property, and provides breathtaking views of the Wasatch Front. Respect for the natural world and human engagement in it is underscored by the design’s “green” initiatives.

With the artful integration of sound principles of sustainability, the design of the Natural History Museum of Utah will play a seminal role in enhancing the public’s understanding of the earth’s resources and systems and be a model for responsible and environmentally sensitive development. By incorporating the use of recycled materials, local resources, photovoltaic energy, radiant cooling and the implementation of an extensive storm water catchment and management system, the Natural History Museum of Utah is seeking LEED Gold certification, which would make it one of only 18 buildings in Salt Lake City with that distinction.

Inside, the building is divided by a sixty-foot-high central public space, The Canyon, which is the centerpiece of the Museum’s interior. One wing of the stunning new Museum contains long-needed spaces dedicated to the objective understanding of our world – research laboratories, conservation labs, collection storage and administration. The other wing houses public spaces with exhibitions dedicated to the subjective or interpretive aspects of our world so visitors can explore the delicate balance of life on earth and its natural history – galleries and spaces in which to present, interpret and study the Museum’s extraordinary collection of artifacts and exhibits.

Museum Exhibitions

The Natural History Museum of Utah houses the state’s world-class collections in new exhibitions designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) and offers more than 41,300 square feet of gallery and education space, including The Canyon where some Museum theater pieces will be performed. By embracing the tools of modern architecture, exhibition design and media, the re-envisioned Museum presents a fresh, fascinating and immersive journey through the natural formation of life and land around Salt Lake City and throughout the state of Utah.

The Museum’s collections form the basis for all of the Museum’s educational functions, from public exhibits and programming to scholarly research and publication. Its systematic collections in the fields of earth sciences, biology and anthropology rank among the largest and most comprehensive in the western United States. While emphasizing the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, they also include material from throughout the world. Ongoing development of these collections is directed toward strengthening their comprehensive regional coverage and increasing their significance and accessibility to all communities.

The new Museum’s exhibitions tap its vast collections in new ways and aim to put more of Utah’s treasures on display. This is done in a set of interdisciplinary galleries that explore the diverse ways in which we understand our world. The selection of objects necessitated a careful analysis of the Museum’s existing collections – some of which had never been seen by the public – and a convergence of traditional perspectives to tell a more nuanced story. Nine dedicated, thematic exhibition galleries explore the Sky, Native Voices, Life, Land, First Peoples, Lake (Great Salt Lake), Past Worlds, Our Backyard and Utah’s Futures. Each gallery draws from several scientific disciplines and collections, as well as from the humanities.

The Rio Tinto Center will offer several free areas in the Museum building: The Canyon, boasting expansive views of the valley; the Museum Store; and the Museum Café, with indoor/outdoor seating and access to the University of Utah’s Wi-Fi network.

The Pierre L’Enfant International Planning Award recognizes planning practices and efforts undertaken outside the United States to promote communities of lasting value. The international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm, Design Workshop, was the only American entity within the three-partner consortium that the Petra Development Tourism Regional Authority (PDTRA) retained to complete the strategic plan.

A 6th century BC archaeological site, Petra, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 and more recently named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” In addition to its importance as an archaeological site and cultural icon, its tourism draw is the second largest component of the Jordanian economy.

That tremendous tourism growth, however, may put the highly valuable archaeological resource at risk. The region also faces challenges with environmental degradation, population growth, child labor, limited water availability, unchecked development, lack of infrastructure and management of the archeological park.

A conflict exists between the need to protect the archaeological site and the need to promote tourism to benefit the country’s economy. Local residents and leaders understand that the integrity of these resources is critical to the region’s long-term economic health and well-being.

To address these challenges, the Jordanian government established the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority (PDTRA) to oversee the nearly 200,000 -acre region, including the Petra Archaeological Park. A multidisciplinary, international team of planners, landscape architects, tourism planners and local experts was retained by the PDTRA to prepare under the direction of PDTRA’s Commissioner for Local Community Development and Environment, Dr. Mohammad Farajat, the Strategic Master Plan for the Petra Region, providing a guide to preserve its archaeological, ecological, and cultural resources while planning for the needs of a fast-growing population. More than 400 local leaders, women’s groups, youth groups and experts provided valuable input to the team made up of Design Workshop of Aspen Col, ATC Consultants of Vienna, Austria and JCP of Amman.

According to Dr. Farajat, “The master plan, which is to be implemented over the next two decades, will guide development of the Petra region in terms of attracting investment, developing infrastructure, diversifying and enhancing tourism services and facilities, etc. in a way that ensures sustainability through a balance between tourism activity, archaeological and environmental conservation and involvement of the local community.”

The strategic plan includes:

Provisions for watershed management within targeted growth areas;

Sets aside 93.8 percent of the region as conservation zones and open space;

Addresses dependencies on unsustainable tourism practices;

Provides opportunities for economic diversification; and

Proposals for managing regional transportation impacts associated with mass tourism.

The development of Petra’s strategic master plan was supported by the USAID Jordan Tourism Development Project (Siyaha), which worked closely with the PDTRA to prepare a solid and comprehensive Request for Proposals for the development of a master plan for Jordan’s top tourism attraction and one of the world’s significant archaeological sites. USAID/Siyaha provided international expertise in various related areas, including master planning, as well as legal, financial and environmental aspects in order to solicit a holistic plan that involves all stakeholders, from the government to the local communities, and create a balance between the tourism value of the site, the need to protect it, and ensuring that the local community benefits directly. Terms of Reference for a master plan for the Petra region were developed and advertised internationally by USAID/Siyaha. As a result, over 30 companies from Jordan, Europe, Australia and the US made bids. USAID/Siyaha also supported the evaluation process to select a bidder to develop the master plan, providing technical assistance throughout the process.

The Pierre L’Enfant International Planning Award will be presented at a special awards luncheon on April 16, 2012, held during APA’s National Planning Conference in Los Angeles. The Petra Region plan also will be featured in an upcoming issue of Planning magazine, APA’s flagship publication.

Vinola, NOWFE’s premium tasting event; the Royal Street Stroll sponsored by Rouses, NOWFE’s signature event, a definitive evening event set in the heart of the French Quarter; and exciting Culinary Seminars which will fill the days and nights with all things wine and food. The weekend culminates with Grand Tastings on Friday and Saturday in true grand fashion with more than 175 wineries showcasing over 1000 wines and 75 chefs serving culinary delights from our region.

In addition, NOWFE will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with an international cake competition and tasting on Friday, May 25th from 8:30 – 11:00 pm. Invited pastry chefs Vanessa Fiorini of Toronto, Canada; Solandie Exantus of the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans; Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art Bakery & Studio in Dallas; and Vinnie and Michelle Garcia of The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago will join in the festivities and create their own signature version of an anniversary cake to be paired with Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte at the Big Gateaux Show. This ticketed event, hosted by Food Network’s Keegan Gerhard, Sucre’s Tariq Hanna, and the Royal Sonesta Hotel, will feature a burlesque-theme with Trixi Minx & the Beauties from Burlesque Ballroom. Each chef, assisted by a local culinary student, will create spectacularly designed cakes, to be displayed and tasted at a burlesque themed after-party following the Grand Tasting. Celebrity hosts and judges, including World Champion Pastry Chef and winner of Top Chef Desserts, Season 2, Chris Hanmer; native born Chef John Besh; Lee Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and New York City Wine & Food Festival; and a member of the editorial team from Fine Cooking Magazine, as well as attendees, will choose their favorite delight. The winning design and pastry chef will be awarded with a $5000 prize sponsored by Valrhona. All cake entries will be on display at the Saturday Grand Tasting in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. “We are so excited about this event; it will certainly highlight the glamour and excitement that New Orleans has to offer, while toasting our milestone,” states Mary Beth Romig, New Orleans Wine & Food Experience Board President. “Everyone should celebrate in such grand style on their anniversary.”

The event itself has evolved through the years and over its 20-year history NOWFE has contributed more than $1 million to local non-profit organizations. This year 100% of the proceeds will go towards two causes: fighting hunger in our community and supporting culinary education. The 2012 beneficiaries have been named—Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana will receive 40% of the proceeds. Second Harvest Food Bank is leading the fight against hunger in south Louisiana through food distribution, education, advocacy and disaster response. Annually, Second Harvest serves approximately 263,000 people through 240 nonprofit and faith-based agencies across 23 south Louisiana parishes. The following organizations will share the remaining 60% of the proceeds: the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s ProStart Program, Delgado Culinary Arts School, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), the John Folse Culinary Institute and the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. “The donations we make to our local non-profits not only benefit them, but it strengthens our community as a whole,” states Jamie Peckenpaugh, NOWFE Executive Director. “We are proud to have been a part of this community for 20 years and we look forward to the next twenty.”

This year NOWFE welcomes Fine Cooking magazine as its National Media Sponsor and the return of Audi of New Orleans as the Official Automobile Sponsor and Rouse’s Markets as the Presenting Sponsor of the Royal Street Stroll. “We are extremely proud that Fine Cooking is joining our returning sponsors in this year’s event,” states Romig. “Such well respected companies only enhances our reputation and opens the doors for more people to discover the allure of NOWFE.”