Plenty to do in Madrid
We are flying to Madrid for a fortnight in September, where we intend to spend three or four days exploring the city before moving on. Could you advise us of the 'must see' places?
Mark and Kath Swindell, via email
Madrid has museums, galleries, parks and nightlife to rival anywhere in Europe. We've included a selection, but your own reading is sure to unearth gems that suit your own interests. Without doubt, one of the most popular attractions is the Prado Art Museum (00 34 91 330 2900), which is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays and closed on Sunday afternoons and all day Monday. The general entrance fee is 3 euros (£1.90) - see website for concessions - and is very good value considering that there are more than 4,000 paintings on display. There's far too much to see in a day, so pick out the things that interest you most. Watch out for masterpieces by Goya, Botticelli and Caravaggio.
If you are lucky enough to be there on a Sunday, make a point of heading down to Plaza de Cascorro, where, you'll find the El Rastro flea market. It's really crowded, but you can pick up great souvenirs and the atmosphere makes it a shopping experience not to be missed. After you've jostled with the other bargain hunters, you might like to enjoy a relaxing stroll around the Parque del Buen Retiro. Simply wander through the rose gardens or hire a paddle boat and splash about on the charming lake. At the weekends the buskers, puppeteers, artists and tarot card readers should also keep you entertained.
Finally, the nightlife is outstanding. The Plaza de Santa Ana is a great place to sample traditional tapas or a heady cocktail. Prices can be steep, but the nightly party atmosphere is worth it. Bars, restaurants and clubs stay open late, so unless you've got immense willpower don't expect to get too much shuteye!
Tuvalu obsession
My seven-year-old son has become obsessed with the Pacific island country of Tuvalu since an inspiring teacher developed a love in him of all things geographical. Can you help me decide whether it is feasible to go there on holiday with him? When is a good time of year to travel? How much would it cost to get there? Are there any good hotels? What could we do when we are there?
Stephen Chambers, Cambridge
Next time you have a parents' evening at your son's school, you may wish to ask the teacher to do a presentation on the delights of Calais!
Tuvalu, squeezed between Kiribati, Fiji and other South Pacific destinations, is one of the world's most remote and obscure countries. It consists of seven atolls and two islands in the middle of the ocean. It has a population of fewer than 11,000, and is visited by around 150 tourists a year. They find little but tropical lagoons and beaches, pleasant for strolling and exploring, but without major infrastructure for visitors. Infrequent, uncomfortable ferries link the islands. The only regular way to get there is to fly from Fiji. The best price we found for the complete trip was a hefty £1,180 via Seoul with Korean Air to Nadi, and on to Tuvalu with Air Fiji through Bridge the World (0870 444 7474) Your son would get a discount.
The long flight would be quite a trip for a seven year old. The dry season, from May to October, is the pleasantest time to go.
If you do go, you'll visit a fragile place. Tuvalu is expected to become uninhabitable in between 50 and 100 years' time due to rising sea levels.
Lonely Planet's Time and Tide: the Islands of Tuvalu is a photographic portrait that will satisfy or fuel your son's fascination with the islands.
Fun and games
My family and I are interested in going to the next Winter Olympics in Italy. We'd like to take our children, now aged nine and 11, to see a selection of events over a week. My wife speaks Italian, so we're happy to make our own arrangements or to go as part of a package. Any ideas about where should we start our planning?
Phil and Helen Mason, Northallerton
The Winter Olympics will be held in Turin in 2006, as the games take place in alternate even years to their summer counterparts. Preparations are still in their infancy, and the best thing to do is to keep watch on the official website of the games for regular updates of progress.
Though it is early days, think about contacting a few hotels to see whether they are yet taking bookings. The Italian State Tourist Board in London (020 7408 1254) can put you in touch with contacts in Turin.
Stopover in Iceland
I have a stopover of three days in Iceland en route to New York at the end of this month. I intend to go camping in Reykjavik, but don't want to carry all my luggage around with me. Is there a left luggage place where I can leave my gear for a few days?
Jim Gannon, via email
Despite the fact that we have had many rave reviews about the facilities at Reykjavik International Airport, there is no left luggage office. The nearest is at Destination Iceland Ltd (Vatnsmyrarvegur 10-101, Reykjavik, 00 354 591 1020, fax 354 591 1050; or travel@dice.is).
To get there, take the Flybus from the airport to central Reykjavik. The journey takes about an hour. The bus station is a 10-minute walk away, so you might want to hire a cab if you have lots of baggage.
The offices are open from 8am until 10pm from Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 8pm on Sundays. Storage costs 150IKr (about £1.10p) per day, or 700IKr (about £5) a week.
Over to you... readers' feedback
In response to Julia Boloquoy-Fea's trip to Sanday, in Orkney, to research family history (Letters, 21 July).
Julia could take a shorter cheaper ferry trip from Gills Peir (between Dunnet Head and John o'Groats) to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. It only takes and hour and costs £10 for an adult, £25 a car. She'd then drive or take a bus through Orkney's south islands across the Churchill Barriers to get to Mainland. She would need to contact Pentland Ferries on 01856 831226.
On this route, she won't get the famous view of the Old Man of Hoy you get on the longer trip from Scrabster to Stromness. But once she's landed she will pass the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm which would be worth stopping to view. (Of course, she could cross to Hoy from Stromness and drive or cycle to Rack Wick bay and walk over the cliffs to see the Old Man, below.)
If she wants to have a look at some information about Sanday or any of the Orkney Islands, she could look at this site - and for any information at all about Orkney a useful starting point is www.orkneylinks.co.ukx.
For tracing ancestors, she could try some of the following: Orkney Island Council Library services; Genuki Orkney; Scots Origin and Orkney Genealogy.
Jane Thompson, by email
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