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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's $400M jet gift joins America's bumpy legacy of memorable foreign gifts
Concerns about a luxury jetliner gifted by a Middle East monarch to the United States have dominated headlines — and social media posts, arguing for and against it — for days. Nations routinely give each other gifts with mixed results, but the $200 million to $400 million airplane has raised eyebrows for several reasons, including its extraordinary value and appeal to the current White House occupant. Still, in addition to the concerns, the jet is a reminder of how gifts have influenced relationships between nations, sometimes turning out to have more complicated stories than many realize, and — as with the Boeing 474 from Qatar — come with costs. Other gifts include: a present from Thailand in 1862 that was declined; the Statue of Liberty from France for the centennial, which was missing a base to mount it on; thousands of cherry trees from Japan, which American later reciprocated with gifts; and two pandas from China in the 1970s, which political scientists have dubbed "panda diplomacy." There is also a well-known and well-studied political speech that the then-senator Richard Nixon delivered to save his political career when running for vice president. The most memorable part of it was a personal gift that he defiantly announced to America he was definitely keeping. As for the free jet, some public officials, such as Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, have raised concerns about it being more than a token of international friendship to deepen cultural understanding and questioned what Qatar might seek in exchange. Last Thursday, the same day the jet was officially accepted, South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, quipped during a tense meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump, "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you." Trump responded he'd take it, and he has equated Qatar's extravagant gift to a gimme in golf, remarking: "I could say, 'No, no, no, don't give us, I want to pay you a billion, or $400 million,' or whatever it is. Or, I could say, 'Thank you very much.' " But in 1862, there was a foreign gift that President Abraham Lincoln turned down. The reason wasn't because he had fears that it would signal an improper relationship with Thailand, but as Lincoln suggested in his reply to the King of Thailand, then known as Siam, that it was a generous gesture, but that elephants were not a practical gift to accept. Lincoln politely declined. Later accounts speculate that the monarch offered the animals to help fight the civil war. Elephants have a place in military history as terrifying beasts. Carthaginian general Hannibal, in 218 B.C., used them to cross the Alps and to attack the Romans, which many European soldiers had never seen until then. Still, some historians suggest the idea that elephants might have been for the war appears not to have come from the king, but from Lincoln. In this account, Secretary of State William Seward asked the president what they should do with the elephants? Lincoln responded: Perhaps they could "stamp out the rebellion." Either way, Lincoln told Somdetch Phra Paramendr Maha Mongut that "our laws forbid the president from receiving these rich presents as personal treasures" and they were "accepted in accordance with your majesty's desire as tokens of your good will and friendship for the American people." As for the elephants, Lincoln explained the American climate was unsuitable for them. Perhaps the best-known gift to America is the Statue of Liberty. In 1865, the French decided to commemorate America's centennial with a gift. The idea was proposed by French historian and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye. Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi's designed the statue. He completed the head and the torch-bearing arm, which were exhibited at international expositions in Philadelphia in 1876 and then in New York until 1882. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who engineered his namesake tower in Paris, created the support structure. By one estimate, the French spent $250,000 to make the copper-covered structure, more than $7.8 million in today's dollars. The French, however, didn't provide the money for a pedestal, which would end up costing more than the statue, and Americans — to erect it — had to come up with it. A committee raised some of the money. Joseph Pulitzer, a publisher and entrepreneur, started a drive for private donations to collect the rest. It also was a way to sell newspapers. Pulitzer promised to print donor names. Contributions came in from 120,000-plus people, each mostly giving less than a dollar. For more than 100 years, the statue has symbolized America's close relationship with France as well as its commitment to democracy and freedom. The statue has been, with an upheld torch and broken chains at its feet, a beacon for millions of immigrants. Lady Liberty is also something that at least one French politician, Raphael Glucksmann, suggested earlier this year that, given America's immigration crackdown and associations with those he called "tyrants," the United States should send back. In 1909, Japan — through the City of Tokyo — gave 2,000 cherry trees to the United States to be planted along the Potomac River. They bloom each spring in an explosion of white and pink petals. In this case, however, the idea for the gift came from Americans. For years, Eliza Scidmore, a world traveler, thought they'd be the perfect addition to the riverfront and lobbied American officials to plant the Japanese trees there for years. Scidmore eventually appealed to First Lady Helen Taft, who had lived in Japan, and she loved the concept. Then, a Japanese chemist who was in D.C. helped smooth the way for the gift. Japan shipped the trees to Seattle. From there, they went to Washington, D.C. But when they arrived, they were infested with insects and had to be destroyed. In 1912, Japan tried again, gifting 3,000 trees. Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador, who the First Lady presented with American Beauty roses, ceremoniously planted some of them. In 1915, President Robert Taft gifted Japan some American dogwood trees. After World War II, Japan gifted a stone lantern and a pagoda to add to the area. And in 1965, it sent thousands more cheery trees. First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and the Japanese ambassador's wife re-enacted the 1912 planting ceremony. In 2012, to mark the 100th anniversary of the original cherry blossom tree planting, First Lady Michelle Obama and the then-wife of the Japanese ambassador planted another cherry tree, and the United States reciprocated by gifting Japan thousands of dogwoods. In 1972, First Lady Pat Nixon mentioned to the Chinese premier that she thought pandas were cute, and as a gesture of goodwill following President Richard Nixon's state visit to China, Zhou Enlai gifted the American people two giant pandas. Pandas are native to China, and fewer than 2,000 of them are estimated to live in the wild. China has a history of gifting pandas to symbolize alliances dating to the 600s and has been conducting what political scientists now call "panda diplomacy" by giving and loaning pandas to other countries, which include Japan, France, Britain and Germany. China's panda gifts to America, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, ended up in the Smithsonian's National Zoo, and America, in return, sent two muskox, Matilda and Milton, to China, but they didn't survive for long. There also is one story about a personal gift, which Nixon accepted before becoming president and refused to return, that might have relevance as officials debate the jet that Trump coveted and experts estimated will cost $1 billion to retrofit to make secure. Nixon — who, at the time, was a California senator and the Republican nominee for vice president — was caught in a budding scandal. He addressed the allegations in a nationally televised talk that became known as the "Checkers Speech." Accused of improprieties and in jeopardy of getting kicked off the Republican ticket with Dwight Eisenhower, Nixon defended himself by telling his "fellow Americans" what he called his "side of the case." It's unclear whether the concerns raised in 1952 were a warning for what President Gerald Ford later called "our long national nightmare" that led to Nixon's resignation, but, at the moment, the California senator's candid, defiant address saved his political career. Nixon said he did not take money for personal use and was not "a rich man." He said Pat "doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat," and he disclosed a gift — which is how the speech got its name — that a man in Texas sent him after hearing his two young daughters wanted a dog. It was, Nixon said, a black-and-white spotted cocker spaniel. "Our little girl, Trisha, the 6-year-old, named it Checkers," Nixon said, adamantly adding "the kids love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it." Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump's $400M jet joins rocky legacy of memorable foreign gifts to US
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
How to plan a classic summer adventure in the Alps
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Mother Nature had one of her wildest moments shaping the Alps, which thrust up millions of years ago when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. These peaks rip across Central Europe for 700 miles in a whirl of limestone turrets, glacier-frosted summits, dense forests and misty waterfalls. As they do, they run through eight countries — Monaco, France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany and Slovenia — and around mighty rivers like the Rhine and Po. These mountains' rugged terrain and ever-changing weather once struck fear into those who had to cross them. Hannibal led his Carthaginian army and 37 elephants across rocky, icy heights to invade Italy in 218 BCE. Countless blizzard-battling troops, blister-footed pilgrims, and farmers and traders tugging mules and sleighs followed. Then, the nature-loving Romantics triggered a fascination with the region in the late 18th and 19th centuries; it had that blend of savage wilderness and stormy weather they so prized. Poets, writers, painters and composers flowed in, from Goethe and Shelley to Wordsworth and Strauss. Finally, Alpine tourism boomed in the mid-19th century. The Alps featured as a stop on the Grand Tour, and recreational skiing gained popularity. Queen Victoria trotted up Rigi mountain in central Switzerland on horseback, reportedly jotting in her diary: 'We are amused!' The Alps became the holy grail for intrepid climbers looking to make their mark. For everyone else, cogwheel railways began to unzip the heights. Today, you can walk along suspended bridges from peak to peak, or fly at speed down a high-altitude zip-line. You can take a cable car to swing in front of the north face of Switzerland's Eiger mountain, or at eye level with 4,806m (15,767ft) Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the range. You can sit back and breeze through Alpine countries on a multi-day train ride, or strike out on a hut-to-hut hike into the realms of eagles and ibex. The Central Alps, which extend across Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France and Germany, are especially popular, with some resorts open year-round and easy international connections. Over the centuries, legends have been born and made here. Olympic medallists; classic books from Johanna Spyri's Heidi to Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain; and Hollywood blockbusters like The Sound of Music, The Italian Job and stunt-laced Bond movies. Why? Just look around you. Inspiration is everywhere. And part of it stems from the fact that — despite the centuries of exploration and advances in engineering — these mountains can never truly be tamed. Their wonder is as much about what can see as what you can't: the peaks that lie beyond. Start point: WilderswilEnd point: Schynige PlatteDistance travelled: 72 milesAverage length: 10 days With the big three of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau reaching as high as 4,158m (13,642ft) above cloud-wreathed valleys, timber chalets clinging to cliffsides, and flower-freckled meadows, the Jungfrau Region is the Swiss Alps of your mind's eye. And there's no better way to dive into these mountains than by lacing up your boots on the 10-day, hut-to-hut Tour of the Jungfrau hike. As you give the day-trippers the slip, you'll quickly find yourself in landscapes where only the echo of cowbells, whistle of marmots or sound of footfall on rock interrupt the silence. Beginning at Wilderswil village — accessible from the local hub of Interlaken — and ending at the nearby Schynige plateau, the hike is instantly spectacular, taking you clockwise from giddy viewpoints to summits, glacial lakes, meadows and booming waterfalls. This being Switzerland, the paths are well-kept and have clear red-and-white waymarks, but don't expect a walk in the park. This trek presents a challenge, with rugged trails, steep ascents and descents, and an overall 19,700ft of elevation gain. You'll be hiking five to seven hours a day, but with the richest of rewards. 1. Faulhorn Despite having a name that translates to 'Lazy Rock', Faulhorn has an 8,795ft summit that has to be earned by clambering over scree, boulder-dotted passes and high moors. It's worth it for the views of glacier-frosted Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau; jewel-blue lakes Thun and Brienz; and, on clear days, Germany's Black Forest and France's Vosges. Refuel over a tasting platter of regional cheese and ham on Berghotel Faulhorn's terrace. 2. First The trail whips through meadows to the small lake of Bachsee and beyond to the 7,165ft summit of First. Towering above the village of Grindelwald, First ramps up the action with its Cliff Walk, a suspended metal walkway bolted to the cliff face, peering across to the Eiger's north face. Dart down to the valley on a zip line, mountain cart or jumbo scooter. 3. Gleckstein Hut Dawn breaks in a blaze of gold-pink at Gleckstein Hut, one of many huts where you'll sleep en route, pinned to the flanks of the snow-polished Wetterhorn at 7,601ft. After the steep hike up here, you'll be glad of a hearty plate of rösti potatoes topped with bacon, Alpine cheese and fried egg. Rise with the first clatter of karabiners to see the sunrise, and perhaps glimpse an ibex. 4. Eiger Trail No peak captivates more than the 13,015ft Eiger, a fang of rock and ice. Climbing it is strictly for pros, but you can get incredibly close to its mile-high north face on the two-hour Eiger Trail. The path runs like a thread-vein through pastures from the hamlet of Alpiglen to Eigergletscher railway station, passing wild streams and falls. 5. Mürren Floating atop the western rim of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Mürren village has dark-timber chalets and dress-circle views of the Jungfrau Alps. Walk the Blumental Panorama Trail, looking out for Alpine blooms like gentian and edelweiss, then stop at a dairy farm to buy mountain cheese for a picnic. 6. Schilthorn It's a steep, tough, dizzying hike up to the 9,741ft fang of Schilthorn. But at the top, perched like an eyrie above a rolling sea of peaks, its revolving restaurant Piz Gloria has 360-degree views reaching from Titlis to Mont Blanc. Arrive first thing to see golden light falling in curtains across the Jungfrau range. That cinematic backdrop hasn't gone unnoticed — the peak starred in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Start point: Munich, GermanyEnd point: Milan, ItalyDistance travelled: 490 milesAverage length: 10-14 days Bounding effortlessly over viaducts, cresting mountain passes and skimming the shores of turquoise lakes, train travel in the Alps is pure edge-of-your-seat drama. Forget driving, this is the way to go, with trains running like clockwork and panoramic windows framing scenes of pastures, forest-cloaked slopes, rivers and church-topped villages between glacier-frosted mountains. Providing you've factored in ample time, you can stop off as you choose. This is the big itinerary: a 10-day to two-week escapade, traversing four countries and dropping you into the heart of the Alps, including many of the best-known destinations. A convenient gateway is Munich in Germany, where you can chug to Füssen in the Bavarian Alps in two hours before nudging into Tyrol in Austria. Then, drop south west into the Engadine Valley in Switzerland and beyond to mellower climes in Sondrio, Italy, finally flying out from the hub of Milan. You'll look forward to riding Switzerland's UNESCO-listed Bernina and Albula lines, which negotiate 196 bridges and viaducts and burrow through 55 tunnels. But highlights along the way are numerous and varied, from fairytale castles to riverside cities and medieval towns. Chances for outdoor adventure and relaxation abound, too, be it glacier hiking, white-river rafting or taking part in a high-altitude yoga class. 1. Füssen The Alps rise high and thickly forested as the train breezes through Bavaria to the pastel-painted town of Füssen, snug against the Austrian border. The big-hitter is hilltop Neuschwanstein, the whimsically turreted, 19th-century schloss that was the vision of 'Mad' King Ludwig II. Fresh from a £17m makeover, it's never looked better. Reutte, a bus or taxi ride across the border, is a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Innsbruck, with one change. 2. Innsbruck In the capital of Tyrol, your gaze is instantly drawn to the jagged Nordkette Alps north of the city, which sneak into every photo. You can reach the summits by hopping in a space-age funicular designed by Zaha Hadid. Otherwise, wander the Altstadt (old town), looking out for the Golden Roof, a late-gothic oriel with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles; the baroque cathedral; and the lavish state apartments of the Habsburg palace, Hofburg. 3. St Anton am Arlberg The Arlberg Alps razoring above St Anton are Austria at its wildest. Famous for hardcore downhill skiing and apres-ski parties in winter, this resort raises pulses in summer with hiking and biking trails threading high through meadows and pine forests to summits, plus mountain yoga and white-water rafting on the rapids of the Inn River. 4. Landwasser Viaduct Listen out for the 'wows' as the train leaps spectacularly from cliff to wooded cliff across the single-track, six-arch, 213ft-high Landwasser Viaduct on the UNESCO World Heritage Albula line to St Moritz. Shortly after, you'll pull into Bergün, an instant heart-stealer with its Romanesque church and Engadine-style chalets festooned with oriel windows and sgraffito decoration. Stop off here for away-from-the-crowds hikes in the Alps of Parc Ela, Switzerland's biggest nature park. 5. Pontresina Clasped between the glacier-capped daggers of the Bernina range, the village of Pontresina in the Upper Engadine is five miles east of more famous St Moritz. Rock climbers and ibex are in their element in these wild mountains. For a taster, try the two-hour Morteratsch Glacier Trail, edging the deeply crevassed blue ice. Or ride Muottas-Muragl funicular for views of 4,049m (13,284ft) Piz Bernina, the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. 6. Sondrio With mellow weather, chiming bell towers and piazza-side cafes filled with lilting voices, Sondrio is a welcome shot of Italy. Shouldering up to the Rhaetian Alps and just a whisper away from the Swiss border, the town's centro storico has a medieval castle, rustic stone houses and Renaissance palazzi. Climb through terraced vines to the hillside 15th-century Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Sassella. Published in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
02-05-2025
- National Geographic
How to plan a classic Alps summer adventure, from hiking to rail itineraries
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Mother Nature had one of her wildest moments shaping the Alps, which thrust up millions of years ago when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. These peaks rip across Central Europe for 700 miles in a whirl of limestone turrets, glacier-frosted summits, dense forests and misty waterfalls. As they do, they run through eight countries — Monaco, France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany and Slovenia — and around mighty rivers like the Rhine and Po. These mountains' rugged terrain and ever-changing weather once struck fear into those who had to cross them. Hannibal led his Carthaginian army and 37 elephants across rocky, icy heights to invade Italy in 218 BCE. Countless blizzard-battling troops, blister-footed pilgrims, and farmers and traders tugging mules and sleighs followed. Then, the nature-loving Romantics triggered a fascination with the region in the late 18th and 19th centuries; it had that blend of savage wilderness and stormy weather they so prized. Poets, writers, painters and composers flowed in, from Goethe and Shelley to Wordsworth and Strauss. Finally, Alpine tourism boomed in the mid-19th century. The Alps featured as a stop on the Grand Tour, and recreational skiing gained popularity. Queen Victoria trotted up Rigi mountain in central Switzerland on horseback, reportedly jotting in her diary: 'We are amused!' The Alps became the holy grail for intrepid climbers looking to make their mark. For everyone else, cogwheel railways began to unzip the heights. The cable-car up from the clifftop town of Mürren to the Schilthorn summit offers views of the three peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps. Photograph by Getty Images; Alessandro Bellani Today, you can walk along suspended bridges from peak to peak, or fly at speed down a high-altitude zip-line. You can take a cable car to swing in front of the north face of Switzerland's Eiger mountain, or at eye level with 4,806m (15,767ft) Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the range. You can sit back and breeze through Alpine countries on a multi-day train ride, or strike out on a hut-to-hut hike into the realms of eagles and ibex. The Central Alps, which extend across Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France and Germany, are especially popular, with some resorts open year-round and easy international connections. Over the centuries, legends have been born and made here. Olympic medallists; classic books from Johanna Spyri's Heidi to Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain; and Hollywood blockbusters like The Sound of Music, The Italian Job and stunt-laced Bond movies. Why? Just look around you. Inspiration is everywhere. And part of it stems from the fact that — despite the centuries of exploration and advances in engineering — these mountains can never truly be tamed. Their wonder is as much about what can see as what you can't: the peaks that lie beyond. Itinerary 1: Hut-to-hut hiking in the Jungfrau Start point: Wilderswil End point: Schynige Platte Distance travelled: 72 miles Average length: 10 days With the big three of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau reaching as high as 4,158m (13,642ft) above cloud-wreathed valleys, timber chalets clinging to cliffsides, and flower-freckled meadows, the Jungfrau Region is the Swiss Alps of your mind's eye. And there's no better way to dive into these mountains than by lacing up your boots on the 10-day, hut-to-hut Tour of the Jungfrau hike. As you give the day-trippers the slip, you'll quickly find yourself in landscapes where only the echo of cowbells, whistle of marmots or sound of footfall on rock interrupt the silence. Beginning at Wilderswil village — accessible from the local hub of Interlaken — and ending at the nearby Schynige plateau, the hike is instantly spectacular, taking you clockwise from giddy viewpoints to summits, glacial lakes, meadows and booming waterfalls. This being Switzerland, the paths are well-kept and have clear red-and-white waymarks, but don't expect a walk in the park. This trek presents a challenge, with rugged trails, steep ascents and descents, and an overall 19,700ft of elevation gain. You'll be hiking five to seven hours a day, but with the richest of rewards. 1. Faulhorn Despite having a name that translates to 'Lazy Rock', Faulhorn has an 8,795ft summit that has to be earned by clambering over scree, boulder-dotted passes and high moors. It's worth it for the views of glacier-frosted Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau; jewel-blue lakes Thun and Brienz; and, on clear days, Germany's Black Forest and France's Vosges. Refuel over a tasting platter of regional cheese and ham on Berghotel Faulhorn's terrace. 2. First The trail whips through meadows to the small lake of Bachsee and beyond to the 7,165ft summit of First. Towering above the village of Grindelwald, First ramps up the action with its Cliff Walk, a suspended metal walkway bolted to the cliff face, peering across to the Eiger's north face. Dart down to the valley on a zip line, mountain cart or jumbo scooter. The Alps run through eight countries — Monaco, France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany and Slovenia. Photograph by Michael_Koenigshofer 3. Gleckstein Hut Dawn breaks in a blaze of gold-pink at Gleckstein Hut, one of many huts where you'll sleep en route, pinned to the flanks of the snow-polished Wetterhorn at 7,601ft. After the steep hike up here, you'll be glad of a hearty plate of rösti potatoes topped with bacon, Alpine cheese and fried egg. Rise with the first clatter of karabiners to see the sunrise, and perhaps glimpse an ibex. 4. Eiger Trail No peak captivates more than the 13,015ft Eiger, a fang of rock and ice. Climbing it is strictly for pros, but you can get incredibly close to its mile-high north face on the two-hour Eiger Trail. The path runs like a thread-vein through pastures from the hamlet of Alpiglen to Eigergletscher railway station, passing wild streams and falls. 5. Mürren Floating atop the western rim of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Mürren village has dark-timber chalets and dress-circle views of the Jungfrau Alps. Walk the Blumental Panorama Trail, looking out for Alpine blooms like gentian and edelweiss, then stop at a dairy farm to buy mountain cheese for a picnic. 6. Schilthorn It's a steep, tough, dizzying hike up to the 9,741ft fang of Schilthorn. But at the top, perched like an eyrie above a rolling sea of peaks, its revolving restaurant Piz Gloria has 360-degree views reaching from Titlis to Mont Blanc. Arrive first thing to see golden light falling in curtains across the Jungfrau range. That cinematic backdrop hasn't gone unnoticed — the peak starred in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. SBB trains run from Zurich Airport to Interlaken, the gateway town for the Jungfrau Region. It's a five-minute train ride to Wilderswil, where you switch to the cogwheel railway up to the trailhead (running from mid-June to late October). Mont Blanc Treks has a fully guided 10-night Tour of the Jungfrau hike from £2,995 per person, including B&B accommodation, evening meals and a rest day in Wengen. Itinerary 2: Transalpine rail adventure Start point: Munich, Germany End point: Milan, Italy Distance travelled: 490 miles Average length: 10-14 days Bounding effortlessly over viaducts, cresting mountain passes and skimming the shores of turquoise lakes, train travel in the Alps is pure edge-of-your-seat drama. Forget driving, this is the way to go, with trains running like clockwork and panoramic windows framing scenes of pastures, forest-cloaked slopes, rivers and church-topped villages between glacier-frosted mountains. Providing you've factored in ample time, you can stop off as you choose. This is the big itinerary: a 10-day to two-week escapade, traversing four countries and dropping you into the heart of the Alps, including many of the best-known destinations. A convenient gateway is Munich in Germany, where you can chug to Füssen in the Bavarian Alps in two hours before nudging into Tyrol in Austria. Then, drop south west into the Engadine Valley in Switzerland and beyond to mellower climes in Sondrio, Italy, finally flying out from the hub of Milan. You'll look forward to riding Switzerland's UNESCO-listed Bernina and Albula lines, which negotiate 196 bridges and viaducts and burrow through 55 tunnels. But highlights along the way are numerous and varied, from fairytale castles to riverside cities and medieval towns. Chances for outdoor adventure and relaxation abound, too, be it glacier hiking, white-river rafting or taking part in a high-altitude yoga class. 1. Füssen The Alps rise high and thickly forested as the train breezes through Bavaria to the pastel-painted town of Füssen, snug against the Austrian border. The big-hitter is hilltop Neuschwanstein, the whimsically turreted, 19th-century schloss that was the vision of 'Mad' King Ludwig II. Fresh from a £17m makeover, it's never looked better. Reutte, a bus or taxi ride across the border, is a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Innsbruck, with one change. The jagged Nordkette Alps north of Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, sneak into every photo of the town. 2. Innsbruck In the capital of Tyrol, your gaze is instantly drawn to the jagged Nordkette Alps north of the city, which sneak into every photo. You can reach the summits by hopping in a space-age funicular designed by Zaha Hadid. Otherwise, wander the Altstadt (old town), looking out for the Golden Roof, a late-gothic oriel with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles; the baroque cathedral; and the lavish state apartments of the Habsburg palace, Hofburg. 3. St Anton am Arlberg The Arlberg Alps razoring above St Anton are Austria at its wildest. Famous for hardcore downhill skiing and apres-ski parties in winter, this resort raises pulses in summer with hiking and biking trails threading high through meadows and pine forests to summits, plus mountain yoga and white-water rafting on the rapids of the Inn River. 4. Landwasser Viaduct Listen out for the 'wows' as the train leaps spectacularly from cliff to wooded cliff across the single-track, six-arch, 213ft-high Landwasser Viaduct on the UNESCO World Heritage Albula line to St Moritz. Shortly after, you'll pull into Bergün, an instant heart-stealer with its Romanesque church and Engadine-style chalets festooned with oriel windows and sgraffito decoration. Stop off here for away-from-the-crowds hikes in the Alps of Parc Ela, Switzerland's biggest nature park. 5. Pontresina Clasped between the glacier-capped daggers of the Bernina range, the village of Pontresina in the Upper Engadine is five miles east of more famous St Moritz. Rock climbers and ibex are in their element in these wild mountains. For a taster, try the two-hour Morteratsch Glacier Trail, edging the deeply crevassed blue ice. Or ride Muottas-Muragl funicular for views of 4,049m (13,284ft) Piz Bernina, the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. 6. Sondrio With mellow weather, chiming bell towers and piazza-side cafes filled with lilting voices, Sondrio is a welcome shot of Italy. Shouldering up to the Rhaetian Alps and just a whisper away from the Swiss border, the town's centro storico has a medieval castle, rustic stone houses and Renaissance palazzi. Climb through terraced vines to the hillside 15th-century Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Sassella. Füssen is a two-hour train ride south of Munich. Connections throughout the Alps are extremely efficient; book tickets in advance to score better deals. The Bernina Express departs Chur at 8.17am daily year-round, with an additional service at 1.28pm from mid-May to October. The journey to Tirano takes 4h30m. Regular SBB trains ply the same route, with cheaper tickets, more flexible times and more frequent stops. It's a half-hour train ride from Tirano to Sondrio. From here, you could continue to Milan in two hours. Published in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Irish Independent
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wexford crews compared to Hannibal's army as they tackle worst roads in Ireland – ‘it would be madness to buy a new car'
Wexford People Today at 00:00 While your average council worker may occasionally be on the receiving end of the public's scorn, those tending to the roads in the notoriously potholed Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) can not be accused of resting on their laurels. Indeed, such is the scale of their task, that one Wexford politician has compared them to Hannibal's Carthaginian army in the Second Punic War.
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Europe must prepare to defend itself as US support for Nato wanes
Encouragingly, and with the full spirit of the entente cordiale speeding them on, the French president and the British prime minister will be delivering much the same message to Donald Trump when he makes time for them at the White House this week. For all the complexities of the situation, Emmanuel Macron – and, on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer – will say something very simple and straightforward to the president: Ukraine must have a seat at the negotiating table. The argument, which should be irrefutable, is that there can be no lasting peace in Ukraine without Ukraine. If the two men are fortunate, the president of the United States will listen to them, offer something in the way of a promise to consult Volodymyr Zelensky – and not lose his temper. If Mr Macron and Sir Keir find their coordinated diplomatic efforts making further, unexpected progress, then they might even get what Sir Keir calls a 'backstop' American security guarantee for Ukraine's new de facto border with Russia, with some restitution of Ukrainian lands. Somewhere in this mix will fall a minerals deal on American exploitation of Ukraine's natural resources (at least the ones outside Russia's control) – after the deputy Ukrainian prime minister tweeted (and then briefly untweeted) the dramatic news that her country was about to sign a gigantic minerals deal with the Trump administration. There will also be a form of words on Ukraine's status in relation to Nato and the European Union. It is obviously worth a try – and however miserable such a denouement would be, it would be preferable to the kind of punishing Carthaginian settlement that President Putin and President Trump appear to be plotting. However, the signs from the White House are not promising. President Trump has not yet chosen to belittle the British and French leaders with insulting nicknames and open contempt. In fact, he seems to like Sir Keir, at least. But he's not impressed, either, remarking that the pair 'haven't done anything' to end the war in Ukraine. As for President Zelensky having a seat at the table, Mr Trump opines that he has 'no cards' and 'I don't think he's very important to be in meetings'. Now, though, a new leader has suddenly emerged with a rather more clear-sighted perspective. The likely next chancellor of Germany has recognised what has become all too depressingly apparent in the last week: America has switched sides. Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz is perfectly candid about the catastrophe that is befalling the free world. He has 'absolutely no illusions' about Mr Trump, who 'pretty much no longer cares about the fate of Europe …' Instead, he urges 'independence' from the US. It's such a break with the geopolitics of the past 80 years that many, understandably enough, are unable or unwilling to come to terms with the changed reality. Yet Merz is entirely right. Even if Nato continues in existence, there can be no real certainty that the Americans would automatically and unconditionally honour their obligations under Article 5 of the Atlantic Treaty. That famously declares that 'an attack on one is an attack on all' and was last activated by allies to assist the United States after the 9/11 attacks. Would that be reciprocated now? Would President Trump threaten his friend Vladimir Putin with nuclear weapons just because Russian troops have made an incursion into Estonia? Would America fight to save Latvia? Bulgaria? Germany? How much would the bill from Washington be? Things are, after all, transactional these days. The era is over when, as John F Kennedy put it, the United States 'shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty'. These days, it's the victims of aggression who are told to bear such burdens. Lest anyone were under any such illusions, in his Valentine's Day speech, vice-president JD Vance brutally told Europe that the US does not share its values any longer. The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, also told European allies that America's priorities lie elsewhere. It is not that Europe has drifted from America, but simply that America now favours Russia and echoes its propaganda. Mr Trump is a Russian ally, if not an asset. Mr Merz is right to call for a Europe more able to defend itself and to take control of its defences. There is an emerging consensus to that effect. The continent has no choice; the geopolitical decision was made for it when Americans decided to put Mr Trump back in the White House. Europe is vastly wealthier than Russia, it has the funds and the industrial resources to defend itself – if it wants to. In the short run, it could seize frozen Russian assets of about £300bn to prevent a Ukrainian collapse and to fund its reconstruction. The French and British possess nuclear weapons. Ukraine could become a member of a new European defence and collective security pact – and a considerable asset. Combined, even the denuded armies, air forces and navies of the European powers would be formidable. In the longer run, a coordinated defence structure to succeed Nato, with the necessary resources, will mean painful decisions about Europe's welfare states and levels of personal consumption – guns, not butter. It is an unfamiliar situation, not seen since the end of the Cold War. Europe itself is going to have to pay a price and bear some burdens if it wishes to stay free. Has it the resolve to unite and succeed?
