In which we present a regular round-up of news from the world of Grown-up Travel
Cruise disaster: Captain ordered dinner as ship sank
The Telegraph
One of the cooks aboard the stricken cruise ship which capsized off the coast of Giglio, Italy says the captain ordered him to make his dinner after the ship had crashed into rocks.
A Filipino crew member from the stricken cruise liner said the captain seemed unconcerned about the crash which happened around nine thirty on Friday night.
Rogelio Barista, a cook on board the Costa Concordia said: “The captain wanted us to cook for him around ten or ten thirty, and I saw him with a woman we did not recognize. I asked the other cook, Jason Velasco, what the captain was thinking. That time, everything was falling apart, including our cooking.
“I couldn’t believe what was happening. I’ve had plenty of experiences in my years as a cook with catastrophes like fires inside the ship, even inside Costa Concordia, and I willed myself not to get scared. I peered outside to see the captain and saw him still waiting for his drink.
Polar Holidays: Follow in the tracks of Captain Scott
The Independent
Chris Leadbeater looks at some ice-cool trips to mark the centenary of the explorer’s epic journey.
This Tuesday marks the 100th anniversary of an event that has become a symbol of human endeavour, bravery in the face of impossible circumstances and cold, bleak tragedy: the arrival of the team of British adventurers, led by Captain Robert Scott, at the South Pole.
Yet, a century on, his epic journey and awful demise has hardly been forgotten. And those who want to learn more can now do so via Scott’s Last Expedition, an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London (020-7942 5000; nhm.ac.uk, admission £9). Running from this Friday to 2 September, the exhibition will shed light on the ill-fated Terra Nova project via artefacts including skis, clothing and food – and a recreation of the base-camp hut that still stands on Ross Island.
For those who want to delve deeper, there’s always the scene of the story. While they remain thrillingly remote, the polar regions are more accessible these days and can be sampled via one of the following end-of-the-world holidays.
Why do Poles eat more veg than the rest of us?
The Guardian
Because there’s a lot more to Polish cuisine than you might have thought.
Poland is not a country often associated with vegetables. When I stayed with a Polish family last year, the food the Baniaks cooked was delicious – think homemade dumplings, potato pancakes, and chicken soup – but it was a bit light on greens. In fact, the only green dish I particularly remember was a gyros, a layered leaf salad … from Greece.
But first impressions can be misleading. The Grocer magazine has revealed that, in fact, Poles eat more vegetables a day (477g) than any other country in Europe – and nearly twice as much the UK’s measly 258g.
Travel guide ranks best, worst airport terminals
USA Today
Stuck in a weather delay at Newark Airport two days before Christmas last month, travel editor Jason Clampet says he saw an airport terminal at its worst.
For many travelers, an airport terminal provides the first impression — and the final word — about a destination. It’s also a place where travelers spend much time, particularly waiting for departing or connecting flights.
With that in mind, Frommers.com has provided USA TODAY with its choices of best and worst airport terminals. Newark’s Terminal A — despite Clampet’s bad experience — did not make the worst list. But another nearby terminal did.
The travel guide publisher says the best and worst choices were based on cleanliness, services, on-time departures, navigation and the ease of getting to and from a city’s center.
The world’s best, according to Frommers.com, is Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It covers 120 acres and is only open during the six-week Hajj, when millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca.