Start saving up - Virgin Galactic Rolls Out Mothership 'Eve'

(click to enlarge image)
If there's one trip that I'd sacrifice all others to make, it's a trip into space: to the moon and back or perhaps a mere a circumnavigation of our planet Earth. And listening to Richard Branson as he stood beside his Mothership at Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, I'm convinced that it's worth shelving all future city break and beach plans to bank the cash for a £100,000 ticket.

Yesterday, 'Eve' - named after the tycoon's mother - was received, in all her twin-fuselaged glory, by invited VIPS and the media. Speaking to the BBC, Branson looked forward with characteristic, unfaltering belief to ten or twenty years ahead when day-trips to the dark side of the Moon and back will be available from a lunar-luxe hotel.

A statement from Virgin Galactic describes Eve's rollout as representing, 'another major milestone in Virgin Galactic’s quest to launch the world’s first private, environmentally benign, space access system for people, payload and science'. WhiteKnightTwo (Eve's official name) is both visually remarkable and represents ground-breaking aerospace technology. At 140 ft, the wing spar is the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured.

We all know that when Branson really puts his mind to something, he succeeds in the end. So start saving. I can't think of a better way to mark my 50th birthday than taking the ultimate journey into space.

More, in brief:

WK2, designed Burt Rutan, is a carrier aircraft that will ferry SpaceShipTwo and thousands of private astronauts, science packages and payload on the first stage of the Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space experience

WK2 has a maximum altitude of over 50,000 ft

It is expected to take its first flight in the fall of 2008

Powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engine - powerful, economic and efficient - WK2 is a mold breaker in carbon efficiency

WK2 will be able to support up to four daily space flights

SpaceShipTwo, clearly visible but heavily shrouded during Eve's roll out is well on its way to completion and awaits its own roll out in 2009

The full Virgin Galactic website will be live to browse on 29th July 2008 Read more!

Keeping the holiday feeling - Life's a Beach (Virgin Books)

Today has been the hottest day of the year so far in Britain. But rather than head off with the crowds to the North Norfolk coast or inland and upwards into the breezier altitudes of the Peak District, I've been rooted indoors, working at my laptop. If I wasn't still wearing my white bikini top in an attempt to keep the Turkish beach holiday feeling, beneath a white vest, plus flip flops, I'd be seriously worried that the Sandwagon had deserted me.

Today has been the least 'wind in my hair, bare feet on warm sand' it could have been....but I tried to bring some holiday feeling to it. I've been doing the same for years. Until the chance comes along for me to live life as one long, blissful series of sun soaked adventures, I'll content myself with reliving the best bits at home.

Sandwagon's top tips for year-round holiday highs:

Bikinis and beachwear usurp lounge wear - you don't have to live by the sea to enjoy the laid-back beach lifestyle. When at home, ditch pjs for kaftans and bikinis. Instant mood enhancement.

Cook and/or eat outside at every given opportunity - Picnic daily, ideally by the nearest river, in a rolling field or on a handy high spot. Downgrade BBQs from birthday events and summer parties, to pragmatic everyday cooking option. Just make sure that healthy grilled fish and vegtables form the majority of meals, keeping fatty burgers and booze binges for the once-in-awhiles.

Bare feet or flops whenever the urge takes - nothing feels like summer, holidays and freedom like letting fresh air wrap around your toes.

New from Virgin Books, and on the same subject, comes Life's a Beach. Alexandra Massey shows how a few small changes can help you feel happier, more relaxed and able to enjoy that holiday feeling all year round. If the advice works for you, that's £6.99 very well spent!

Buy Life's A Beach: Keep that holiday feeling all year round (Virgin Books)
By Alexandra Massey Price: £6.99
Published: 05-06-2008
ISBN: 9780753513934
Format: Paperback


Read more!

Quality Copenhagen - Monocle Magazine, Me &, next, thee

The German King of steins and sausages is dead, according to the urban boffins at Monocle Magazine. Long live the Danish King of architecture and design. This month's offering from the sporn of Wallpaper* sees Munich, demoted to the second best city behind wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen. And, as scientifically dry as the trailer to Monocles' Global Quality of Life Survey is, a more low maintenance, barefoot and free SandWagon simply has to agree ... with their 'urban theorists' and editorial staff sitting at clinically clean desks, surrounded by tasteful wooden office furniture, designer-bespectacled blah blah blah...

Monocle's dedicated researchers spent the last 12 months, surveying - quantitatively and qualitatively - the world's cities to see how they stacked up in terms quality of life. Everything was considered, from crime statistics and average hours of sunshine to the availability of booze.

Anyone who has spent more than a day in London - witnessing the snot in their tissue turn blacker with every Tube trip - would, unstandably, 'pah' at the very idea of urban quality of life. 'Pah', get rich in The City...move to Cornwall, take to Tuscany.... But stop first and try Copenhagen on for size: Danish city of houseboats and bicycles, car-free streets, huge salads and Baltic Sea breezes. Copenhagen is indeed a city that makes you feel glad to be alive for the simple reasons, and its happy citizens seem to embody the concept of Lifestyle and a life immersed in style. Read more!

Flightstats.com - watch the runway from the web

Where to start writing a review of Flightstat.com? Initially, I imagined this site's prime target user would be plane spotters, scanning the site rather than loitering on the viewing deck watching the comings and goings of planes all day long.

The traditional plane spotter would be impressed, I'm sure. The Flight Status search option alone aroused levels of excitement in me (non-spotter) not seen since I was introduced to Netvibes (see post). With the Flight Status search you can view flights by airline name and flight code; route or destination or arrival airport.

Flight Status search is also perfect for anxious mums waiting for teenage travellers to touch down on the other side of the globe, or be picked up by Dad at the Arrivals gate, tanned, skint and having found themselves. And super savvy loved ones - have strayed from their laptop - can set up a Flight Alert text or email, letting Flightstats.com send reassurance the second Daniel's plane - plus tail lights - have landed in Spain.

So out of interest, I searched the status of all Departures from London Heathrow between 18.00 - 21.00 today: five pages of scrolling later, I'd viewed airport gateway codes (with link to airport details), flight codes (in multiple if a code-sharing flight),carrier names and equipment (model of plane), terminals, scheduled against actual departure times (in real-time) and status (landed, en route, on time or running late)for flights departing to destinations worldwide - everywhere from Amsterdam to Zurich. Yes, a cyber plane-spotter was born!

There's more. The Flight Tracker application - using Googlemaps - lets you see the latest position of each flight along its course: which city, town, village or ocean the plane is flying over in real time. As the map refreshes, Positional Information shares details of the flight's exact Latitude; Longitude; Speed; Altitude; Bearing; miles (KM) from destination and from origin. Click here to see a random flight in action

Flights Status and Tracker are just two options in just one drop down menu (Flights)

There's even more. Check the following tabs for these travel resources...

TRAVEL PLANNING tab includes Flight Availability search engine (powered by Kayak), Frequent Flyer promotions drop downs
AIRLINES tab including Airline Scorecard and Airlines of the World drop downs
AIRPORTS tab including Airport Information, Delays by Airport, Airport Chatter, Security Wait Times (currently just US airports) and Airport Parking drop downs
COMMUNITY tab including Forums and Travel Directory drop downs

Visit Flightstats.com , explore and be amazed by the depth of information available.

About Flightstats.com (from the site)
Conducive Technology Corp. is a leading provider of worldwide flight performance information to the global travel and transportation industries. Our FlightStats platform delivers real-time and historical flight information that lowers travel-related costs and improves the travel experience. With unique products that can deliver value at each stage of a travel transaction, to both business and consumer audiences, FlightStats is poised to benefit as travel management evolves. Read more!

Indiana Jones inspires National Geographic Travel - Indy essay & photo contest

rope bridge © www.lowdin.nu/Treks



Guys of a certain age grew up - swinging from trees and dreaming of cursed artifacts - wanting to be him, while girlie girls wanted to be saved from the teeth of a salivating cannibal by him. The tomboys were off rope swinging too and wondered if they, in travelling escapades to come, would munch eyeball soup if an indigious people in a land far away expected it.

This summer, Indy's back and to get you in the mood comes a contest from National Geographic Travel blog.

Grab a dagger, jeep or flaming torch, evoke the spirit of Petra whilst mentally crossing a gorge pursued by arrows, or perhaps dive through the vaults of a Venetian chapel ... then, when things calm down just a little, start writing.

National Geographic's blog Intelligent Travel is awarding winners with Indiana Jones DVD box sets. Admit it. When real life travelling adventure is off the agenda, Indy on the sofa is the nest best thing.

Writers: Get creative, in 300 words or less, about your proudest Indiana Jones travelling moment. Think of a time when the adrenaline really kicked in ... the croc nearly took your arm off...or you fell out of the whitewater raft and no one noticed you'd gone ... or you were forced to drink the blood of 16 snakes to save yourself from much worse.

Photographers: In the spirit of their Global Eye series, Intelligent Travel wants the back story to your most adventurous travel images. Riding your horse backwards and bare back across Mongolia at sunset, at speed of course, to capture the moment you truly appreciated the word 'vast.' Send your photo along with the memories behind it.

Send entries to intelligenttravel@ngs.org with "Contest" in the subject line. They'll feature the winners next week.

Can't wait for the film's release! Read more!

Interview with Robin Barton - author of 101 Weekends in Europe

Early this year I published a post (click here) singing the praises of New Holland's city break anthology 101 Weekends in Europe. Now the book's author, Robin Barton, shares his thoughts with us on travel writing, short breaks and Brussels.

Robin's biography:
Born in Hampshire, raised in New Zealand, living in London.
Age 32 (just)
Over the years (and to varying degrees) I've written for the Observer, the Independent on Sunday, the Guardian, the Independent, the Evening Standard, the Financial Times, Monocle, Intersection, Wanderlust. Plus various travel books. I've been writing pretty much since I left university in 1996.

Robin, how long have you been writing about travel? And do you write on any other subjects?

Almost ten years. I began with work experience at Conde Nast Traveller magazine then got my first job editing the children’s version of the Escape travel section for the Observer. But I’ve tried to avoid specialising in travel: I write on sport, food, green issues and current affairs. The key for me is that there has to be an interesting story somewhere along the line.

It will never make you a millionaire, but travel writing’s a dream job, right?

I’m not sure…. Imagine never having a holiday again: that’s the price of being a travel writer. Also, it can be lonely, tiring and uncertain. But, yes, it can be difficult convincing people that it’s hard work.

How does a typical week shape up for a travel writer?
That would depend on the writer. Personally, I have slow-burning projects, such as books, then magazine and newspaper articles I would like to sell, then simply maintaining contacts. Only a fraction of a week or year is spent writing. You spend as much time selling yourself and your skills as writing.


What‘s next for you on the writing front? Any commissions and trips planned?

I have a few book projects I would like to get off the ground – not all travel-related. I have a guidebook scheduled for May. There are still magazines and newspapers I would love to write for.

What do you think of blogs? Waste of time or ‘freedom-to-publish-is-mine’?

Scary and exciting. If I wasn’t a travel writer I’d love them – the possibility of (supposedly) unbiased, unfettered information is a good thing. As a travel writer it concerns me that there is so much content out there available free of charge… But as a photographer friend of mine said last week, there will always be a market for good quality content, whether that is words or pictures.


Roughly, how long does a book such as 101 Weekends take to research and write?

Depends on the writer. But I do know that being able to write a 1200-word newspaper feature in a couple of hours doesn’t mean that you can do 8,000 words a day. The key is knowing what you want to communicate and where you want to go with the piece otherwise you’ll sit staring at the screen for hours.

If you could spend next weekend in any one of the 101 Weekend destinations, which would it be?

Brussels, because my sister lives there and I haven’t seen her for months. And I love chocolate, beer and mussels – not together, obviously.

Is there any one place in the world that sticks out as your all time favourite?

Impossible to say, but, personally, Vancouver is a tough city to beat for quality of life. The one thing I have learned in ten years of travel is that it’s not where you are but who you are with that matters.

What are your top tips or predictions for the next big thing in short-break travel?

In the current economic climate, anywhere that isn’t in the eurozone.

When is 101 Weekends in Europe published? Why should Sandwagon readers buy the book?

It’s published in September 2008. I hope that readers find it inspiring, useful and entertaining. I tried to keep the writing informative but lively. Whether you’re into food, culture, history, adventure sports or shopping, there’ll be something of interest in the book.

The book:
101 Weekends in Europe published by New Holland (Sep 08)
Paperback: 160 pages ISBN: 978-1847730817 Read more!

Times' travel essayist article - Michael de Larrabeiti

A few years ago I stumbled (not in the online sense) upon the travel writer H V Morton. It was his A Traveller in Italy book that first caught my eye and kicked off my old travel books collection. The first book I found was in a secondhand book shop/gallery in Peterborough (sadly, since closed down). Other finds hail from Cromer and Sherringham, on the Norfolk coast; Uppingham, Rutland; Stamford, Lincolnshire, and also London. My boss gave me one as an early Christmas present too.

It's not often that I ponder a Morton purchase, but a copy hidden on a bookstall in a Turin street did cause me much deliberation. Damn the thing for being an exact dupe of one I owned back home. Was it an exciting find or a surplus dust gatherer? Wasted euros when what I actually needed was a lunchtime panini, or something that would last much longer in memory? I debated and debated, sensibly leaving the copy on the shelf. Had it been an Italian translation or a first edition, there would have been no argument. But as it was, I stood strong and sensible.

Dipping from one to another and then to another copy, I can't actually claim to have finished any of my many Morton's. No matter! Whenever I dive into his journalism - and however randomly - I emerge from it with a smile for the nostalgia-inducing character of travel writing that is this out of date (Morton wrote from 1925-79. It reminds me why I've carried my heavy box of 'Morton's' from house to house to house again.

Until I've collected all of the Morton's I can find - and then read them - I doubt I'll have much time to delve elsewhere. Jan Morris gets an occasional look in: when I've a train journey and her paperback anthology, being light and less likely to be damaged than my precious hardback Morton's, makes it into my handbag. She's waiting though. I'll get there one day.

Trouble is, this article from the Times celebrating Michael de Larrabeiti also caught my eye. Once I've travelled with Morton through 1979, I'll be reading my way through Larrabeiti; the oldest articles first to the present day. Read more!

Compass PopOut Maps versus Berlitz Pocket Maps

A recent story in a publishing trade magazine tells how travel book retailers have been asked to withdraw a certain brand of pocket maps. Reason being that the latest maps on the scene bear too close a resemblance to the Compass maps that travellers know and love.

When a best friend of mine headed off to Oz for her year out after uni we boxed up some useful going away gifts, including a map of Sydney in PopOut origami style. It was the one thing she kept in her handbag during her whole time in the city of backpackers and bridge walkers.

We all know how amazingly useful a pocket size pop up map can be. Now it seems that the equally useful Berlitz maps have been accused of copyright infringement as they get a piece of this easily cart-about-able cartographical action. Read more!

Bloggers' Choice Awards - Sandwagon nominated for best travel blog

Read more!

Unforgettable Walks To Take Before You Die - BBC Books

Publisher: BBC Books ISBN: 0563539089 Format: Paperback XL
Number of Pages: 256 Price: £18.99

Books such as this are a depressing reminder that there's a wide world on the outside whilst you're toiling away inside. And worse still, that you'll do your life a gross disservice if you never see the world, do it, taste it, walk it before the inevitable happens ... you die.

As a welcome tonic for frustrated souls infected with wanderlust but isolated at the office for all but four or five weeks of the year, the latest in the Unforgettable family features thirty walks that can be achieved in under two weeks. By tailoring the content to the needs of today's time-poor travellers, the book's editors and co- photographers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones, have made the Unforgettable, unmissable: epic travel has been reclaimed from the galloping sands of time.

Speaking recently about the book at Stanfords (the travel book shop, Covent Garden) Steve and Clare picked just four Unforgettable Walks to showcase the diversity and geographical reach of the book's thirty recommendations.

Highlights of the four walks that were shared with the audience were:

Darjeeling Tea Trek, India Tea house accommodation, tea in bed, tea at lunchtime, tea with dinner; sunrise illuminating Mt Everest at the start of another day's walk

The Drover's Roads, Spain carpets of wildflowers; siestas; drovers milking their sheep

Mali Sleeping under a mosquito net beneath the moon and so many stars that the sky is more white than black; the colourful, authentic dances of the Dogon tribesmen

Loftoten Islands, Norway Midnight sun, walking unaware of time for 25 hours; the salt cod industry; eating just cod or salmon burgers; so few walkers that the sheep look surprised to see you

Perhaps I'll try to take one of the book's epic walks every year for the next thirty; the most challenging ones first, the more easy going on the joints in my retirement years!

Unforgettable Walks to take before you die is the fifth title in the BBC's Unforgettable series. The four other being;
Unforgettable Things to Do ...
Unforgettable Places to See ...
Unforgettable Journeys to Take ...
Unforgettable Islands to Escape to .... Read more!