Baltimore Break

By Maxine Bates

In October my partner and I spent four nights in Baltimore. Having booked flights and accommodation only 48 hours prior to travel there wasn’t much time for research so we ‘winged it’ upon arrival in the city. Met at passport control with an incredulous “But nobody comes on vacation to Baltimore!”, we did wonder if we’d made the right choice of destination but managed to fill our time with a range of sightseeing in unseasonably warm sunshine. Unfortunately the harbour cruises had stopped for winter and it was out of season for any baseball games.

The city is set around the pretty inner harbour and the main tourist attraction are the four historic ships docked in various parts of that harbour. We bought a combined ticket to visit all four, so explored two on one day and the remaining two ships on another day. I found the Torsk submarine the most interesting, especially the cramped sleeping quarters with bunks directly above the torpedoes! We timed our visit to the US coast guard cutter Taney to coincide with their daily engine room tour at 3pm which was almost a private tour. In fact most of the ships we had to ourselves. The others were entirely different; the wooden USS Constellation with its cannon deck and the lightship Chesapeake. Boats of a totally different type were the dragon shaped pedalos for hire in the harbour!

Also around the harbour is the World Trade Center. The tallest building in the city and the tallest pentagonal building in the world even though only 27 floors high. Tickets to go up in the elevator to the observation deck were reasonably priced and there are plentiful information panels about the city, buildings and famous people. Baltimore apparently had several pioneers in the medical field. Sadly the names of the 58 Marylanders who were aboard one of the planes that hit the other World Trade Center on 9/11 are etched on one of the windows. A fragment of steel from the New York ‘twin towers’ is also on display. Across the harbour is Fort McHenry, the birthplace of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’. The fort is now home to an exhibition, cannons and magazine store. We started with a film show in the entrance building; at the end, the screen lifts to reveal a view of the fort and everyone stood for the national anthem. The fort was where the words to the anthem were written by Francis Scott Key, inspired by the flag flying over the fort after intense British naval bombardment during the war of 1812. The flag itself was sewn at the now-named Banner House in the city by Mary Young Pickersgill - another interesting location to visit.

We came across the Washington Monument by chance, but what a great find - the first tribute to the first US President, built in 1815 and a gift from the state of Maryland. There was a small admission charge to climb the 227 steps but they only accepted payment by card which neither of us had with us at the time. We were kindly let in for free but left some dollars in their donation box. 227 steps up also meant 227 steps down, but there were markers on the walls telling you how far there was to go. We also visited the grave of Edgar Allan Poe (spot the error in dates carved on the stone!); the indoor Lexington Market that has been in existence since 1782; the Walters Art Gallery (mostly because it was free and had air conditioning on a hot day but also quite interesting) and the quaint Fells Point area full of interesting shops, bars and restaurants. For nightlife there’s the trendy Power Plant district, and famous restaurants such as the Hard Rock Café and Bubba Gump, or why not sip a drink in the lobby bar of the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel accompanied by their piano player?

I’d not visited the USA for four years and was quite shocked at how the current exchange rate made most things seem expensive and how waiting staff now expect a 20% tip. Not the cheapest destination to visit, but a pleasant one. Washington DC is only an hour away by train but that could be another review in itself…•

First published in VISA 138 (April 2018)

Building a Nation

By Helen Matthews

Doha

The local newspaper gives a count of the number of days the ‘siege’ has lasted, but in truth Doha does not feel like a city under siege. It is far more of a city under construction. Everywhere are building sites, and the road layout can change overnight.

The so-called ‘siege’ began during Ramadan, when Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt cut off diplomatic relations and imposed trade and travel bans, citing allegations of support for terrorism.  Qatar now imports vegetables from Iran and dairy products from Turkey. But aside from the supermarket translations from Turkish, the only noticeable signs of the siege, or more properly, blockade, are the images of the Emir which are now sported on buildings and in car windows.

Meanwhile, the building work continues.  There are stadiums to be built in readiness for the 2022 World Cup, and the futuristic National Museum of Qatar is taking shape.  Colleagues who work there tell me that the road layout can change overnight, causing traffic chaos in the morning.

Museum of Islamic Art

For now, visitors can enjoy the new Museum of Islamic Art: a shining white fortress on an artificial island by the old harbour. The galleries are ranged on three sides round a central atrium, with windows on the fourth side giving views of the skyscrapers in the West Bay area.  There are two floors of permanent exhibitions. On floor two, the galleries are organised thematically: introduction; the Figure in Art, Calligraphy, Patterns in Art and Science in Art. There are some beautiful items, carefully displayed, and it helps to pace yourself. The ground floor café has  ample seating and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the view, if you need a break. Back on the third floor, exhibits are  grouped chronologically and geographically:  Early Islamic Art (pre 12^th century); Iran and  Central Asia (12^th -14^th centuries); Egypt and Syria (12^th-14^th centuries); Egypt and Syria (14^th and 15^th centuries); Iran and Central Asia (15^th -16^th centuries); Iran (16^th-19^th century); India and Turkey (16^th -19^th century.)

The exhibits are fascinating, but overall there is little sense of provenance. Unlike most museums where items from particular sites are grouped together, many are not even identified as from a particular country, let along region or city. The overall sense is one of a ‘greatest hits’ album.

If you can bear to walk along the Corniche in the heat past the dhow harbour to the Pearl Monument, and cross the road (no easy feat – it can take 20 minutes for the lights to change) you can reach Souq Waqif, a restored traditional market and popular place for tourists to buy souvenirs. There are also restaurants and cafes to suit all tastes.

Beyond the Souq is the Msheireb District. This was one of the earliest parts of the city to be developed, with the first bank, the first pharmacy and the first hotel. The area declined as the rest of the city developed but it is now being redeveloped on environmentally friendly lines with pedestrian friendly streets and cycleways. Four of the traditional houses have been restored to form the Msheireb Museums. Together, the houses provide a much needed local counterpoint to the pan-Islamic collections on the Museum of Islamic Art. 

Each house has a different theme, but the displays are very modern and interactive. The Bin Jelmood House tells the history of slavery from the ancient world to modern slavery. Company House was once the headquarters of Qatar’s first oil company. Initially Qatar’s main export industry was pearl fishing. Fortunately the decline in fortunes brought about by the introduction of cultured pearls was soon followed by the discovery of oil. The displays and a short film tell the story of the oil company and its workers. Radwani House takes a more personal approach, providing an insight into the transformation of domestic family life.

Mohammed Bin Jassim House tells the history of Doha and the Msheireb district in particular, including visions for the future.

Despite the siege, Doha is flourishing.  It would be good to come back when it’s finished.

First published in VISA 136 (Dec 2017)

Christmas in Lille

By Elizabeth Johnstone

I had only ever seen Lille out of the Eurostar window en route to Brussels but, in December 2017, we had a great overnight break at this unfairly neglected destination. My train into London runs into Kings Cross Station from where it is a few steps across the road to St Pancras International. The Eurostar train left on time at 10.58 and, less than an hour and a half later, we arrived at our destination.

Lille is the fourth largest urban conglomeration in France, with an ultra- modern Metro system. It operates the “Crit-air” scheme where your car requires a “clean air” sticker. Its charm for the visitor, however, lies in the historic old town. From the Lille Europe Station and the Euralille commercial centre opposite, it is only about 10 minutes walk to “Vieux Lille”. We stayed at the Ibis Styles Lille Grand Place, booking direct with Eurostar for rail tickets and then with Booking.com for accommodation (not forgetting to go in through Topcashback.com!)

The hotel was clean, cosy and convenient for the sights. Our plan was to meet up with a Belgian Mensan friend for whom Lille in France was nearer than Brussels in Belgium. We had a pleasant stroll round, as I took photos of shop displays and building façades. One negative was the number of homeless people and beggars, often with suspiciously drowsy small children lying with them. After a cup of tea, we parted ways and my husband and I braved the Christmas Market. It is enormous, with 80-odd stalls. I’d read mixed reviews online, but I found it cheerful and seasonal.

 We regrouped at the hotel then set out for pre-prandial refreshment and a bite to eat. The plan was to head for the rue de Gand which is effectively the restaurant street. Unfortunately, everyone else in Lille had the same idea. We fought our way into a lively local bar Au Gand'Brinus where the barman gave me advice about speciality brews. Note: do not talk about Belgian beers in Flanders. We then over-optimistically set off down the street for dinner, only to be told “désolé” time and again.

Eventually, our noses pressed against the windowpanes of the Estaminet de Gand, we saw two girls preparing to leave and we pounced. It was a typically small and crowded restaurant featuring local cuisine. My husband had the hearty beef casserole carbonnades flamandes and I had a “welsh” which is a variation of a Welsh rarebit made with industrial quantities of pungent local cheese. A chicory-flavoured crème brûlée rounded off my sweet-toothed husband’s meal. Perfectly pleasant, but next time I would definitely book a restaurant of my choice.

As we walked back to the hotel, it started to rain.  By the next morning,  rain had turned to snow, and it was not too pleasant walking to the station. We intended to spend time in the Euralille shopping centre before crossing the plaza to the Gare Lille Europe.

The jovial security guard at Carrefour was used to travellers like us walking round with half-empty suitcases and “locked” ours shut with a plastic tag which the checkout lady had to open with scissors. French hypermarkets are not normally open on Sundays, except for the month of December, something to bear in mind if your city break involves food shopping. And it must, if you go to France!

The Eurostar was 10 minutes late, but the real problems arose back in London where numerous trains in and out of Kings Cross were cancelled or delayed because of the heavy snow. We got off lightly compared to air travellers and motorists. As a matter of principle, I made a small “delay repay” claim. I hope all readers do so, too! 

Lille was a great destination. I look forward to my Flemish beer on a summer evening in the old town before heading off to my (reserved!) table in the rue de Gand.

First published in VISA 137 (February 2018)