"Other Stuff" by Andrew_W_K

On a recent visit to Lisbon I calculated that I used 8 different types of public transport without taking to water. Pretty impressive really. Anyway some of the types of public transport were a bit, well, quirky to say the least. Here's just one of them.

If you are ever in the Poitou region of France I can recommend a visit to Futuroscope. It's basically a theme park with the theme being the moving image. It's fantastic too. The different types of film they show from simulators to screens where the floor beneath you becomes part of the film to 3D effects and 360 degrees cinemas where you stand in the centre and the film is going on all around you. It's perfect for kids as well and there are lots of other activities going on in the park. There is also a good son et luminaire show on the lake at night that just takes your breath away. It wasn't hugely expensive either - get a 2 day pass, you'll need one.

In 2007 I was lucky enough to take a balloon flight over Shropshire - the county where I live. It was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to everyone. The ride itself was so smooth and serene that it didn't feel like you were airbourne at all. We passed over a herd of deer - the first time I'd seen deer in Shropshire in the 20 years I've lived here. The Ironbridge gorge and Buildwas abbey were stunning from above. It was a real treat.

About 20 miles south of Kassel stands the small town of Spangenberg and high above the town stand Schloss Spangenberg. A fortified castle that dates from the 13th century the schloss is now a hotel but served as a POW camp during the war for officers. I was there in 1998 and was quite taken by it I think I said to my wife that if you ended up as prisoner there you weren't doing badly compared to where you could have gone but of course we didn't think that way during the war and I recently saw a man on television tell of how his father had been encarcerated there only to escape, get recaptured and transfered to Colditz. If you are ever in the area I recommend you go and take a look for yourself.

The Scots know how to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Ice skating on Princes Street gardens and the German market and the fair rides that go up along Princes Street make it a real family occasion. It even makes Christmas shopping bearable.