In Santiago de Compostela, a tomb was discovered that is supposed to be that of St James the Apostle.  Today, Santiago de Compostela is the third most important place of Christian pilgrimage, with the other two being St Peter’s in Rome and the city of Jerusalem.  Pilgrims and tourists follow the route to this towering cathedral.

Santiago Cathedral was built between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries and was the original site of a ninth century Basilica.  The interior has been left untouched, but there have been other additions, such as the Baroque Obradoiro facade, behind which stands the twelfth century Portico de la Gloria.

Portico de la Gloria has three decorated arches.  Christ is flanked by eight angels and four apostles at the central arch and St James stands below him on a column.

Within the cathedral, the altar is amazingly ornate with gilt and silver.  You can visit the museum and cloisters for a small entrance fee.

Portofino, made famous in several films, including the Michael Caine film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, is a draw for the jetset.  It is one of Liguria’s most exclusive seaside resorts, situated east of Genoa.

The harbour is full of elegant yachts and the yellow and orange houses that ring the water make the setting perfect.  Hollywood stars such as Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and Greta Garbo have stayed here, scriptwriters wrote here, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor honeymooned here and you never know who you might spot hiding behind their sunglasses or taking a trip on their yacht.  Private villas, home to celebrities, are situated in the hills behind the town.

There are plenty of flights to the area and you can take a bus or train from Santa Margherita.  Be sure to see the five villages of Cinque Terra, see the views from the lighthouse, take a boat trip out into the waters or visit the eleventh century Abbazia di San Fruttuoso in the middle of the olive groves and pine trees.

Out in the sea, there is a bronze statue of Christ.  The statue was put on the seabed back in 1954 to protect sailors.  You can either take a boat trip out to see it or for a really close look you can go for a dive nearby.  There are plenty of boutiques in the town and cafes to sit and sip a cappuccino whilst you soak up the relaxing atmosphere.

Many may not have heard of the Great Masurian Lakes.  Poland’s Great Masurian Lakes are a huge system of lakes in the north east of Poland.  It consists of 45 lakes, 12 canals and 8 rivers and is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

It is a beautiful landscape of hills and forests with farms and lakes, making up Europe’s largest stretch of water.

If you are looking for an active holiday somewhere different and that will not cost the earth, this area is incredibly popular with tourists and locals alike for sailing, caoeing, biking, hiking and fishing.

The largest lake in the system, indeed in the whole of Poland, is Lake Sniardwy, covering 100 sq km (42 sq miles).  As you can imagine in a system of this size, it is home to a huge range of animals and plants and other wildlife and several nature reserves are established in the region.  One of the reserves is home to the largest breeding ground for mute swans.  You can see bitterns, herons, rare black storks, raptors and kites.

A good place to stay is the nearby town of Augustow as its close to three of the lakes.  All the local towns get very busy in the summer.  If you do not want to sail, you can hire a local pleasure boat to travel the lakes or you can take a trip on the Elblag canal, over 150 years old and a peaceful trip for those who want to enjoy the ambience.

Two of the world’s most beautiful fjords are in Norway, Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord.  They are about 75 miles (120 kilometres) apart in south-west Norway, north-east of Bergen.  These are two of the world’s deepest and longest fjords and are a wonderful natural beauty, worthy of a visit.

Both were formed about 1 million years ago when glaciers carved their way through the mountains.

Geirangerfjord is about 10 miles or 16 km long.  As the water is saline (salty), it does not freeze during the winter.  As there is hardly any tide, the waters are pretty still and on many nights, you can look into the water and see the reflection of the stars and the mountains on either side.  At the head of the fjord is a famous rock formation and as cruise shops wind their way up and down the fjord, passengers can see great waterfalls.

Naeroyfjord is apparently the narrowest fjord in the world.  It is actually an arm of Norway’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord, and runs about 125 miles or 200 km inland.  At one point it is under 820 feet or 250 metres wide.  At this point, the mountain walls tower around 1500 metres or 4900 feet high over it.  In winter, the sun cannot reach the bottom of the fjord.

If you take a holiday to Norway, be sure to see at least one of the fjords and do not miss taking a trip down the fjords.  Often, you can see seals lying on the rocks at the side and goats grazing on the steep slopes.

The US airline, NorthWest Airlines, has become the first to introduce a new innovative system.  The paperless system sends the traveller’s boarding pass to their mobile phone, making travel even more convenient.

The new mobile phone boarding passes are being used on the non-stop flights from Indianopolis to American cities.  The new technology was developed by UK company, Mobiqa.

Passengers will be able to check in online and they will receive their boarding passes on their mobile or other handheld device and the incorporated barcode can then be scanned at the airport security points.  The barcode will include certain passenger details and is sent in the form of an email, MMS or WAP push message.  There is no need to print the boarding pass, making the system totally paperless.

Nick Rankin, chief executive of Mobiqa, said that the system “will make for a more convenient, environmentally friendly means of checking-in and boarding a flight.”

The new system is being trialled on these first few flights and if successful, will be rolled out to all of NorthWest airline flights in the US.

Commencing in June this year, British Airways has announced that it will begin an eighteen month project to upgrade the JFK terminal facilities in New York.  The project is estimated to cost $30 million (£15.1 million).

The project will incorporate three main areas, which will include:

• Premium check-in pavilion with dedicated drop-off point for particular customers
• Dedicated check-in areas for BA’s Executive Club Silver and Club World schemes
• Renovation of terraces and executive lounges to ensure facilities are of the same standard as those at Heathrow Terminal 5

British Airways says that the new terminal will have environmentally friendly features incorporated, including maximising the usage of natural daylight.
Robin Hayes, British Airways executive vice-president for America, said:

“In a time of rapidly increasing and robust competition, British Airways will now raise the competitive bar far higher than any of its JFK competitors.  No other airline at JFK will come close to the standard and quality of what we intend to offer our customers. The new enhancements will place British Airways in the most enviable position to provide the best possible premium ground experience at JFK international airport.”

Swiss Airlines has announced its intention to introduce new business class seat designs to its intercontinental business cabins, which will be installed from spring 2009.

It claims the new business class seat has a new design concept, capable of fully reclining to measure two metres in length.  These new seats will provide passengers on long-haul flights with a ‘bed above the clouds’.  The new business class seats also have a new air cushion facility to allow the hardness of the seat to be set how the individual likes them.  They will also have USB and iPod sockets, a 16:9 entertainment screen and a massage function in the seat.

Swiss chief exec, Christoph Franz, said:

“We are extremely proud to have helped develop this global seating innovation, together with several hundred of our customers.  And we are particularly delighted to be the first airline in the world to offer these substantially enhanced levels of on-board seating and sleeping comfort.”

Swiss Airlines has also recently announced that it is to introduce a new catering range of options on its first-class flights and business-class flights this summer.

Following recent election troubles in the capital, the African holiday hot spot of Kenya is now ‘back on track’ said Virgin Atlantic boss, Sir Richard Branson at the launch of his new advertising campaign in Nairobi, primarily aimed at increasing tourism for Kenya.

Sir Richard Branson said:

“Tourism in Kenya is the number one industry for the nation and visiting now will make a huge difference to the locals who rely on the industry for a living.  The post election troubles, which were predominantly focused on the non-tourist areas, have now subsided.”

More than two million tourists visited Kenya in 2007, according to the billionaire.  Kenya is famous for its safari trips and wildlife parks.

Since Virgin Atlantic’s new Terminal 3 home at Heathrow opened, its travellers to Kenya have increased by more than 4 percent in the last month and Upper Class visitors have increased by more than ten percent.

Black cabs are a familiar sight in London, and could soon be seen in cities around the world.

The Coventry-based company who manufactures the London black cabs and also has an operation in China, Manganese Bronze Holdings, are believed to have received around 2,500 orders for the black cabs to be shipped to destinations worldwide, as far flung as the Middle East, eastern Europe, Africa and South America.

Exact destinations have yet to be confirmed but one main suspect is Mexico City.  Mexico has had approximately 100,000 unlicensed taxis operating there last year, so if black cabs are used there it will make it a safer place for visitors.  In terms of population, Mexico is one of the largest cities in the world, along with the likes of New York and Tokyo.

Willie Walsh, British Airways boss, has warned that rising fuel prices, caused by a combination of government green taxes and the increasing price of oil, could spell the end for several cheap airlines.

British Airways will be increasing its prices this winter and will also consider closing less profitable air routes, according to Walsh.

Several airlines have already started to charge travellers for seat reservations, in-flight lunch, luggage or check-in and Walsh believes more will follow suit.  Indeed, he believes the rising prices could spell the end for cheaper, budget airlines.  Business only airlines, EOS and Maxjet, plus budget London to Hong Kong airline Oasis, have already gone bust and closed.

Mr Walsh said:

“I don’t think the industry can absorb the significant increases [in fuel costs]. The industry has no future if it doesn’t price in its costs. This is about survival.  The era of very low fares is behind us. It is clear many airlines out there are struggling today to survive.  We are going to see more airlines fail and that will take capacity out.  I think at some point demand will be affected by the increased prices.”