The booking and special assistance request with Easy Jet was amazing, everything was so smooth so that instead of being ‘very irritating people’ as we tried to get through with the wheelchair we felt like proper VIPs as we were whisked through check in, security and boarding. All the airport staff were friendly and genuinely helpful.

We were boarded first and given the first 2 rows of seats which was perfect for fidgety boys and Katia who is unable to sit up unaided so she was able to stretch out across the seats. Katia has profound learning disabilities and was disorientated and grumpy but the teenagers sitting behind her sang twinkle twinkle little star to her and made faces which helped distract her. We found bringing one of her favourite musical toys very helpful as it was a familiar object. The Portuguese staffs were equally as efficient and the disembarkation went very smoothly. Finally we were through customs and there we were in arrivals looking for Hazel and her pink folder.

Hazel waved vigorously to us, there was no question of not recognising us we were not a party that could not easily be missed. We all followed Hazel out into the warm air and with just enough time to shed some of our ‘English Summer ‘ layers we loaded into the transporter and set off to Funchal Ridge with me mentally crossing off each of my worries!

It was a late arrival at the apartment but as we wearily got out of the WAV and wandered through the prettily landscaped garden I could smell the wonderful ly aromatic smell of oleander and feel the warm air around us I knew then I was on holiday and it was going to be good. We had a quick look through the apartment but were too tired to take on much except it was huge, beautifully furnished , the fridge had been stocked up with a pre ordered food shop and vitally important there were PG tips tea bags for me to make a much needed cup of tea. Hazel and Bryn had also thoughtfully set out a plate of pastries and pate which gave us something to nibble on before getting some much needed sleep. We all settled down for the night, I chose to sleep with Katia as she was still a bit disorientated and Ben took the other double bed. The twins settled in to the 3rd twin bedded room.

The next morning I got up and tentively pulled back the curtains, bright blue sky and glorious sunshine (another anxiety regarding poor weather left my mental tick list) I tiptoed around the apartment making myself a cup of tea and taking it out on to the terrace. What a start to the holiday I could see the sea from the Terrace there was a light breeze fanning the trees and plants and it was shorts weather with no jumpers / cagoules as a back up plan.

I just had time to finish my tea and drink in the stunning views when the boys and Ben arrived. After a quick breakfast it was operation pool time. The boys unleashed 6 hours of cooped up travelling on the beautiful sparking pool. The once peaceful Funchal Ridge was punctuated by the screams and whoops of 2 hyped up boys. Ben, Katia and I made a slightly more dignified entrance and basked in the warmth of the water and the air. Getting Katia in the pool was very easy, a ramp leads down to the pool and then we could either hoist her in using the pool hoist or lift her in via the Roman steps. The sunbathing terrace is again very attractive and picks up a slight breeze to help keep you cool, however there are plenty of parasols and sun loungers with shades. The loungers come with cushions so reading is a very comfortable experience. I realised my holiday persona was now overtaking my stressed ‘working mum’ one when it got to 1pm and I hadn’t unpacked or consulted my unpacking list!

Ben arrived back from his orientation tour with Hazel bearing bags of food and some adult beverages. Hazel had very helpfully shown him where the supermarkets were and some of the local beaches. We tucked in to a lovely salad lunch and realised just how well the kitchen is equipped. I realised lugging a hand blender here was totally unnecessary, this kitchen could cater for a gourmet chef if the need required!

While the rest of the crew had a post lunch snooze I did unpack which was when I realised the term luxury self-catering really did apply to this apartment. The soft furnishings and bed linen are beautiful and they all coordinate which is a rarity in our own house. I was totally amazed by the amount of towels (again matching) and also the stack of beach / pool towels. Hazel had even taken the trouble to find star wars towels for the boys. This was not just a holiday apartment this was like a hotel. All the rooms are very spacious; you enter the apartment from the terrace into a lovely sitting room with comfy leather settees and TV area. Leading from this is a dining area which has an elegant glass topped dining table which seats 8. The focus of the dining area is a wonderful wood burning stove and fireplace. The kitchen and dining areas are separated by a high wooden counter. Leading off the kitchen / dining areas is the games room which links the 2 apartments and also acts as the laundry room.

Leading form the other side of the lounge is the master bedroom and a hallway leading to the other bedrooms and bathrooms. All doors and areas of the apartment are wide enough for easy access so no squeezing the wheelchair through tight doorways and corners. The bathrooms are beautifully appointed using the wetroom was a treat for us all it has a lovely rain shower for you to luxuriate in but also a hose type shower for sandy bits.

For me sitting by the pool taking in the peace and quiet and the wonderful outlook allowed me to completely relax. For the male members of the family the Freeview, pool table, table football and Wifi gave them things to do other than relax poolside. The boys found loads of toys and games to play which kept them busy especially when playing with Hazel and Bryn’s children. For Katia it was all about the water; having the pool heated meant she could swim 4 – 5 times a day and stay in for up to an hour. There are all sorts of pool toys for all the family but a particular hit for Katia was the

floatation jacket and water hammock which allowed her to float on the water completely safely.

Katia thrives on vivid strong stimuli and the bright colours of the sky, pool and landscaping was perfect for her. While sitting on the roman steps she loved to chase the ripples and reflections with her hands and actually learned to splash with both hands which was a great development for her. She quickly eased into her routine and we could all see her gain in strength and vocalisation as the week went on. As I’d hope this was a week of therapy for her as well as being a fantastic holiday for the rest of us.

Having the transporter was such a bonus as we could go out altogether so easily, it took a few times to master the seating but by day 2 our loading and unloading was as slick as an F1 pit stop (well almost).

There is so much to do in the area just walking up the hill to look at the amazing properties and views of the sea on one side and the mountains on the other was a pleasant, evening stroll for Katia. We visited 4 different beaches within a 20 minute drive. The nearest is Luz which is about under 10 minutes drive. Each beach has their own character so each beach visit left a different impression.

From long expanses of white sand with white crested waves and windsurfers zapping around on them to smaller coves with sandcastle making sand and crystal clear water to swim in. I had my first sea swim in 10 years. There is not a trace of high rise over development just clean friendly beaches with pleasant cafes to sip drinks and watch the world go by. The wheelchair accessibility is amazing; each beach has wooden walk ways to allow access over the sand, dedicated sunshade platforms for a chair and sand and sea buggies to allow wheelchair users to be pushed along the sand or even enter the sea. These buggies don’t come with a harness so it is best to bring your own.

The beach that was the highlight of our trip was Alvor which is situated at the end of the estuary not only did it have all the wheelchair access it had a tent to offer shade for wheelchair users and a dedicated lifeguard to help. There are paths which lead from the beach to the estuary and down to the harbour. We spent a wonderful afternoon, strolling and bird spotting combined with the usual beach stuff. For us this destination really allowed Katia to do what she likes and accommodated the needs of her brothers.

An important feature of any holiday is the food and this one didn’t disappoint. Hazel’s

recommendations of the ready roasted piri piri or garlic chicken was an excellent one and other suppers included a BBQ and a mixture of ready-made Portuguese dishes form the supermarket. We ate out twice and found Lagos offered a range of eateries but we settled on harbour side restaurants which had a large Portuguese clientele. The food was simple and tasty. The Portuguese steak, sword fish and fish stew were favourites. A meal out cost between 12-16 euros a head including drinks.

We had a totally amazing holiday at Funchal Ridge Hazel and Bryn and their family make you totally welcome and are on hand to offer advice and help but allow you space to relax and enjoy family time together. They are passionate about providing a high quality holiday experience for every one but are totally tuned in to the needs of disabled clients. For us finding somewhere that ticks boxes for disabilities, active boys and stressed out parents is incredible. By the end of the holiday I was so relaxed I didn’t even make a packing list There is so much we would like to do again and so much we would like to do next time we go that it is a definite we will be back. I just can’t wait to leave the lists behind again.

More on Fuchal Ridge Apartments, Lagos can be found at www.tregooselet.co.uk or tel: 01209 714 314

Able Travel Club members can find similarly appointed holidays covering 85 destinations spread over 15 countries worldwide by visiting www.ablemagazine.co.uk/traveller

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The Grand Canyon is one of Northern America’s most breath-taking natural attractions, but it’s physical challenges proved to be a crucial challenge for one recently disabled man .

From the corner of our camp he shouts at me: “Karen do you have any paper towel?”

I’m on cooking duty, slicing red onions. I glance in his direction.

“Well? Have you?” He speaks aggressively; I sense frustration in his voice.

“The kitchen’s run out,” I reply, “but I have a pack of moist tissues in my dry bag. Will that do?”

He doesn’t look up. He’s too absorbed, bent right over. His kayak lies abandoned at his feet. “Er, shall I get you one?” I ask tentatively.

“Yeah,” he says. “Just get it now. Anything to stem the blood.”

HUFF

It’s day four of our trip down the Grand Canyon and I haven’t worked out the best way to deal with this fellow paddler yet. He’s positioned awkwardly on a ledge of granite and at that moment loses his balance. He swears loudly and ferociously.

I approach to see a groundsheet festooned with needles; he grabs the tissue and adds pressure to his arm to take away the sting, to seal that day’s toxins into his system so he can function with some degree of normality. He works methodically, but swears frequently. I can see why.

Sergeant Brandon Huff – Huff, as we ended up calling him – was blown up in Iraq. Aged 25, he’s had two strokes, lost his left leg at the thigh and hasn’t long come out of hospital. He doesn’t bother with the niceties of prosthetics; he wears a jointed metal rod with a sandal on one end. The shoe’s strapped round a foot moulded from yellow plastic.

His leg trips him up in the sand, refuses to flex as he leans over the bucket to rinse his lunch plate and makes mastering our makeshift foot pump near impossible, even when he throws his crutch aside. It weighs a ton too; I’ve carried it up the beach for him, wrapped in its black bin bag.

RAPIDS

As I clear away Huff’s already at the water’s edge, binding his stump in cling-film. Once in his kayak, the others give him a shove and he splashes in. Suddenly he’s the same as the next man, slicing the water with his paddle, turning his kayak with ease. “Move it!” he shouts to the rest of us, still securing cool boxes to the rafts. “I’m bored.” He gives a wry smile. He’s ready, now, to tackle the river head on.

Minutes later we hit the first rapid of the afternoon. The red, vaulted walls of the canyon seem to be moving in on us. Suddenly the warm breeze disappears and there’s a noticeable drop in temperature.

Huff throws himself into the torrent, paddling aggressively, challenging the river with the fearlessness I presume he had in Iraq. He’s found himself a new desert and a new enemy. But this time he won’t be the fall guy.

The waves crash into him from all directions. I lose sight of his kayak; there’s a flash of orange then nothing but spray. I fear he’s making little headway, but am mistaken. The next time I spot him he’s already through, paddling idly in the calmer water, almost ridiculing the river for too easy a ride.

“What’s it like then?” I ask from my raft as we catch up with him. Huff glances across, his forearms taut, his kayak stuffed with sponge wedges where his knee should be. He affords me just a second of his time. “Brilliant. I’m f***ing flying!” he shouts and speeds away.

RHYTHM OF THE RIVER

That evening it’s Brandon’s turn to cook. He balances behind a plastic table, looking aggressive and determined. His artificial leg stands against a tamarisk tree catching the twilight; he’s given up on it now.

The former soldier battles to open four tins of tomatoes. He curses as one of them slips through his hands and lands with a thud in the sand. We continue chatting among ourselves; Brandon won’t accept help and we’ve learnt not to offer any more.

As the days pass we fall into the rhythm of river life. On the water Brandon beats the best of us; on land he struggles, except at cards. We play late into the night; he wins nearly every game. We all adapt to a new world, one where there are no mobile phones, no cars, no TVs; nothing except the rumble of the water and the heat of the sun.

RIVER’S ROAR

Then suddenly we’re at Lava Falls, the most feared rapid on the Colorado. It drops 37 feet and has a difficulty rating of nine – out of 10. This is the big one. Rocks rise out of the water then disappear. The river doesn’t rumble, it roars.

We scramble over boulders and volcanic scree to view the rapid from above. I glance back to where we’ve left Huff below.

“What are you looking at me for?” he asks in his typical caustic fashion. “Do you expect me to hop to the top of that ledge? Imbecile.”

“Yeah,” I reply. “Why? Aren’t you up to it?” This is how I deal with Huff now. I say it as it is, just as he does, and it’s broken the ice. He raises an eyebrow; shoots me a smile.

HUFF THE UNTOUCHABLE

Lava lives up to its reputation. We flip a raft and watch as the current sucks it away. Brandon rolls over and over, six times, slapping the bottom of his boat for help. When he finally rights himself he’s coughing violently, but within minutes he’s as focused as before.

We learned later that Huff was kayaking the canyon for the first time. But there he was, day after day, fearless and out in front. It meant all I ever saw was the back of his lifejacket, where someone had scrawled, “Huff the Untouchable”.

The river trip reminded the rest of us of his ability. He, of course, never questioned it.

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Given the current global financial climate – with everybodyworried about recession, cutbacks and redundancies – is even thinking about spendingmoney on a South African safari a sensible idea? Monica Guy shares some uniquememories of a once-in-a-lifetime holiday experience that definitely offers morebang for your buck – and is much more accessible than you might think!

A smooth-skinned zebra, a metre away, peers curiously at youwhile its baby gambols up to suckle. Behind, two young male giraffes arefighting, their long dappled necks twisting and tangling in an elegant dancefor dominance. Sunlight glints off the wings of a yellow-billed kite soaringinto the picture, its sharp eyes seeking out tiny movements among the roughblankets of green covering the dry earth. It’s 8am, you’re deep in the Hluhluwegame park, and it’s only day four of your South African safari tour.

South Africa is finally opening up its wild and wonderfulattractions to disabled tourists. Awareness is growing rapidly, bringinginvestment in more accessible facilities and a sea-change in attitudes. Bewarned, however; this is still new territory for everyone! Expect a few bumpyroads, some ad-hoc solutions and the occasional discomfort. Daily routines mayhave to be broken, but the rewards are truly magnificent.

KwaZulu-Natal is in some ways the real Africa, with its hot, humid weather and vast areas of unspoiltnature where wild animals roam. Colours, tastes, sounds and smells areunfamiliar and exciting: fever trees glimmering in sunlight, the strong, sweetflavours of African cuisine, the sound of hoopoes awakening you as the earlymorning sun rises over the African bush.

IN THE BUSH

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi (pronounced shloo-shloo-wee oom-fol-oh-zee) is the oldest and thesecond-largest game park in South Africa. The “Big Five” – lion, leopard,elephant, buffalo and rhino – wander freely through its 96,000 hectares ofsurprisingly lush vegetation.

At Hilltop Camp, you’ll stay in a comfortable chalet rightinside the grounds. Dave, a park ranger, arrives at 7am for an early morninggame drive in your accessible van – roads are relatively good, so there’s noneed for a 4×4. The rangers know the area inside out and can track animals downby following their droppings and footprints; within minutes you’re on the trailof an elephant who has eaten too many unripe amarula fruits.

It’s not long before you spot the pin-stripe suited zebras,munching calmly by the side of the track or strolling leisurely. They oftenband together with giraffes, whose towering necks and superb eyesight act as an early-warning lookoutsystem for lions and other predators. Unstressed and unhurried, the giraffespose for the camera, fluttering their impossibly long eyelashes and darting outa 30-cm tongue to catch the highest leaves. Nyala are more skittish, theirgraceful, white-striped bodies leaping away through the bushes at the firstsniff of danger.

Feel your pulse quicken as you drive down the dirt tracks,looking out for huge rubbery rhinos wallowing in mud pools, or old buffalospacing defiantly. If you’re lucky you’ll spot a lion or a leopard, slinkingaway up the hill in arrogant solitude. Hyenas, cheetahs, and wild dogs are alsofairly rare and exciting sightings which have everyone leaping for theircameras. Beautiful birds soar ahead, filling the air with unfamiliar cries; aswell as eagles, vultures and kites you’ll see lilac-breasted rollers,fork-tailed drongos and red-billed quellias – so keep your long lens handy!

BONAMANZI

After a day in the game park you’ll be hungry for dinner, sowhy not visit the restaurant where a superb African buffet awaits you and thechefs have a habit of breaking out into song.

A short drive down a dirt track from Hluhluwe is Bonamanzi,the second largest private game reserve in the area. Here you can sip cocktailson an accessible viewing point while watching the sun go down over the lake;there’s a crocodile farm here too. One of the treats is the night game drive,where – in the light of a powerful spotlight – you can seek out owls, ‘bushbabies’ and other nocturnal animals.

The accessible accommodation at Bonamanzi is still slightlymakeshift, but there’s an unforgettable thrill to waking up, pushing aside themosquito net you’ve been sleeping under, and peering through the window to findnyalas or warthogs munching grass outside your cabin.

AND THERE’S THE PEOPLE TOO!

KwaZulu-Natal is the ancient land of the Zulus,traditionally proud warriors and now one of the largest ethnic groups in SouthAfrica. Dumazulu Cultural Village offers a Zulu dancing show, an extravaganzaof stomping, kicking and sweating accompanied by boisterous whistle-blowing anddrum-beating. You can learn how the Zulus make their bright bead jewellery,cooking pots and trademark leather shields.

Another pleasurable option is the Midlands Meander, a routethat winds its way through rolling hills that are as green and lush as westWales. Along the way are artisans’ workshops selling handmade crafts and cosyrestaurants offering tasty homemade fare – all with magnificent views thrownin.

Staying in the game parks themselves is exciting, butthere’s no need to sleep ‘in the bush’ every night. Makaranga Lodge  is a luxury boutique hotel near the rollingValley of a Thousand Hills that is fully accessible for wheelchair users. Setin 30 acres of wheelchair-friendly gardens dotted with beautiful Shonasculptures, the hotel’s inclusive design was inspired by the owners’involvement with the MS Society. Be sure to book a massage in the spa or take adip in the accessible rock pool before treating yourself to a meal in theexcellent restaurant.

GETTING THERE

British Airways, South African Airlines and Virgin Atlantic flyfrom London Heathrow to Johannesburg or Cape Town, where you can take aconnecting flight to Durban. The journey takes around 16 hours in total.Specialised tour operators include Access2Africa Safaris (www.access2africasafaris.co.za),AccessAfrica Safaris (www.accessafricasafaris.com),Endeavour Safaris (www.endeavour-safaris.com),Epic Enabled (www.epic-enabled.com)and Flamingo Tours (www.flamingotours.co.za).

TRAVEL TIPS: SOUTH AFRICA

Safety: Crime rates are high, but in tourist areas youshouldn’t have problems. Keep valuables out of sight, avoid going out alone atnight and take copies of important documents.

Language: South Africa has eleven official languages, includingisiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans. Everyone speaks some English as well as theirnative language.

Weather: KwaZulu-Natal’s weather is like a Turkish bath – hotand humid. Heavy rain falls even in summer. The best time to visit the regionis off-peak in May-July, when the weather is dry and mild and there are fewerinsects. Remember that the southern hemisphere’s summer occurs during the UK’swinter, around November to February.

Money: South Africa is still a good value destination for overseasvisitors. The currency is the rand, with current exchange rates around 14.5rand to the pound.

Electricity: Electrical current is 220V and plug sockets havethree thick round pins. If possible, buy an adaptor before you arrive.

USEFUL WEBSITES

Kwazulu-Natal Tourism Authority: www.kzn.org.za

QuadPara Association of South Africa: www.qasa.co.za

Kwazulu-Natal Wildlife: www.kznwildlife.com

Makaranga Lodge: www.makaranga.com

Scott Rains’ blog: www.rollingrains.com/travelogues

Monica Guy and Dr. ScottRains were hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal tourism authority  on a ten-day tour organised by Access 2Africa Safaris (www.access2africasafaris.co.za).

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Focusing on the lemon yellow and golden hues stretching ahead of him, Keith Jansz sketches busily away. The stunning scenery and spectacular light in the far north of Sweden would be enticing for any artist but, for Keith, being able to capture such grandeur marks an enormous personal milestone.

Forty six-year-old Keith has travelled to Åre, Sweden, with the Back-Up Trust as part of a group of skiers with spinal cord injury. Previously an active skier and snowboarder, Keith thought he would never take to the slopes again when – just months after completing the 1995 London Marathon – he was paralysed from the shoulders down following a car accident. After seven months in the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Keith returned home to the painful process of adapting to his new situation. Looking back to the despair he felt then about his future, Keith is justifiably elated at his achievements in Sweden, both on and off the slopes.

“We knew it was going to be hard work and great fun, and that’s exactly what it was,” says Keith, who lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Cindy. “The course was designed to promote independence and some sort of learning by the individual. It was not a holiday; it was about pushing us outside of our comfort zone.”

Keith, whose level of disability is C5-6, is one of six skiers on the trip. They travel with a group of spinal nurses and non-disabled “buddies” who help the skiers with day-to-day practicalities – like getting ready in the mornings, using the hotel hoists and travelling to the slopes. The Back-Up Trust’s Winter Courses, held in France and the USA as well as Sweden, aim to teach first-timers how to ski and to help previous skiers improve their skills. Keith was determined to take part after reading about a group of limb-deficient war veterans who had skied in America after returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. “That very much inspired me, as the scars are not just physical but mental,” says Keith.

Yet as Keith admits, the skiing was the easy part! One of the most daunting challenges of the trip is travelling without Cindy and leaving behind all the familiar comforts of his home routine. “It was unusual to be put in a situation where our partners were not allowed to go, but the likelihood was that we wouldn’t socialize if they had,” explains Keith. “As a result I was as I was before, being self confident and thinking for myself. It was just me and my own personality coming through, which was important for my self-respect.”

Keith admits it took a few days to gel with both his fellow skiers and the buddies. “That sort of experience throws you in at the deep end,” he says. “Normally the people who look after me have been trained, but getting the carers to adapt to my routine did not always work! They came up with other ways to do things so I had to go with the flow.”

A few days into the trip, the group really bond when they are taken to a nightclub to see a live tribute band – at 4pm! “We had some drinks and were greeted by about 260 Swedish teenagers!” remembers Keith. “Swedish girls are more accepting; they came up to talk and were curious about how we were skiing. The guys came up to buy us drinks. It was quite a special place. Then at 6pm they turned the lights on and it was time to go home!”

ON THE SLOPES

As for the skiing itself, a tightly packed schedule left Keith no alternative but to launch into the spirit of the course. “It was go, go, go all the time!” he says. “I was quite a sporty person before and very confident trying new things but here I was so close to the ground for a start, so even the most gentle of slopes seemed quite scary.” At the Totalskidskolan resort in Åre, where Keith went, skiers use ski carts, whereas the courses in France and America are designed for people with lower level disabilities who can therefore use mono-skis. “We were on the blue slopes with the instructors behind with a leash,” says Keith. “They followed us and slowed us down, and made sure we didn’t do anything silly!”

APRÉS SKI

Off-piste, the group face new situations such as travelling in an unfamiliar mini-van between the hotel and the slopes. “We sat on the seats in the van,” says Keith. “It’s a small thing but it’s so important to sit on a seat out of the chair. It was liberating.” Keith particularly enjoys experiencing what he describes as “good changes of thinking,” such as when boarding the plane to fly to Sweden. “On the aircraft I’d usually transfer into an aisle seat,” he says. “This time I was encouraged to get right across to the window seat. I think it’s because I built up all my strength in my shoulders and neck. I do about 15 or 20 minutes of exercise a day with a stretching skipping rope, using my shoulder muscles, and I’m used to being thrown around a lot!”

As a working artist, Keith was able to pay for his own place on the course, freeing up vital Back-Up Trust funds for others not in a position to meet the costs. Keith’s post-accident career has revitalized his outlook on life since those early days of despair. In 1996 Cindy’s mum gave Keith a book called Painters First, a collection of biographies of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. Although Keith – who formerly worked in finance – had hardly painted since school, Cindy arranged a meeting with the mouth artist Trevor Wells. Despite disastrous early efforts, Keith persevered and became a student artist with the MFPA. He was accepted as a full member in 2000 and has since exhibited his work in the UK, Lisbon, Madrid, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Atlanta, as well as meeting Prince Charles, Prince Phillip and William Hague. Although Keith didn’t paint in Åre, the sketches he made of the breathtaking views have provided him with unlimited inspiration since his return home.

“I really felt that this time around, being older, I looked at things very differently,” says Keith. “I was looking at the light and the colours and the scenery, and I was more aware of what I was doing. It was such a special thing.”

The Winter Course is something Keith strongly recommends to others in need of a confidence boost. “You are with a whole load of people, all learning something from each other,” he says. “We all have different attitudes. We are the same people as before our accidents but you tend to take the easy option. The trip is about what you can achieve. It was a real team effort; I was responsible for making sure we had all the bits together, such as the cagoules and gloves. A lot of things are done for people in chairs, and people start thinking for us as well, but Back-Up really did push us. There were certain things I couldn’t do but we were encouraged to try – such as holding a sandwich however we could or holding a drink between our palms. Some would work and others wouldn’t and we moved on. These are all good, positive things each individual had to take on board back home.”

Keith adds that he looks back on the trip with great pride. “I pushed myself out of the level of comfort I have at home,” he says. “People just don’t know what they are capable of. Most people are capable of more than they think.”

For more information on Keith and to view some of his paintings, visit www.keithjansz.co.uk.

GETTING THERE

The Winter Course is held at Totalskidskolan, Åre in Sweden. The ski school subsidises places so disabled skiers pay no more than non-disabled skiers.The school also arranges transfers between the airport at Osterund and the Holiday Club hotel, where Keith stayed.

More:
00 46 647 537 77
www.totalskidskolan.se
00 46 647 120 60
www.holidayclub.se

The Back-Up Trust

The Back-Up Trust, established in 1986, is a small, dynamic and professional charity that runs a range of courses and services for people with spinal cord injuries (as well as their friends, family and volunteers), developing confidence, motivation and independence. “The services we run are often life changing,” says chief executive Louise Wright. “Sometimes the course can literally make the difference between life and death, as many people have felt suicidal and a sense of hopelessness when coming to terms with their injury. Challenging misconceptions and providing ongoing support is the key to our success.”

MORE: 020 8875 1805, www.backuptrust.org.uk

New Rights to Fly – What You Need To Know

Under new EC law, (Regulation (EC) 1107/2006), disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility have rights to assistance when they fly to and from Europe. As of 26 July 2008, these rights were extended to include the passenger’s journey from start to finish.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for providing information and advice about these rights and dealing with any complaints about airlines and airports in England, Scotland and Wales. EHRC have recently published a guide ‘Your Rights to Fly’ which provides a step by step guide for disabled and less mobile passengers. A copy is included in this issue of Able and further copies are available to order from the Commission Helpline on 08456 046 610. You can also visit www.equalityhumanrights.com/airtravel to find out more.

ACCESSIBLE TIPS

By Andy Wright
www.accessibletravel.co.uk

1) Before embarking on a trip of this nature I would recommend putting an exercise program in place to build endurance and strength, this will make a big difference to your experience and you will find it more enjoyable.

2) Generally, you will find the Swedes have exceptional English, far superior than most of our Swedish! Communication should not be a problem when you are arranging transport, ordering in restaurants or asking for help anywhere. It is always good to carry a phrase book with you just in case and learn the basic ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ as it is always much appreciated! Here’s a crash course

• Hello – God dag
• Goodbye – Adjö
• Thank you – Tack

3) Sweden can be expensive for meals and drinks, but the scenery is stunning and the facilities are excellent.

4) If you are considering a skiing trip in Sweden, I would highly recommend you talk to Back up as they have a wealth of knowledge, can provide you with a checklist to ensure you have everything and have good local contacts.

More:
00 46 647 537 77, www.totalskidskolan.se
00 46 647 120 60, www.holidayclub.se

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2. Travel Tales: Palma Nova- A Spanish Gem
3. Travel Tales: Berlin

Berlin is a fascinating city and a monument of living history. It is home to over 3 million people and is the vibrant and beautiful capital of Germany. There was plenty to see – from graffiti covered remnants of the Berlin Wall, which came down in1989, to the newly renovated Reichstag.

Visiting Berlin for the first time, as I was, you’re struck by the architecture and the history. The Reichstag is testament to this. Sitting proudly on the landscapeat Platz der Republik 1, (00 49 30 2270), the imposing structure has been transformed by our own eminent architect, Lord Norman Foster. Intended to symbolise a new, democratic Germany, its stroke of genius is to let light into a building famous for its negative associations. The beautiful dome, or cupola, is well worth a visit. A ramp winds its way up to the top (there is a lift however), where you can enjoy fabulous views over the city, whilst exclaiming over the beauty of this open-aired structure. The dome is open daily from 8am -10pm and admission is free. http://www.bundestag.de/. The nearest Subway is Unter den Linden. I have restricted mobility and I found that public transport had excellent facilities for disabled travellers. Over 50 underground and over 100 train stations are equipped with elevators or ramps, to provide easy access to the platforms.

Indeed, some transport companies offer free or reduced rate transport to disabled passengers and their escorts.

The Wall and the East Side Gallery on Mühlenstrasse, is the biggest slice of the notorious Berlin Wall. This is a section of the Wall that has been painted by artists interpreting the events on November 9, 1989, when the Wall came down. The result is an open-air gallery containing a host of colourful and imaginative images, some satirical and some shocking. In my view, the East Side Gallery is a must for first-time visitors to the city. The barren wasteland which surrounds the Wall is oddly fitting and gives you a good idea of how the Wall would have appeared several decades ago. Admission is free. www.eastsidegallery.com. The nearest Subway would be Ostbahnhof.

Checkpoint Charlie can be found at Friedrichstrasse, 43-44, (00 49 30 2537 250) and is open daily. This is a truly remarkable museum, as it is easy to forget the extraordinary risks taken by those who wanted to escape communist East Germany. False-bottomed cars, detailed photographs of escape tunnels, and improvised balloons and aircraft form part of the story of the divided city. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main gateways for crossing between the two halves of Berlin during the Cold War. Checkpoint Charlie is located at a small intersection with no stop sign or traffic light so as you’re concentrating on taking a great photo don’t forget that you are on a city street with plenty of traffic coming through. Located at the intersection of Friedrichstrasse & Zimmerstrasse, the nearest Subway would be Kochstrasse. www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm.

The city centre of Berlin is a delight to explore and there are plenty of taxis and taxi stands. The train and bus systems are, as you would expect, superbly efficient, the new buses have been fitted with a ramps that can be lowered, to permit convenient access for wheelchairs. The trams consist of modern trains with a low floor, which also have ramps that can be lowered. An excellent idea that should be introduced in all countries, is that you can press a special stop button in order to get on or off the tram, and the conductor will lower a ramp for you.

There are even bicycle rickshaw services in the shopping areas, offering a convenient and environmentally friendly way of getting around. But beware, as the experiencecan be bone rattling!

EATING

I went to the warm and exceedingly friendly Anheim Restaurant on Friedrichstrasse 134, visavie Friedrichstadtpalast, 10117 Berlin. Tel: +49 30 280 44 700. www.restaurant-anheim.de.

I had Fillet of pork with slices of vegetables in port wine sauce for 22 € (approx £19) and as you can see, washed down with a juicy red! Every evening there is a pianist on the grand piano in the Atrium playing jazz and classic standards that really added to the ambience.

Openingtimes: Mon – Sun: 11:30 – 12 midnight. Disabled access.

However, for that taste of home, the Tea Lounge at The Ritz Carlton on Potsdamer Platz 3(00 49 30 3377 77) serves traditional English tea, complete with scones and Devon cream! Throughout the summer the tea is served in the spacious hotel garden. Or, try the Dressler Restaurant at Kurfürstendamm, 207-208 (00 49 308833 530). This is one of three popular cafés on the ‘sunny side’ of Berlin. Here the pavements are wide enough to allow tables, so you can sip a Campari and orange and watch the world go by.

SLEEPING

I stayed at the Melia Berlin; it has 20 rooms with wheelchair access, barrier-free access to all areas of the rooms. Door peephole height adjusted for wheelchair users and barrier-free access to the bathroom and shower. Melia Berlin,Friedrichstraße, 103, 10117, Berlin. Tel: +49 (30) 20607900, Email: melia.berlin@solmelia.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Bookings by telephone (from The UK): 0808 101 4566

Don’t leave without: Tasting

… a sausage, or Würste. There are over 150 different types of German sausage, although Berlin’s most popular sausage is the cürrywurst. This is a pork sausage served with a special curry-tomato sauce and is available from most sausage stalls. People say that cürrywurst is best served with beer, and since Germany also produces top-quality beer, that makes for a delicious combination. Celebrities, such as Madonna and George W. Bush, are known to enjoy them.

Seeing

Potsdam, It is just outside the city but is definitely a ‘must-see’. Home of the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasties, it is a separate city barely half-an-hour out of central Berlin. The big attraction is Sanssouci, Frederick the Great’s magnificent landscaped park surrounding his palace, but there is a lot more to see, such as the immigrant-built Dutch quarter Cecilienhof, where Stalin,Churchill and Truman conferred over post-war Europe and a 19th-century Russian colony of timbered houses at the foot of a pearl-like Orthodox chapel.

Potsdam can be easily reached by train (RE1) or S-Bahn (S7) and is located in zone C, a daily ticket was DM8.50 for a return and is also valid on all the local trams and buses.

Factfile:

Flights: Direct flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester operate several times a day. Tegel Airport in the western part of Berlin, but the budget airlines usually fly to Schönefeld, to the southeast of the city. Fares vary little throughout the year. Both airports are fully equipped for wheelchair users. Also, the new system of public telephones throughout Berlin is a new lowered design to suit the elderly, children and wheelchair users.

Climate: Berlin’s climate is typical for continental Europe, and very variable. Go between May and October to experience the city during its most reliable weather period.

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Language: The visitor will face no language problems in Berlin as most people speak English (of course, your attempts at a little German will be most appreciated).

• Hello –Hallo
• Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen
• Please – Bitte
• Thank you – Danke

Time zone: GMT + 1 hour

Web: Website for people with disabilities travelling in Berlin: www.visitberlin.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_behinderte.php.

Also, anexcellent tour company that I’ve used in many cities called Viator: viator.com/search/Potsdam.

Related posts:

1. Travel Tales: Berlin
2. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics
3. Travel Tales: Anne Goodman looks back on a family holiday in Switzerland

Britain has a great deal to offer but, having never had a family holiday overseas, I knew we were all missing out on something. Thanks to some money left by a distant uncle, I decided to invest in a foreign holiday that would be memorable for all of us – my husband, myself and our children Tom (17), Peter (15) and Rosie (13).

Peter has cerebral palsy; he has no problems with his speech, but no use of his left arm or his legs. As many of you will know just too well, when one of you is a wheelchair user, everything – transport, travel, accommodation, outings  and even deciding how you’re going to spend your time – has to be looked into carefully. Plus, while Peter should feel he’s had a good time, his brother and sister need to feel the holiday isn’t centred around just his needs. It can be hard to juggle!

Having left it all rather late in the day, early ideas of going to Spain, Majorca, Greece or Cyprus were soon dropped as our requirements were either no longer available or too expensive. A complete rethink was called for – which is when Swiss Travel Service came up trumps! Opting for a five day/four night short break, all our arrangements – flights, hotels and rail passes, as well as our all-important questions about wheelchair accessibility – were sorted out within just four days! And the holiday proved to be particularly suitable for someone in a wheelchair.

HOLIDAY FUN

Flying into Zurich, everything went smoothly. Lifts took us down to catch our first train to Interlaken, where we spent our first two nights. Popular with visitors and locals alike, Interlaken (as the name suggests) sits between two large lakes and has a bustling, yet relaxed feel to it.

On our second day we took a trip up to the top of the famous Jungfrau mountains – it took most of the day to reach the top and back down again, but the views all around had us glued to the large and very large and clear windows of our spotlessly clean and spacious carriage. The trip really was picture postcard stuff; clear, steely-blue mountain rivers, beautiful blue/green lakes, spectacular waterfalls and beautiful small villages adorned with colourful window boxes of red geraniums – no sprawl, no ugliness.

The final 30 minutes takes you deep inside the mountain from where you rise to the summit, more than 11,000 feet above sea level! Unfortunately, on the day the spectacular views we’d read about were lost behind snow clouds and icy winds! Still, the discreet summit complex included a self service restaurant, a souvenir shop and the Palace of Ice – an incredible creation of walkways, tunnels and sculptures all carved out of mountain ice – which were all accessible to wheelchair users. Weather permitting, it is possible to take a short trip on the snows with husky dogs – something I’m sure would be a thrilling experience.

Our rail pass allowed us to make our leisurely descent on a slightly different route, allowing us to enjoy yet more stunning scenery.

The busy city of Lucerne was our next base. The day after we arrived, we took a two hour boat trip on Lake Lucerne round, stopping off at a couple of tiny villages on the edge of the lake to drop off and pick up passengers before reaching the base of Mount Pilatus. Europe’s steepest cog wheel railway then took us up to the two hotels at the top – and you have to admire the sheer logistics, hard work and organisation that must have gone into creating these buildings. This was one trip we had to book early on, to ensure that a particular gate would be open and that a carriage seat was removed to accommodate Peter’s wheelchair. From a height of more than 7,000 feet, the views over the lakes and the Alps were quite outstanding.

The descent was partly by cable car ride down to a level midway between Lucerne and the summit. From the top, the cable car looked like something out of ‘Where Eagles Dare’; we didn’t really believe that we were going to get on a cable car suspended so high above the ground. True to form, the Swiss staff just took us in their stride, keeping the cable car doors open for us long enough to get ourselves and Peter safely inside.

At the mid-way point, Tom and Rosie went on Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run – an extra I’d definitely recommend. It was also possible here to try your skills on the biggest suspension rope park in central Switzerland – another enjoyable and challenging  extra for both children and adults. Further down there was a fantastic children’s playground.

The final leg of our descent from Mount Pilatus brought us into the suburbs of Lucerne, from where we managed to get a bus (complete with dropdown ramps) back to the city centre. All in all, it had been another amazing day!

OVER SO SOON

And then it was back to Zurich to catch our flight back to London.

Although this was a specific ‘tour’, we were completely free to travel on any train in our area that we wished, making the whole holiday very flexible. There were no hidden extras – all the trips (except the extras mentioned above) were included in the overall cost – and the suggested day trips were unforgettable.

We travelled in August, when the weather was generally good – but not grilling hot! However, those parts of Switzerland would be spectacular at any time – be it spring when the meadows are carpeted with wonderful flowers, or the autumn colours of the trees.

With luck, there will be time in the future for a beach or pool holiday with plenty of sun, but I have to say that Switzerland made for a really different choice of holiday – and offers some of the most beautiful and spectacular rail journeys ever!

AND FINALLY…

We found standards everywhere were high. The Swiss were courteous, efficient and helpful. On main line routes, each train carriage has a reserved and generous space for wheelchair users, and an accessible toilet; even on smaller trains, there is still room for a wheelchair. Swiss railway staff are also happy to help, even lifting Peter in his wheelchair up into the carriages. It really felt like a different planet; it was as if this level of service was no extra hassle for them – something we much appreciated.

Above all, we were so pleased that, with the help of Swiss Travel Service, we were able to get a teenager in a wheelchair – and the rest of the family – to such incredible heights!

Rail travel is always special and with this holiday, it had been possible to enjoy an experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend if one of your family or party is a wheelchair user.

“Since both Switzerland’s national products, snow and chocolate, melt, the cuckoo clock was invented solely to give tourists something to remember it by.” Alan Coren.

Perhaps that’s a bit unfair given the memories that the Goodman’s have taken home with them…

On the trail of the Goodman’s – What to see in Switzerland:

Zurich: Often described as the cultural capital of Switzerland it is among the wealthiest cities in Europe. This is also reflected in the fact that it one of the most expensive too! Visitors shouldn’t miss the Kunsthaus Zurich – A gallery holding one of the biggest collections of classic modern art in the world including works by Munch, Picasso, Braque and Giacometti.

Lucerne: The city straddles the Reuss River. Look out for the most famous of its bridges, the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke). Built from wood in 1333 it has a span of 204 metres.

Mount Pilatus is home to the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. Local legend has it that it is named after Pontius Pilate who is supposedly buried there. If that’s too hard to swallow, other people that definitely made it to the summit include Queen Victoria and Vladimir Lenin.

What to eat in Switzerland:

Fondue: A large bowl of melted cheese provides the focal point for this communal eating ritual. All you need is a long fork and bread to dip.

Raclette: This is a shepherd’s dish named after the type of cheese used. Again it involves melting the cheese, a slither at a time and coating potatoes, meat and pickles with it. It’s a cross between a picnic and an indoor barbecue.

Rosti: Grated potatoes are fried on both sides and formed into a pancake.

Toblerone: Mr Theodor Tobler invented the iconic triangular chocolate bar in 1908. Tobler and Torrone (the Italian word for honey and almond nougat) has been enjoyed as ‘Toblerone’ ever since.

Related posts:

1. Travel Tales: Palma Nova- A Spanish Gem
2. Travel Tales: A Magical Kingdom
3. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics

Visiting Berlin forthe first time, as I was, you’re struck by the architecture and the history.The Reichstag is testament to this. Sitting proudly on the landscape at Platzder Republik 1, (00 49 30 2270), the imposing structure has been transformed byour own eminent architect, Lord Norman Foster. Intended to symbolise a new,democratic Germany, its stroke of genius is to let light into a building famousfor its negative associations. The beautiful dome, or cupola, is well worth avisit. A ramp winds its way up to the top (there is a lift however), where youcan enjoy fabulous views over the city, whilst exclaiming over the beauty ofthis open-aired structure. The dome is open daily from 8am – 10pm and admissionis free. http://www.bundestag.de/. The nearest Subway is Unter den Linden. Ihave restricted mobility and I found that public transport had excellentfacilities for disabled travellers. Over 50 underground and over 100 trainstations are equipped with elevators or ramps, to provide easy access to theplatforms.

Indeed, some transportcompanies offer free or reduced rate transport to disabled passengers and theirescorts.

The Wall and the EastSide Gallery on Mühlenstrasse, is the biggest slice of the notorious BerlinWall. This is a section of the Wall that has been painted by artistsinterpreting the events on November 9, 1989, when the Wall came down. Theresult is an open-air gallery containing a host of colourful and imaginativeimages, some satirical and some shocking. In my view, the East Side Gallery isa must for first-time visitors to the city. The barren wasteland whichsurrounds the Wall is oddly fitting and gives you a good idea of how the Wallwould have appeared several decades ago. Admission is free. www.eastsidegallery.com. Thenearest Subway would be Ostbahnhof.

Checkpoint Charlie canbe found at Friedrichstrasse, 43-44, (00 49 30 2537 250) and is open daily.This is a truly remarkable museum, as it is easy to forget the extraordinaryrisks taken by those who wanted to escape communist East Germany.False-bottomed cars, detailed photographs of escape tunnels, and improvisedballoons and aircraft form part of the story of the divided city. CheckpointCharlie was one of the main gateways for crossing between the two halves ofBerlin during the Cold War. Checkpoint Charlie is located at a smallintersection with no stop sign or traffic light so as you’re concentrating ontaking a great photo don’t forget that you are on a city street with plenty oftraffic coming through. Located at the intersection of Friedrichstrasse &Zimmerstrasse, the nearest Subway would be Kochstrasse. www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/checkpoint-charlie.htm.

The city centre ofBerlin is a delight to explore and there are plenty of taxis and taxi stands.The train and bus systems are, as you would expect, superbly efficient, the newbuses have been fitted with a ramps that can be lowered, to permit convenientaccess for wheelchairs. The trams consist of modern trains with a low floor,which also have ramps that can be lowered. An excellent idea that should beintroduced in all countries, is that you can press a special stop button inorder to get on or off the tram, and the conductor will lower a ramp for you.

There are even bicyclerickshaw services in the shopping areas, offering a convenient andenvironmentally friendly way of getting around. But beware, as the experiencecan be bone rattling!

Best for…

EATING

I went to the warm andexceedingly friendly Anheim Restaurant on Friedrichstrasse 134, visavieFriedrichstadtpalast, 10117 Berlin. Tel: +49 30 280 44 700. www.restaurant-anheim.de.

I had Fillet of porkwith slices of vegetables in port wine sauce for 22 € (approx £19) and as youcan see, washed down with a juicy red! Every evening there is a pianist on thegrand piano in the Atrium playing jazz and classic standards that really addedto the ambience.

Opening times: Mon- Sun: 11:30 – 12 midnight. Disabled access.

However, for thattaste of home, the Tea Lounge at The Ritz Carlton on Potsdamer Platz 3 (00 4930 3377 77) serves traditional English tea, complete with scones and Devon cream!Throughout the summer the tea is served in the spacious hotel garden. Or, trythe Dressler Restaurant at Kurfürstendamm, 207-208 (00 49 30 8833 530). This isone of three popular cafés on the ‘sunny side’ of Berlin. Here the pavementsare wide enough to allow tables, so you can sip a Campari and orange and watchthe world go by.

SLEEPING

I stayed at the MeliaBerlin; it has 20 rooms with wheelchair access, barrier-free access to allareas of the rooms. Door peephole height adjusted for wheelchair users andbarrier-free access to the bathroom and shower. Melia Berlin, Friedrichstraße,103, 10117, Berlin. Tel: +49 (30) 20607900, Email: melia.berlin@solmelia.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Bookingsby telephone (from The UK): 0808 101 4566

DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT…

Tasting

… a sausage, orWürste. There are over 150 different types of German sausage, although Berlin’smost popular sausage is the cürrywurst. This is a pork sausage served with aspecial curry-tomato sauce and is available from most sausage stalls. Peoplesay that cürrywurst is best served with beer, and since Germany also producestop-quality beer, that makes for a delicious combination. Celebrities, such asMadonna and George W. Bush, are known to enjoy them.

Seeing

Potsdam, It is justoutside the city but is definitely a ‘must-see’. Home of the PrussianHohenzollern dynasties, it is a separate city barely half-an-hour out ofcentral Berlin. The big attraction is Sanssouci, Frederick the Great’smagnificent landscaped park surrounding his palace, but there is a lot more tosee, such as the immigrant-built Dutch quarter Cecilienhof, where Stalin,Churchill and Truman conferred over post-war Europe and a 19th-century Russiancolony of timbered houses at the foot of a pearl-like Orthodox chapel.

Potsdam can be easilyreached by train (RE1) or S-Bahn (S7) and is located in zone C, a daily ticketwas DM8.50 for a return and is also valid on all the local trams and buses.

Fact file:

Flights: Direct flights from London, Birmingham andManchester operate several times a day. Tegel Airport in the western part ofBerlin, but the budget airlines usually flies to Schönefeld, to the southeastof the city. Fares vary little throughout the year.Both airports are fully equipped for wheelchair users. Also, the new system ofpublic telephones throughout Berlin is a new lowered design to suit theelderly, children and wheelchair users.

Climate: Berlin’s climate is typical for continentalEurope, and very variable. Go between May and October to experience the cityduring its most reliable weather period.

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Language: The visitor will face no language problems inBerlin as most people speak English (of course, your attempts at a littleGerman will be most appreciated).

• Hello – Hallo
• Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen
• Please – Bitte
• Thank you – Danke

Time zone: GMT + 1 hour

Web: Website for people with disabilitiestravelling in Berlin: www.visitberlin.de/english/zielgruppen/e_zg_behinderte.php.

Also, an excellenttour company that I’ve used in many cities called Viator: viator.com/search/Potsdam.

Related posts:

1. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics
2. Travel Tales: Cooking the Italian way
3. Travel Tales: In the Footsteps of Keats

For further information on accessibility related issues, consult the Disney Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities.

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1. Travel Tales: Palma Nova- A Spanish Gem
2. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics
3. Travel Tales: In the Footsteps of Keats

In June 1818 the great English Romantic poet John Keats, and his friend Charles Brown, walked through the Lake District and Scotland.Their trip from Lancaster to Inverness was to provide Keats with images that would inspire some of his most powerful poetry, including Hyperion, Ode to Autumn and Ode to a Nightingale.

Two books have since been written following in Keats’s footsteps, both by American authors. The first – A Walk North With Keats, by Nelson Bushnell – was a faithful recreation of the 1818 trek made in the 1930s, and was the guide I used to plan my own walk.  The second was a less personal, photographic record of a similar journey completed during the late 70s by Carol Kyros Walker.

Admittedly, 70 years on, Bushnell’s book is itself of historic interest, filled as it is with his complaints about tarmacadam, metalled roads and charabancs – all while offering a somewhat quaint and naive view of Britain at a time when traffic, pollution and a general lack of environmental awareness were beginning to hit the popular fells. By writing up my own experiences of the route, I wanted to do two things; to examine the role creative writing can have in supporting those with mobility issues, and to gauge how far areas such as the Lakes are accessible to people who are less agile. Would I find similar inspiration to Keats, or would the solitude and grandeur that so affected him be closed off to me?

Lymphoedema is a condition of the lymphatic system that causes significant swelling in usually one or more limbs. Although it affects thousands of people in the UK, little is known about it; doctors are frequently ignorant of signs and symptoms of a disabling condition, causing serious problems with mobility and leaving a patient vulnerable to potentially life threatening infections.

I’ve been affected by Primary Lymphoedema  since I was a teenager. To add to my difficulties, the last two years had seen me get through the additional trauma of breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – all of which had further limited my physical activity, contributing to some weight gain and an increased risk of developing Lymphoedema in my arm.

Determined to do something positive, I came up with the idea of combining my “three great loves”. Completing a walk of 100 miles across the Lakes in the footsteps of my favourite poet – which I guessed would take me about three weeks – would be, I thought, an excellent way to raise funds and to highlight the need for better treatment for Lymphoedema patients across the UK. Plus, of course, it was the perfect motivation for me to regain fitness, lose weight and get my life back into perspective. Obviously, my legs were lacking in enthusiasm for the plan, but they had to get used to the idea.

St Margaret’s Somerset Hospice (where I am lucky enough to receive treatment in Somerset) and national charity the Lymphoedema Support Network, were happy to formally endorse my walk, as were the Keats Shelley Memorial Association. I set up my fundraising website (www.justgiving.com/keatswalk) and, despite being delayed by a broken metatarsal – caused by the old mid-life problem of too much exercise too soon – I was filled with enthusiasm, sending my press release to local papers promoting the walk and other fundraising events. I barraged local companies with requests for sponsorship, receiving some generous donations and, most importantly, the support of my family who likewise agreed to fund all their own expenses to ensure every penny went to the designated charities.

I set off on the first leg in March; but it was an unromantic beginning. The route up to Lancaster now follows the M6, so there were stark differences between Bushnell’s experience and my own. Where Bushnell was met by smiling locals, birdsong and the crunch of gravel beneath his feet as he travelled through Bolton le Sands and Burton in Kendal to Endmoor, I was forced onto narrow pavements next to busy main roads, buffeted by large articulated lorries. Nor was there any inspiration to be found in the lines of post war suburban housing!

On the second stage, which I started in June, I was in the Lakes proper and could appreciate some of the mystery that had worked its magic on Keats. The weather was less than magical, though – rains and gales meant  two of my planned walks were curtailed and I suffered badly as it became very slippery underfoot. But the feeling of achievement at the end of a long day made my soggy feet and aching arms bearable – walking with sticks is apparently a great form of exercise! On a few occasions I found it difficult to follow Bushnell’s route to the letter, so I added a few “interpretations” of my own. Which is fine; after all, we don’t have an exact map of the route Keats and Brown had taken.

In August, on the third leg I went to Stockghyll Force in Ambleside, a waterfall which Keats had mentioned in his letters. These days no-one is allowed to scramble over the rocks as Keats did, but to avoid a steep and rocky path the authorities have built a separate disabled access point near the top. However, hemmed in by health and safety, with my view of the waterfall obscured by trees, I’m afraid that in the place where Keats was able to forget his short stature “so completely”, I actually felt my mobility problems even more acutely than on the more undeveloped walks across gently rolling fields.

I chose to counter this depressing feeling by walking on to the Castlerigg Stone Circle, the “Druids circle” which Keats walked to as an after dinner stroll (!). Having been built thousands of years ago, the Circle can’t have changed that much in the last few hundred! These days, you can drive to the site, while physical access to the stones is quite level. If you can block out the crowds sitting on the ancient stones eating ice cream under their umbrellas, you can feel you are sharing something of Keats’s own experience of the place.

That said, having now seen many of the things that Keats saw on his walks – subsequently described in his journals and poetry – I’m more than ever in awe of his poetic genius. I know I can describe what I saw but am also aware that I couldn’t find the language to move or inspire people as he did!

I know it would have been unrealistic to expect equal access to open fells and mountainsides, but the principle of Least Restrictive Access should bring disability to the top of any access planning and maintenance agenda. The major obstacles I found while following in Keats’s footsteps were the stiles and steps that no “proper” walk in the Lakes can avoid. These should be one of the first things to be addressed; I still found impossible barriers on well used, ostensibly level footpaths. Ironically it would have been easier for me to access some of the routes Keats followed as they had been back in the early 1800s! However, I was undaunted and I was lucky to have a good support team around me, hauling me over stiles in all manner of strange designs!

It would be unfair of me to criticize too harshly, as much sterling work has been done. For obvious reasons however, much of this is in the most popular areas. For instance, it was easier for me to walk along the shores of Windermere than the shores of Thirlmere, but then the former was also more akin to a Sunday stroll in a municipal park rather than a wander “lonelier than a cloud” – sorry, Mr Wordsworth!

It is easy to feel defeated by the outdoors if you have mobility problems, but however busy the hotspots, there’s always somewhere in the Lake District where you can catch your breath and, if not inspired to great writing, to at least find some sense of perspective! I have walked 100 miles and have raised over £3,500 so far, but until I know that every GP and specialist in the UK is aware of Lymphoedema and its impact on our lives, I aim to keep on walking!

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3. Travel Tales: Cooking the Italian way

Italy is home to some of the world’s finest cuisine, where simple rustic flavours are created with the greatest of ease. Tracey Davies – who says she’s “as good in the kitchen as Mike Tyson is at knitting” decided it was time to properly learn how to cook the Italian way!

I adore eating Italian food – the incredible pasta, the fabulous pizzas, not to mention the ice cream. Sadly, though, I can’t cook any of it. Determined to change all this, I’ve opted for some cookery lessons in the heart of Italy’s larder. Which is why I’m on my way to Forli in the northern part of the country.

Set deep in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, forty miles south-east of Bologna, this part of the world is famous for its fabulous cuisine and its wonderful indigenous produce – from Parma ham to parmesan, much of Italy’s essential ingredients come from this single gastronomic region. Thanks to no-thrills airline Ryanair, which manages to fly into all the nooks and crannies of Europe, taking cookery lessons in Italy couldn’t be easier!

Casa Artusi, my temple of culinary wisdom, is seven miles from Forli and situated in a pretty little town called Forlimpopoli. Opened in 2007, Casa Artusi is being touted as a centre of gastronomic culture and is devoted to Italian home cooking. Its modern pale stone and glass building is spacious and airy and has been built to the highest specifications, making it completely accessible by wheelchair. It houses a cookery school, an extensive private library and the Casa Artusi restaurant. It’s named after Pellegrino Artusi, who is considered to be “the father of Italian cookery” and wrote one of Italy earliest and most famous cookery books – The Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well. This delightful collection of recipes was first published in 1891 and even now – more than a hundred years later – it is still recognised as one of Italy’s finest cook books and the core of
Casa Artusi today.

BY HAND
Casa Artusi’s speciality is making fresh, home-made pasta under the guiding eyes of the mariettas, the cookery teachers who are named after one of Artusi’s cooks, Marietta Sabbatini. Donning my first ever apron, I am led to a shiny silver work station – wide-eyed, fearless and faced with a collection of raw ingredients. A ring of fine flour and the yolky eyes of a couple of fresh eggs perched in the centre is apparently all I need to make fresh pasta the Italian way. Starting slowly, I mix the eggs into the flour, softly and deftly, flinging flour all over the place and getting in to quite a mess. Soon enough my pasta dough starts to form and I begin the hard task of kneading. With my sleeves rolled up and flour tickling my nose, it’s this part of the pasta-making process that seems to take forever. Each time I stop my marietta nudges me on with a smile.

Then comes the rolling. Here at Casa Artusi, all the pasta is made by hand. None of these fancy Jamie Oliver-type rolling machines here, just a good old-fashioned two foot long, wooden rolling pin. So I roll, and roll and roll. “The pasta has to be really thin, almost see through,” says my marietta in her singsong Italian. Finally, a wide sheet of paper-thin dough lies silky in front of me.

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!
My marietta brings out a selection of pasta-making instruments. My favourite is the chitarra, a small, square guitar-like apparatus, fitted with two dozen fine steel strings.

Laying my sheet of pasta over the top, I press hard with the rolling pin slicing it with the strings. I then pluck the chitarra as if I am strumming a guitar and with a whoop of joy, threads of perfect flat spaghetti called macherroni al chitarra fall on to the surface. I have made my own pasta!

Now there is no stopping me. With my soft, smooth sheet of hand-rolled dough I get to work on making piles and piles of beautiful shapes, from tagliatelle and pappardelle to rigatoni and penne. It’s the garganelli, however, that is the most satisfying for me: using a small wooden combed contraption, I roll squares of pasta over a thick wood pin making perfect ribbed tubes. It is surprisingly easy, and therapeutic enough that I could happily do it all day.

Along with fresh pasta my marietta teaches me how to make the local flat bread called piadina. In every restaurant and café in Emilia-Romagna, this delicious bread is served with soft local cheese called squaquarone and cured meats – it’s absolutely delicious. It’s made with flour from the region, a knob of lard, some salt, yeast and a splash of milk before being kneaded to within an inch of its life and rolled out into little pancake shapes. The flat breads are then cooked on a hot skillet until they turn a mottled brown. There is something wonderful about making a dish from scratch, cooking it and eating it fresh from the pan. I think these will be a real hit with the family back home!

OUT OF THE KITCHEN
After the cookery lesson, my fellow students and I enjoy a meal – sadly, our much-sweated over pasta shapes were not included – in the Casa Artusi restaurant. We taste some fresh, hand-made Romagna pasta, made here in the kitchens and served with a simple butter, cheese and tomato sauce and it really is out of this world!

There is plenty of other attractions in the area including the delightful old city of Forli, with its fascinating history and beautiful, and again very accessible, art gallery. It’s well worth an afternoons visit. Whilst in the area you must try the local Emilia-Romagna wines. The region is famous for Sangiovese, Lambrusco and Albana wines with many vineyards happy to opens their doors and let you sample a drop or two.

It’s been a fantastic trip to this beautiful region of Italy. At Casa Artusi I have learnt how to make proper Italian pasta and I’m very excited about taking my new talent home as a well-earned souvenir. Now, where can I go to learn how to make some of that delicious Italian ice cream?!

Travelling to Forli
You can get to Forli easily and cheaply with budget airline Ryanair, flying from London Stansted in little over two hours. Both Stansted and Forli Airport’s are fully accessible with wheelchairs available. British Airways flies to nearby Bologna.

If you are flying with Ryanair and have reduced mobility you must advise them when booking, enabling you to pre-book your seats without charge. See our article on page 39 for further guidance.

Top Tips:

Be aware Ryan Air can only take 2 wheelchair users per flight so its essential to call and check wheelchair passenger space before booking your flights.

In many areas English is rarely spoken so a phrase book is essential.

Many costal resorts are flat and easily accessible by wheelchair as are many of the Lido’s / beaches.

Accessible toilets are well sign posted throughout Venice and other large cities.

Venice is surprisingly accessible with lifts on some of the bridges and discounted water bus rates for disabled passengers and carers allowing access to nearly all corners of Venice and its many attractions.

Equipment suppliers are limited so be sure to take all you need with you.

For inspected areas of Italy to ensure
they are accessible for a wheelchair
user, please contact Accessible Travel
& Leisure on 01452 729739 or visit
www.accessibletravel.co.uk
– Andy Wright at Accessible Travel

CONTACT DETAILS

Ryanair
0871 246 0003, www.ryanair.com

Airport to Hotel transfers in Forli
HolidayTaxis.com
If travelling with a wheelchair call on 01444 257 041 to ensure suitable vehicles, www.holidaytaxis.com

Hotel Castrocaro
00 39 543 767 114,
www.termedicastrocaro.it

Casa Artusi,
00 39 543 743 138, www.casartusi.it

Tenuta Pennita Vineyard
00 39 543 767 451, www.lapennita.it

For more information about Forli
and surrounding areas, log on to
www.turismo.fc.it

Related posts:

1. Travel Tales: Palma Nova- A Spanish Gem
2. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics

Majorca has long been a popular destination for British holiday makers seeking sun, sand and a relaxing holiday, but just how accessible is this Mediterranean island?

WORDS: ELAINE RUSH

What a difference a decade makes! The first time we travelled to Majorca, in the early 1980s, it’s fair to say that it was a mixed experience. Any initial excitement about going abroad was marred by an unwelcoming airport, poor food and limited wheelchair access. However, when we returned 10 years later, it was like visiting a different island – one that’s now among our favourite holiday destinations!

We booked our most recent trip through Thomson because we have always found them to be reliable, the hotel is ‘exclusive to Thomson customers’ and the flight from Southampton to Palma was just two hours.

Palma Airport is now ultra modern and fully accessible, with automatic doors, lifts, ramps and an accessible toilet that was spotlessly clean – unlike many disabled facilities over here! The staff are also clearly used to disabled visitors, checking that we were OK to collect our own luggage.

GETTING THERE

We began to relax immediately as our pre-booked taxi was waiting for us when we arrived. Do note that you can arrange an accessible taxi if you prefer to stay in your wheelchair while in transit but, personally, I prefer to transfer onto a car seat – it feels safer, given Majorcan taxi drivers’ preference for fast and furious driving! Fortunately our destination – the Santa Lucia hotel, in the popular resort of Palma Nova – was just a 20 minute ride away.

The hotel has one of the best locations in Palma Nova, built at an angle on the seafront so that all its rooms have spectacular sea views. The entrance is flat, the reception area bright and spacious (as are all the public rooms) and it’s also step-free, making it a good choice for wheelchair users or anybody with reduced mobility. There are also several disabled rooms, although you have to request these – for some reason, unknown to us, they’re not mentioned in the brochure!

On this occasion we stayed at the Santa Lucia on a half board basis; both breakfast and evening meal are provided buffet style and there’s plenty of choice.

OUT AND ABOUT

That said, if – like us – you’re staying at the hotel for two weeks, you may well find the choice of food become rather predictable. Thankfully, Palma Nova has an abundance of cafes, bars and restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets. One alfresco Italian restaurant that we particularly enjoyed was Viceroys; from fillet steak to a huge selection of pizzas and pastas we couldn’t fault it – the food was exceptional! Just one of many good restaurants in the area.

Early on we also discovered a lovely bar, called Castaways, across the road. This became hugely popular with the men in our hotel thanks to its Buy One, Get One Free offer on their beer. Needless to say we ending up spending a few ‘happy hours’ there!

The resort isn’t just beautiful, it’s also great for disabled holidaymakers. The promenade is wide, flat and stretches for miles, while you can hire special beach wheelchairs to enjoy the clean golden sands and the calm water in the bay that’s ideal for swimming. Of course, there are also numerous water activities for the more able visitor, from pedalos and banana boats to jet skies and water skiing!

NIGHT LIFE

The nearest town – Magaluf – is within easy ‘pushing’ distance of Palma Nova. It too boasts a beautiful unspoilt beach, but does have a livelier atmosphere and is popular with younger visitors. Although we enjoyed it during the day, we personally avoided the area at night – but if you’re looking for somewhere to dance away the hours until dawn then Magaluf is certainly the place to be! BCM is the biggest nightclub in town, featuring top international DJs, laser shows and nightly foam parties.

Although Banana Joe’s is only nightclub in Palma Nova, many of the bars have live music and we really enjoyed walking out each evening to see who was on. The Spanish people are very friendly and it was not uncommon to see families still wandering around at midnight because it feels so safe – not something we can do back home!

One of the most popular evenings out is the Pirates show, near Magaluf, with its mix of acrobatics and audience participation. Although pricey – adult entry is €51 (£44), children €29.50 (£25) – the evening includes a meal and a selection of free drinks. It was certainly an exciting evening for children of all ages! Meantime, one of the newest attractions in town is the House of Katmandu, an unusual upside-down building that leads you through different rooms while unfolding a suspense adventure. There is also a 4D extreme motion cinema here with six different rides that offer a unique cinema experience with a difference

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

Majorca has wonderful weather; when we visited in June we had wall-to-wall sunshine throughout our stay, and the temperatures were in the 90s even then – given that it’s hottest in July and August, you may prefer to visit in May or September.

On one day we visited Western Park which, with its large swimming areas and water rides, proved to be the perfect way to keep cool. There were also shows on throughout the day but as the area was only partially covered we felt it was too hot to sit in full sun – a shame, because we had heard the shows were really good. Perhaps next time?

And that’s the thing about Palma Nova; it has everything you need for a great holiday. Despite the poor exchange rate between the Pound and the Euro, we found our spending money lasted well because we could take advantage of so many special offers. No surprise, then, that people return time and time again to this beautiful Spanish island.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Taxi from Palma airport to Palma Nova €35-€40 (£30-£34)
• H/B, 2 week mid-June break staying at the Santa Lucia hotel from Gatwick £800pp (local airport supplement may apply)
• Pirates night out: adults €51 (£44), children €29.50 (£25)
• Western Park (day pass): adults €24 (£20), children €16 (£14)
• Katmandu house: adults €18 (£15), children €12 (£10)

Related posts:

1. Travel Tales: Paralympics A Barrier-Free Olympics

Some half a million foreign visitors are expected to descend upon China’s vibrant capital city between 8 and 24 August to witness the 2008 Olympic Games. But since China is still classified as a developing country, there has been some concern about the standard of facilities on offer in Beijing – not least for the many disabled people who will travel to the city to participate in and support the following Paralympic Games, which take place from 6 to 17 September.

To its credit, the Chinese government has addressed the issue with aplomb, ploughing vast resources into making much-needed improvements in many areas. By the time the games kick off, it’s anticipated that every major pavement in the city will boast not only a central raised path for blind people, but also ramps to enable wheelchair users to move around freely. More than 2,000 such ramps have already been installed.

Beijing has also opened a centre to train 30,000 volunteers to help international visitors and, when the Olympics are over, the training centre will be transformed into a school to develop vocational skills amongst Beijing’s sizeable disabled population. There are almost 800,000 registered disabled people in China’s capital, with an estimated 81 million – roughly the population of Germany – distributed throughout the rest of the country. Living conditions for disabled people in China have been described by an official as “less than ideal”, with many facing discrimination and employment problems. For instance, largely due to the prohibitive costs involved, only 2% of people in rural areas who need equipment like hearing aids and false limbs actually receive it.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
However, Tang Xiaoquan of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) recently told a news conference: “We believe that the Paralympics will enhance the international influence of China’s disabled people and give them more self-esteem, as well as make them more confident and self-sufficient.” In fact, BOCOG’s executive vice president said that the preparations for the Paralympics have helped to accelerate the improvement of conditions for China’s disabled population.

Many disabled people in China will certainly benefit from the government-funded improvements, and they see the Olympics and Paralympics as the ideal stage to highlight their plight. A campaign to raise public awareness has been in place for some months, resulting in a regular “barrier-free day” in Beijing, during which people are actively encouraged to be more sensitive to the problems that people with mobility impairments face.

THE GREAT WALL
Most of the government’s expenditure has gone towards making 60 of the city’s most famous tourist attractions more accessible to disabled people. Some 600 million RMB (£42.6 million) has been spent on renovating the Great Wall at Badaling where, until now, anyone who visited in a wheelchair would have had to rely on other people to lift them up the many steps and other obstructions. Badaling, the section of the wall that lies just an hour outside Beijing, has been dubbed “the mother of all tourist sites” and the revamp means that – for the first time – wheelchair users can enjoy the experience of the Great Wall essentially unaided.

Local tourism official Wang Fengbin says that ramps, lifts and a range of other access solutions have been introduced on the Great Wall at Badaling, with many more changes to come: “A sloping path will be built into the wall to allow wheelchairs to reach the platform of the first beacon tower.” Signage will also be improved, one of the ticket office windows will be lowered and a voice guidance system is set to be installed allowing easier access for all.

THE FORBIDDEN CITY
Another famous tourist attraction to benefit from the recent funding boost is the Forbidden City. So called because commoners were not allowed to enter it, this sprawling Ming dynasty masterpiece was built as the political centrepiece of the Celestial Empire. The impressive Wumen Gate, the southern entrance to the Forbidden City, is now accessible via a wheelchair lift. Once inside the 72 hectare Forbidden City, disabled visitors can enjoy this spectacular walled palace complex thanks to a kilometre-long accessible avenue and a series of lifts. This links all the major halls and palaces of the inner and outer courts, from which China’s emperors exercised their supreme power over the nation for almost five centuries. Yan Hongbin of the Beijing Disabled Persons Federation explains: “The barrier-free avenue starts from the south gate and ends in the north, permitting disabled tourists to enjoy a truly barrier-free tour.” What’s more, the impressive Palace Museum – home to thousands of ancient artefacts from the Ming and Qing imperial courts – has been fitted with wheelchair-friendly pathways, while a specially designed map highlighting accessible facilities and routes will soon be available.

WORTH SEEING
Nearby Tiananmen Square – the site of the infamous 1989 student demonstration – is also fully accessible. Head out before sunrise to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony at this, the world’s largest open urban square. Just north of Beijing, the Ming Tombs are certainly worth a visit. 13 of the 16 Ming emperors were laid to rest here, although only three of the mausoleums are actually open to the public. Another site of note is the luxurious Summer Palace in Haidian district, where disabled visitors can enjoy half-price entry. With scenic lakes, imperial gardens and classic buildings, it’s a popular destination on the tourist trail.

GETTING AROUND
Several companies now run specialised tours which include visits to the traditional tourist hot spots as well as trips geared towards exploring forms of traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture. But for those determined to make their own way around, the government has also invested heavily in improving Beijing’s transport network. An accessible bus service runs from Tiananmen in central Beijing to Xizhimen in the west of the city, offering a low boarding platform and wheelchair-friendly layout. The service runs from 6.30am to 8.30pm, while the fare – a very reasonable 2 RMB (28p) for a single journey – is the same as the city’s standard buses.

Beijing’s subway system has also seen a dramatic improvement, with 55 subway stations already classed “barrier-free”. Trains on the new line five are wider and taller than those on older routes, and carriages are equipped with a wireless communication network so that passengers can use laptops and mobile phones without fear of losing their signal. Construction of the new line began in 2002 and eventually cost 12 billion RMB (about £800 million).

According to the Xinhua News Agency, renovations are nearly complete in more than 120 hotels set aside for the Olympic Games. The renovations have an emphasis on accommodating disabled guests and, according to the Beijing Tourism Bureau, member hotels in the city can now offer a total of 168 accessible rooms, while more than 390 three-star hotels have undergone renovation to improve accessibility. The Beijing New Plaza Hotel offers specially designed rooms, private parking spaces and accessible ramps along with large capacity toilets.

WHEN YOU’VE GOT TO GO
An area of particular concern for tourists in Beijing is public toilet facilities – to the extent that, at one time, a third of all complaints received by the Beijing Tourism Administration involved public conveniences. Much to the horror of foreign visitors, traditional Chinese toilets amount to little more than open troughs over which the user is expected to squat. Thankfully, many toilets – especially at popular tourist destinations – have been drastically upgraded. Facilities must now provide at least one cubicle suitable for wheelchair users, as well as emergency call buttons. In addition, a rating system has been introduced to indicate the quality of the toilets, with four-star facilities providing luxuries such as lotions and hot towels. At present a small fee must be paid to use them to cover costs, but the ultimate aim is to provide free access to all. In total, 747 toilets at 168 attractions are involved in the scheme.

So from toilets to transport, ancient palaces to public awareness days, it appears that the ‘new’ China is determined to make a good impression on the rest of the world when the Olympic and Paralympic Games arrive in Beijing. All things considered, it looks like doing just that.

INTERESTING FACTS

TOP FIVE ACCESSIBLE TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN BEIJING:

1: The Great Wall at Badaling
2: The Forbidden City
3: Summer Palace
4: Beijing Museum of Natural History
5: The Ming Tombs

GETTING THERE
You can fly direct from London Heathrow to Beijing Capital International Airport with BA (return prices in September starting from £706), Air China (about £900) or connect with flights from most European airlines including Air France, Lufthansa, KLM, SAS and Finnair. It pays to look around, though; book through Expedia.co.uk (0871 222 9483) and you could fly with United Arab Emirates (including a stopover in Dubai) for just £437.20 return.

AIRPORT
Beijing Capital International Airport is located about 12 miles (20km) northeast of the city. Most international flights now use the new £1 billion, Norman Foster-designed Terminal 3, which came into operation during February and March 2008. Currently the best way to travel between airport and city is by taxi (fares around 90 Chinese Yuan/about £6-£7) or airport shuttle bus (CNY16/about £1.15), but a new direct metro line is set to open before the Games.

BEIJING WEATHER
Hot, humid and wet summers (up to 30°C) are balanced by cold, dry and windy winters (down to -8°C). Good for the Games, autumns are dry and clement.

TRAVEL TIPS: CHINA

• Have a full medical check-up before you leave the UK and
take your doctor’s name and contact details with you in case
of emergency.

• Plan ahead; inform the airline you are travelling with and
the hotel where you are staying of your needs, and gather
information on your destination from guidebooks and the
internet.

• Ensure you have the correct documentation (a standard
tourist visa will usually suffice).

• Make sure you have adequate medical insurance.

• On arrival at your hotel, ask a member of staff to write down
the establishment’s address in Chinese and keep it with you
at all times. Most taxi drivers don’t speak English.

• Allow plenty of time for journeys. Airports and stations in
Beijing are efficient but notoriously crowded, and at peak
times the roads are often gridlocked.

USEFUL WEBSITES:
China Disabled Persons Federation: www.cdpf.org.cn/english/index.htm

Beijing Tours for Disabled People:
www.tour-beijing.com/disability_travel

China National Tourism Office:
www.cnto.org

Official Beijing Olympics:
http://en.beijing2008.cn

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