A look at AP's top photos in June
This gallery was curated by global photo editors Grace Kassab in Beirut and Eloy Martin in Madrid.
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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Live the Belle Époque dream by travelling through Spain aboard this 1930s luxury train
Sitting on silk sofas, surrounded by mirrors and lacquered wood panelled walls, passengers on Spain's Al Ándalus train are abuzz as the carriages glide out of Aranjuez station. The glamorous hotel on wheels was one of the country's first luxury trains when it began operating in 1985. The wagons were originally bought from the British royal family. Now run by state-owned rail company Renfe, passengers can journey sedately around the Andalusia region in sumptuous Belle Époque style, sleeping and dining in the refurbished carriages from the 1920s and 30s. And starting in 2026, the itinerary will include new stops, beginning and ending in the Spanish capital. Travel from Madrid to Seville on a luxury historic train For the 2026 season, the Al Ándalus train will run between April and October with trips of seven days and six nights. You can choose to follow the itinerary in either direction, from Madrid to Seville or vice versa. During the dreamy journey, passengers stop at some of Spain's most magnificent cities and storied attractions. In the La Mancha region, there is a visit to an artisanal cheese factory and a wine cellar, while in Jerez de la Frontera, guests attend the show a famous equestrian ballet set to Spanish music. In Aranjuez, there is a visit to the Royal Palace and its gardens, while in Córdoba, passengers take a tour of the extraordinary Mosque-Cathedral. Throughout the trip, travellers stop at a total of 10 destinations, including five world heritage sites. A luxury coach accompanies the train along the entire route to facilitate excursions, and a multilingual guide is present throughout the journey. Sleep in 1930s carriages on board the Al Ándalus train The experience on board is a fabulous time-warp. The suites and rooms are inside carriages that were built in France at the beginning of the last century to take the members of the British monarchy between Calais and the Côte d'Azur. There are two accommodation categories to choose from - a Deluxe Suite or a Grand Class Room - both of which are clad in decorated veneer panels and feature en-suites. There are also four lounge cars dating from 1928 and 1930, which dazzle with scarlet velvet upholstery and soft gilded lighting. In the restaurant, dishes exalt Spanish ingredients like olive oil, sherry wine, and Jabugo Iberian ham. Live music and a gala dinner Of course, this kind of opulence doesn't come cheap. The cost per person for two sharing a Deluxe Suite is €7,900, while for a Grand Class room, it is €6,600. While it's a hefty sum, it does include admission to all scheduled visits and all breakfasts, lunches and dinners, whether served onboard or in select local restaurants. Related Europe's former railway stations have become the darling of the luxury hotel scene Around the world by luxury train: This 59-day adventure passes through 12 countries It also covers on-board activities like live music and performances, parties in the bar, and the end-of-trip gala dinner. Passengers receive a welcome drink and snack, unlimited water, and a toilet bag with toiletries and slippers. Those staying in a Deluxe Suite can also enjoy all non-alcoholic beverages in the minibar free of charge, a crew service to pack and unpack bags and sort clothes, and the opening and closing of the bed upon request. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Turbulence injures passengers and forces Delta flight to land
A flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam was hit by serious turbulence Wednesday night, injuring passengers and forcing the flight to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to Delta. The airline said that medical staff met the flight and 25 passengers were taken to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Serious injuries from in-flight turbulence are rare, but scientists say they may be becoming more common as climate change alters the jet stream. A man was killed when a Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence in May 2024, the first person to die from turbulence on a major airline in several decades. The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Female tour guides in Afghanistan lead women-only groups as some travelers return
Related : Advertisement After hosting a traveler, 'I became very passionate about it and it was very interesting for me,' Moniry said. 'It was very unique. I have never heard about it before, so I said: 'Why not (do) this?'' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Zoe Stephens, 31, from Britain, took a selfie with other female tourists and Maryam (left), a local trainee tour guide, at Darul Aman Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 28. Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press Looking for the positive As she showed that first visitor around her hometown in western Afghanistan, she saw a new side to her country. 'Most of the things that we have heard (about Afghanistan) was just … negativity. The focus of the people, focus of the media, focus of headlines, all of them were just the negativity. And definitely we get influenced by that,' Moniry said. But for her, Afghanistan is far more nuanced. While there are undoubtedly problems in a place recovering from decades of war and chaos, there is also another side to the complex, stunning country. Her love for her homeland runs deep, and she is eager to share it. She hopes to gradually change people's perceptions. Advertisement 'Whenever … I saw all of that natures, all those beauty, all those positivity, it changed my view totally,' Moniry said in her enthusiastic English. 'And definitely this can be also for other people.' One of those visitors is Australian Suzanne Sandral. She originally wanted to see Afghanistan in the 1960s but the pressures of having a family kept her away. Now at 82, she was part of Moniry's women-only tour group in Kabul. Afghanistan surprised her. Female tourists visited Darul Aman Palace accompanied by three female tour guides in Kabul, Afghanistan, in May. Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press 'It's not what I expected at all. I expected to feel rather fearful. I expected to be given a lot of ... accusatory looks. Not at all,' she said during a pause in sightseeing. 'Wherever you go in the streets, if you smile at someone and give them a little nod or say hello, you get a terrific response. So it's very different.' Jackie Birov, a 35-year-old independent traveler from Chicago who was not part of the tour group, called the Afghan people 'unbelievably hospitable.' However, 'I'm very aware that I have a lot more freedom than local women,' she said. A fledgling industry Four decades of war have kept tourists away from Afghanistan. But while the Taliban's takeover of power in August 2021 sent thousands of Afghans fleeing and shocked the world, the end of its insurgency against the previous U.S.-backed government also marked a sharp drop in violence. Attacks still occasionally occur, mainly by an Islamic State affiliate, and Western countries advise against all travel to Afghanistan. Still, the improved security is increasingly attracting foreign visitors drawn by the dramatic scenery, millennia of history and a deeply ingrained culture of hospitality. Advertisement Tourism is a fledgling industry, with annual visitors in the low thousands. Most are independent adventure travelers. But guided package tours are increasing from countries as diverse as China, Greece, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Afghanistan's Taliban government is keen to welcome them. Isolated on the international stage — officially recognized only by Russia, which did so in July — the government sees how potentially lucrative tourism could be. Tourist visas, typically single-entry ones valid for stays of up to 30 days, have become relatively simple to obtain from the few embassies that issue them. Regular flights connect Kabul with major transit hubs such as Dubai and Istanbul. Afghan tour guide Somaya Moniry (left) and Australian tourist Suzanne Sandral posed for a photo next to a military helicopter during a visit to the War Museum in Kabul, Afghanistan, in May. Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press A question of ethics For some, the idea of visiting Afghanistan as a tourist is morally abhorrent, particularly given the government's treatment of women. Girls are banned from education above primary school level, and women live under myriad restrictions. The government dictates what they can wear in public, where they can go and who they can go with. They cannot walk in parks or eat in restaurants. Beauty salons are banned. A very limited number of professions, such as teaching and carpet weaving, are open to them. And the rules can change quickly. Related : But those involved in tourism point to the positive effects that visiting Afghanistan can have. 'I truly believe in ethical tourism,' said Zoe Stephens, 31, a British tour leader at Koryo Tours, a company specializing in unusual destinations. 'I believe that you can divide politics and people, and that is the main thing for me. … A country is not a sum of its politics. It's a sum of so much more, it's a sum of its culture, its history, its food, and especially in Afghanistan, its people.' Advertisement Maryam, a young Afghan on her first day of training to become a tour guide, helped Suzanne Sandral adjust her hijab in Kabul. Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press Glimpses into the women's world Of the three recent tours Stephens led in Afghanistan, two were women-only. Working with local female guides, including Moniry, they combine key attractions with visits to women's centers and cooking and embroidery classes from local women — worlds that are closed to male travelers. 'We always try and do something a little bit different that really makes our tours unique, as well as something that kind of gives back to the community,' Stephens said. 'So I felt that working with the female tour guides does both of those things really well.' The groups are small — one had eight women, the other three — but the company is looking to build a network of female guides across Afghanistan. 'What we try and do with this tour, especially the women's tour, is conquer those ethical concerns,' Stephens said. 'The idea is to learn about the lives of Afghan women in context.'
