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Page 18 TIIE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday December 15 Travel- Holiday packages make great gifts By VINCENT EGAN Travel Columnist Giftgiving time is quickly ap proaching If theres a frequent traveller on your gift list you will find that the choices are numerous and the price range is almost unlimited Peeling lavish You could choose to give a package holiday In some families the siblings jointly present an inclusive winter- holiday Florida in January for instance to their parents At the other end of the scale an uptodate guidebook would fill the bill if you happen to know what destination the reci pient is planning to visit next A passport case which can double as a wallet in countries with oversized bank notes is almost indispendable For a few dollars extra it can be embossed with the holders name A fundamental principle in choosing gifts for the traveller is to look for items that serve two or more purposes and for articles that take up a minimum of lug gage space yet provide a max imum of utility MULTIPLE USES A calculator for example is fine But much better is one with multiple functions such as alarm clock stop watch calen dar and metric converter Sure to be welcomed is an emergency raincoat or poncho of some quickdrying material that folds down neatly and can be taken along conveniently on sightseeing trips But if plastic rainwear might be regarded as too unfashionable an alternative wouldbe a umbrealla When folded down it fits easily into a briefcase or a bag Luggage is an alwaysuseful gift Choose between hardsided strong but heavy and softsided lighter more vulnerable and between suitcasetype and hang- upgarment bag A less expensive accessory would be a collapsible luggage cart These can be a much ap preciated convenience at big air ports as well as a bit of a nuisance to carry when not in use A folddown zipup bag will take up an insignificant amount of luggage space but will prove invaluable on the homeward journey when extra carrying capacity is needed for the loot acquired on the trip FOR SAFE TRAVEL With safety and security an in creasing concern among travellers the familiar moneybelt could be an ideal gift They are normally worn around the waist although other designs are also available Why Glasgow- Why not By DONNA McCLURE Herald Special Why Glasgow Why Not I returned from a holiday in Glasgow recently and the general response to my choice of a place to visit was Why Glasgow Well everyone is en titled to his or her opinion but I have found that being open- minded has its own rewards I ad mit that Glasgow has never been a for tourists and is usual ly compared to Edinburgh which since the mideighteenth century has been the cultural capital of Scotland however things do change has been designated the Year of Culture as Glasgow celebrates its birthday and the city appears to be having a re birth I found there was an informal friendly atmosphere in the city which was both refreshing and relaxing There is something special about a Glasgow crowd that a Canadian can identify With Perhaps it comes from a common history of struggling to survive geographical and economic disadvantages To experience the flavor of Glasgow you must really see it on foot In a city roughly the size of London Ontario walking of fers the best opportunity to see wonderful Georgian and Vic torian structures that have sur vived along its treelined streets hear the beautiful Glaswegian Scots and discover the intimate tea rooms a satisfying alter native to the North American fast food custom A good place to begin a walk is in the west end at the University of Glasgow founded in 1451 Within the massive granite quadrangle of the university is the Hunterian Museum which has an outstanding geological and ar chaeological collection Across the venue in the Art Gallery one can see a large number of paintings by tin- Whistler The architectural models and Art designs of Glasgows Charles Mackintosh should not be missed since they represent the uniqueness of his style Adjacent to the university is a rather Bohemian neighborhood crossed by Byers Road which leads to the Royal Botanical Gardens with its greenhouses shrubs trees and plants including a herb garden Road intersects Great Western Road which leads through constantly changing neighborhoods with shops restaurants and boutiques Along Great Western to Sauchiehall Street is a pleasant walk and a side trip to the Mitchell Library to see the Robert Burns manuscripts is worthwhile Sauchiehall Street leads to Buchanan Street and the city cen tre Glasgow Cathedral St George Square the business and financial centre Strathclyde University and the Tourist In formation Office can be found close by Like many European cities Glasgow has histonal structures narrow inter connected streets that make sightseeing and browsing ir resistible Of the more than museums in Glasgow there are two which I recommend The Burrell Collec tion is housed in a specially designed award winning building and surrounded by acres of parkland Its collection of tapestries includes exquisite ex amples of German and Dutch The Egyptian and Ming Dynasty collections are memorable Public transporta tion is needed since this gallery is located close to the periphery of Glasgow The Museum of Transport located closest to Glasgow University in Kelvingrove Park is fascinating for visitors of all ages Its displays of horse drawn carriages trains ships and cars trace the history of Glasgow and give one a feel for the social and working activities of the com munity of Glasgow through the years As I walked in Glasgow I found that I wanted to study the skyline with its towering church spires and varied rooftops that can be viewed from bridges and pro minences around the city High rises have not intruded on the city scape to the extent found in North America Planners and developers have learned from ex perience that the high density liv ing is not an acceptable alter native to the tenements it simply replaces one set of problems with another Glasgows days as a great in dustrial city are over but it now faces the challenge of becoming a great postindustrial city Its uni que character formed by its made more formidable by the adversites provides the determiner In this European City of Culture Glaswegians have decid ed to let creativity flourish With the tenacity of the Scots they show evidence of succeeding A portable smokedetector is a reassuring item for the traveller staying in strange surroundings So too is a travelsize firstaid kit with emergency supplies such as iodine and stickon bandages A flashlight with fresh longlife batteries is another essential travel item Even a small one will help travellers to find their way around darkened hotel rooms to look for items that have fallen under the bed or to brighten nighttime streets A larger ver sion costing about attaches to the top of a car to serve as an emergency blinker Binoculars are a necessity for viewing glaciers on an Alaska cruise or wildlife on an African safari The small folddown type is useful for theatre evenings as well Even people who never take pictures will usually want to cap ture their big trip in film So- called automatic everything cameras are ideal for such travellers and are close to being foolproof OTHER IDEAS If none of these gift ideas has quite hit the target here are some other possibilities A wilderness survival kit fit ted with a miniature butane torch compass on a wrist strap thermometer and multipurpose survival tool A tool kit for emergency repairs with recessed spaces for screwdrivers pliers hammer chisel and soon A boxed set of small packets of laundry detergent moistened towels stain remover etc An elasticized clothesline or an inflatable coathanger for dry ing laundry overnight in hotel bathrooms Thomson News Service Help UN1CEF Help Children Buy UN1CEF cards gifts Toronto OH SOB WHOS GOT TIME TO COOK Let Freezer Frenzy Help You We hove everything from Soup lo Nuts for your Chrislmos Cooking MEAT 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