The numbers

700 million Total number of passengers transported by air in the European Union in 2005.

50m The projected number of passengers to fly Ryanair in 2007.

1,665 The number of steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. However, the steps from the second to the third floor are not open to the public, so you can only climb 704.

294 The number of steps to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

400,214 The population of Malta.

60,876,136 The population of France.

6,562,078 The size in square miles of the world’s largest country, Russia.

0.17 The size, in square miles, of the world’s smallest country, Vatican City.

Rites of passage

Your guide to customs, rituals, festivals and superstitions

DARK FORCES CIRCLE IN SCANDINAVIAN SKIES

SWEDEN Traditionally, the Swedes believed that witches had heightened powers of black magic at Easter. They were also thought to fly off on broomsticks to consort with the Devil on Maundy Thursday, with some of them getting stuck in chimneys upon their return.

So when the Swedes woke up on Easter morning, to be certain the chimney was free from unwanted witches, they would burn wood from nine different types of deciduous tree. Which must have been tedious if all you wanted was a nice cup of tea.

Your shout

“What’s the WEIRDEST thing you’ve bought on holiday?”

JILL MOSS, 60, RETIRED
A wooden dodo. I still have it – though my husband hates it.

JILAN SHAH, 29, BARRISTER
Some alcoholic drink made out of cashew nuts. It was disgusting.

GERRY MCGRAIL, 39, BROKER
A camel – yes, a real one! I didn’t bring it home, though.

High-tech Hamburg

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

People will always have different opinions on things. Some say the best view in Hamburg is to be had by standing on the Alsterbrücke (Alster bridge), facing south. Others favour the view of the old shipping company houses against the backdrop of the town hall.

However, thanks to those clever bods with the bulging foreheads at Google Earth, you can now see who’s right. The historic German city is about to have the complete 3D treatment on their website, enabling users to take a virtual walk through the city’s streets and even explore inside buildings. Hotels are also expected to benefit, as they can show off their interiors. Maybe soon you will be able to run a virtual finger along a windowsill to check for computer-generated dust. The project is due to go live in early March. Visit http://earth.google.com

The game

So far, snow good

See all the action on the slopes and gain inspiration for your own boarding or skiing by heading to the Røldal Freeride Challenge, on 20-23 April.

Taking place at Røldal, a Norwegian ski resort two hours from Haugesund airport by road, this prestigious event sees the elite of international freeskiers and snowboarders meet and do their thing.

Freeriding is best defined as a “rough piste”, a phrase which came about in the 19th century when hearty folk shot between rocks, trees and cliffs on hairy mountain descents.

Famous Canadian freerider Leif Zapf-Gilje says: “The terrain is exciting for freeriding and definitely just as good as any world-cup arena. The atmosphere between the riders is uniquely enjoyable.”

Røldal is a family-friendly spot with easily accessable areas, ski schools and T-bars for children. The resort has a history of good powdery snow. About 310cm of the white stuff fell in February, and late April typically sees more than 200cm.

Norway usually enjoys a very long season, with the main resorts opening towards the end of November, and closing in the first weekend in May. Easter is a great time of year to visit, when you can enjoy sunny skiing in warm temperatures. http://roldalfreeride.no

Rites of passage

THE CURSE OF THE LOAF OF BREAD

POLAND One week before Palm Sunday, Polish housewives used to stop baking bread. They believed that if they didn’t do this, the rest of the bread they would bake that year would go bad.

It wasn’t until Holy Week that it was considered safe to start baking again. If a housewife violated this ban, it was thought the entire village would suffer a lengthy drought. And such a curse could only be avoided by one thing — throwing the guilty housewife and her tins into a pond.

My Europe

KINGA WOJTYNA

As any frequent traveller knows, local knowledge is the key to getting the most out of your holiday. Ryanair flight attendants come from all over Europe and know their destinations like the back of their hand, especially when it’s their home nation. If you want the lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not, talk to them. We did just that with half-Italian, half-Polish flight attendant Kinga Wojtyna.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR HOME TOWN, VENICE?

It’s the most unique city in the world, and has an amazing atmosphere, especially at Carnival time when everyone wears traditional masks. But my advice is to take a trip down the Grand Canal, and savour the aroma of the local cuisine coming from the quayside restaurants. Don’t miss the beautiful art and architecture. My favourite museum is the Penny Guggenheim, and the Doge’s Palace is an exquisite wonder not to be missed.

WHAT ABOUT POLAND? GIVE US YOUR TOP FIVE MUST-DOS

01 Visit Krakow, for its eastern atmosphere and rich history. It’s true Poland. 02 Ski in the Zakopane mountains. The area has some of the best pistes in Europe. 03 Visit museums and sites relating to World War I and World War II. The country was deeply affected by these wars and understanding them is essential to understanding Poland. 04 Poland has some of Europe’s most beautiful and unpolluted beaches, on the Baltic Sea. You can even take a two-hour cruise across the Baltic to Sweden. 05 Party in Warsaw by night. Take a walk along the river, visit a few shops, then try one of the local eateries, like Dom Polski — it’s in a pre-war villa (www.restauracjadompolski.pl). Then go clubbing at venues like the Cinnamon and Le Madame.

Hot read

WALLPAPER* CITY GUIDE: VIENNA
(Phaidon €8.95) Out in March

Last year, Wallpaper* magazine’s hipper-than-hip editors and writers published a series of cool and concise travel guides that flew off the shelves. The next one to go on sale in 2007 covers Vienna, and features the hottest places to eat, drink and be merry — as well as giving insider tips on some of the city’s unique attractions, like this luxurious public swimming baths. Far from the usual slimy floors and packed-out lanes, the Amalienbad (tel: +431 607 4747), boasts room for 1,300 bathers, as well as a curved glass roof, stunning mosaic interiors, a terrace and a towel service. And all for a paltry €4, or €12.50 if you fancy a sauna too.

Don’t be shellfish

West Sweden’s oysters grow slowly in cold water, making them some of the finest in the world. The best place to sample them is Grebbestad, two hours north of Gothenburg and home to the annual weekend Oyster Festival, on 20-22 April.

The festival includes some fierce competition, and judges are brought in from Michelin-starred restaurants in Sweden and Norway.

Grebbestad itself is a pleasant spot, with winding narrow streets above the harbour. And the town even has its own Oyster Academy.

For a closer look at these sea creatures, take a boat trip out to the wild oyster banks, where you can learn all about oysters, and then eat them. Also, treat yourself to oysters and a glass of bubbly in a heated seawater tub at the Oyster bar on Kärringö island. Now that’s just plain indulgent.

For more details about the region, visit www.west-sweden.com

Music to your ears

BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE

Sited in a former 1920s cinema in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Club Rembrandt is the brainchild of Extrema, famed for their dance parties around the world. The idea was to create something different and, with a capacity of 2,500 people and individual rooms, it has certainly achieved its aim.

The red area plays straightforward house, while the green area is a beautiful cinema room, more suited to deep shades of techno, electro and minimal.

Upstairs is the Chocolate Lounge. Not long ago, it was named the Salle Blanche (white room) but nothing stands still for five minutes around here. It’s in this room that the thinking goes truly leftfield, and it’s possible to find just about anything — cabaret, live jams, theatre, jazz, exhibitions, “freaky” bingo or just a lounge full of people unwinding. There’s a chill-out room where you can sit and relax or have a nibble — of the person sitting next to you or some food, you decide — and in the “5” area, people can watch cult movies or view art exhibitions.

There is also live jazz in the foyer, creating the ideal ambience for drinks and conversation. The club opened its arms and doors only recently, having held three highly successful sneak preview parties, the last of which was a sell-out date in February.

The catch, however, is that the building is part of a trend where condemned premises are squatted in and turned into bars or clubs until the bulldozers arrive. In Amsterdam, Club 11 is going strong and in Rotterdam the stuffy old Imax cinema has been briefly reinvented as Club Imax. So, as you dance into the small hours, ponder this: in about a year’s time, Club Rembrandt may be nothing but rubble and happy memories.

Rembrandt Theater Eindhoven VOF, Vrijstraat 44-48, Postbus 788, 5600 AT Eindhoven.

Every Fri and Sat from April, 9pm-4am, €12.50. Tel: +31 (0)402 962 861, www.clubrembrandt.com (Dutch only), www.extrema.nl

Rites of passage

FARMERS’ WIVES WHIP THE FAMILY INTO SHAPE ON EASTER MONDAY

CZECH REPUBLIC The Czechs believed that young pussywillow twigs bestowed youth and health on anyone that had been whipped with them. On Easter Monday, people made the twigs into a pomlázka, a braided whip, which boys would use to symbolically whip girls on the legs.

Farmers’ wives would use a pomlázka to whip the livestock and all the members of the household, including the men and children. The tradition and skill of making them by hand is sadly long gone. But nowadays, brightly coloured pomlázkas are sold at shops and street stalls.

Cuts above the rest

SLOW FOOD IN SOHO

Soho, that bastion of neon and naughtiness, is following the London trend of gentrification. Grabbing a sandwich usually means a trip to Dullbucks, or mediocre sandwich shops that rarely stretch beyond Coronation chicken.

But Jorge Fernandez and Rick Wells had other ideas, when they set up their delicatessen and sandwich shop.

Fernandez & Wells offers cuisine from France, Italy, Spain and the UK.

“We provide the simple, but beautiful, combination of bread, cheese, wine and cured meats,” says Jorge.

From these core ingredients they have created a selection of slow food, served fast. Lunchtime workers queue for bocadillos stuffed with Basque chorizo and French Comté cheese. Also popular are ciabatta buns with parma ham and egg mayonnaise; grilled chorizo and sweet red pepper with rocket; and English honey roast ham with Montgomery’s cheddar and a fresh and spicy piccalilli. The grilled black pudding in a bun with egg mayonnaise is also gaining a cult following.

Punters drop in to taste the mainly Italian and Spanish wines, and people are drawn by the sight of cured hams hanging in the window.

Although it only opened in December, the place feels settled alongside foodie haunts such as Mildreds (veggie heaven) and Andrew Edmunds (lobster salads).

Jorge and Rick are also creating a coffee, cake and chocolate shop on Beak Street, due to open on 21 March. 43 Lexington Street, London W1, tel: +44 (0)20 7734 1546, www.fernadezandwells.com, Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 11am–7pm

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