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Something to declare: the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum; beware of sharks in Malta

The column that muscles in on travel

Friday 10 October 2003 19:00 EDT
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Destination of the week: the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum, Graz, Austria

California's new governor already has a museum dedicated to him. The attraction is in his home town of Graz - Austria's second city, and currently European Capital of Culture.

Few cultural tourists make it south, on tram 4, to the city stadium, also named after Herr Schwarzenegger. The museum (00 43 316 48 24 82) is located here as part of Fitnessparadies work-out centre. The opening hours are liberal (6am to 10pm during the week, 10am-9pm at weekends) and admission is free. This is perhaps just as well given the paucity of exhibits: a few photos and fitness machines.

Flights from Stansted to Graz on Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) cost £55 return in November.

Simon Calder

Warning of the week: beware of sharks in Malta

Sailing into the Grand Harbour on the island of Malta, on a sunny morning when the towering honey-coloured bastions shine like gold, stirs the heart of new arrivals aboard the many cruise ships that call here.

It also increases the pulse of the island's taxi drivers, who drastically overcharge new arrivals.

Taxi drivers accept euros, as do many of the city's traders, these days, on the very reasonable presumption that few people arrive in Malta carrying the local liri.

The standard taxi fare from the harbour into the capital, Valetta, is €11 (£8). For this price they don't even take you into town, driving only as far as the noisy, dirty City Gate, because they are in a desperate hurry to get back to the harbour to pick up another consignment of gullible passengers from your cruise ship.

The distance involved is barely half a mile. But the relatively fit can save their money by climbing a stone staircase into the city. It is steep, but there are bars to cling to and stunning views across the harbour along the way for anyone seeking an excuse to break their journey and catch their breath.

At a steady pace, the walk takes about 10 minutes; for most passengers on a cruise liner, this brief spot of exercise is probably exactly what they need.

Revel Barker

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