Montreal Jazz Festival hosts 500 concerts in 12 days

Face-painting, street performers, a playground, diaper-changing areas, and twice-daily performances for children called "The Little School of Jazz" make the event family-friendly.

For further details, visit www.montrealjazzfest.com or call 888-515-0515.

San Francisco shows its heart

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tony Bennett's not the only one who left his heart in San Francisco.The city's streets are being decorated with 5-foot-tall fiberglass hearts painted by local artists.

The hearts will make San Francisco the latest city to display themed fiberglass sculptures outdoors. Chicago had cows, Seattle had pigs, and San Jose had sharks. But San Francisco isn't associated with any particular animal, so organizers decided on hearts.

Union Square and the Civic Center were chosen as locations for the first batch of hearts, with more due to be put up around town throughout the summer.

Artists receive $1,000 apiece for their efforts. The hearts will be auctioned in the fall to benefit San Francisco General Hospital.

Enduring guide to S. America

BATH, England -- In the 1920s, the typical traveler from England to South America was a businessman, and of course the voyage was made by boat. To give passengers something to read during the long trip, the Royal Mail Shipping Co. produced the "South American Handbook" and filled it with information about important ports of call.

The first handbook was published in 1924, and it has been updated and reprinted every year. Today, the book, published by Footprint Handbooks, based in Bath, claims to be the longest-running travel guide in the English language, with sales above 1.5 million copies. And its 80th edition, just out, is designed more for those interested in off-the-beaten track destinations than business travelers seeking new markets.

The thick $34.95 paperback has sections on every South American country, with advice on planning trips, information on local customs, and tips on where to stay, what to eat, shopping, outdoor activities, and health.