August 2004

My husband and I took a NEW ZEALAND vacation in March ’04 that focused on their national parks. At Tongariro National Park, we decided against staying at the Grand Chateau within the park (small, dark, overheated rooms) and instead stayed in the nearby town of Ohakune.

We spent the night at the beautiful and well-appointed Cairnbrae House (140 Mangawhero Rd., Ohakune, North Island, New Zealand; phone [06] 385 3002, e-mail peterm@cairnbraehouse.co.nz) and absolutely loved it!

On the beautiful island of Santorini, GREECE, we stayed in a grouping of “traditional cave houses” set into the walls of the caldera overlooking a picture-perfect view of blue sea, volcanic islands and white, cliffside dwellings.

While traveling in Sicily in September ’03, we found a good place to stay outside of Palermo. We had a rental car but didn’t want to drive in the city. The Albergo Le Due Torri (Via Kennedy 85, Capaci, Sicily, ITALY; phone +39 091 8372487 or fax +39 091 8697302) cost €63 ($79) for two. They also have a family restaurant; we had dinner for two with wine for €25 ($31).

If you are looking for a place to relax in quiet, beautiful countryside, I strongly recommend the lovely B&B Imandorli (15021 Cardona di Alfiano Natta [AL] Via Troglio 1, ITALY; phone/fax +39 0141 922521, e-mail info@imandorli.it). We spent three weeks there, Sept.10-Oct. 2, ’03.

This is a restored 17th-century villa with a small adjoining house with one bathroom suitable for two couples or a family. It rents for €110 ($134) per night.

Piecing together off-the-beaten-train-track itineraries in Europe can make for very long travel days; we prefer to take some breaks. Here are the hotels we used for two overnight stops we made in June ’03 in ITALY.

• Hotel Della Punta (Via S. Ampelio, 27-18012 Bordighera [IM], Italy; phone +39 01842 62555, fax +39 01842 68925, e-mail info@hoteldellapunta.it) — in Bordighera, one of the small towns on Italy’s “Flower Riviera” just across the frontier from France.

One of the High Tech Hotels group, the Petit Palace Bristol (L’Abadia de San Martin 3, 47002 Valencia, SPAIN; phone + 34 963 945 100, fax +34 963 943 850 or e-mail bri@hthoteles.com) offers free high-speed Internet access in all rooms. Plus, if a High Tech Room is requested, it comes complete with a PC with a 15-inch flat-screen monitor. There also is a business center, not to mention two flat-screen PCs in the lobby for use.

In Barcelona, Hotel Nouvel (Santa Ana 18-20, 08002 Barcelona, SPAIN; phone 93 301 8274 or fax 93 301 8370) is ideally located just a block off the Ramblas and two blocks from Plaça de Catalunya. It is in the pedestrian area, but taxis (only) can get in if you have much luggage to carry. You can easily walk down the Ramblas to the water.

The hotel is away from the traffic, so we found the rooms quiet, but the plumbing was noisy!

The décor is Art Nouveau, with a beautiful marble floor of intricate design.

In FRANCE, we found an excellent motel chain called Etap (in France, call 0 892 688 900), part of the Accor chain. Located in most decent-size towns, they are spartan but clean and modern.

Rooms each have a double bed with a single bed bunk-style above plus a TV and shower bath but no phone; a phone is in the lobby. Room price is generally €33 ($40) per couple and €4 ($5) per person for Continental breakfast.

Most have free parking, but the one near the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris charged €5 ($6) overnight. (February ’03)

We had an exceptionally good experience at Greenmount House (Gortonora, Dingle, County Kerry, IRELAND; phone + 353 [0]6691 51414, fax +353 [0] 66 91 51974 or e-mail info@greenmount-house.com) — overlooking Dingle town and harbor. A 5-minute walk from the town center.

This is a 4-star luxury guest house with six mini-suites (“superior” rooms) and six standard rooms, each with full bathroom, large sitting area, direct-dial phones, TV and tea/coffee-making equipment. Rooms and public areas are nicely decorated.

My wife, Nancy, and I highly recommend the Quiraing Guest House (Viewfield Rd., Portree, Isle of Skye IV519ES, SCOTLAND; phone/fax 011-44-147-861-2870).