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After reading “A Great Restaurant for a Splurge” (May ’04, pg. 52), I wanted to share some “Paris Hotels for a Splurge.” There’s no better city than Paris for splurging in style. While some travelers are trying to scrape up enough money for a trip, I know an equal number who figure you only go around once and may as well enjoy it to the hilt.
My trip was in November ’03. (2005 prices are also given.)
In the early 1970s I enjoyed reading the works of the British author R.F. Delderfield. His books were set in many places in England, but it was obvious that his real love was DEVON, where he lived. As a high school English teacher who taught British Literature, I always felt that I should visit England, but it was Delderfield’s trilogy “A Horseman Riding By” that convinced me to buy a plane ticket, rent a car and experience Britain, which I did in 1976.
Roatán, a well-known destination in the scuba diving community, is an undiscovered jewel in most other circles. Part of Honduras’ Bay Islands chain, which consists of three islands and 60 islets and cayes, Roatán is the largest island, situated in the Caribbean 35 miles north of the Honduran mainland.
My wife and I dined at the following restaurants in Athens, Greece, in February ’05.
Nestled in the hills outside of Nagoya, Honshu Island, Japan — and running through Sept. 25 of this year — the 21st century’s first international exposition, EXPO 2005 Aichi, is crawling with robots: a marching Dixieland band, a Tyrannosaurus rex, a lovely but animated “Actroid” who answers questions in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese and, for active mothers, a child-care robot. There are more, and they represent the future. A well-preserved frozen mammoth and the recently discovered skull of a seven-million-year-old hominid represent the past.
I made my second visit to Ethiopia, Jan. 10-24, ’05. My first was in 1995, a 6-day stopover to the historic north on my way to Yemen. This time I went on a 3-week “Explore Ethiopia In Depth” trip with the first-rate Spiekermann Travel Service (St. Clair Shores, MI; 800/645-3233 or www.mideasttrvl.com). My third trip with them to Africa within 12 months, it cost $4,985 including all airfare and most meals.
I returned from a 3-week tour of Ethiopia on Feb. 7, ’05. Imagine my surprise the next morning to find that a featured article (Feb. ’05, pg. 52) in my new ITN was about the Omo Valley, where I had just spent a week.
I read the article on visiting Southern Africa during the rainy season (Jan. ’05, pg. 36). The writer’s trip was arranged by Leora Rothschild of Rothschild Safaris (1685 S. Colorado Blvd. #197, Denver, CO 80222; phone 800/405-9463 or visit www.rothschildsafaris.com).
My wife and I, seeking an unusual destination, decided to go to Cyprus, March 11-18, ’05. Cyprus is an island of great beauty that combines Roman ruins, the sea and mountains.
A reader mailed ITN a copy of a letter sent to Capital One Services on Nov. 18, ’04, as follows.