March 2009

Here is a note we printed from Hollie Stotter of Cambria, California, in our November and December 2008 issues on page 4: “I would like to see a list of boutique (small) museums in the world compiled. Each would be a small gem of a not-so-well-known museum that can be seen in less than an hour. For instance, a favorite of mine that I often have recommended to friends is the Jacquemart-André in Paris, an 1869 home preserved with its furniture, tapestries, rugs, paintings, etc. The Benaki Museum in Athens is another.

by Jennifer Petoff, San Francisco, CA

My husband, Scott, and I visited Buenos Aires in April ’08. It was our first trip to South America and we wanted to make it memorable.

My wife, Amber, and I decided to add a quick, one-night stay in Tallinn, Estonia, to our 2-week Nordic capitals tour in July ’07 simply because it was easy to get to and because there was a chapter on the city in our “Rick Steves’ Scandinavia” guidebook.

The city ended up exceeding our expectations and now holds a lofty place near the top of our list of favorite travel destinations. The Baltic capital revealed an engaging medieval Old Town surrounded by a bustling modern city.

From childhood, I was taught that Russia was my enemy and to fear it. My impression was that it was a mighty superpower of great warriors and conquerors. Now that I have had a chance to visit my “enemy’s” land and people and learn more about their history, culture and present-day conditions, my viewpoint has changed drastically.

My husband, Paul, and I traveled to Myanmar (Burma), Oct. 12-26, 2008, with Asia Transpacific Journeys (Boulder, CO; 800/642-2742, www.asiatranspacific.com). The trip was wonderful.

On a tour of Peru in September ’08, the itinerary had us spending two nights in Cusco at the Samay Hotel (Av. San Martin 206, Cusco, Peru), then one night in Machu Picchu, then two more nights in Cusco. Although the accommodations at the Samay were good, we never got a decent night’s sleep due to noise from street traffic, trains and barking dogs as well as slamming doors, both staff and guests talking, etc. Earplugs helped only minimally.

In January ’08 I reserved a cruise to Norway for May 31-June 11, 2008, with Taitbout Voyages. I sent them a check for €1,180 (about $1,636) for the basic price and added €346 ($480) for a single cabin.

I asked Taitbout in several letters at what time I would have to meet the group on May 31 to take the bus from Paris to the cruise ship in Amsterdam and at what location. Taitbout Voyages never answered my letters or e-mails. The telephone number on their brochure was not reachable from the US; it was a number that could be used only inside France.

My husband and I took a 3-week tour of Laos in late November ’08. About a week before we were due to fly home on Dec. 3, citizens of Bangkok, Thailand, demonstrated their dissatisfaction with their government at the airport. No planes were able to fly in or out of the city.

I would like to add my comments to the experience that Daniel M. Mitchell had attempting to use frequent-flyer miles with United Airlines (“Frequent-flyer Seats Sparse,” Dec. ’08, pg. 25).

My wife and I had booked a round-trip cruise from Dover, England, for August-September ’09. The first day that flights were listed on the United website, we tried to obtain two business-class tickets for the round trip from Boston to London using 80,000 miles each.