June 2011

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier, the art complex near the Imperial Palace, has special exhibits and cultural activities till Oct. 31, 2011.

by Lew Toulmin

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is SHEILA MONK of Richland, MO:

My husband, Tom, and I are in our eighties and, while it’s true that people drive fast in Italy, we had no problems driving there in September 2010. My husband is 86 and did most of the driving in Italy, though I did some.

In 2005 we spent three weeks in New Zealand, and we can’t understand why we’ve read no complaints about driving there. As in the US, there are broken painted lines to indicate that one can pass, but in New Zealand these lines are on curves and over crests of hills. On both the North and South Islands we had some near misses. Never again!

When packing, always put shoes in shoe bags. I make my own shoe bags from soft fabric, such as a thin flannel, as the plastic ones do not pack as well. Wipe off shoes, when needed, with wet wads of toilet paper, then dry them with additional sheets of the paper.

For a long trip, carry mothballs in small cloth bags, especially in damp climates, to get rid of mustiness. I usually use them in my shoes. Put them into zip-lock bags until you’re ready to bring them out. Use them, then pitch them as they lose their strength.

GLORIA HELMUTH
Tulsa, OK

CLARIFICATION — Regarding the article on Zambia in the April ’11 issue, subscriber Christopher Hartley of Ormond Beach, Florida, wrote, “I enjoyed reading about Ms. Schumacher’s visit to Zambia and Vic Falls. I would, however, raise a question about her statement, ‘Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world’.”

Yes, that statement should have been qualified. Victoria Falls is not the tallest waterfall, but, when considering its height and width, it is the largest sheet of falling water in the world. — Editor

Jasmund National Park, on the island of Rügen off Germany’s northeast coast, is noted for its chalk cliffs. We walked up a steepish path to Victoria-Sicht (Victoria’s View). Rising more than 400 feet from the sea, the impressive cliffs were glisteningly white in the afternoon sun.

I agree 100% with the subscriber’s comment in the letter “Security Absurdity” (March ’11, pg. 29): EZE Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is inconsistent with security.

I have traveled to many countries with my small, nurse’s bandage scissors with blunt tips, part of my first-aid kit. Before I boarded our Nov. 27, 2010, Continental Airlines flight to Houston, EZE confiscated them, even after I tried to show the screener my RN license.

My husband, R.C., and I celebrated our 40th anniversary in the fall of 2009 with a trip to Slovenia, Croatia (May ’11, pg. 12) and then to Italy for Sicily.

My fiancée, Maxine, and I spent four great days in London in September ’10. I had been there for business many times during the ’70s and ’80s, but this time it was strictly to enjoy the sights as enthusiastic tourists. It was Maxine’s first visit.

We traveled with another couple, who made arrangements through an online agency for a car from Heathrow Airport to our hotel, the Royal Park in Bloomsbury. (Unfortunately, she does not remember the name of the online agency.)