January 2012

For our 50th anniversary, my wife, Judy, and I took our children and grandchildren (11 people in all) for a two-week vacation in Italy.

For 30 years, travelers who wanted to get involved in short- or long-term overseas projects in education, construction, the environment, community development, etc., or to help the disabled have turned to Volunteers For Peace (Burlington, VT; 802/540-3060).

Hundreds of projects in more than 45 countries are available. For a typical two- to three-week project, the fee for lodging, food, accident insurance and administration is $300. Volunteers stay in dormitory-type accommodations.

by Kathie Swift; Des Moines, IA

The first question that’s usually asked about our pilgrimage to Israel is “Did you feel safe?”

“Yes, all the time!” we enthusiastically answer.

While traveling outside of the US, have you bought a CD of music typical of the country or area? A recording of the Berlin Philharmonic while you were in Germany, perhaps? Or maybe a CD of a street performer? For those of you who did, we asked that you tell us about the music and the artist plus any advice you might have on the subject. Responses appear below.

Thalys began, on Oct. 30, running a direct train linking Paris’ Gare du Nord with Brussels International Airport once a day. The high-speed morning train takes one hour 47 minutes (one way).

In the course of your travels outside of the US, what work of art took you by surprise in that it affected you deeply in some way? Which one lingered in your memory for some reason or made you long to see it again? Subscribers’ responses to those questions were printed in the July and August 2011 issues, and we’re printing the last batch of them below.

by Marvin Herman & Judy Licata; Delavan, Wisconsin

When making our travel plans for early spring 2011, we decided to eschew the damaging rays of the tropical sun with a journey to the Highlands of Scotland.

My wife, Ginny, and I went on a two-week cruise to Greece and Turkey, “Voyages to Antiquity: Athens to Athens,” Sept. 7-21, 2010, with Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768).

The total cost of this educational trip was close to $16,000 for the two of us, excluding insurance but including round-trip airfare from Washington Dulles to Athens via New York, all land tours and all shipboard and tour tips.

Two friends and I went to Myanmar for eight days, Feb. 8-15, 2011. I really love traveling to unusual places, and this was one of the most different places I have ever been to.