05
17 days/16 nights, Sept. 19-Oct. 5, 2012. Highlights: Ankara / underground churches in Cappadocia / Taurus, birthplace of St. Paul / Roman city of Perge / mineral springs in Pamukkale / Greek and Roman ruins and St. Mary’s house in Ephesus / Pergamon / Troy / Istanbul. Land, $3,800. Single supp., $850. TEO World Culture Tours (New York, NY; 888/444-1110).
14 days/13 nights. Highlights: Pantheon, Piazza Navona in Rome / Naples / Pompeii / tarantella show in Sorrento / Capri / frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue in Assisi/in Florence, “David,” Ponte Vecchio / mosaics in Ravenna / Venice / day trip into Lugano, SWITZERLAND / Pisa. Land, with 10 or fewer, $5,975 or, with 20 or more, $4,180. Single supp., $ 600. Aegean Tours, Inc. (Laurel, MD; 301/937-8673).
17 days/15 nights. Departures June 7, July 12, Aug. 16 & Sept. 13, 2012. Highlights: In Oslo, NORWAY, crown jewels at Rosenborg Castle / Hardanger Fjord / Vøringfoss (waterfall) / ride Flam Railway / in Bergen, Edvard Grieg’s home, fish market, 14th-century Hanseatic merchants’ quarter / Lillehammer / Tällberg, SWEDEN / Vasa Museum, Gamla Stan in Stockholm. From New York, from $6,295. Single supp., from $1,495. Other departure cities available. Smithsonian Journeys (Washington, DC; 855/330-1542).
Seven-day/six-night private tour; departures through October 2012. Highlights: Edinburgh / Scone Palace / lunch cruise on Loch Ness past Eilean Donan Castle, Urquhart Castle / Dunvegan Castle on Isle of Skye / whisky tasting at Talisker Distillery / on Isle of Mull, Tobermory fishing village / Iona, whence Christianity spread in Scotland / Gleneagles golf resort/Stirling Castle / Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce defeated the English. Land, from $7,536. No single supp. Cox & Kings (Los Angeles, CA; 800/999-1758).
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:
Some of my favorite artworks are the sculptures by Gustav Vigeland in Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway (Kirkevelen, Middelthuns Gate, 0268 Oslo — admission free).
We asked any of you who attended a concert, a recital or any music or dance performance or stage production outside of the US in the last couple of years to tell us how you learned about it and how you obtained tickets. We printed responses in three issues (October, November and December ’11), and more are coming.
The topic of the essay contest announced in the December ’11 issue (page 52) was “It’s Real in Israel.” Each contest seems to bring a surprise, and this month we have a tie. The winners are NILI OLAY and DEE POUJADE. Each will receive a 50-dollar gift certificate for Magellan’s Travel Supplies (800/962-4943). Their essays — with different focuses — appear below.
Tour de Fit offers travelers the ability to find gyms, spas and wellness centers worldwide. In addition to listing traditional gyms and their contact information, the site offers listings for activities such as wall climbing, pilates and bikram yoga.
