August 2016

11 days, 9 nights, Dec. 17-27, 2016. Highlights: In Madrid, Prado Museum/in Toledo, Church of Santo Tomé, Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue/La Mancha region/Mezquita (Mosque) de Córdoba/Cathedral of Seville/in Granada, 13th-century Alhambra Palace/Valencia tour/drive Catalunya coastline/in Barcelona, Montjuïc Hill. $1,479, land only, or $2,469 per person, double occupancy (ppdo), from New York. Single supp., $521. Virgin Vacations (Fort Washington, PA; 888/937-8474, www.virgin-vacations.com).

8 days, 7 nights, Nov. 27-Dec. 4, 2016. Highlights: Travel from Munich, Germany, to Salzburg, AUSTRIA, for walking tour, Christmas markets/Innsbruck/hike near village of Schwangau/Neuschwanstein Castle/village of Rothenburg ob der Taüber/Nürnberg Christkindlmarkt. $2,689 ppdo. Single supp., $400. David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe (Middleburg, FL; 800/570-1351, www.davidmcguffin.com).

For years I dreamed of seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, creatures with whom we humans share almost 98% of our nuclear DNA. I also was intrigued by Rwanda’s social and economic recovery following the devastation from the 1994 genocide. 

This month’s winner is DONALD A. CESARIO of Oro Valley, AZ:

Last year on a visit to South Korea, where I was staying with American friends who had been living there for a few years, I was introduced to one of their female friends, whose first name was Shin.

On the assumption that I might meet her again, I made an attempt to remember her name by making a mnemonic association.

Sure enough, the following week we were again in each other’s company, and in my eagerness to please her by remembering her name, I blurted out, “Hello, Knee.”

The only thing I was dreading in May 2016 about my umpteenth visit to Venice was the Calatrava Bridge (aka Constitution Bridge). What? That stunning structure of Istrian stone a few steps from Piazzale Roma? What I dreaded was, after arriving on the airport bus (€8), trying to manage my luggage up the stairs and over the bridge in order to reach my hotel.

A subscriber recommended the apart’hotel Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels (www.citadines.com), in Belgium, noting “Citadines is a new chain of hotels” (March ’16, pg. 49). A minor observation — Citadines is not a new chain; it’s been around for at least 20 years* that I personally know of, maybe longer.

At the end of a July-August 2015 trip that my daughter and I took to Rwanda to see mountain gorillas (July ’16, pg. 30), we visited the country’s Kigali Genocide Memorial (KG 14 Ave., Kigali), which commemorates the Rwandan genocide.

There is no way to describe the horrors of those 100 days in 1994, but out of that has come something good. The memorial has exhibits on other genocides, as well. My thoughts are you have to visit this place to truly understand. 

Mark Varnau of Indianapolis, Indiana, wrote (April ’16, pg. 47), “What do others do with their old trip negatives and unused pictures? Are any groups interested in having them? Or should my wife and I just grit our teeth and toss them?” 

Several subscribers wrote to Mark and gave permission for ITN to share their advice. In addition to one letter sent in response to another subscriber’s related advice, the following are excerpts of what they wrote.

An online Polar Boutique store was opened in March by the polar-adventure-travel company Quark Expeditions (Seattle, WA; 888/978-5722, https://shop.quark
expeditions.com). 

The shop sells Arctic clothing as well as T-shirts, caps and small gifts. Among products are the Quark Parka ($350 and previously available only to those on Quark’s trips) and, for men or women, the Polar Gear Package, with base- and mid-layer clothing, waterproof pants, hand warmers, sunscreen and lip balm ($299).