January 2006

When you are in small towns, remember that you are making it hard on some of the locals by not using crosswalks or following traffic rules. You may have all day to tarry, but locals don’t.

Marilyn Chase, in her article “Buying the Wrong Medicine Overseas,” in the Aug. 16, 2005, edition of the Wall Street Journal, warns about buying brand-name prescriptions abroad.

I read with interest the tidbit by Iris Bing on carrying a second inexpensive watch to keep track of the time at home as well as where you are (Nov. ’05, pg. 4). I have done that for years but with an inexpensive Timex watch that has two time zones.

In St. Louis I use the watch on the mode with time, day and date, and when traveling I use the mode that is set to local time but also shows the time in St. Louis. It works great.

MICHAEL ISSERMAN
St. Louis, MO

I believe the September ’05 “Boarding Pass” column has inadvertently pointed out the truth of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration): the TSA is not so much about passenger “safety” as it is about control and power over a, now, much less free citizenry.

What a sad state of affairs for a people founded in the belief of liberty!

I recall this quote from C.S. Lewis: Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

JOE MELCHER
Reno, NV

Before traveling to Italy in October ’05, I phoned my local bank, through whom I have a combination debit/credit Visa card, to let them know I’d be using my card in Italy for the next four weeks. The information I received (and I hadn’t actually realized I should ask about any of this!) was that there’s a dollar limit on both the amount of cash I can withdraw and the amount I can charge in a day.

Also, if the card doesn’t work at first, it’s okay to try a second time that day but no more. At the third try, the card may be taken.

If you are traveling to Russia, here are some things I learned during my trip in October ’04.

On a trip to Paris in April ’05, we came upon a small restaurant with terrific food and ate dinner there every night. It was the Café des Musées (49 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France; tel. 01-42-72-96-17), open every day.

My companion especially liked the fresh fig tart one night (warm from the oven), and I loved the mussels, an entrée, one night. The cost of a 3-course dinner was €19.50 (near $24).

MILDRED S. DUFFY
Springfield, VA

In the Aragon region of Spain, we spent three days in Benasque, Huesca Province, in July ’05. This lovely town, surrounded by the highest peaks in the Pyrenees, is accessible only by car and provides a very interesting experience. The architecture of the oldest houses is unique, and the area offers trekking and fishing.
An excellent restaurant with a breathtaking view is La Llardana (Camino de San Anton, Benasque; phone 974-551-687). Our dinner for three people cost €75 ($90), wine and service included.

The upside of high gasoline prices in Sweden is that it encourages people to bike to school, work or shops. And since southernmost Sweden, the region known as Skane, has so many cyclists, it has developed an extensive system of bike lanes and trails, including converted rail lines, to accommodate them. That plus terrain ranging from level ground to rolling hills makes Sweden an unusually bike-friendly country. Another plus for travelers — English is almost a second language there.

My husband, Ken, and I visited Russia for the first time, Aug. 19-Sept. 3, ’05, taking the river cruise between St. Petersburg and Moscow. After doing much research on the Internet and reading appreciatively the readers’ comments in the March, April and June ’04 issues of ITN, we chose to go with Peter the Great Cruises (2610 East 16th St., Brooklyn, NY 11235; phone 800/828-7970).