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Bonus savings of up to $1,000 per person are being offered by Radisson Seven Seas Cruises for bookings made by Aug. 15, 2004, on the Jan. 15 and Jan. 26, 2005, sailings of the Explorer II from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica, the Falklands and the South Shetland Islands.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2004, Relais & Châteaux includes 450 privately owned hotels and restaurants in 50 countries around the world, each establishment adhering to the association’s quality charter.
Gift certificates, in denominations of $50, $100 or $500 and valid for two years, can be used for gourmet dining, hotel accommodations, spa treatments and other amenities and may be purchased by calling 877/334-6464 or visiting www.relaischateaux.com/gift.
To order the international guide ($8 shipping and handling fee), call 800/735-2478.
by Jay Brunhouse
One mistake we made planning our 4-week stay in Provence in 2002 was trying to stay in too many different places. We didn’t realize just how small and compact Provence is. It is enough to stay in two or three places, and all sightseeing attractions can easily be reached on day trips.
One such place to stay would be Orange, a really delightful little city. Orange is an interesting town in its own right, and the Roman theater especially is worth a visit. We also experienced a large and colorful street market while we were there.
• The restaurant Karpatia Etterem es Sovozo (Inboda Ferencier Tere 7-8, Budapest, Hungary; phone 0036-1-317-3596) is located in Buda, not far from the Danube. This elegant, old restaurant has it all: a variety of excellent food plus ambiance, music and reasonable prices (at least, for Americans and Brits).
The cost for dinner for five people, including wine, dessert and tip, was 29,200 florints (about $26) per person in April ’04.
At the train station in Bucharest, Romania, in October ’00, my friend George and I were exposed to a scam similar to that in which another ITN reader and his friend lost $100 each at the same station (May ’04, pg. 11).
We arrived from Moldavia early in the morning, tired, hungry and with no local currency. The McDonald’s restaurant in the station refused American dollars.
In the June ’04 issue, on page 34, Barbara Virden described being robbed at gunpoint on a highway in Guatemala on Feb. 21. I was also on that bus.
Most people in Guatemala are very friendly. Unfortunately, Guatemala is the second-poorest country in Central America and robberies are frequent.
Any readers who have questions about my experience may e-mail me c/o ITN.
MARLENE P. SNEDAKER
Point Pleasant, NJ
My husband and I took a 2-month segment of a 4-month cruise on the Saga Rose, a British ship sailing from Southampton, England. The portion of the cruise we took left Southampton on Jan. 4, ’04, and we disembarked in Sydney, Australia, on March 4. The ship returned to Southampton via South Africa.
We booked our cruise through Saga Holidays in Boston (800/343-0273). Our grade E cabin, No. 329, was central and nice.
When my grandson got married in November ’03, we promised to pay for his honeymoon (within reason, of course). He told me, “Grandpa, if you do that, we insist that you come along.” Somewhat unusual, to say the least, but we were honored. My wife, JoAnn, said she’d go anyplace as long as it was cool and unusual. I suggested Ecuador and agreement was unanimous. We set up the trip for April ’04.
We flew nonstop from Miami to Quito on LanEcuador, part of the LanChile group of airlines, on a Boeing 757. The flight was on time and cabin service was fine.
(Part 3 of 3) — We spent six weeks in England, July-August ’03, mostly exploring the Cotswolds area (May ’04, pg. 82 & June’04, pg. 84). We were based in Cirencester.
Try not to miss two castles in the area. Berkeley Castle (£5 seniors) is a comfortable one-hour ride west from Cirencester, and while you are there you can visit the Edward Jenner museum. Edward II was murdered there in 1327 and you can see the hole and nearby dungeon where he was kept.