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Waiting for assistance
ITN was mailed a copy of the following letter, sent by a reader to Traveler’s Emergency Network (TEN) on Dec. 8.
Trattoria in Rome
My trip to Italy in October ’05 included a stay in Rome. Before going, I jotted down the address of the Trattoria Otello alla Concordia from an earlier issue of ITN (April ’05, pg. 4). I’d eaten at that restaurant on an earlier trip and loved it!
Florence pizzeria
In Florence, Italy, in October ’05 we came across a pizzeria/spaghetteria with a varied selection of dishes at reasonable prices. Gusto Leo (Via del Proconsolo, 8-10/r) is located diagonally across from the Cavour Hotel.
Hebridean Island Cruises
For those who fervently believe that “less is more” and “smaller is better,” we recommend Hebridean Island Cruises, Ltd. (Griffin House, Broughton Hall, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 3AN, England; phone 44 [0] 1756-704704 or visit www.hebridean.co.uk).
Republic of Georgia
My visit to the Republic of Georgia, May 13-June 19, ’05, was the perfect trip. The temperature was around 50º-68ºF. I would suggest taking a light, waterproof jacket and an umbrella, as rain can occur (although on this trip it was not heavy enough to interfere with sightseeing).
Know when and where with a Geochron
The Geochron is a global time indicator with a moving map driven by a clockwork mechanism and backlit with internal shutters. There are scales on the bottom to show the day of the week anywhere in the world and scales across the top to indicate the time of day anywhere. A separate scale gives the month and date.
Credit card vs. ATM vs. travelers’ checks
My wife, Glenda, and I traveled in Central Europe for a month in fall 2005 and used two credit cards for purchases and services (an American Express card and a Citibank MasterCard) and one debit card for ATM cash withdrawals (a Visa card obtained from our credit union).
Costa del Sol stay
I prefer to travel solo, so when Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/221-2610 or www.gct.com) offered their “Classic Costa del Sol” program with no single supplement, I was hooked.
Restaurant in Bratislava
In the main shopping and tourist area of Bratislava, a fun restaurant with great regional Slovakian dishes is Staroslovenska Krema (Michalska ul. 14-16, Bratislava, Slovakia; visit www staroslovenskakcrma.sk).
Galápagos cruise plus airline caveat
In 2005, my wife and I were two of the estimated 60,000 visitors to the Galápagos Islands.
Ancient Carthage secret
For me, the highlight of a visit to Tunisia was ancient Carthage. The city of Tunis has a number of suburbs. One is Carthage — modern and bustling — but located within it, on the coast, is ancient Carthage.
Strange craft
I enjoyed Roger Canfield’s story on Macau in the February ’06 issue, but I should point something out. On page 40, he mentions seeing in a museum a boat used by Vietnamese people escaping the Communists.
Buenos Aires ‘tango’ shows
My wife, Judy, and I and two friends took a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November ’05. We stayed at the Wilton Plaza, having arranged our reservations through a Peruvian online travel service (e-mail reservations@argentinas-hotels.com).
Maximizing Scotland
I took a 2-week trip to Scotland. The first week, Sept. 10-16, ’05, was spent walking in the Highlands with a small group on an escorted trip arranged by a company I found on the Internet, Wilderness Scotland, Ltd. (3A St.
St. Petersburg guide
In 2004 when we decided to take a Russian riverboat cruise in September ’05 with Linwood Rotary (from the state of Washington), we noticed a letter from ITN reader Helene Eckstein (Nov. ’04, pg. 82). She mentioned a terrific guide in St. Petersburg and really sang her praises.
Wish you were here
Bill Goss’s packing suggestion (Jan. ’06, pg. 37) to use your computer to print mailing labels to take along for the postcards you plan to send is a real time-saver once you’re on your journey.
Peru & Galápagos & Tropical Nature Travel
An article in the June ’05 issue of ITN, “Inca Ruins and Amazing Animals on a Private Tour of Peru and Ecuador” by Fred DeVinney, prompted us to contact Elizabeth Sanders of Tropical Nature Travel (Gainesville, FL; phone 877/827-8350 or visit www.tropicalnaturetravel.com).
Driver/guide in England
I had a great trip to England along with four friends, July 23-Aug. 6, ’05. It was arranged through Midway Motor Travel (Southerwicks, Corsham, Wiltshire, England, SN13 9NH; phone from U.S. 800/214-8738 or e-mail admin@midwaymotortravel.com), and our driver/guide was Anton Prole.
Grand Princess cruise
Here are our comments about our transatlantic voyage, Aug. 27-Sept. 12, ’04, aboard the Grand Princess of Princess Cruises (Santa Clarita, CA; phone 800/774-6237 or visit www.princesscruises.com).