Travelers' Intercom
Introduction to Muscat, Oman
After cruising down the Red Sea, the ship I was on docked at Muscat, Oman, on Nov. 7, 2016, and I disembarked.
Barging in Burgundy
Four friends and I traveled together on a fabulous 7-day canal barge cruise in Burgundy, France, Sept. 17-23, 2016. Aboard the Magnolia, which had room for six guests and a crew of four, we cruised the Canal du Bourgogne from Dijon to Escommes.
Royal Oak for UK’s National Trust
Reading Donna Pyle’s article about Devon and Cornwall (Feb. ’17, pg. 18), I noticed that she mentioned the possibility of joining the UK’s wonderful National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) for £63 (near $79). A joint membership costs £105 ($132).
Biking in Holland with Van Gogh Tours
I turned 70 in 2015, and my wife, Linda, and I decided to celebrate my birthday that April while on a bike trip in the tulip bulb region of the Netherlands, when the fields were
Resist giving candy to kids
In her letter “Ramifications of Handing Out Gifts to Kids” (Dec. ’16, pg. 30), Marilyn Adelman said what I have long believed about travelers not giving small gifts of candy, pencils, etc., to children, which encourages them to beg.
Credit card fraud avoided
My wife, Judy, and I took a cruise in May 2015 from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to the Canary Islands and back on a Holland America Line (877/932-4259, www.hollandamerica.com) liner. The cruise was fine, with wonderful service and food, and took us to places we’d never been before.
Tasty food in Bolzano, Italy
Throughout all of my travels, my overall favorite hotel is still the Parkhotel Laurin (Via Laurin, 4, 39100 Bolzano, Italy; phone +39 0471 311 000, www.laurin.it/en)
Tunisia with Gil Travel
I felt I had to let other travelers know how wonderful my third trip to Tunisia was. I traveled there with a group of four, Nov. 11-20, 2016, on a tour arranged by Gil Travel (Philadelphia, PA; 800/223-3855, giltravel.com).
Lonely Planet helpful in Cuba
Having visited Cuba twice (once almost 15 years ago and again two years ago) — traveling all around the island, alone, independently by bus — I was happy to see Birute Skurdenis’ helpful advice in “Suggestions for filling some free time in Cuba” (Jan. ’17, pg.
Ennéa World supports schools
Marilyn Adelman’s note (Dec. ’16, pg. 30) about the possible unanticipated negative ramifications of travelers giving small gifts directly to children rang a bell with me.
Memorable Marrakech
In order to attend the wedding of my brother’s son, Andy, I traveled to Marrakech, Morocco, with my sister, Nancy (another ITN subscriber), and her husband, Bob Gatland, along with their son, Kevin, and his wife, Julie, during the last week of October 2016.
Liked pace of Dacey’s Cornish Tours
I took a one-week tour of Cornwall with Dacey’s Cornish Tours (St. Paul, MN; 651/484-4689, www.daceyscornishtours.com) in June 2016 and highly recommend it. The price was about $1,300, which included full English breakfasts at the hotels.
Traveling light
While I’m a firm believer in traveling as light as possible and have my own favorite ways of accomplishing this, I have a few comments regarding Rick Steves’ article in the December 2016 issue.
Iran’s Gonbad-e Qabus
Starting from Tehran, it took nine hours by car to reach the modern city of Gonbad-e Kāvus, located in Golestān Province in northern Iran, east of the Caspian Sea and near the Turkmenistan border.
Entering Uruguay & Paraguay
My wife and I visited Uruguay and Paraguay, spending five days in each country, Dec. 5-17, 2016, and wanted to share some border entry improvements we encountered.
Guide in Marrakech
My family and I attended a wedding in Marrakech, Morocco, in October 2016. A few weeks before leaving, I found a private tour guide, Kharroubi Youssef (y.kharroubi@yahoo.com), through TripAdvisor.com. After reading the reviews, I contacted him through TripAdvisor.
A ‘solo travel’ moment
While in Bolzano, in May 2016, I went looking for a restaurant I had seen earlier, Cucina Casalinga Toscano, or Toscano Doc (Via Cappuccini 8A, Kapuzinergasse, Bolzano, Italy; phone +39 0471 181 20 78).
Italian hospital praise
After reading the “Discerning Traveler” column about hospital conditions and treatments in Naples, Italy (Sept. ’16, pg. 51), I felt I should report on a very positive experience that my wife, Mary, and I had at the public hospital in Puglia, Italy.