Travelers' Intercom
On transportation in Sicily
Before my wife, Ging, and I visited Sicily in July 2015, friends of ours who had visited told us the following regarding transportation there: • Local, internal airlines often operate on “Italian time,” meaning late, very late and domani (tomorrow).
Italy with Villa Vita International
I took my daughter and son-in-law on their first trip to Italy, Sept. 10-22, 2015. I worked with an agent to design a private tour, including Rome, the Sorrento area, a train to Florence and some time in the Tuscan countryside.
International roaming with T-Mobile
T-Mobile (t-mobile.com) is wonderful. Our service plan with T-Mobile includes unlimited data for our two phones for $120 a month and for our tablet for another $20.
Meeting giraffes and elephants near Nairobi
At the end of a stay in Kenya in July 2016, the flight my wife, Sandra, and I would take from the game camp was to arrive in Nairobi around noon, but our KLM flight home wouldn&
Kenya with Moriah African Tours
My wife, Janet, and I and our 16-year-old granddaughter Ginny booked a conservation trip to Kenya for August 2016, but in order to broaden Ginny’s knowledge on various levels, we also wanted to give her a one-week safari experience prior to the trip.
Madeira Flower Festival
“Colorful” is an understatement when describing the Portuguese island of Madeira’s annual Flower Festival.
Impressed with MedjetAssist
In September 2015, my husband, Dan, fell and broke his hip in a hotel in Paris. He was taken by ambulance to the public-assistance hospital. It was a very scary time, as I know little French.
VPN-location reminder
On my iPhone and iPad, I use a virtual personal network (VPN) for privacy when connected to a potentially insecure Wi-Fi network, especially when traveling.
Ramifications of handing out gifts to kids
I read the Feature Article “Rwanda — Finding More than Mountain Gorillas” (Aug. ’16, pg. 46) while I was planning a visit to Rwanda. The author’s vivid descriptions made me excited to hurry up and get there.
Sicily, ‘God’s kitchen’
There are many reasons to visit Sicily, including its natural beauty and historic ruins, but for dedicated foodies like my wife, Ging, and me, who visited the island in the summ
The North Pole with Quark
When Quark Expeditions sent me information about a North Pole trip aboard a Russian nuclear icebreaker, it was the Murmansk stop that sold me. I remembered that during World War II, merchant mariners took chances sailing to that Russian port in the Arctic to deliver supplies to our Soviet allies.
Iceland self-drive travails
My travel agent worked out the arrangements for me for a wonderful drive to the famous sites of Iceland, June 8-15, 2016. The morning after my arrival in Reykjavik, I was taken to Thrifty Car Rental (www.thrifty.is) to pick up the car I’d be driving ALONE for the entire trip.
Mt. Fuji from Hotel New Century
I don’t know what it is about Japan that keeps drawing us there, but, once there, my husband, Clyde, and I are also drawn to Mount Fuji. We often see Fujisan on the high-speed Shinkansen going to Kyoto.
Not given instructions for Stonehenge tour
I was a member of a group of five senior women who took Golden Tours’ “Simply Stonehenge Tour” on the morning of March 18, 2016. It cost $319 for all of us, or $63.80 per person. I booked the tour three months in advance on the company’s website.
Bits on Venice
From 1953 to 2014, I visited Venice, Italy, eight times. Here is a memory dump of a few things that I think are nice to know if you’re planning to go there. Hotel Danieli (Castello 4196, Venice, 30122, Italy; phone +39 041 5226480, www.danielihotel
Upgrade on Canada’s VIA Rail
Canada’s VIA Rail (888/842-7245, www.viarail.ca) offers upgraded service on selected train routes, including amenities like larger seats with adjustable footrests, frequent beverage service at your seat, hot meals, free Wi-Fi and access to the business-class lounge in the termin
‘Making memories’ in Italy
Visiting family in Italy is not just social; it involves going places and seeing new sites together while making memories. This I did in August 2015.
Hokkaido university tour
I took a tour of the Hokkaido University campus in Sapporo, Japan, Aug. 31, 2016. Participating with me on the guided tour were seven Japanese nationals and a man from Berlin, Germany. Flags were used to help us all stay together.
Venice sailing regatta
During my 2016 visit to Venice, Italy, on Sunday, May 15, I sat for two hours underneath the Ponte della Costituzione bridge, near a train station, watching longboats on the Grand Canal participate in the city’s 42nd annual Vogalonga Regatta (www.vogalonga.com/en).