Travelers' Intercom
Armenia and Georgia
I have long been an admirer of James Tufenkian via articles published in design magazines. He has partially restored Armenia’s rug industry and is now building hotels in his homeland. In September ’13, my daughter, Amanda, and I vacationed in Armenia.
Expected twin beds in cabin
The following text is from a letter mailed to Gate 1 Travel. — Editor I am not a cruise person, but Gate 1’s itinerary for a 16-day “Danube River Cruise,” scheduled to depart from Nuremberg on Sept. 4, 2014, enticed me to book the trip on June 3, 2013.
‘Excellent guide’ in Venice
As part of a 5-week trip to Malta and Italy in May-June 2014, my husband, Leroy, and I hired a guide in Venice for one day.
Marnella Tours for South America
For trips to South America, I have used Marnella Tours (Raleigh, NC; 866/993-0033 or 919/782-1664, www.marnellatours.com) four times.
Aquis® towels help dry clothes
In his letter titled “Do-it-yourself Dryer,” Charles Severs asked for suggestions for a good towel to dry clothes with after washing them while on a trip (Oct. ’14, pg. 56).
Procuring Japan Rail Passes to follow the cherry blossoms
After visiting Japan 10 times, my husband, Clyde, and I gave up our annual trips in 2009 due to the continuing unfavorable rate of exchange.
McComb’s in Northern Ireland
For a 12-day cruise around the British Isles, in Southampton, England, we boarded the Ruby Princess of Princess Cruises (Santa Clarita, CA; 800/774-6237, www.princess.com) on Aug. 24, 2014. The cruise and ports of call all were very good.
Expected single bed in cabin
Years ago, I took a really outstanding Vantage Deluxe World Travel cruise from the Black Sea to Amsterdam with my wife, prior to losing her. On the strength of that experience, in late October 2013 I booked a spring 2014 tour and cruise in northern Portugal with Vantage.
Villa da Schio, near Vicenza
An hour outside of Venice and 10 minutes from Vicenza, four of us spent a week in June 2014 at a wonderful villa in Italy’s Veneto region: Villa da Schio (Piazza G. da Schio n.
Double-check your Pre√ number
The problem the subscriber described with TSA Pre√TM (Pre-check) in the letter “Issues with Global Entry” (Dec.’14, pg. 51) is not unique. My wife and I have been enrolled in Global Entry for several years, and for the last year or so we experienced the very same issue.
Long walk from Heathrow’s T2
I returned from London, flying to Los Angeles on United Airlines out of the airline’s new Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, on Oct. 22, 2014. After walking forever and ever from security to the gates in Terminal 2B (Gates B31-B49), I wondered just how far it was.
Squeegee solution
When Julane Anderson described the hotel showers without curtains in Bulgaria (Oct. ’14, pg. 55), she could just as well have been describing a bathroom arrangement we frequently encounter in India. We call these bathrooms “self cleaning,” a term we borrowed from our friend Esther Perica.
‘Mind-stretching’ trip to Turkey
Following a barge trip in Burgundy, France, in celebration of my husband, Steve’s, 80th birthday, we flew to Istanbul, then to Antakya (ancient Antioch), located on southern Turkey’s easternmost Mediterranean coast, about 30 miles from the Syrian border.
Saving money in Copenhagen
Before boarding a ship for a Baltic cruise, my friend and I, along with my daughter and her husband, spent four days and three nights (Sept. 1-4, 2014) in Copenhagen, a city with a reputation for being one of Europe’s priciest.
Clothing for Travelers: A fan of L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean (800/441-5713, www.llbean.com) sells a line of men’s UNDERWEAR called ExOfficio (800/644-7303, www.exofficio.com). It’s made of a loosely woven synthetic fiber that wicks away moisture in humid climates.
Used BA miles for hotels
A few years ago I got the British Airways Chase Visa card, since I had been promised 100,000 bonus miles and was told that it would charge no foreign transaction fees. I quickly racked up 150,000 miles and a companion voucher for British Airways. However, this turned out to be worthless.