Travelers' Intercom
Private guide in Bulgaria
We traveled in Bulgaria with a private guide, Patrick Peneff (phone +359 887 364 711), July 27-Aug. 9, 2013, and had a wonderful time.
B&B Hof van Eerde
While on a driving tour of the Benelux countries with my husband, Colin, April 2-30, 2013, we mainly took back roads, wandering through the countryside.
Rapa Nui ‘wonderful’ + Cuba CDs
I would like to second the subscriber’s opinion in the letter “Found Easter Island ‘Beautiful’” (Aug. ’13, pg. 50).
Albania, Macedonia & Montenegro
Like Jack and Anne Dini (“Returning to the Homeland: Albania,” Oct. ’13, pg.
Volksmarching in Italy
Every two years, hundreds of walkers gather for the International Volksmarching Convention. In 2013 the 4-day event took place June 25-29 in Val Gardena, Italy, located in the Dolomite Mountains several hours north of Venice.
Touring rainy Bergen and Ålesund
There is an old Norwegian saying: all Bergen babies are born with umbrellas. My husband, David, and I certainly needed an umbrella during our day in port during a Norway cruise with Royal Caribbean International in September ’12, but we found that in the afternoon the rain was intermittent.
Residence Agnes in Prague
I traveled through the Czech Republic in August ’13 and had the chance to stay in a lovely, new hotel in Prague, the Residence Agnes (Haštalská 19, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic; phone +42 222 312417, fax +420 222 312840).
A Massage To Die For — Floating massage
My husband, Bucky, and I flew Icelandair from the US to London through Reykjavik in September ’04.
Return to Ethiopia
After 17 years, in 2013 I paid a return visit to a truly unusual and interesting country. I was in Ethiopia in 1995 visiting the tribal south on a rugged tour, mostly camping. I returned with a friend, Jan. 6-21, to explore the unique rock churches in the Christian north.
Trips-montage Christmas card
I love to travel, making four or five trips a year. Each year for my Christmas cards, rather than listing the names of places I visited, I create a montage of photographs I took in these places. I then write a personal message on the back and identify the scenes.
Bilbao Greeters
I spent a few days on my own in Bilbao, Spain, in August ’13 prior to joining a group tour.
New Zealand with AAT Kings
I took a 15-day tour, “New Zealand Experience,” with AAT Kings Tours/USA (Anaheim, CA; 866/240-1659). It started on Oct. 8, 2012, and was a wonderful trip, with excellent guides and excellent hotels.
Label all memory cards
When traveling with a digital camera, have a special place to keep your used memory cards and flash drives so they do not get misplaced. On a trip to Southern Africa in March-April ’13, I somehow lost a drive with about 500 pictures on it.
Did not find big-bus touring ‘leisurely’
I took the “Cultures & Contrasts of South America” tour offered by Grand European Travel. It was scheduled to take place Dec. 15-31, 2012, traveling for about five days each in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, with an optional day trip to Colonia, Uruguay.
Neckar River day cruise
My daughter, Gina, and I were in Heidelberg, Germany, on April 24, 2011 (Easter Sunday). It was a glorious day and we decided to take a cruise upriver to Neckarsteinach.
"One more way smoking is bad for you"
Tell us about the funniest thing that happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length.
Gorillas with ElderTreks
My wife, Fyllis, and I took the 16-day “Uganda” tour with ElderTreks (Toronto, ON, Canada; 800/741-7956). Ten travelers were on the Sept. 20-Oct. 6, 2012, safari, most of whom were primarily interested in seeing mountain gorillas and big cats.
Battery bandit in Bamako
I have found that agents at many foreign airport security checkpoints are concerned about batteries in carry-ons. My most bizarre incident occurred in January ’13 when I was leaving Bamako, Mali, on a tour with Universal Travel System (Santa Monica, CA).
GPS travails in Belgium
For our 10 days in Belgium, May 2-11, 2012, my husband, Ed, and I decided to buy our own GPS, a Garmin nuvi255 for $160, rather than opt for one (for an extra $210) with our Budget rental car.
Parisian Studio Apartment
My wife and I took a quick trip from London to Paris, staying two nights in the delightful, one-bedroom Parisian Studio Apartment (contact Marie Lefebvre, 4 Weymouth Ct., Newport Beach, CA 92660; 949/433-5110), located in the eighth arrondiss