Travelers' Intercom
Brussels’ Rue des Bouchers
My husband, Ed, and I were in Brussels, Belgium, one May ’12 afternoon.
Returning to the homeland: Albania
My father emigrated from Albania 100 years ago and, although my family kept no ties to the homeland, my wife, Anne, and I had been thinking about going there for years. After reading Carol Probst’s article “Albania — Enjoying Europe Without the Cost and Crowds” (Dec. ’12, pg.
Guide in Cambodia
For part of a trip to Southeast Asia, our travel agent arranged for my wife, Pnina, and me to have, in Cambodia, an independent tour guide: Sopheap Bung (16D, St.
Pizza with a view, Bergamo
I have been traveling the world for over 50 years for business and pleasure. In Italy I’ve experienced the energy and spectacle of Milan and Venice and the serenity of Lake Garda and have stayed in a quaint hotel inside the medieval walled town of Montagnana.
Precautions for travelers
On a small-group tour of Southern Africa in May ’13 that we booked with Africa 2000 Tours (Knysna, South Africa), a wonderful company and a frequent advertiser in ITN, I learned a few lessons about precautions to take while travelin
Panama Vacation Quarters
My wife and I and seven friends traveled to Panama City, June 16-25, 2012, to do some volunteer work in the local area of Curundú.
Ground operator stiffed, travelers stuck
My wife, Betty, and I paid $6,800 to 2AFRIKA, Inc., for the 13-day tour “Affordable Kenya & Tanzania.” We booked our own airfare.
Andorra ‘a swell place’
As a longtime philatelist, I choose many of my travel destinations based on my fascination with the postage stamps from those places. Postage-stamp-size Andorra finally bubbled up to the top of my priority list.
Italy arrangements by IC Bellagio
My wife and I took a wonderful trip to Bologna and environs, May 8-19, 2013. We have hiked in the Dolomites, driven in Tuscany, gone with small groups and traveled on our own in Italy, but when we wanted to visit Bologna I was unable to find a tour that I liked that concentrated on just that city.
Aruba a ‘happy island’
My wife, Anna, and I visited Aruba, one of the four constituent countries that comprise the Kingdom of the Netherlands, July 18-24, 2012. The weather was quite warm, but we didn’t notice it much because of the 25- to 40-mph trade winds blowing constantly.
Argentina with Merlin Viajes
For our friends Tom and Gretchen and my husband, Jerry, and me, I wanted to hire a private guide in Argentina, but that was cost prohibitive. To design a trip for four of us for October ’12. I ended up contacting Anibal Mazas of Merlin Viajes (Pdte.
Leave it labeled
A subscriber wrote about the pleasant surprise she got when her Kindle, left on a train in Switzerland, was found by other US travelers (April ’13, pg. 55).
Sights in Ghent, Belgium
I had read that Ghent, Belgium, is small enough to walk on your own and that its Tourist Information office has a printed walking tour.
Spain’s El Corte Inglés stores
I lived in Madrid and Zaragoza for seven years in the ’60s and ’70s, and in 2010 I traveled in Spain for six weeks from mid September through October.
Tips from a traveler
Always pack an umbrella. Often they’re difficult to find or can be quite expensive. While I was in Miami in April ’13, heavy rain was predicted. Umbrellas at Target cost $14 plus tax! They weren’t worth $2.
Biking along the Fulda
My husband, Fred, and I cycled from Gersfeld to Hannoversch Münden, Germany, April 28-May 3, 2013, on the 4-day, 5-night “Fulda River Bicycle Path” tour offered by BikeToursDirect (Chattanooga, TN; 877/462-2423).
Managing Madrid airport
After a couple of weeks in Spain, my wife and I were heading for the Madrid airport on May 1, 2013, for our flight back to Boston.
Trans-Siberian rail in winter
I read the article “The Great Train Journey — Vladivostok to Moscow” by Jack Ogg (March ’13, pg.