Travelers' Intercom
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.
Flying to England
British Airways’ business-class seats on flights between Tampa, Florida, and England’s Gatwick Airport have been reconfigured,* with, basically, every other seat facing forward and the others facing rearward. That’s great for a couple but a bit awkward if you’re facing a stranger.
Papua New Guinea sing-sing with ElderTreks
In order to take in the annual sing-sing held at Mount Hagen, my husband, Maurice, and I joined a tour of Papua New Guinea with ElderTreks (Toronto, ON, Canada; 800/741-7956 or 416/588-5000), Aug. 9-29, 2012.
Cook In Shanghai
While spending two weeks in Shanghai, China, April 18-May 1, 2013, I took seven cooking classes from Cook In Shanghai (269 Zhaojiabang Rd. [near Jiashan Rd.], Bldg. 2, Room 502, Shanghai; phone +86 186 217 82 428, ).
Magic Switzerland
Before taking a cruise-tour in Europe, my wife, Gloria, and I wanted to see Switzerland. I searched the Internet for a Swiss travel consultant and found Magic Switzerland (Kansas City MO; 800/337-9477 or 816/753-5573). I recommend their services.
Train to Rome airport
A month before my husband, Thom, and I took a trip to Italy, April 16-May 10, 2013, we bought Italy train passes from the Rick Steves website; Eurail passes must be purchased in the US and, within six months of purchase, must be validated in Europe before your first train ride.
Adventures Abroad ‘runs great trips’
The subscriber who wrote the letter “On Canceled Tours” (June ’13, pg. 26) was disappointed at not being able to take several tours with the company Adventures Abroad.
Sunrock Guest House in Johannesburg
En route to any of a dozen destinations in Africa, chances are you’ll need a layover in Johannesburg.
OAT’s ‘Route of the Maya’
I took a tour of El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and (mostly) Guatemala called “Route of the Maya” with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925), Jan. 2-18, 2012.