Travelers' Intercom
Bruges delights
During a trip to Europe’s Low Countries in spring 2012, my husband, Ed, and I spent May 2-4 in Bruges.
Namaste in India
My wife, Jane, and I had a memorable tour of southern India with Namaste Tours (O-130, DLF Shopping Mall, Arjun Marg, Phase 1, Gurgaon Haryana-122002, India; phone +91 [124] 4040636 or 637), Dec. 16, 2011-Jan. 3, 2012.
Oyster Card in London
For my trip to London, Nov. 15-20, 2012, I used an Oyster Card purchased by my daughter on a trip earlier in the year to get discounts on public transit.
Iceland with Stein
I took a van tour called “Natural Wonders of Iceland” that went around the entire coast of Iceland, July 7-15, 2012.
Independent Albania
I was pleased to see Carol Probst’s piece “Albania — Enjoying Europe without the Costs and Crowds” (Dec. ’12, pg. 36). I visited Albania in the fall of 2011 and found it an interesting destination, although one not ready for mainstream tourism.
An overview of Colombia
North of Ecuador, the Andes mountains split into three branches, dividing Colombia into western, central and eastern regions. On an 18-day tour of Colombia, March 19-April 9, 2012, our group observed the central and western areas, including three national parks.
Weekend in Barcelona
My daughter, Debra, and I spent a lovely weekend in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain, Oct.
Duly noted
My husband and I found ourselves with three days’ notice to go on a trip to Southern Africa in October ’11. A pamphlet given to us by our travel agent stated that to go to South Africa, leave and reenter we each needed three sets of blank pages in our passports, each set to be two blank pages facing each other.
Jaldapara in India
My husband, Clyde, and I took a 35-day trip to India in March-April 2012 with arrangements made by Swagatam Tours (New Delhi, India; phone 91 11 25444000, fax 25444010).
Costly SIM card
For a 5-day London visit, Nov. 15-20, 2012, I took my cell phone which is capable of being used outside of the US. I had planned to buy a SIM card in London, but upon arriving at Heathrow Airport I saw a vending machine offering SIM cards from a couple of different companies.
Accommodations in Venice
After a 3-week tour (No. “CE-2”) of Central Europe in May ‘12 with Adventures Abroad (Blaine, WA; 800/665-3998), which was wonderful, my husband, Bob, and I flew from Prague to Venice on Air One ($100 for both tickets) for a 5-day stay.
Brussels hotel
My wife and I stayed in Brussels at the Floris Arlequin Grand’Place (Rue de la Fourche 17-19, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium; phone 00 32 [0] 2 514 16 15, fax 514 22 02), May 7-9, 2012, having booked online. The price was €397 (near $523) for three nights, which included breakfast.
‘Waterways of the Czars’
My husband, Ray, and I wanted to see if river cruising fit our travel style. We chose the St.
White water in Slovenia
For a variety of water-based activities, I took a trip to Slovenia, Aug. 12-19, 2012, with Exodus (In the US, contact Adventure Center, Emeryville, CA; 800/843-4272).
China arrangements
For the independent portion of a 6-week September-October 2012 China trip, I used Ctrip to book six hotels and four internal flights.
A studio in Paris
My wife, Anne, and I spent a week in Paris in April ’12 prior to taking a superb trip with Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768) to the battlefields of Normandy.
Thai Air in business class
My husband, Bill, and I flew from Bangkok to Tokyo aboard Thai Airways (800/426-5204) on Nov. 23, 2012. I don’t know the price; we used frequent-flyer points to upgrade.
Rewa Eco Lodge, Guyana
My wife, Karen, and I took a bird-watching and nature trip to Guyana through Nature Travel Specialists (Dauphin Island, AL; 251/861-2524) and Wilderness Explorers (Georgetown, Guyana). We left Miami on Sept.