Travelers' Intercom
Felt like royalty in France
I’ve learned a valuable lesson: don’t neglect the small ads in ITN.
Vilaró in Uruguay
In the article on Uruguay in the April ’10 issue, the author wrote, “… in planning my trip, I found useful Internet information in English to be elusive, and finding a US-based company with Uruguay-only offerings proved impossible.”
Connecting-flight check-in worries
I purchased two round-trip tickets from CheapAir.com on Oct. 10, 2009, for travel from Los Angeles to Pisa via New York and Rome on April 27, 2010. These were Alitalia/Delta code-share tickets.
Londolozi Pioneer Camp in South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve
On our final night at Londolozi Pioneer Camp in South Africa’s Sabi Sands Game Reserve during a private trip, the manager told my wife they had prepared a small surprise for her. In our room, we discovered a candle-surrounded tub filled with bubble bath, with a chilled bottle of champagne nearby.
Car from Jucy Rentals in NZ
We waited until we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, to book our rental car in February ’10 and we’re so glad we did.
Suggests Swagatam for India
For independent travel in India, I highly recommend Swagatam Tours Pvt. Ltd. (www.swagatam.com), which is based in New Delhi and has offices in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
The Mt. Blanc trail
Walking in the shadow of Mt. Blanc is a powerful experience. Intense effort is rewarded by spectacular scenery. Words cannot do it justice. How do you describe heaven?
Staying at hostels
In 1996 I asked Swedish friends to recommend a hotel in the central part of Sweden. They told me they NEVER stay in hotels; they always stay in vandrarhem (hostels).
The Paris lifestyle
My husband, Dick, and I stayed in an apartment in Paris on rue de Lévis in the 17th Arrondissement in June ’09 — a fantastic experience. No tourists there but us!
Rare tour to Wake Island
For those not in the US military, it has been virtually impossible to visit Wake Island, “the Alamo of the Pacific.” After several failed attempts, I had almost given up.
Slovenian family tree
The discovery of a handwritten family tree led me to the “old country” of Yugoslavia, now Slovenia, from which my great grandfather, Martin Jakljevic, emigrated in the late 1880s.
Bilbao vs. Madrid
For four exhilarating days, Dec. 11-14, 2009, I “basqued” in the élan of bodacious Bilbao. It was my fifth visit to that blossoming metropolis. Also a fifth visit, I stayed in Madrid, Jan. 4-11, 2010. While, I think, Madrid is getting by on its past, Bilbao has eagerly embarked on the future.
Iguaçu Falls hotel
When my friend Mike and I visited Iguaçu Falls in fall 2009, we stayed at Hotel Del Rey (Rua Tarobá 1020, CEP 85851-220, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil; phone [45] 2105-7500, www.hoteldelreyfoz.com.br).
All-business-class Open Skies
I previously reported about the all-business-class discount airline Maxjet, now defunct (Oct. ’06, pg. 32). When I was invited to take a flight by a similar operation, the British Airways venture Open Skies (866/581-3596, www.flyopenskies.com), I couldn’t refuse.
Meštrović museum
During my trip to Zagreb in July ’09, I visited the Atelier Meštrović (Mletaçka 8, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; phone 385 1 428 586, www.mdc.hr/mestrovic/atelijer/opci-en.htm). Ivan Meštrović’s studio and 17th-century house are the setting for a vast array of his sculptures and models.
Caru’ cu Bere in Bucharest
When in Bucharest, beer lovers should not, repeat not, miss Caru’ cu Bere (Stavropoleos St. #5, Bucharest, Romania; phone 021 313 75 60, www.carucubere.ro). It is a two-story rococo Bavarian brauhaus dishing up plentiful servings of Romanian food plus a good assortment of European beers, including their own.
Luggage lashing
My husband and I did a tour to Mali, Jan. 3-18, 2010. We used Air France because it was nonstop San Francisco-Paris and nonstop Paris-Bamako, Mali — as easy as it gets for such a long distance.
Recommended in London
My friend Billie Rivers and I spent two nights in Greenwich at One Six Two (162 Westcombe Hill, Greenwich, London, SE3 7DH, U.K.; phone +44 [208] 4655444, e-mail
Geared up for the Galápagos
I thought ITN readers would be interested in my assessment of clothing and equipment used on my April ’09 trip to the Galápagos with GAP Adventures (Toronto, Ont.; 800/708-7761). Some items were old faithfuls and some were purchased for this trip.
Foreign-transaction fee
I want to alert ITN readers to beware of new foreign-transaction fees that may have been imposed by their credit card companies.