Beaches and Islands

I should mention a word about the owners of Chilean Special Journeys (28 Morrill Rd., Montville, ME 04941; 888/345-6077 or www.chileanspecialjourneys.com):

by Anton Prole, Wiltshire, England

by Seth Sherman, Thomasville, GA

On my first trip to Europe in 1958, my mother and I sailed on the Italian liner MN Augustus from New York to Naples, with a one-day stop in Lisbon. The ship’s route took us through the Azores, approximately 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal. We sailed through them around 8:30 in the morning, and I can still remember how beautiful and sparkling they looked in the bright morning sunlight, just like jewels in the water. I promised myself that one day I would return to explore those peaceful islands.

“There’s one!” Our local guide ecstatically pointed out a sight guaranteed to generate a sense of awe in the most jaded traveler. Standing erect on a rock protruding from the bay near our landing site on Bartolomé Island in the Galápagos was an honest-to-goodness penguin, saluting our arrival. We were sweating in the sea-level equatorial heat while the polar seabird looked calm, cool and definitely out of place.

 A resort in southern Argentina, the town of Bariloche is a gem. During an August trip we took, it was winter (about 40˚F) and there was snow on the surrounding mountains. Lots of children from Buenos Aires were there for vacation, making it a very lively place. Bariloche has the best chocolate and ice cream I have ever tasted, even better than those in Europe. — KEVIN O’BRIEN, Tybee Island, GA

I wish to echo the concern expressed by Fred Kerr about speed traps in the South Island of New Zealand (July ’06, pg. 18).

 For anyone needing transport between the Marco Polo Airport and Venice, Italy, the website of the Tourist Board of Venice has a very good presentation of the alternatives. Visit www.turismovenezia.it/eng. — G.F. MUEDEN, New York, NY

(Third of three parts on Australia, jump to part 1, p