We have never been enthusiastic fans of Charles de Gaulle International Airport (Roissy CDG) in Paris. In the past, our complaints — which were mainly about the lack of or inoperable ATMs and poor signage to car rental offices — while adding up to considerable dissatisfaction, could have been taken individually as a bit of nitpicking, but observations have compelled me to write.
by Beth Habian, Features Editor
A reader mentioned www.awardplanner.com (June ’07, pg. 4). My husband, a member of AwardPlanner, received a letter from them March 23, 2007, which read, “We have noticed a discernable increase in the amount of time required to research suitable award redemption alternatives, as well as a significant decrease in award availability options. Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy our customers’ requests for award redemptions.
The island of Hokkaido, Japan, conjures up images of wild land and misty mountains where wild bears once roamed. However, on the Muroran, Hokkaido, port stop of our September-October ’05 cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess, what we first saw were tunnels. We went through at least five long, dark tunnels before we even got a glimpse of the country road.
My wife, Emily, and I received the e-mail in early August ’06. It read, “Join Scope Travel in Ukraine for Lviv Carnival Celebrating Lviv’s 750 Anniversary Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2006 — $1,499 + tax.” It promised gala concerts, jazz festivals, parades, choral shows, children’s concerts, youth ensembles, folklore dance competitions, bazaars, kiosks, fireworks and more.
Crowds everywhere. Queues everywhere. And glitches galore. Has London always been like this? Has travel always been like this?
Namba is the heart of the shopping and entertainment area in Osaka, Japan. On a trip in September ’05, my husband, Don, and I took the Chuo Line subway from Osaka to Honmachi, then boarded the train on the Yotubashi line (blue color code). Once we emerged in Namba, we had no problem locating the roofed shopping street.
There are several museums in Quito, Ecuador, but two that my wife, Barbara, and I visited in January ’06 deserve special mention.
My husband Don, and I attended a marvelous “tango lesson/dinner show” called Complejo Tango Cena-Show (Escuela de Baile-Canto-Musica, Av. Belgrano 2608, C1096AAQ, Buenos Aires, Argentina; phone [54] [0] 11 4941 1119, fax 43082106 or visit www.complejotango.com.ar) in Buenos Aires in January ’06. It was one of the best events of our 24-day trip to South America.
Our travel agent prearranged the evening, which costs $60. It included a hotel pickup and return. Our group was small, 10 to 12 people.
Croatia is a wonderful destination, with six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, great food and wine and, during our June ’06 trip, perfect weather.