After disembarking from a Mediterranean cruise on Oct. 2, 2011, I stayed at Hotel Nazionale Rome (Piazza Montecitorio, 131 00186, Rome, Italy; phone +39 06 695001, fax 06 6786677). This was my third stay at the hotel, and I just love everything about it: its central location, the staff, the rooms, the service and the fabulous breakfast served. For four nights, two of us paid €270 (near $360) per night for a twin room.
REPORT ON MEXICO…
It was chilly in early May 2010 when I first visited Riva del Garda, Italy. It also rained almost the entire time. In 2011 I chose to arrive a couple of weeks later, May 19-21, and what I found was sunshine!
A tiny, picturesque country encircled by Italy, San Marino is the oldest surviving constitutional republic in the world, dating back to AD 301. It’s noted for its postage stamps and tax-free shopping.
For my son, Mark, and myself, I arranged a two-day trip to San Marino for October ’11 through Hotels.com (800/246-8357). For two people, round-trip air from Rome to Rimini, Italy, and two nights in San Marino, including breakfast, cost $1,100.
I was scheduled to fly Qatar Airways from Houston, Texas, through Doha, Qatar, to Delhi, India, on Oct. 27, 2011, and then return, Mumbai-Doha-Houston, on Nov. 13.
The annual Open House London weekend provides an opportunity to see buildings in the city which have significant architectural value but which are not normally open to the public. Admission is usually free. The 2012 event will be held Sept. 22-23.
REPORT ON DOMINICA…
During a January ’12 Southern Caribbean cruise, we visited a botanical garden in Dominica that we thought was exceptional.
No matter when I take a trip, I always seem to travel one week too late. Upon arriving at a B&B or hotel, the host asks, “And how are you enjoying your visit to (wherever)?” When I answer, “Fine, but I wish it weren’t raining so hard,” the response is, “You should have been here last week. It was beautiful.”
I am sure it was, but even though I consider myself a professional tourist, I still haven’t figured out how to travel last week.
At the end of January 2011, my daughter, LeAnn, 22, and I finalized our plans to visit Egypt. Our trip was not meant to be a traditional vacation but one arranged as we went along our way, using local guides and taking public transportation. We wanted to see the same Cairo that 18 million residents live and work in every day.
Six miles from Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, I spent a night in Hotel Zwanenburg (Olmenlaan 52, 1161 JX Zwanenburg, The Netherlands; phone 31 20 497 80 20) on Sept. 28, 2011.
The hotel is convenient to the center of Zwanenburg, for restaurants and a supermarket. It is also close to bus service to Amsterdam (20 minutes away), and it runs a free airport shuttle from 5:30 a.m. to midnight. On arrival, I contacted the hotel and was picked up at bus stop B14.