7 days, 6 nights on ITALY’s largest island, May 14-20, 2016. Highlights: Coach from Palermo to Valley of the Temples in Agrigento/ Audie Murphy landing beach/3rd Division Memorial/Scoglitti landing beaches/follow exploits of US 45th Infantry Division/landing beaches at Gela/Catania/Centuripe/Troina/Agira Canadian War Cemetery. Land, $2,950 ppdo. Single supp., $300. Valor Tours (Sausalito, CA; 800/842-4504, www.valortours.com).
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 25 resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people in Nepal, India and China and in heavy damage to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal. While still damaged, a number of the sites reopened in June, including the Durbar squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the stupas at Swayambhunath and Boudhanath, and the temples at Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan.
10 days, 9 nights, Dec. 3-12, 2015. (TIP: Take easy-to-slip-off shoes for frequent trips outside for bird-viewing.) Highlights: In Quito, Yanacocha Reserve, home to sword-billed hummingbird, glossy flowerpiercer, Tyrian metaltail and more/mountain town of Mindo, home to over 360 bird species/at Sachatamia Lodge, view birds, butterflies/walk trails with family at farm of Angel Paz, home to giant antpitta, Andean cock-of-the-rock/Milpe Reserve/Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, home to orchids, toucans, tanagers/San Isidro. Land, $2,690 ppdo. Single supp., $325.
10 days, 9 nights, Dec. 3-12, 2015. (TIP: Take easy-to-slip-off shoes for frequent trips outside for bird-viewing.) Highlights: In Quito, Yanacocha Reserve, home to sword-billed hummingbird, glossy flowerpiercer, Tyrian metaltail and more/mountain town of Mindo, home to over 360 bird species/at Sachatamia Lodge, view birds, butterflies/walk trails with family at farm of Angel Paz, home to giant antpitta, Andean cock-of-the-rock/Milpe Reserve/Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, home to orchids, toucans, tanagers/San Isidro. Land, $2,690 ppdo. Single supp., $325.
A port city on the Baltic Coast of Poland, Gdansk is truly amazing -- and amazingly historic. From its medieval Golden Age to the headlines of our own generation, big things have happened here.
You would think that a town with history stretching back 5,000 years, one which was once a Roman military spa town and which was Charlemagne’s capital during the eighth century, would be a well-known tourist destination. This is true for Europeans, but, with the exception of my fellow history buffs, Aachen remains virtually unknown to Americans.
