Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
2012 in Review
The 2012 season was a great adventure and I am glad to say all our clients have advised they were very impressed with the tours we organised for them.
Tuscany is always a big hit and with the added few days spend in Venice it makes our Tuscany tour very popular. Venice is unlike any other city that you have been to and we never get tired of traveling there. The back streets and quaint canals and cafe' are as interesting as the first time we travelled there. Venice in the evening is different city and in some ways a better experience while roaming the streets. The music is beautiful it listen too and there is a definite romantic feel to the city in the evening hours. There is also less people walking around which really makes this a great experience if you have never been there.While in Venice we sat at a beautiful B&B just 10 minutes away from the city. Here we can relax in the beautiful gardens on the property and can sleep in comfort knowing we are only a short bus ride to the airport or to the city centre where we catch the vaporetti to cruise the canals
From Venice we take a 3 1/2 drive south through the mountains to Cortona in the Tuscany region. This area has seen an increase in tourism since the release of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. Our villa is situated on the hill top just a short walk from the city entrance into Cortona. This walk offers an incredible view of the valley below us but if you walk or drive up to the highest point on the mountain at 3,467 ft your view below is even more incredible. Cortona was founded around 8th century BC and has an impressive history from the Umbrian, Pelasgians and then the Etruscans and Roman influences till the present day. Incredibly the town did not suffer bombing during the war; so Cortona's extraoridary natural, historical, cultural and artistic sightseeing makes Cortona one of Tuscany's favourite designations!
This year we also made a change from taking a cruise to going on a Rhine River cruise. This was a different experience for us as you are able to disembark at different small towns alone the Rhine and while cruise you site comfortable on the top of the sun deck and watch the German country side as you sail. The food was remarkable and there was a complimentary choice of beer or wine with lunch and dinner. All the shore excursions were included in the price of the cruise so there were no added expenses. The pace on a Rhine cruise was slower than being on a large cruise ship and this aspect of the river cruise was commented on by many who were on board as a very positive feature. Now that we have done a river cruise I would highly recommend you try one or contact us for more information.
Every year we return to Scotland and this Sept we did out last tour of the season traveling from the Orkney Islands then down along the west coast of Scotland. Orkney is always one of my favorite destinations in Scotland as its completely different from the rest of Scotland in both culture and its geography. Having more of a viking influence than a Celtic influence that we find in the south. The Norwegian names and culture is very present all over the islands. The inhabitants are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble when it come to entertaining guests. One of the most noticeable things you will experience is the constant wind that blows almost all the time. As a result there are very few trees that grow on Orkney. It also has some of the greatest neo-lithic ruins in all of Europe that attracts hundreds of visitors yearly. More on this trip later.
Tuscany is always a big hit and with the added few days spend in Venice it makes our Tuscany tour very popular. Venice is unlike any other city that you have been to and we never get tired of traveling there. The back streets and quaint canals and cafe' are as interesting as the first time we travelled there. Venice in the evening is different city and in some ways a better experience while roaming the streets. The music is beautiful it listen too and there is a definite romantic feel to the city in the evening hours. There is also less people walking around which really makes this a great experience if you have never been there.While in Venice we sat at a beautiful B&B just 10 minutes away from the city. Here we can relax in the beautiful gardens on the property and can sleep in comfort knowing we are only a short bus ride to the airport or to the city centre where we catch the vaporetti to cruise the canals
From Venice we take a 3 1/2 drive south through the mountains to Cortona in the Tuscany region. This area has seen an increase in tourism since the release of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. Our villa is situated on the hill top just a short walk from the city entrance into Cortona. This walk offers an incredible view of the valley below us but if you walk or drive up to the highest point on the mountain at 3,467 ft your view below is even more incredible. Cortona was founded around 8th century BC and has an impressive history from the Umbrian, Pelasgians and then the Etruscans and Roman influences till the present day. Incredibly the town did not suffer bombing during the war; so Cortona's extraoridary natural, historical, cultural and artistic sightseeing makes Cortona one of Tuscany's favourite designations!
This year we also made a change from taking a cruise to going on a Rhine River cruise. This was a different experience for us as you are able to disembark at different small towns alone the Rhine and while cruise you site comfortable on the top of the sun deck and watch the German country side as you sail. The food was remarkable and there was a complimentary choice of beer or wine with lunch and dinner. All the shore excursions were included in the price of the cruise so there were no added expenses. The pace on a Rhine cruise was slower than being on a large cruise ship and this aspect of the river cruise was commented on by many who were on board as a very positive feature. Now that we have done a river cruise I would highly recommend you try one or contact us for more information.
Every year we return to Scotland and this Sept we did out last tour of the season traveling from the Orkney Islands then down along the west coast of Scotland. Orkney is always one of my favorite destinations in Scotland as its completely different from the rest of Scotland in both culture and its geography. Having more of a viking influence than a Celtic influence that we find in the south. The Norwegian names and culture is very present all over the islands. The inhabitants are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble when it come to entertaining guests. One of the most noticeable things you will experience is the constant wind that blows almost all the time. As a result there are very few trees that grow on Orkney. It also has some of the greatest neo-lithic ruins in all of Europe that attracts hundreds of visitors yearly. More on this trip later.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)