Travel Tidbits

 On a Friday night in little Viterbo, Italy, one November, we joined the passeggiata (evening stroll), roaming the closed-to-traffic narrow shopping streets. I bought wool undershirts in UPIM, a chain department store, and immediately slipped one on under my shirt and sweater as the night was frigid. Hot chocolate, thick as a liquid candy bar, came next, and we sat outside a small café watching the throngs of people at this exciting open-air “mall.” — DOROTHY DeVOTI, Sheffield, MA
 
Uzbekistan is a fantastic country to visit. It was the heart of the ancient Silk Road, and it takes you back to the time of Alexander the Great and Tamarlane with some of the magnificent architectural wonders of the world. Most of all, however, the people my husband, Simon, and I encountered on a May ’04 tour with MIR Corp. (Seattle; 800/424-7289) — in the marketplaces in each city or just wandering the neighborhoods in Bukhara and Khiva — were an absolute joy. — ARLENE KLEIN, Sugarloaf Key, FL
 
From Gornergrat, Switzerland, a 45-minute train ride from Zermatt, we could see 29 peaks that were 4,000 feet or higher. The Matterhorn had a cloudy hat on, but Mt. Rosa was clear with the sun reflecting on its glaciers. It looked so close, we thought we could reach out and touch it. The view was comparable to what I’d experienced in Nepal and Tibet.
Back in Zermatt, we asked about the possibility of going up to the platform of the Kleine Matterhorn and were told it was engulfed in clouds. We opted for a trip on an underground funicular to Sunnega. That was interesting, but it could not match Gornergrat. (August ’03) — MARVIN PRIMACK, Stockton, CA

 I have found that if I put a design on my travel case and put a strap around it, I can spot it right away when it comes off the plane. Some people just look at me, but who cares? I will find my case before anyone else because I painted a design on it, bright and beautiful. — FLORENCE SONNTAG, Lavallette, NJ