Travelers' Intercom

by Arline Wills, Lynnfield, MA

It had been 20 years since our first visit to Portugal. When we returned in September ’04 we found that not a lot had changed, especially in the northern area. Women still carry baskets and bundles on their heads, men are seen leading donkeys laden with wood or market produce, and elderly widows are still all in black from head to toe. However, since becoming part of the European Union, Portugal has seen a great deal more road building than we found in 1974 and rivers are now navigable due to the dams and locks built for that purpose.

As we had...

My husband, Stanley, and I traveled with Vantage Deluxe World Travel (90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114; 888/982-6824) in April and May 2006.

We were supposed to have a 2-week river cruise on their “Eastern Europe and the Black Sea” tour, April 13-26. We opted for the post extension Transylvania excursion as well, three nights in Brasov, Romania. When that was over, we traveled from Bucharest to Berlin to begin our second tour with Vantage. It was called “Historic Cities of Eastern Europe” and originated from the U.S. on April 27.

Well, Mother Nature had other ideas, and the...

Six of us had several delightful days in May ’05 doing excursions from Florence in a 6-passenger Mercedes minivan with tour guide Dr. Marcello Grandini (Frazione Padule 109/A, 50039 Vicchio-Firenze, Italy; phone/fax 011-39-055-8407830 or e-mail marcello.tourguide@tiscali.it).

Marcello is extremely knowledgeable and well trained and speaks excellent English. He took us on full-day excursions to Pisa, Lucca and the hill towns of Tuscany (such as San Gimignano, Volterra, Montepulciano, etc.). We paid €375 (about $125 a couple) for the day and considered it well worth it.

...