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May 2012 issue | Appears on page 29

Tuscany’s ‘Little Jerusalem’

My wife, Rosalie, and I were in Italy in June ’11 and visited the hilltop town of Pitigliano in southern Tuscany. There’s no train station in Pitigliano, which is two hours north of Rome and about 30 miles southeast of Grosseto. A car is recommended. After you enter the town through the defensive wall, it’s best to park near the town hall. This wonderful medieval town is small enough to walk around in on foot.

May 2012 issue | Appears on page 54

Volcanic Kamchatka

Sunrise at 4,500 feet, with 12,080-foot Mt. Tobalchik looming.

Twenty years ago I read about the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia, south of the Bering Sea, and decided I had to go to that amazing place. What makes Kamchatka so fascinating is it sits atop three tectonic plates, making it home to 200-plus volcanoes, of which 30 are active. There were six eruptions between December 2010 and the time of my trip there, July 12-Aug. 2, 2011.

Kamchatka reputedly has 10,000 grizzly bears and has also been a Mecca for well-heeled fishermen from...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 14

White Lodge, Richmond Park, London

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.

During the September 2011 event, I was able to visit White Lodge in Richmond Park and learned that visits to part of the lodge are possible throughout the year on certain days of the week by prior arrangement through the Royal Ballet School...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 15

HK’s Octopus Card

After a Yangtze River trip in China in November ’11, my husband, Alan, and I spent three days on our own in Hong Kong. We found it very easy to sightsee there and it also was inexpensive, once we discovered the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Octopus Card*.

In an MTR station, we each purchased an Octopus Card for a senior for HKD50 (near $6.50) and loaded an additional HKD20 on it. We used our cards to travel everywhere on the MTR for pennies.

For example, our hotel was...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 16

Jousting in Arezzo

My wife, Rosalie, and I were fortunate to be able to attend the Giostra del Saracino, the Jousting of the Saracen (tickets, phone 0575 3772 62 [or 60 or 63], fax 377464), in Arezzo, Italy, on June 18, 2011. This tournament takes place twice a year. (In 2012 it’s on June 23 & Sept. 2.)

Held in the Piazza Grande, the pageant began at 9:30 p.m. and ran until midnight. First, the mayor read a proclamation and a challenge to the four neighborhoods of Arezzo. The bishop then blessed...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 26

On the tarmac with Qatar Airways

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.

Once in flight, the service in economy class was good, the legroom was good and the flight staff was good. However, after boarding the plane in Houston, passengers sat on the tarmac for five hours before it was decided that the plane couldn’t be flown. We weren’t given anything while waiting, only water.

We all...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 27

Re port shuttles from Jewel of the Seas

A friend and I had single cabins on Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas for the “12-Night Scandinavia and Russia Cruise” round trip from Harwich, England, to Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia, May 18-30, 2011.

Jewel of the Seas is a beautiful ship. The staff was wonderful, and everyone connected with passenger service was outstanding, but there are a couple of things I would point out.

Royal Caribbean’s shuttle bus service from each port into the town...

April 2012 issue | Appears on page 28

Princess’ pre-cruise London package

My wife and I decided to try the pre-cruise package offered by Princess Cruises (800/774-6237) before our “Top of the World” cruise from Dover, England, to Brooklyn, New York, July 20-Aug. 7, 2011.

For $579 per person, we would be met at Heathrow Airport, transferred to London’s Chancery Court Hotel and, after two nights, transferred by van to the ship in Dover. For an additional $189 per person per night, we could book additional nights through Princess at the same hotel. Was this a...