While on a 2-week independent trip to Italy in June ’06, my two girlfriends and I found a wonderful company providing day trips into the Tuscan countryside outside of Florence: Doors To Italy (27500 Pinyon St., Murrieta, CA 92562; 951/704-5729, e-mail doors2italy@verizon.net).

We were picked up in the morning by Roberto at our lodging in the city and in a very comfortable new Mercedes van with air-conditioning were driven around the Chianti Road (S222) to Siena and San Gimignano....

My wife, Mary Ellen, and I were in Switzerland for 10 days in September ’06. We stayed in Merligen, which is on Lake Thun and near Interlaken. We had been in this area before and basically were interested in hiking in the beautiful mountains of the area, which was marvelous.

The highlight of the trip was the Unspunnen Festival in Interlaken, starting on Sept. 1 and ending with a parade on Sept 3. Held every 12 years, this festival was scheduled for 2005, but the rains and floods...

Why go to Boulders Beach, south of Cape Town, South Africa? To see the African penguins, of course. Formerly called jackass penguins (for their donkey-like braying), they are native to South Africa, and this beach is one of their three breeding grounds.

After a not-so-short walk from the parking lot, we were able to walk down the raised paths to see them. And there were lots of them during our trip in late July ’05.

These penguins mate for life and we saw many pairs, some with...