Hi from Rick: Europe Unplugged
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| Off-season travelers experience a quieter side of Europe. |
Dear Traveler,
Earlier this month I returned to the Greek Isle of Hydra, a highlight of the "Athens and Heart of Greece" tour that Anne and I were part of last October. That trip was purely for pleasure, but this one is my version of going to the office: we're filming a new TV show. In spite of all the work I need to get through, the quieter pleasures of off-season travel happily intrude.
Climbing out of bed and pushing open my hotel room's shutters, I'm greeted by a cool, almost mountain breeze pouring through my window on this crisp morning. I stretch while enjoying the view: a clutter of red-tiled roofs, looking like a sloppy pile of Triscuits tumbling from a hilltop down to the harbor. Seven o'clock brings a tinny chorus of church bells. Sounding more like dinner triangles on a cowboy ranch, they seem to call the barnyard awake: dogs bark, roosters rant, and an old burro snorts, clearing his sinuses. A black cat prances nimbly across a roof. On my windowsill is the ugliest orange I've ever seen. I pick it up and give it a sniff. It smells like heaven. I'm reminded that in Europe, ugly usually means tasty.
In this month's Tour News we're slowing down for a moment to remind ourselves — and you — of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that always seem more vivid with off-season travel. There's a clarity, like your'e experiencing "Europe Unplugged." If you're looking to plan a last getaway before the end of the year, we've got a bunch of fall-friendly destinations waiting for you. We'll also give you a sneak peek at our better-than-ever 2009 tour lineup, which we'll have up and running in mid-June.
Whether your travel dreams take you to Hydra or Haarlem — plugged or unplugged — we're here to turn them into rich reality.
Happy travels,
Rick