Hi from Rick: Cities and Scrapbooks
 |
| Venice without the heat and crowds...bella! |
Every year I make it a point to take an off-season getaway to a favorite city in Europe. It's not just that it neatly slides into my hectic schedule — visiting when the tourist crowds have left and the locals are back in charge really helps me savor the quieter side of a city's culture. Like the afternoon I lingered on a footbridge overlooking a Venetian canal. Out of nowhere, a silvery fish arced in and out of view — a magic moment shared only by me and a local woman passing by. She looked over at me, and at the same time, we each said, "Bella!"
In the late fall and early spring, Europe's cities can be filled with magic moments like that. To sweeten the experience, off-season airfares (and tour prices) can cost hundreds of dollars less, lines are shorter, restaurants are cozier...and getting away for just a week to ten days can do wonders for the soul when you're faced with (or just pulling out of) a gloomy winter.
In this month's Tour News we're featuring our late 2008 and early 2009 city getaways, from a week in Paris or Prague to our ten-day blast through Venice, Florence and Rome.
You'll also get the skinny on our just-announced online scrapbook contest for all those fun people who have taken tours with us in 2008. We've changed the rules a bit, so it's never been easier to have a chance to win a free tour and other great prizes from us — and share your travel thrills at the same time.
Thanks for your interest in traveling with us. We look forward to making it a reality.
Rick Steves