Tour Tales
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| Angela (left of person wearing cap) chooses to remain standing for this group photo. |
Every month we feature funny, offbeat or inspiring anecdotes. If you have a true tale to tell, send it to stories@ricksteves.com. If you have a photo that illustrates it, please attach it. Don't forget to tell us which city and state you live in. We'd love to hear from you!
My Grand Entrance
Arriving in Haarlem for the start of a Best of Europe in 21 Days tour, I was jetlagged to the point of not really functioning. I got to my room, set my alarm and crawled under the covers for a quick nap. My roommate reminded me of the group meeting downstairs. I said, "I have 15 more minutes!," then covered myself up again. Moments later, I jumped out of bed, freshened up and scrambled downstairs to meet my group. As I walked in I noticed my watch read...eight minutes past the hour...uh-oh! Everyone was already sitting, listening intently to our guide, who then turned to me and said, "Glad you could join us!" Keeping my eyes on the guide, I walked to one of the tables and answered, "Yes, I'm here!" and sat down...and down. The next thing I saw was my feet up over my head. Yes, that's right, my first impression was a lasting impression. I fell flat on my fanny. (Thank God for the excuse of jetlag.)
Although it wasn't funny at the time, it sure was hilarious soon after. Throughout the next 21 days, my tour-mates didn't hesitate to remind me of my claim to fame. Oh, and it quickly became a topic of discussion at the reunion party this past January 17, 2009.
Here's to Happy Travels,
—Angela in Meridian, Idaho
Fine print: We reserve the right to edit and post all Tour Tales submissions. Please provide us with your full name and city/state. We will not print your last name or email address in Tour News.