Travel Tidbits

 Delightful Viterbo, Italy, north of Rome, has a colorful past. It was founded by the Etruscans and then became a temporary residence of popes in the 13th century. Every year, May 1-3, the streets are filled with flowers for the annual flower festival, San Pellegrino in Fiore, and on the evening of Sept. 3 there is a procession, Macchina di Santa Rosa, honoring the Virgin Mary. Local men carry a towering, ornate statue of Mary through the streets. The macchina is redesigned every few years, and former ones are in the museum. (To check events in Viterbo, visit www.viterboonline.com.) — DOROTHY DeVOTI, Sheffield, MA
  

For our 8-week trip to New Zealand and Australia, we chose April and May because we were covering such vast areas with very different weather conditions. We calculated we would get the best weather by starting in New Zealand’s South Island, then going to the North Island, followed by southern Australia, then the west and finally the Northern Territory, which experiences inundating rains in the winter. Even in May, a few of the 4-wheel-drive tracks were still closed in the Northern Territory’s Kakadu National Park. Our decision was a good one and we had very few weather problems. Another advantage of that time of year is that rates tend to be lower and crowds are thinner. — GERDA K. FREEDHEIM, Cleveland, OH
  

We found the Gibraltar Museum a very worthwhile place to visit. We then explored some of the many, many tourist- and local-oriented shops and packed our purchases to send home. We also visited the Parson’s Lodge battery, a fortification. A taxi driver recommended it and let us off for a self-guided tour, which was interesting. — GENE McPHERSON, Sturgis, SD
  

From Santiago, Chile, we flew to Puerto Montt, walked around the amazing seafood market and then bused to Puerto Varas in Patagonia for a stay in that German/Swiss-influenced town. The next day’s lake crossings (12 hours) were one of the highlights of a November-December tour with smarTours. The view of Osorno Volcano from the boat was beautiful and unreal. — BRITA BISHOP, Dallas, TX
  

  
In Wellington, on New Zealand’s North Island, a group of us tried the famous Bluff oysters and green-lipped mussels. We were unanimously “wowed!” — NORM LOEFFLER, Wichita Falls, TX