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December 2010 issue

Remarkable Rome

What can one say about Rome’s charms that hasn’t been said before? It seems that every sight has been seen, written about and filmed. Yet, as much as I thought it would be another overcrowded European city, Rome captivated my imagination and fueled a mad dash to see everything possible.

Our enchantment began almost immediately upon checking in at the posh Hotel Eden (Via Ludovisi 49), where my husband and I and our two friends stayed for three nights, courtesy of Starwood hotel points, during September ’09. (The rate for a double room is €342 [near $477] per night.)

The...

March 2004 issue

Pickpocket ploy

As an avid traveler and ITN reader, I thought I was familiar with most of the means by which people were separated from their money, but the following was a new one to me.

In fall 2003, following disembarkation from our ship in Barcelona, Spain, our group was taken on a brief tour of the city while our hotel rooms were being prepared. The tour guide, while passing out pertinent information, also warned us about pickpockets. The “good news” was that the thieves are now very good at it and seldom resort to physically harming their victims!

Later that day, my companion made the...

July 2005 issue

New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty

If you’ve never been to New Zealand, you really need to go. Those wonderful stories about the place are all true. If you’ve already gone, chances are you didn’t visit the North Island’s Bay of Plenty. Not a lot of people do. Stuck up in the northeastern corner about two hours from Auckland, this part of the North Island is rather off the beaten tourist path — and that means things are less crowded and more authentic.

My wife, Rose, and I happened to find the Bay of Plenty because we were staying with a local couple, Clive and Helen Berry, who home-hosted us for a week in February...

June 2010 issue

Suggests Swagatam for India

For independent travel in India, I highly recommend Swagatam Tours Pvt. Ltd. (www.swagatam.com), which is based in New Delhi and has offices in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

I had signed up for two package tours for February-March 2010, one in southern India with Adventures Abroad and the other in Rajasthan and Gujarat with Explore. To fill in the gap between them, a fellow ITN reader suggested I contact Swagatam to arrange visits to Varanasi and Khajuraho.

Several months before departure, both tours were canceled because not enough people had signed up, so I sent my...

April 2004 issue

Idyll, Ltd., a ‘wonderful solution’

My husband and I have done quite a bit of traveling. We research in depth the places to which we are going. We do not like traveling with large groups, as we travel for art, history and architecture and do not want to be rushed through places where we would like to spend a lot of time. Thus, we travel alone or with a private guide.

We have found the most wonderful solution for our travel needs. We learned of Idyll, Ltd. (Box 405, Media, PA 19063; phone 888/868-6871, e-mail info@untours.com or visit www.untours.com) a year or so ago. The company rents apartments throughout Europe and...

May 2004 issue

The deserved tip

I would like to identify my traveling credentials before giving you my thoughts on the controversial subject of tipping.

I have traveled to 161 of the nations on ITN’s “Official List” and 248 of those on the Travelers’ Century Club list. I have set foot on 197 islands (not boasting, just identifying). I was a traveling salesman in Northern California for 15 years, attending dozens and dozens of conventions, so I have stayed in hundreds of hotels and motels and eaten in jillions of food establishments. I also write travel and restaurant reviews for our local newspaper.

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February 2005 issue

River Navigator on the Danube and Black Sea

Friendly faces, lively music, colorful art and beautiful churches are what my husband and I found on our 12-day “Danube and Black Sea Sampler,” a river cruise from which we returned on Oct. 17, ’04. The cruise was offered by Vantage Deluxe World Travel (90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114-2031; phone 800/322-6677).

After flying from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport to Chicago, we boarded a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, then went on to Bucharest, Romania. The first night was at the Marriott Grand Hotel, originally built by Ceausescu to house friends and relatives and now an...

October 2010 issue

Opals in Australia

In the letter from Nanci Scheithauer titled “Opals vs. Triplets” (Aug. ’10, pg. 25), regarding her dissatisfaction with a purchase of opals in Australia, it appears there was a problem of language.

While not an expert, I have studied gemology and purchased precious and semiprecious stones all over the world for more than 40 years. I can’t say anything for certain without knowing the color and size of the stones that Nanci purchased, but I suspect she actually got a good deal.

I have not priced loose opals for some years, but the set opals I saw in...