Funniest thing
No “air fluff” cycle?
This month’s winner KEVIN EDWARDS of Albuquerque, New Mexico: Some 10 years ago I went to France with my wife, my sister and my brother-in-law. We enjoyed the sights in Paris for several days, then decided to visit Giverny, the house and gardens of the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet.
Franc discussion
This month’s winner is ED GRAPER of Goleta, California: A bit ago I was sitting on a bench in front of Café Lenôtre, near rue Cler in Paris, enjoying one of their amazing pastries when I was forcefully accosted by a beggar.
Breakthrough in communication
This month’s winners are JENNIE and DENZIL VERARDO of Elk Grove, California: Following a trip to the Loire Valley, we had returned via high-speed train to the Montparnasse rail station in Paris. We hailed a taxi, and Jennie explained in French where we wished to be taken.
Chance meeting
This month’s winner is JIM ROYLE of San Diego, California: On a trip around southwestern Western Australia in 2009, I got to the town of Esperance, with plans to visit Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid national parks. I intended to camp but wasn’t sure if there would be space in the campground at the more remote Cape Arid. If there wasn’t, I knew I wouldn’t have time to drive all the way back before dark. Ideally, I wanted to spend the night somewhere between the two parks. To see if there was any such place, I visited the Visitor Information Centre in Esperance.
Her Polish not so polished
The Soviet Union had collapsed and travel had opened up. My wife, Judy, and I, along with two of my brothers and their wives, rented a van in Vienna and traveled for several days through the Czech Republic, Poland.
Flattery will get you nowhere
This month’s winner is RUSSELL GLUCK of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey:
The measure of a man
This month’s winner is RON OAKHAM of Phoenix, Arizona: My long-time friend and travel companion, Mike, and I had arranged, via ToursByLocals.com, to take a privately guided tour in the ancient port city of Hoi An, Vietnam, during a port call at Da Nang on our January 2019 Southeast Asia cruise.
Extricating yourself from a tight situation
This month’s winner is SONIA IBANEZ of Rego Park, New York: Some time ago, my partner and I visited the Dominican Republic. Our resort by the beach was about 30 minutes from the capital, Santo Domingo.
Where is he taking us?
This month’s winner is MARY HESSE JENKINS of Santa Rosa, California:
First impressions
This month’s winner is WILLIAM SOLOF of Golden, Colorado: Visiting Holland a few years ago, my wife and I obtained rooms at a farm outside Amsterdam. Our host had a ginormous Bouvier des Flandres named Berri.
Film editors are underrated
This month’s winner is EMILY MOORE of Greenville, Illinois:
Yes, we have no bananas!
This month’s winner is SARNIA GUITON of Nairobi, Kenya: Some years ago, I was traveling with a group in Egypt. One day, we visited the Khan Al Khalili bazaar in Cairo. This was a rushed visit, so I returned by myself after the day’s guided tour had ended.
It has a nice bouquet, with notes of cod
This month’s winner is DOLORES (LOIE) MAMINSKI of Westminster, Maryland: Years ago, on a trip to Italy with friends and their young son, we chose a small restaurant in Naples for supper.
Alluring product packaging
This month’s winner, JEFF GARRETT of Lauderhill, Florida, is a tour operator:
Don't mention it
This month’s winner is JOYCE RENEE LEWIS of Camano Island, Washington: As a longtime backpacker, on both short and long trips, I suddenly had an epiphany and asked myself, “Why am I hauling around my dirty panties?”
Just behind the ears
This month’s winner is DEB KALIKOW of Westford, Massachusetts: I was on a tour of France when our group visited the Fragonard perfumery in Grasse. After being shown the entire interesting perfume-making process, from flowers to packaging, we ended up at the gift shop, of course.
Seeing eye to eye
This month’s winner is JOHN HEBERLE of Rochester, New York: Traveling with a group in China and being 6'6" tall, I often received looks from the locals, which was understandable.
Night watch
This month’s winner is SHEILA MONK of Richland, Missouri: I was in Guatemala on a field trip that a friend of mine, Ken, had arranged for his horticulture students. With two spaces left, he had offered one to his nephew and one to me. After days of viewing nurseries featuring poinsettias and ferns and other green growing things, we were ready for a change of pace when we reached Lake Atitlán, an incredibly beautiful place in the always-springlike Guatemalan central highlands. Our leader had been promising us a treat.
Supply and demand
During my Air Force career, I was sent to South Korea on an exercise. I was stationed at Osan Air Base near Seoul. I wanted a pair of orange running shoes, so I went to the market in Seoul. Orange shoes turned out to be harder to find than I imagined. I finally ran across a pair in a small shop. The owner quoted me $30.