Travel Tidbits

We took an exhilarating, 2-hour white-water rafting trip down Chile’s Sarapiquis River during a December tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (800/221-0814 or www.oattravel.com). We were told the Sarapiquis was a Class III river (medium to moderately difficulty). We would experience a few minutes of rapid paddling on our trip interspersed with periods of calmly floating down the river. Many of us thought that, if these were Class III rapids, we were ready to challenge Class IV or V. The expert boatmen on our rafts made the experience seem easy. — MASAO MATSUMOTO, Arlington, VA

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The Palámidi fortress in Nafplio, Greece, was the best of all the fortresses we visited in that area on our trip. It was built by the Venetians from 1711 to 1714 but was seized by the Turks the following year. My wife and I must have burned up four rolls of film between us on the structure. Adding to its appeal were all the colorful spring wildflowers coming up in crevices between the rocks. If you’re more ambitious and have the time, you can walk up 999 stairs from the town to the fortress. — RICHARD BERNER, San Diego, CA

I spent the night at a farmhouse in the Burren,...

Sitting high above the Danube in Austria is the 900-year-old, baroque Melk Abbey. As we walked into its library, we were struck by the fact that, at the whim of a bygone archbishop, all the books have the same binding. The building features 365 windows, a magnificent carved pulpit and exquisite ceiling frescoes. — CARROLL CHANDLER, Dallas, TX   

When I visit England, which is about every two years, I immediately go to the post office for a phone card. I have had very good luck with them, getting lots of minutes for my money. — JEAN CATER, Dover, NJ   

On our New Zealand trip, en...