Author Archives: herktrav

France 2023 – Itinerary, tickets and more…

It’s hard to believe how fast the year is going. Just a short while and we’ll be on our way. Once we had the itinerary firmed up, we were able to purchase tickets and plan tours. Besides just enjoying ourselves … Continue reading

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France 2023 – Paris, Champagne and the Bourgogne

This should be an awesome journey. We’ll be traveling with good friends, visiting some wonderful places, seeing some beautiful sites, eating delicious foods and drinking some terrific wines. If I were to predict the future, I think I would see … Continue reading

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France 2023 – Hiccups and Bookings

A few weeks have passed and we are off to a roaring start with reservations. I was able to book all the hotels directly on the hotel websites. Then we decided that we will fly out of Toronto on Air … Continue reading

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France 2023 – Working out the details

🎶 “Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?” 🎶 I have no idea why that popped into my head, except for the fact that we have decided to return to France in the fall. We’ll be traveling with friends and just … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Reflections on Seven Weeks in Italy

We’ve been home for a month now and have had some time to reflect on our trip. Aside from getting sick, it really was a special time. My initial planning grew from four weeks to seven weeks rather quickly. It … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Heading home from Italy

After forty-six days of meandering our way around Italy, it was time to head home. It wasn’t a direct route to home though. We flew from Rome to Washington DC, but due to the schedules, we decided to stay overnight … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Rome: Pt 2

“Holy Cannoli” – seven weeks have passed and we’re heading home in the morning. When we last left our intrepid travelers on Saturday, they were both feeling better and looking forward to finishing off with a bang. It was more … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Rome: Pt 1

Our final visit is to the eternal city – Rome. We’ll have seven days to explore and enjoy the sites and tastes of the city. We are staying at Albergo del Senato. We truly love our hotel. The rooms are … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Orvieto

Right after breakfast, our driver arrived and we were off to Orvieto. The ride over was a pleasant one – beautiful scenery and sunny skies. It took just a little over an hour and fifteen minutes before we arrived. We … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Tuscany – Montepulciano

Heading a little bit south, our next stop was in Montepulciano. You might be surprised, but among many other things that they are famous for, they are also known for their wines – especially Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Rosso … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Tuscany – Gaiole in Chianti: Part 3

Another beautiful morning in Tuscany. We saved the best for last. Today we visited the vineyards and winery of Felsina. We had the VIP tour and lunch tasting and we loved every minute of it. Our guide for the day … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Tuscany – Gaiole in Chianti: Part 2

A new day and time for some exploring. Our fellow explorer will be our driver/guide Andrea. He was a perfect guide for us – easy going, versatile, knowledgeable and with a good sense of humor. Andrea arrived at the hotel … Continue reading

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Fall 2022 – Tuscany – Gaiole in Chianti

Our time in Florence was delightful, but it’s moving-on time. The next phase of our journey is a leisurely tour of Tuscany. We’ll be spending ten days touring with the folks from Audley Travel. It’s a private tour, not a … Continue reading

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Italy 2022 – Florence: Part 4

We got our wish. When we woke up this morning, the sun was shining with just a few puffy white clouds floating across the sky. We took our time with breakfast and getting cleaned up, as our tickets for the … Continue reading

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Italy 2022 – Florence: Part 3

A new day and the threat of more rain later in the day. No matter though, as we will be inside the Uffizi Gallery today. We had our breakfast: Sue enjoying her yogurt and me finishing up the biscotti. Our … Continue reading

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