In the early fall of 2010 I was in the middle of planning our spring 2011 trip for Mexico. Things were falling into place nicely and I had a group of 21 excited travelers. They had been studying Mexican culture and history while working hard in my Spanish classes to prepare themselves for the experience. Read more…

Edinburgh got a mention a couple of weeks back as Gail spent her New Year there. It also won the ‘Favourite City’ vote in Britain’s Guardian newspaper for the 12th year running. It is a fabulous city with so much to do; great walks, interesting and unimposing galleries, a good range of shopping, superlative headgear Read more…

When I was on a summer tour of England in 1995, one of my adult travelers, a parent and a fellow teacher, pulled a plush stuffed bird out of her suitcase after we arrived in London. At her elementary school, any faculty member who was going on a trip had to pack the school mascot Read more…

Just recently I was chatting with a friend of mine who was heading to Lisbon for a short vacation. Portugal is such a terrific country to tour in and often overlooked. The capital city has so much going on so I thought I would share a few of the things you might want to do Read more…

I have never taken too many photos on tour over the years. Despite the advent of digital technology in my touring years I remain someone who (surprisingly) trusts his memory when it comes to travel. However, none of this precludes me from giving some advice. So here are a few places off the top of Read more…

Tour director Paul Mattessini wrote a wonderful November 16, 2010, post called “The Best City In Britain.” His post, which featured a detailed city walking tour, highlighted The Guardian newspaper poll for the “Favorite UK City” award which went to Edinburgh. It was Edinburgh’s 11th year in a row to win the award and I’m Read more…

When I was a child, I lived in Germany for several years when my father was stationed there with the U.S. Army. My family was introduced to a German holiday tradition that takes place on the night before Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. We would clean and polish our shoes and leave them outside Read more…

Following on from last week’s look back at 2011 it seems only right that I look forward to some of the potential tour highlights of 2012. London – Along with Paris this is the city that I spend most of my time touring in. It is a wonderful city, a really vibrant and exciting place Read more…