Here at UnTours HQ, we live for this sort of thing. After all the work and planning, we love to know our guests are having fun. So our new UnTours Photo Contest has brought us pure joy. For much of spring and summer, we have received brilliant photos from Europe, each reflecting the joy, wit, and curiosity of our UnTours guests. We love you guys! Thank you for trusting us with your dreams and for sharing some of the good stuff with us.
Here are some of our favorites!
Thanks to all who have voted. Follow the link below to see the winner.
1: Tuscan Feast (the Choykas)
Joanne Choyka has sent us numerous photos from her multiple trips to Tuscany with UnTours. She has enjoyed time on the Amalfi Coast and Umbria UnTours and will return to Tuscany for a third time this fall, staying at Le Chiuse 1. She also likes to take cooking classes with one of our UnTours hosts. This shot was taken with the family that teaches them. See more of her cooking photos here, along with a great gnocchi recipe. (Or if you want to cook in Tuscany, consider the Wine and Food Untour!)
2: London Calling (the Bonins)
As our cities grow to look more and more alike, we look for unique traditions. The Bonins posed in front of an iconic red phone booth in London. They have been on numerous UnTours! See their full review in the 2019 catalog (back inside cover) or read it here. When I told them we were featuring them in our catalog, Linda Bonin joked about Hollywood calling.
3: Amalfi Views (the Hoffmeisters)
Shirley Hoffmeister sent us this beauty! Here she is posing on the terrace of their UnTours apartment, the Ruby. It is one of our most popular apartments on the Amalfi Coast Untour, and you can see why. The apartment is set in the charming cliffside town of Atrani, within reach or Amalfi, but with its own unique atmosphere and charms.
4: Friends in Spain (the Fields)
Sandra Fields submitted this lovely shot of her and her travel companions in sunny Andalusia, Spain. They stayed at the comfortable Posada Real apartment near Priego de Cordoba and enjoyed their time exploring the rural beauty of Subbetica.
5: Pastis in Provence (the Flemings)
We love it when our guests get in on the local customs. Here Nancy and Ansley Fleming enjoy pastis, the perfect happy hour on their terrace at the Gamet 2 in France. They combined their Provence Untour with a Viking River cruise, Paris and the Heart of Normandy, which they booked with us, through UnTours Ventures. What a great combination!
6: Swiss Family Bonding (the Ayers)
The Ayers family joined us on the Swiss Heartland Untour in June. Switzerland is a dream destination for kids, with lakes to swim, trails to hike, mountain peaks to climb, and trains and boats to ride through the most memorable landscapes. We recommend it highly for families, along with some other favorite UnTours where kids stay free.
7: Among the Scottish Roses (M. Wezeman)
This beauty was submitted by Mary Wezeman, who joined Barbara Bensching on an Untour Sampler, with a week in London and a week in Central Scotland. This image was taken at in Dunblane, one of our UnTours hometowns, in the memorial garden for children killed in a school shooting in the 1990s there that lead to tougher gun laws in the UK.
8: Tuscan Farm Views (the Dolans)
Susan and Steven Dolan joined us for a Florence-Tuscany Untour sampler, which is the perfect way to really see Tuscany, both its cities and its beautiful countryside. Here Steven poses outside the Ada Teresa apartment where they stayed, on a vineyard near Montalcino with lovely hosts and gorgeous views.
(Click below to see it move!)
9: Road Trip Ireland (L. Burton)
Linda Burton and her gang of friends had a fun time road tripping in Ireland, drinking in all of County Kerry’s peaceful green, dazzling sea views, and rustic charms. The Ireland Untour is a perfect spot to explore with friends and draws lots of groups like theirs. And the Padraig apartment, where they stayed, is a perfect spot, set on a farm near Kenmare.
10: Presenting, Rome! (the MacPhersons)
The MacPhersons sent me regular photo dispatches from their Untour in Rome, all shot with the energy and good humor that characterizes so many of our Untourists. Of this image at St. Peter’s, Anne Marie said: Thanks to the advice of our UnTours host Mary, we were able to scoot over to the Basilica on our last morning and miss all the crowds. The exact reason we chose UnTours and the perfect ending to our trip.
11: Shy David (the Gongloffs)
The Gongloffs made our day and have gotten pretty close to going viral on UnTours social media with this hysterical image from their Untour in Florence. Of course, Michelangelo may be rolling in his grave, but we are all rolling with laughter. Perhaps even better is Paul and Nancy’s caption for this masterpiece: Shy David.
12: Provence Vineyards (the Rivellos)
This gem came to us from Angela and Joe Rivello, who carried their UnTours sign around Provence with them, into the vineyards and markets of the French countryside. It was hard to pick my favorite! Look for Joe with the cheesemonger in our catalog, and see this blog post with more of their adventures. They bonded with our local staff person Anne, who remembers them fondly.
CLICK HERE to see the WINNER!