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Eurozine August/September 2008: Sneak peek '09!
Features:
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| Greetings!
Yes,
it's only September, but here at Untours we've been busy bees getting
ready for 2009! Before your catalogs even arrive in the mail,
we're giving you a sneak peek at our four new destinations: Sicily West,
the Amalfi Coast, New York City and Quebec City.
I'm excited about New York, Amalfi and Sicily West, who wouldn't be? But my heart has a special place for Quebec.
We
drove up, my friend Sue Ann and I, through the wild North East Kingdom
of Vermont during our grad school days. I expected fairy tales with that
name. Perhaps a war between elfin kings. Of course it was beautiful. We
were literary then and considered ourselves funny. "Stop," I yelled,
"It's Scarlett O'Hara's modern day Tara. We must take a picture." And,
so we did. Of the trailer set on a wide, plantation-like swatch of land
just as we entered Canada.
Quebec City took our breath
away, though, and we couldn't think of more to say than just, "Wow. Oh
wow." "We're in Europe," Sue Ann said, "But it only took us two hours."
The water. The cobble stone streets. The language. The cafés and
restaurants. The Plains of Abraham. The majestic architecture. I kept
thinking of a photo of my sister from when she went to school here.
Mid-bike ride, her hair is a brown cloud, the Château Frontenac barely
visible behind her. But what really sticks in my mind is her, frozen,
with only the potential of forward motion. That is what Quebec was for
me then and what 2009 promises to be: a mass of forward moving hope.
Happy travels,
Lotta Rao
Eurozine Editor
PS Don't forget to visit our website: www.untours.com
to explore the other 20+ European locations we offer. You should be
receiving your catalog any day now and you can always check out the new
2009 website where you can reserve online. Or, as always, we're happy to
talk with you: 888.868.6871.
PPS We're putting the finishing touches on our Quebec and New York Untours but you can email northamerica@untours.com to be placed on a priority list. We should be up and running by Janaury 2009.
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Trip Planning Cheat Sheet: Making your 2009 Untour the Trip of a Lifetime
- Talk to us!
If you have specific concerns or needs let us know: we can help you
chose the apartment that is best for you. We've not only seen the
properties, often we've stayed in them.
- Read. Visit our newly stocked bookstore to see some our favorite books or visit the Untours Café Books, Guides and Movies forum to see what your fellow travelers have to say.
- Get Internet savvy!
Visit the Untours Café and start a discussion about the destination you
are visiting on its destination page. You'll be amazed at the
insight, tips and stunning pictures Untourists have to share.
- Let us get to know you. The more we know, the more we might be able to suggest. Like to paint? We might just know something about the views...
- Don't forget about our On-Site Staff. You'll be amazed at the tips you can't get from a book.
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 Want advice or someone to chat with about your passion for
a European destination? Join the Untours Café!
- Preparing for a Fall 2008 or a 2009 Untour? Check out book and movie recommendations at the new Books, Guides and Movies Forum on the Café
- Are you as excited as we are about our new Untours? Sample their brand new destination pages here: Amalfi and Siciliy West. You can get a preview of our Quebec City and New York City Untours on the Untours website.
- Celebrate virtually. Sommersdorf, the hometown of our Bavarian Castle Untour, turned 800 this summer! Check out the album.
- Don't forget to invite your friends to join you on the Café.
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See both sides of the island!
 Our new location in Sicily West
puts Palermo within an hour's day trip. On a family farmstead near
Trapani, our apartments offer old world hospitality and modern
convenience (including internet and optional meals from the traditional
family kitchen). The nearby medieval hill town of Erice towers above the
western coast and scenic drives south from the Trapani offer equally
stunning seaside views. Sample wine in Marsala. Discover the museums and
sprawling markets of Palermo. Take in the mosaics of Monreale's
cathedral. Explore the ancient Roman temples of Selinunte and Segesta.
Relax in the inviting fishing village of Cefalu. A week in Sicily
West combines perfectly with a week in Sicily East,
where you can explore Siracusa, Taormina, Mt. Etna and the baroque
towns of Ragusa, Noto and Modica. You can see all of the island on the
new Sicily Sampler!
You asked for it. We listened!
 So you wanted a little paradise? We heard you and are happy to oblige: The Amalfi Coast
is our newest location in Italy, and it may offer some of the most
dramatic scenery yet! Our apartments in Amalfi and Atrani offer lovely
terraces, many with dramatic ocean views. There's no place on the
Italian coast as beautiful as this! The regional buses will allow you to
travel easily along the coast, to explore lovely beaches and historic
town centers of Positano, Sorrento, Salerno and Ravello. Use the ferries
and explore by water. A boat trip to the island of Capri is a must. Or
venture inland: Try the pizza in Naples or explore the ruins of Pompeii.
Lovely walks and hikes abound! Relax on the beach, or on your
terrace, in the cliffs above the sea. So much to do, a week may not be
enough!
Get Frenchified without crossing the ocean!
Have you ever wanted to dip your toes in a new culture without going too far from home? Now you can on the Quebec City Untour!
Everything in this 400-year-old city is unique yet somehow familiar at
the same time. Strolling down cobblestone streets lined with quaint
shops and cafés, hearing wafts of melodic French from passersby will
have you thinking you've gone back to medieval times in a fortified
city. Outdoor cafés, narrow alleys, and an abundance of bakeries echo
the rich traditions of France. Yet Quebeckers easily switch between
French and English and North American traditions, cuisine, and landscape
are infused into daily life. If you're looking to escape to another
world at another time without any hassle and minimal foreignness, Quebec
City should be at the top of your list.
Sure, New York City is the Big Apple; but Untours makes it easy, affordable and downright homey!
Sprinkle
Untours unique "live like a local' philosophy over the rich cultural
feast that is Manhattan and its accessible to everyone. We have found
savvy lifelong New Yorkers (each with their own expertise) to act as
your "local expert." Choose from a range of "must-see/must do"
topics
- from opera to museums, from the theatre to the art galleries, from
Chelsea to the Lower East Side. Spend a week (or two) in Manhattan, with
the advice from a local only a phone call away.
Along with warm,
welcoming & savvy experts, your choice of accommodations reflect
the Untours values-a perfect balance of comfort and value, with a keen
eye to the best locations for an independent traveler. Does a walk-up in
Greenwich, or a studio in the West Village suit you better? Or how
about an elegant Midtown studio just steps away from Bloomingdales and
Central Park? Whichever you choose, you'll know you are getting an
excellent value. |
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One
of our forty low-interest loans is currently backing a small, dynamic,
Fair Trade wine company. C & C Imports not only has award-winning
wines, their labels are award winners as well. Who knew that labels were
judged! So, how does a wine company help the foundation do its work to
address poverty? C & C buys its fruit from Fair Trade certified
vineyards in the Maule Valley of Chile. The prices and benefits offered
to these vineyard farmers are helping to lift them out of poverty. Their
children now attend school through 8th grade at a minimum. C & C's
Taborga and Melania wines are organic and well deserving of their
awards. At around $10 bottle, their high quality comes at a surprisingly
low cost. Taborga and Melania are not in every state yet, but keep your
eyes out for them.
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