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Greetings Fellow Travelers!
This month, we are featuring two ‘hot spots’...Greece and Provence. See why the
low season is THE time to go to Greece. Check out some of our apartments there as well. You'll
also meet some Provence landlords, who after a few years’ hiatus from Untours,
have built new cottages with Untourist-friendly floor plans and have already begun
welcoming Untourists this year.
Happy Travels!
Kim Paschen and Marilee Taussig
Co-editors, Eurozine
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Untours Eurozine, May 2005
Ten reasons to go to Greece this winter
Long-time landlords return to Untours
Featured Accommodations
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Going Greek Off-Peak by Marianne Gunther, Untours Staff
Have you ever dreamed about celebrating the New Year in an exotic location? Untours
has the perfect remedy for escaping the holiday frenzy and winter doldrums. The
price is right and the location is Nafplio, Greece. Our package includes 14 nights
in a spacious apartment(click here for sample), round-trip airfare from New York, Newark or Boston*, and a 2-week
car rental for just $1,539 per person**. You will be picked up at the Athens airport after your long flight and be driven
to your apartment. Plus, you’ll have a knowledgeable staff person on hand who
will give you all you need to know to discover the magic of Greece.
The Greece Untour is a year-round program and we have many off-season openings available. You can
be home for Christmas, and a couple days later, be jetting off for the Peloponnesian
Peninsula. Greece is the ideal destination to visit early in the year if you are
not fond of hot weather. The winters are mild with extended periods of sunshine.
Check out average temperatures here. Most stores and restaurants stay open, especially on weekends and archeological
sites are open year-round and are free on Sunday.
Explore the nearby ancient ruins of Mycenea, Corinth, Epidarus, Nemea and Tyrins
that are within a short drive from your home base. Dine and dance with the locals
in your hometown of Nafplio, situated on the Gulf of Argos, one of Greece’s most
beautiful towns. In this former capital of Greece you will find a wonderful mix
Greek, Venetian and Turkish architecture in the old town section where the Untours apartments
are situated. Check out the Untours Trip Logs to Greece for more information on this top destination.
If you can’t travel during this time of year, these prices are good until March
2006. Availability is limited so visit our website, untours.com or call us at 888-868-6871 to reserve your spot today!
* Flights out of other cities possible at an additional cost.
** Based on two-person occupancy; cost is lower when there is more people traveling
and staying in the same apartment
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Gorgeous views at Monemvasia |
Ten Reasons to go to Greece this winter
10. Live among locals in the heart of the picturesque old town section, as most
tourists will have gone home.
9. Explore Nafplio, an enchanting seaside town with a towering 18th century
fortress, the Palamidi, overlooking the town. Catch amazing sunsets on the Gulf
of Argos.
8. Visit Tiryns (5-minute drive), once a major citadel with massive Cyclopean
walls that dates back to 13th century BC.
7. Travel to Mycenae (1 hour drive), the center of the Mycenaean civilization,
and home of Agamemnon, the ancient king who united and commanded the Greeks during
the Trojan War.
6. See Epidaurus (40-minute drive) a 4th century BC amphitheater still in use
today.
5. Drive to Nemea (45-minute drive), an important center for athletic games
from the 6th century BC.
4. Experience Corinth (1 hour drive), an ancient city and cultural center of
the Roman Empire dating back to 146 BC.
3. Wander around Lerna (10-minute drive), famous for its palace, a house of
tiles which dates back to 2200 BC.
2. Venture further afield to visit places like Monemvasia, Athens, and Olympia.
1. Best of all...you will own the ancient archeological sites and be able to enjoy
them without throngs of tourists.
Note: All driving distances are from Untours’ village, Nafplio.
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The Margaillans: Etienne and Babeth |
Long-time landlords return to Untours by Dodge Amaral, Untours Staff
Untourists and staff alike are always sad when wonderful landlords who have opened
their houses and hearts to Untourists over the years, all with the aim of sharing
the love they have for their country and region, decide to no longer continue
their relationship with Untours. Most often they are making the choice due to
retirement or a personal need to move on.
However, once in a rare while, we have a host who leaves the Untours fold and
yet misses the joy and reward of hosting to the extent that they decide to return.
In 2005, that once in a rare while came in the form of Etienne & Babeth Margaillan.
For the first decade of the Provence Untour, which started in 1992, the Margaillans were the owners of one, then two, then
three cottages in the hamlet of Velorgues, just south of Isle-sur-Sorgue. Though
their English is limited, Etienne & Babeth have managed to cultivate wonderful
relations with their guests. They are open yet not intrusive and are always willing
to lend an ear or a hand to help so Untourists feel like they’re home.
The Margaillans eventually sold these cottages in 2002 (although all three are
still available to Untourists under the name Oasis). But after a few years, the
Margaillans came to miss the interactions they once had with their guests. So,
last year, they decided to build two cottages near their home in the town of Le
Thor, literally minutes from Isle-sur-Sorgue. Understanding that many Untourists,
especially friends traveling together, enjoy sharing a house but not always a
bathroom, they expressly built their cottages for us with two bedrooms and two
bathrooms, a rarity for most of our Untour accommodations. These two beautiful
side-by-side cottages, named Margaillan East and West, are well designed and furnished for up to two couples or four friends, with
the Margaillans just steps away if need be. Note that supplments may apply to smaller groups.
Those of us who work on the Provence Untour are overjoyed to have Etienne &
Babeth back with us, warmly greeting Untourists and sharing with them the wonders
of the Provence region. Not only do we consider them great hosts, we consider
them as our friends. Welcome back to them and welcome home to you!
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Untours Featured Accommodations |
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Greece: The living room in the Dimitri 1 apartment. Click here for more photos and information on availability. |
Greece: Outside the Elina apartment. Click here for more information about this apartment and to check availability. |
Provence: The patio of the Margaillan East apartment. For more information and to check
availability, click here. |
Provence: The interior of one of the 2 Margaillan apartments. For additional information
and to check availability, click here. |
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Idyll, Ltd.
415 E. Jasper Street
Media, PA 19063
www.untours.com
P. 888-868-6871
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