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Dear friends,
We’ve added a new date added for Provence. Our
Provence
trip in June has been full for several weeks. In fact it
was filled by alumni. They’ve all traveled with us
before and booked it up almost as soon as the date was
announced. So we’ve finally been persuaded to go back to
Provence in October. The new week is October 12 to 18.
The weather should be perfect this time of year.
This week we will be
putting out our new catalog. It contains all of the
trips for this year. It is full of pictures, complete itineraries, traveler’s reviews and of
course the dates and prices. Let us know if you’d like
to be one of the first to get the catalog.
We’re sure you’ve
noticed that the dollar is at an all time low against
the Euro. For some people this has caused them to think
of traveling to places other than Europe. Some clever
people though have realized that this is the perfect
time to travel with us since or trips are all-inclusive
and the rates were set when the exchange was closer to
1.29. Our rates are guaranteed and since you virtually
do not need Euros for anything other than shopping you
don’t need to worry about how much things cost. On this
trip you have people to take care of that. Remember,
you’re on vacation. We’ll pick up the check. You won’t
want to miss getting away this year.
Happy Travels,
Bob and Lori Boyd
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Autumn in Chianti
After so many of you
asked us about our
Tuscany Wine Trip we are happy to say
we have just added it to oAfter so many of you asked us
about our Tuscany Wine Trip we are happy to say we have
just added it to our calendar. Kate, our sommelier in
Italy has helped us to put together a trip that combines
wine tasting, great Tuscan dishes, a look at the
medieval villages of Chianti, a wine festival and more
on our journey through the Tuscan countryside.
After going there on trips for the last few years we’ve
been lucky to meet some wonderful people in Chianti and
southern Tuscany. We are fortunate to be invited into
Maria-Luisa’s kitchen in her family’s villa to learn how
she makes her traditional recipes. Her family has had
this villa for generations. They even have their family
crest on the front of the Duomo in Florence. So when she
passes down her family recipes they have quite a
history.
Our friend Fabio is a philosopher of wine. His vineyard
produces not only a Chianti Classico but also a Super
Tuscan. He spreads out a cloth on the table under the
trees on his terrace in the middle of the vineyard. And
he invites us to have a seat, grab a glass and savor the
fruits of his labor. He is justifiably proud of the wine
they produce and gives us an intimate view of the
winemaking process in Chianti.
Chianti is also home to artisans like the shoemaker
still measuring your foot and making your shoes to order
out of buttery leather and soft suedes in the most
amazing colors. I just dream of a pair of boots made by
his hands. Another favorite artisan of mine is a jewelry
maker in a tiny shop in a tiny village in Chianti. He
designs and makes incredible jewelry. He often makes
pieces for museums. And he will tell you that some of
the handmade jewelry on the famous Ponte Vecchio in
Florence came from him. I have a special ring from his
shop that celebrates my 25th wedding anniversary. He
welcomes us into his shop to show you the connection
between a cuttlefish and a ring, demonstrating a
traditional Tuscan technique.
We were in southern Tuscany last year and met a
winemaker who lives on a hill. At the top of the hill is
an old stone village and spreading out below his land is
a rich green valley with views to other picturesque
towns. He is the school friend of a winemaker we know in
the Cinque Terre. Since we’ve been there he has won
several awards for his wine. But maybe the most
interesting thing for us was that this is a real working
farm. You see the grape vines, the chickens, his dogs,
and the original wood burning oven. It’s a real look
into the life of a small wine producer.
I (Lori) am crazy for cheese. It’s my favorite food
hands down. So I’m excited to go to Pienza to taste the
Pecornio cheese. Pecornio has such a huge range of
flavor from soft and mild to a pungent round wrapped in
grape leaves and buried in ashes. I’m up for any of
those. Not far away is Montepulciano where just off the
main piazza are the cellars of the Contucci family
stored in huge wooden kegs in the basement of the
palace.
One of best things about Tuscany is the relaxing. The
landscapes, wine and food are all conducive to a feeling
of well-being, as if you’ve stumbled into some secret
garden.
You can check out our
Tuscany Wine Trip on
our website
www.WishYouWereHereTours.com. We are keeping
this trip small, about 10 people. So let us know soon if
you could use a little "la dolce vita" (the sweet life).
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