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Newsletter
Spring
2009
A LETTER
FROM HOME
On a recent family visit, I was
entertained by having brunch at an old-fashioned diner with an updated
attitude. The motto on the wait staff’s T-shirts seemed to speak of more than
just meals: “Order what you want – Eat what you get.” In this case, we did
get what we wanted, and it was good.
In some cases this year, we won’t be able to get what
we want. The lodgings we enjoy may not stay in business, the tours we’re
interested in may change itineraries, and the price of the trip we wanted to
take may not match our budget. At the same time, local menus for leisure
activities are expanding, with fairs and festivals, dances and nature walks
to take in. You can find new things to do in your own neighborhood or in a
place just around the bend, maybe less dramatic but probably just as fun as a
far-away trip.
Those who have traveled with children – or who
remember being children – know that a new place to explore can be as simple
as a cardboard box and as unprogrammed as a lakeside beach. Backyard travel can take the place of
luxurious escapes. In between more elaborate or distant trips, enjoy simpler
pleasures!
DESTINATION: Pompeii, Italy
Ever since I can remember I have
been in awe of the discovery of Pompeii, a Roman city fixed in time by a
volcanic eruption more than 1900 years ago. I was not disappointed by my
visit there, an exciting experience of walking into the homes and shops of people
who lived in the first century AD. Murals are still on the walls and mosaics
decorate many of the floors, and the multi-colored marble on several café
counters is still vivid. Some of the cobblestone roadways have ruts from the
carts that passed over them!
Tour guides tell the details that have been
discovered about the lives of the Pompeiians, and plaster casts of the bodies
of victims tell unspoken stories of the agony of the sudden incineration of
life there. Designs in the construction gave hints of the whim and artistry
of the builders - bricks cut to make a sunflower shape in a wall, tiny tiles
laid out in maze-like patterns in a floor, and a mural with a man looking
like he’s lifting part of the border of the painting.
If the close-up views get to be overwhelming, it’s
refreshing to take a walk on the ancient city walls and see the extent of the
city and the views of Mt. Vesuvius, still looming large to the east. For an
armchair trip across the ocean and across the centuries, read the historical
novel “Pompeii” by Robert Harris. To plan an actual trip there, get in touch
with Earth Routes!
FEATURED
TRIP: Sicily
The valiant efforts of one taxi
driver to find the B&B - where I had a reservation but no street number –
were the heart of my travel adventures in this warm country. I hadn’t studied
the Italian language as much as I meant to before the trip, so I struggled at
times, but the struggles were rewarded with kind responses from the Sicilians
I met.
I started with a day of walking through my B&B
host’s olive groves and around Noto, a small city with lots of decorative
medieval architecture. Two bus rides away was a mountain village where I
joined a walking tour and hiked on several trails with views of past
eruptions of Mt. Etna, sometimes on the lava rock itself. It was fun to chat
with different fellow walkers along the way, and I soon came to know who was
the birding expert and who was interested in butterflies. A walker from Texas
had questions for me about the northeast US, another had tales from many
years of walking tours, and one of the leaders was a geologist and volcano
specialist, so there was much to discuss in addition to the natural marvels
we walked through. The wildflowers in April were spectacular, scattered over meadows
or in single blooms - even orchids! – and the dark multi-colored volcanic
rock was starkly beautiful.
After traveling by train past miles and miles of
citrus trees, olive groves, vineyards, and almond trees, I took a trip to my
favorite place – back in time – in the Valley of Temples, a restored site of
immense buildings from a 5th century BC Greek colonization in what
is now Agrigento. I was fascinated to be walking on pathways used for seven
centuries and seeing gigantic stones that were carved and lifted into place
before the time of motorized construction vehicles.
I’ll remember the incredible natural and historical
sites, and also the restaurant owner who sent over to my table a free sample
of the local specialty, limoncello,
an intensely flavored liqueur that held the essence of the lemon trees I saw
everywhere; the elderly mother of the organic farm agriturismo host who
greeted visitors in four different languages and who proceeded to shell fresh
almonds for our snack, and the B&B host who commented about the
neighborhood power outage with a resignedly cheerful, “another adventure in
Agrigento!”
For insights and assistance in planning your trip to
Sicily, get in touch with Earth Routes.
GREEN LODGING: Agritourism in Italy
Sampling - and feasting on - local foods is just one
of the attractions of staying at a farm B&B, or “agriturismo” in Italy. Usually
a short way off the beaten path, these working farms offer a whole new
dimension to your trip. Tea and conversation both with hosts and with fellow
guests add to the pleasure of the experience, and waking up to the sounds of
breezes and farm animals takes you more than minutes away from city traffic.
One of my agriturismo hosts in Sicily arranged a dinner
for 15 of her guests, and led us to the sitting room while she was overseeing
preparations. We had to find our way among four different languages spoken,
and the communication challenge was almost as enjoyable as the variety of delicious
local specialties served at the table.
Often there is an option of staying in a cottage or
apartment on the property and getting some of your own meals, for more independence
and the neighborhood adventure of shopping locally for groceries.
It’s well worth the extra effort to get to these peaceful
places to stay, and hosts are more than willing to help you get there. Ask Earth Routes to help find your place
to stay in the countryside!
FEATURED
GREEN TIP: Use muscle power
Enjoy exploration using your own power! You can
venture farther from the beaten path, stay healthy, and be kinder to the
environment when you make walking, hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, swimming,
paddling, or horseback riding a focus of your trip. Lodging can be in
wilderness campsites or with more comfort in a hotel or B&B near the
activity of your choice. If you’re traveling far from familiar territory, you
can get the services of a tour company to provide maps for independent
travel, rides from trail to lodging, guides along the way, or a guided group
experience. Sightseeing might also be part of a planned trip, with public
transportation or a hired driver saving your energy for exploration on foot
at historic or cultural sites. Have fun with some muscle-powered activity
near home, or ask Earth Routes for
some ideas if you’re ready for such a trip in a new place.
GREEN TRAVEL TIP:
Take a European walking tour
It’s a pleasure to have someone else make the
arrangements and lead the way, even for a travel planner! There are British tour
companies recommended for their congenial participants and well-planned
walks, and being with English speakers is also a good way to start your travels
in a country where you do not speak much of the language. Accommodations are
usually in one hotel, and transportation is provided to the start and
sometimes from the end point of the walks, so there is no re-packing to worry
about in the mornings. Trail descriptions and grading of each specific walk
makes it easy to choose between an easier or harder walk each day, and walk leaders
provide information about the sights along the way. Evenings are long enough for leisurely
dinners, brief meetings about the next day’s plans, and informal
entertainment. There are tours scheduled in many locations in Europe and
around the world. Let Earth Routes
help find one that’s for you!
VOLUNTEER
WORK TRIP: Sustainable development in
Ecuador
Learn and help at the same time with this workshop by
the Colorado-based Solar Energy Institute (SEI). Tours of a recycled paper
factory and a national wildlife refuge are followed by a five-day stay at an
organic farm, where participants will learn how to design a small solar
electric system and how to construct a bicycle-powered water pump, both for
use in the developing world. There will be time for milking cows, making cups
and spoons from local plants, and swimming in the river, as well as visiting
a beautiful Pacific coast beach. The workshop takes place September 12-20 in
Ecuador. Contact SEI (www.solarenergy.org) or Earth Routes for more information.
TRAVEL TIP: Tell your bank where you’re
going!
Tell your credit card company, too,
and avoid having your charges from airports and ATM’s declined. It’s in your
best interest to have these charges flagged, to prevent your plastic cards
from going on a lavish vacation without you! It’s even better to have your
travel plans noted on your accounts so your vacation purchases don’t set off
any alarms. Just make a phone call ahead of time, to the number on your card,
at the same time that you’re going over your itinerary and getting ready to
pack.
Wishing you green trails and clear horizons -
Jan Carpenter
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