| Apr 27, 2012 |
| Braving the Summer Heat in Sicily |
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| Today our intrepid Sicilian guide Sara is joining us for a second time to talk about how to enjoy the beauty of Sicily in the midst of a summer heat wave. Don’t let August scare you away from one of southern Europe’s most interesting destinations! |
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Most travelers don't dare to visit Sicily in Summer, because they’re afraid of its high temperatures. But should you be but so bold as to travel here between July and September, Sicily will have a few cool surprises reserved for you.
1) First of all you will find that most Sicilian cities are in summer hot but ventilated: just avoid staying in the biggest cities or inland, and prefer the coast. If you are a lover of kitesurfing, you will love to learn that the shoreline between Trapani and Ragusa is among the windiest in the Mediterranean: the windiest beach in Sicily is Torre di Gaffe, in the province of Agrigento, on the way to Licata. This beach is the place where on 10th July 1943 the armies of The Allied Forces landed to occupy Italy, accomplishing the biggest amphibious operation (Husky Operation) in the Second World War.
2) Visit the Valley of Temples by night. There is a great view! You don't have to walk sweating in the sun to see Greek temples: you can visit them in the silence and freshness of night. The darkness makes it all the more enchanting and of course cooler. Yes, the site is open to visitors until 11 pm during the Summer. Paths are lit for your safety, Temples stand out against a midnight blue sky thanks to masterful lighting, all the scents of the Sicilian countryside will surround you in the night... You can be sure that this night-time walk will be the highlight in your summer journey!
3) Have an early morning Sicilian breakfast! Italian breakfast is not like every where else’s cappuccino and brioche. Sicilians do it better: Granita and brioche. What's better than awaking your senses in the morning with an icy granita? There are a hundred different flavours, all made with real local fruits: lemons, mulberries, oranges, almonds, peaches, pistachios... It's the perfect breakfast in the hot season or it suits even as a light lunch.
4) When in Agrigento take a drive of just 15 minutes along the western coast to Scala dei Turchi. It's an enchanting white cliff on the deep blue water of the Mediterranean. Erosion has modelled this pure white stone in the shape of a staircase. That's why we call this place The Stair of Turks. Popular legends tell of Turkish pirates landing in the small bay nearby, to make incursions in the near villages. Choose an early morning to go there and take the time to climb up to the top of the cliff. You will be walking in absolute beauty, between the deep blue of sea and the pure blue of sky. And if you lie for half an hour on the white rock you will get your most lasting tan.
5) Are you a reader of Sicilian crime novelist Andrea Camilleri? Well I'm not proposing you to read one of them, but to put yourself actually on the traces of his famous Inspector Montalbano. The writer was born in Porto Empedocle (8 Km away from Agrigento) and the places described in his novels are actually to be found in Agrigento and Porto Empedocle (in the novels known as Montelusa and Vigata). Many spots are recognizable even if the author describes places he attended in his childhood. So you can really eat in one of Montalbano’s favourite Trattorias near the port, or eat a sweet cannolo sitting in the Caffè Castiglione. A tasty literary experience.
Thanks Sara, for your great ideas on keeping cool in the heat of a Sicilian summer! If any travelers are interested in reading what else Sara has to say about Agrigento, you can find her earlier blog entry here: Five Must-Sees near Agrigento. |
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| Apr 25, 2012 |
| Celebrating our Travelers: Barbara and Robert and their 39 Tours! |
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| We’ve written many blog entries about our fantastic guides, the places they live and the diverse tours they offer. Today we’re going to do something different: we’re profiling one of our travelers. |
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By the end of 2012, Barbara and her husband Robert will have taken an incredible 39 tours with ToursByLocals guides. They are recently retired and have spent the past several years traveling all over the world. Their eagerness to learn from and interact with people of other cultures really helps them get under the skin of the places they visit. Born and raised in New York, they now live in Florida, with 5 grown children and 5 grandchildren spread throughout North America and Europe.
Where was your favourite trip in the past year, Barbara?
Our favorite trip this past year was a cruise around the Black Sea. It was partly a historical journey, and we had the most wonderful ToursByLocals guides along the way, at several of our shore stops. Of particular interest were the stops in Sevastopol and Yalta, seeing the secret Russian underground submarine base, and the table where the Yalta agreement was signed. Our guide was a walking encyclopedia of information!
Where are you most looking forward to going next?
Our upcoming trip to Africa is one which we have been planning for a long time. We spend hours researching every destination and that helps us to choose our guide, and make our trip even more enriching. We will visit Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park in Botswana, Cape Town, and then board a cruise ship bound for the entire west coast of Africa, finally disembarking in Dover (London). Our ToursByLocals guides on this trip will take us to Lisbon, Gibraltar, Normandy, and Casablanca.
What’s the most memorable meal you’ve had recently on your travels?
The most memorable meal we have had on our travels was in Beijing. Our ToursByLocals guide, Caspar, took us to her favorite local restaurant, on the first floor of her grandmother's building, where we were DEFINITELY the only Americans. She had called ahead while we were at the Beijing Zoo, so our Peking duck dinner was ready when we arrived. She instructed us on the proper etiquette of eating the duck and we truly enjoyed the experience. Sometimes the best meals are at the most unlikely locations.
Do you have a favourite ToursByLocals travel experience you’d like to share?
Our favorite ToursByLocals experience came about as the result of a cancelled cruise! We had flown to Athens and after one day on the ship the captain announced that the entire 14 day cruise was cancelled due to "propeller problems". We were fortunate enough to secure one of six available cabins on a ship at the adjacent dock, with a nearly identical itinerary. However, we now had no guide for Cairo, since the date of arrival there was different than the original ship. My husband, from the new ship, text messaged David at ToursByLocals, and he arranged a fantastic guide, Moustafa, to take us to the pyramids for the day! All the arrangements were made by texting – our hats off to your incredible team! The pyramids had been our dream destination and ToursByLocals did not disappoint.
What do you appreciate most about hiring a local guide?
Having a private guide gives you much more flexibilty in your day, and makes much better use of your time. After all, who wants to be rushed while shopping for that special "must-have?" And our days of getting on and off buses for the required bathroom stops are over.
How did you find ToursByLocals – and what keeps you coming back?
We were directed to ToursByLocals by another friend, and have continued to recommend your company to everyone. I love the way you can interact on line with several guides in a location and then choose the one who suits you best. We also love the feeling that the guide really knows YOU and caters to YOU, not just a group of 10, 20, or 30 others. We are hooked! |
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| Apr 24, 2012 |
| Summer Travel Plans: Newfoundland, anyone? |
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| When Paul and I recently had the chance to talk to CTV news anchor Keri Adams about ToursByLocals, she asked us to recommend one great summer destination for 2012. I managed to sneak in two: the Netherlands and Slovenia, which are both hosting very special cultural events this year. |
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Immediately following the interview, I felt guilty that I hadn’t been able to talk about more of the amazing destinations where our guides live and work. Specifically, I realised I’d wanted to promote a bit of “backyard tourism” for our own country that just didn’t fit into the 4 minutes we’d been allotted. With the warmer spring weather and summertime rapidly approaching, travel in North America is heating up – there really is no better time to explore from Canada’s West Coast to the East than July to September.
Over the next couple months, we’ll use our blog to feature unique destinations that are a bit closer to home for those of us who aren’t going trans-Atlantic (or Pacific) this summer. And of course to encourage overseas visitors to come our way!
Today we’re starting on Canada’s East Coast: with a rough and tumble Canadian province that should register a lot louder on travelers’ radars: Newfoundland.
This rocky island off the East Coast of Canada is as unique a destination as you'll find without leaving North America. "The Rock" as the locals call it, is a wonder of natural beauty, endless hospitality and cultural uniqueness. It really is like nowhere else in the world.
Now of course, Newfoundland is not exactly in most Canadians’ backyards! This island province is the most Easterly landmass in North America and requires either an airplane trip or lengthy ferry ride from the Maritimes to get there. I’ve done both and can tell you it’s well worth the trip. Why? I’ll try to explain.
There’s something about living on a giant, inhospitable, isolated mass of rock in the stormy Atlantic Ocean that fosters an almost tangible sense of human spirit and fierce cultural pride. Newfoundlanders are the real deal. Life here revolves around the coast, with its dramatic bays, quiet coves, startling fjords and outport fishing villages.
June is the perfect time to spot icebergs making their slow and graceful progression through the waters off the Avalon Peninsula (and early reports say 2012 is shaping up to be an excellent 'berg spotting year). The summer months are also the best time for spotting whales, as the waters are full of humpback, minke, fin, and pilot whales congregating offshore after their long migration from the Caribbean. Even a complete novice can paddle a kayak through the water at Bay Bulls, spotting these ocean giants up close.
Colourful clapboard homes line the steep streets leading to St John’s harbour, and add punches of brilliance to the marine landscape. Did you know St John's is the oldest English-founded city in North America? John Cabot first sailed into this harbour in 1497. Cabot Tower, which sits atop Signal Hill (incidentally, the site of the first trans-Atlantic wireless signal), celebrates Cabot’s voyage, over 500 years ago. History abounds!
The warm and inviting Newfoundlanders themselves are the biggest draw. You might think they speak a different language at first, and indeed there is, by definition, a dialect known as “Newfoundland English”. A careful ear will soon detect a lilt from the southeast of Ireland, along with influences from the West Counties of England, and soon enough you might just be “Yes b'y”ing along with them. If a local invites you for a drink on George Street, accept without hesitation! With one of the densest concentrations of pubs anywhere, this stretch of town is the perfect place for a night of live East Coast music - and the chance to get "screeched in".
I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, trying to condense the glories of Newfoundland into a single blog post! I’ll stop here and leave it up to interested travelers to get in touch with Elizabeth, our guide in St John’s, to learn more about making this your dream trip. |
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| Apr 20, 2012 |
| See the "Locals'" Budapest |
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| Today, a few words from our Hungarian guide András, a lifetime resident of Budapest, who we feel really embodies the spirit of ToursByLocals. András understands that while landmarks and monuments look good on postcards, the most vivid travel memories come from discovering the heartbeat of a city. |
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If you would ask me how to get a deeper knowledge about Budapest, I would definitely give you the advice to go and see some places most tourists never get to see.
Most European cities have castles, palaces, big churches, some have bridges and rivers too. Even though Budapest has some really beautiful and memorable landmarks, my strong suspicion is that these are not necessarily the attractions a conscientious tourist would remember the most.
Well-traveled and global-minded travelers have a deeper appreciation for the local places: places where they can get a better understanding for the city, places where the real Budapest can be found. These hidden treasures characterize Budapest probably even more than the major attractions. I believe that the city’s heart beats at these kind of sights. It’s why I’ve created a special day for travelers that reveals the city’s truly hidden treasures – those rarities which are only known by locals – and then, only the locals in the know!
The places on this tour are quite simply some of my favourite hidden spots, unique places that I’ve taken a lifetime of exploring to discover. (Obviously, there is not an official list of interesting hidden buildings, squares, gardens, pubs…this is my own research!)
So what can you expect? A guided tour including:
• A charming and little known neighborhood in the inner city…
• An unusual but ornate facade of a secessionist building…
• A unique ruined pub in the Jewish district…
• A hidden passage…
• A small museum with beautiful and rare art nouveau furniture…
• A hidden coffee house with incredible frescos…
• A roof terrace in Pest with an amazing panorama
• A retro/communist pub…
• Remains of the former Jewish ghetto walls...
• The most important of the 19th-century aristocratic palaces in Pest, where the rooms and salons evoke former noble splendour of the Hungarian aristocracy.
So, the solution is quite simple: leave the beaten track, join the
Hidden Treasures Tour and find the gems where Budapest shows its most interesting side! |
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