Under ground baths at the Alcazar in Seville, Spain
Happy Spring!
Friends and Travelers!
Welcome to the first day of Spring and this New View Travel Post!
We are looking forward to rolling out two new tours to Europe in the Fall. Castles & Caves is revised for a fifth year to France; Southern Spain itinerary is adjusted to optimize the best of what we learned last year. The trip itineraries are set up and ready for you to check out.
Our tour to Ecuador will be in January 2020. The trip will cover both the north and the south of this beautiful country. Please let us know if you have an inkling of interest as we are in the design phase of this explore to such a fascinating part of the world.
Read on for a free offer listed below!
Michael at the entrance to the original grotto, Font du Gaume, still open to the public.
September 2019 – Castle and Caves
The tour to the Vezere and Dordogne Valleys this year includes the addition of Rocamadour, the cathedral carved into the rock formation and Grotto de Padirac with its underground river and boat tour. We discover for ourselves the ancient mark making carved, scratched, blown and painted by homo sapiens 19 – 38,000 years ago before it was thought that mankind could read or write. Yes – we are the same today as then. Comparisons abound between eras of history; from artistic feats deep underground to the medieval defensive fortifications constructed during times of brutal wars.
On a cheerful note, we cannot help but taste our way through the region as restaurants and markets abound with deliciously prepared foods of the region. In Sarlat the traditional market continues; find walnuts, foi gras of duck and goose, truffles, olives, fresh fish, vegetables in season, prunes of Agen, wine, cotton, linen and much more. Cooking class will be an option this year. For sure, we stop at vineyards in Bordeaux and St Emillion.
A few details are here:
Be sure to call or write for the details. They are ready for your review!!
A pony from the walls of the new museum, Lascaux IV. Opened in 2016, the reproduction is among the best ever created. It is an exact replica of the original cave, now permanently closed to all.
October 2019 – Southern Spain
We start in Madrid, stop in Segovia to explore the Escorial Palace; then continue by high speed train to Seville to see gardens and cultural icons from medieval era ; next on to Ronda for views of hanging Moorish gardens and fortifications from Roman times. The town was a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemenway and Orson Welles! On to discover Malaga on the Mediterranean Costa del Sol, a port known for its modern skyline and massive citadels: the Alcazaba and the ruined Gibraltaro. To request a detailed itinerary: click here!
View from a hanging garden over the ravine in Ronda
January 2020 Gardens & Trails of Ecuador
Visit the exceptionally beautiful Hacienda Cusin, a 30 acre compound near San Pablo lake with views of Imbabura Mountain. Then travel to the Intag Cloud Forest. After a stop in the Capital of city of Quito, the second part of the tour continues south through the Valley of the Volcanoes to Cuenca where we find Panama hats, filigree silver making and new weaving patterns. See the drafted itinerary here:
Free Gift – Stay tuned for the 250th Birthday of German born scientist Alexander von Humboldt who traveled through Ecuador with botanist Bonpland in 1800. They stopped in visiting towns and growing cities like Quito, gathered samples of animal and plant life all the while keeping copious records of their discoveries. Their lives and work is celebrated in a magnificent publication of Nan Magazine.
If you would like a copy of Volume 34 for FREE – simply send me an email. I have ordered extra this month! 15 requests will receive this stunning edition.
Hacienda Cusin, 1602 – a garden paradise at 0 degrees!
In conclusion, thank you to all of the travelers who have joined us over the last nine years.
Your encouragement, your comments and ongoing correspondence invite us to continue to design tours. We post your reviews here:
With Very Best Wishes!
Ramelle and Michael
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