Monthly Archives: August 2011

Vivid colours of Vermont, New England USA

Posted on August 30, 2011 | 2 Comments

If you’re a fan of the outdoors, then you’ll love Vermont in autumn and with the change in season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to see why it’s one of the most beautiful places to visit.

People from all over the world travel to New England (northeastern US near the border of Canada), each year to see the unique bright red and gold foliage cover the meadows and mountains of Vermont. It’s the sugar maple trees that are responsible for the brilliant shades of colour and if pancakes are your weakness take note; these same trees produce the state’s most famous and biggest supply of maple syrup!

A great spot to view the autumn foliage includes Killington Peak in the Green Mountain National Forest, where you can ride the ski gondola to the top – just don’t forget your camera as the view is amazing. If you travel in the last week of September you can follow the Northeast Kingdom Foliage Festival. Each year, this week-long festival travels daily from town to town with locals showcasing a taste of ‘Old Vermont’ to visitors young and old.

Trafalgar’s Autumn Colours itinerary, which travels through the northeastern US, can take you to see this natural spectacle of colour in 2012.

Trafalgar - Autumn colours of USA

Trafalgar - Autumn colours of USA

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My family trip to Italy – part two

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Florence was next on our trip and on the way we stopped at Assisi for a tour of the town. By this stage, Savanah had found a partner in crime, two new friends in fact and they were inseparable for the whole trip. The girls loved having their photos taken next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We saw the Duomo (Cathedral of Florence) and Michelangelo’s original statue of David, and as Florence is famous for all things leather we couldn’t help but stop for a shop at Peruzzi.

Our last night in Florence was a real treat with a special Be My Guest dinner at Villa Le Leccio – a 15th century family villa in the Chianti region of Tuscany. We had a personal tour and learned about its history and Nazi occupation in WWI, before enjoying dinner. Mamma mia – the food was so good!

We continued to make our way through the Italian countryside to the home of spaghetti bolognese – Bologna of course, before heading to beautiful Venice where we spent the rest of our trip. We learned all about Venetian Carnival masks and the kids were even given their own mask to decorate and keep. We all loved our visit to Burrano – a lagoon island in Venice known for its brightly painted homes and lacemaking.

We all agreed this was by far the best family trip we’ve been on. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish, our Travel Director was always helpful and the kids had a ball with all the hands-on activities. We met some great people and Savanah has promised to keep in touch with all her new friends. Who knows, we may bump into them again on our next Family Experiences vacation.

Ciao!

Doug Patterson
President, Trafalgar Canada

Trafalgar - the beautiful view of the villa pool

Trafalgar - the beautiful view of the villa pool

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My family trip to Italy – Part One

Posted on August 23, 2011 | 1 Comment

I won’t deny it. Going on a family trip can be stressful. It usually involves heaps of planning to find the best family-friendly places to stay and you’re always looking for ways to keep the kids entertained… So, I was surprised how easy it can be on a Trafalgar Family Experiences vacation.

I just got back from a Gladiators, Gondolas and Gold Italy itinerary with my lovely wife Lori and eight-year-old daughter Savanah. From the moment we stepped off the plane everything was arranged so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Our first stop was Rome, and being the middle of summer we were relieved to see the huge pool at our hotel. After a smooth check-in it was off to sneak in some sightseeing before meeting our Travel Director and the other families.

We spent three days in Rome and one of my highlights was visiting the Colosseum. I’ve always seen pictures of it but to finally be standing there in the flesh was amazing. Our Local Guide was brilliant – she was so patient answering all our questions and definitely taught us a thing or two.  My daughter loved learning to make pizza with the other kids at a local family-run restaurant and then tasting her hard work. What surprised us was seeing the old archeological dig behind the restaurant that dates back to the time of Julius Caesar. Now that’s something we never would have found on our own!

Doug Patterson
President, Trafalgar Canada

Trafalgar - Doug Patterson at the Colosseum, Rome

Trafalgar - Doug Patterson at the Colosseum, Rome

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All good things must come to an end

Posted on August 18, 2011 | 3 Comments

And so comes the final leg of my trip – beautiful Barcelona.

Here we had heaps of free time to explore this vibrant city, shopping on Las Ramblas (the most famous street in Barcelona) and my favourite by far was seeing all the unique Gaudi architecture this place is known for. Gaudi’s work is spread out all over the city. An absolute must-see is the giant structure that is La Sagrada Familia Basilica, which started being built in 1882 and is still under construction to this day.

After an incredible day of sightseeing it was off for tapas and more tapas, at a local waterfront seafood restaurant – while the sun set over us… what a way to cap off such an awesome adventure!

I’ve met so many people and we’re already talking about catching up for a BBQ in Wagga (Sydney), and maybe even Detroit and Manhattan! A big thank you to the always smiling Marie our fabulous Travel Director, who gave us a real insight into French and Spanish history.

So it’s Hasta Luego (see you later) from me until next time…I have already started planning my next holiday!

Matt Cameron-Smith
Managing Director, Trafalgar Australia

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Posted in Sightseeing, Trafalgar, Trip Experiences

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A taste of the high life

Posted on August 12, 2011 | 6 Comments

Bonsoir tout le monde (G’day everyone).

The fun just keeps on coming! Today we continued further south first stopping off in the wine village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape for some wine tasting. Did you know that the French almost wiped out all Viongier grapes and it was actually French actor Gerard Depardieu (think Green Card) that fought to save it? He has a passion for wine and owns many vineyards in France.

Next stop the beautiful walled city of Avignon. Big props to our driver Raphael who did a great job managing the tight roads and corners on the way. Raphael’s been a Trafalgar driver for 12 years so I knew we were in good hands. After some free time to look around and have a bite to eat, it was back on the road for a scenic drive along the Côte d’Azure (French Rivieria). Here we stopped off to enjoy a walking tour of yep, you guessed it Monte Carlo!

Being summer it’s just full of people and I was right in my element snapping away at all the flashy sports cars, amazing buildings including Hotel de Paris and the Casino made famous by James Bond – it was crazy! After all this excitement, we headed back to Nice where we checked into our hotel located right on Massena Square – pretty much the centre of the city. We wasted no time settling in so we could take off and check out this amazing city.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day!

Matt Cameron-Smith
Managing Director, Trafalgar Australia

Trafalgar - Guided Vacation through the French Riviera

Trafalgar - Guided Vacation through the French Riviera

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The streets of Lyon

Posted on August 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

It was a cloudy start to the day but by the time we reached Lyon the sun was out again and we all jumped off the coach to meet our Local Guide Maree-Claire. She took us on a walking tour of Basilica Notre Dame which sits above ancient Roman ruins on Fourvière hill. Maree-Claire told us that no matter where you go in Lyon it’s likely you’ll be able to spot the basilica, which explains why it’s the symbol of the city.

We were also treated to another Hidden Treasure. Marie our Travel Director showed us the way along the ancient streets of old town Lyon. Centuries ago, these small streets were hidden alley ways that veered off the main drag to connect the locals. We would’ve never found this on our own and we have Marie to thank for. She even knew the code for a secret door, but I’ll keep that one a mystery!

Matt Cameron-Smith
Managing Director, Trafalgar Australia

Trafalgar Tour Director Marie on tour

Trafalgar Tour Director Marie on tour

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Cathedrals, Chateaus & Chocolate

Posted on August 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Today we said goodbye to Paris and took off for a day in the French countryside. Our first stop was Chartres to see the largest cathedral in France. Marie, our Travel Director says there are over 150 stained glass windows and many also come here to see the ‘Sancta Carnisa’, a shroud believed to have been worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ’s birth.

We pushed on through the Loire Valley for a nice lunch at Chateau de Chambord, previously a hunting lodge built many centuries ago for King François I. It’s one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in France and has over 400 rooms!

Next we went to Chateau Chenonceau and this is what I call a palace! Walking around the massive 15th century grounds is just as breathtaking as seeing the castle itself, it really is a place that has to be seen to be believed.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at today’s Hidden Treasure – the place where Leonardo De Vinci is buried.

The highlight of my day was our Be My Guest dinner. We were taken to a local farmhouse where we met the owner Beatrice and greeted with a glass of Kier. This farm is the real deal; they make their own goats cheese and cheese products. Beatrice showed us around and shared stories about the history of her farm and the region. We all sat down for dinner in what used to be a cow barn but has since been nicely renovated.  Let me tell you, the food was amazing! Fresh goats cheese salad which couldn’t get any fresher, followed by Osso Bucco and the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.

I won’t forget the French songs that Marie taught us on the way back to our hotel – we all had a great laugh!

Next stop Lyon.

Matt Cameron-Smith
Managing Director, Trafalgar Australia

Trafalgar tour of France: Chateau Chenonceau

Trafalgar tour of France: Chateau Chenonceau

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My Trafalgar adventure begins!

Posted on August 9, 2011 | 3 Comments

At Trafalgar, we’re constantly looking for ways to make your holiday as memorable as can be, so from time to time we like to join you and experience what it’s like as a guest.

For the next week or so I’ll be sharing with you my adventures as I hit the road on a Highlights of France & Spain itinerary.

After arriving in Paris and settling into our hotel I met our Travel Director, Marie to chat about the week ahead. Marie was born in Normandy and has been with Trafalgar for six years. Her knowledge is incredible and I’m sure she’ll have some great inside tips on discovering France. I was surprised to see the mix of people that I’ll be travelling with and I’m looking forward to hearing all their stories as the week goes on.

In the evening we checked out Moulin Rouge. It was great to see that as a Trafalgar guest we didn’t have to wait in the long line. We all went straight to the front, our reserved seats ready complete with chilled wine and champagne – talk about VIP treatment!

For someone who’s not really into the whole theatre scene I thought it was absolutely brilliant! From enjoying great French cuisine to being entertained by the amazing sets and talented dancers – it’s really nothing like I’ve ever seen before.

If tomorrow is anything like today, then we’re all in for a real treat!

Matt Cameron-Smith
Managing Director, Trafalgar Australia

Managing Director for Trafalgar Australia - Matthew Cameron-Smith

Managing Director for Trafalgar Australia - Matthew Cameron-Smith

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