Travelers' Intercom

For our trip to Bulgaria in May ’11, my partner, Mimi, and I employed the services of Patrick Peneff (mobile phone 359 887 364 711).

A total of €2,207 (then, about $3,225) for two of us covered Patrick’s services as our guide and driver; his automobile; petrol; 16 nights’ accommodation, and pickup and dropoff at the Sofia airport.

I must say that the accommodations provided by Patrick far exceeded my expectations. They were very, very nice and comfortable...

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The 15-day “Paradores and Pousadas” tour with Odysseys Unlimited (Newton, MA; 888/370-6765), Oct. 18-Nov. 1, 2010, cost $4,095, including airfare from Miami, 10 dinners and two lunches, plus I paid a single supplement of $1,295.

In Portugal we visited Lisbon and stayed in Évora at Pousada dos Lóios, a converted 15th-century convent with decorative arches, a marble staircase, frescoed walls and ceilings and a cloistered garden.

Among stops in Spain were Mérida,...

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Here are two restaurants my wife, Judy, and I enjoyed in September ’10.

In MEERSBURG, Germany, Hotel Seepromenade (Seepromenade 14, S-88709 Meersburg; phone 07532 495757), on the Bodensee, served terrific typical German dinners on their patio (inside dining also available). The view of the lake as you dine is superb. Great service and food.

One of us had grilled fish for €14.90 (near $21) and the other had Jägerschnitzel (pork cutlet with mushroom gravy) for €9....

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Recently, I visited one of my doctors and was asked to update the list of all medications that I currently take. This information was entered into the PPO’s (preferred provider organization’s) databank of reports that each of my doctors consult in their management of my case. (All of my doctors belong to the same PPO.)

I asked for, and was given, a copy of the updated list, which shows the medications by prescription name, dosage instructions, etc., and the name of the...

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A friend and I spent two weeks motoring around southwestern Scotland and England’s Lake District in late June-early July ’11 eating a great variety of local fare, but NONE was better than our lunch at the charming Queen’s Head Hotel (Townhead, Troutbeck, Cumbria LA23 1PW, U.K.; phone 015394 32174), just three miles north of Windermere.

We first heard about it through the enthusiastic recommendations of four different volunteers at nearby Holehird Gardens (Patterdale...

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I almost hate to let the word out on this wonderful find! My husband, Mike, and I spent eight nights in an apartment on Praça de Luís Camões, in the Chiado (historic) part of Lisbon, in February ’11. From the first enquiry we e-mailed to the owner, Paulo, until the day we left Lisbon, this was one of the best apartment rental experiences we’ve ever had! All questions were answered promptly and thoroughly.

The apartment is listed as No. 77293 with Vacation Rentals By Owner...

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On the classical music tour “From the Alps to the Adriatic with KDFC” in May-June ’11, our tour bus, chartered by Earthbound Expeditions (Bainbridge Island, WA; 800/723-8454), traveled through several countries, but when it arrived at Venice we encountered all sorts of red tape.

At the bus arrival area, the Piazza di Roma, passengers must debark from the buses and proceed on their own by taxi or vaporetto (water bus) to Venice.

It seems that an access fee is...

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I routinely travel with just a carry-on. (In 2005 I took a five-week trip to Australia with a 22-inch bag and a shoulder tote.) Even before the restrictions on liquids in planes, I traveled with small sizes of products to help keep my luggage down to a carry-on.

I use GoToobs (San Francisco, CA), which are refillable squeezable tubes, and also share a lot of items with my husband to save space in the quart bags.

A website I like is Minimus.biz (805/480-1415) for a huge variety...

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