One of the best bakeries we found in all of New Zealand’s South Island on our visit in April ’05 was Picton Village Bakery (46 Auckland St., Picton; phone 64 [0] 3 573 7082). It’s on the corner of Dublin and Auckland streets, about two blocks from the train station and the ferry landing.

They bake outstanding pastries and make fresh sandwiches (US$3-$5) on homemade bread — perfect for taking on day hikes on the Queen Charlotte Track, on the train to Christchurch or on the ferry to...

Since our retirement, every year we save for an international vacation. We always take out travel insurance. In November ’04 we went to Guatemala, and while at a friend’s country home in a remote area my wife slipped over some rocks. Where we were staying, there was no doctor, not even a telephone nearby. We considered the injury a bruise, but the pain increased.

As soon as we returned home, eight or nine days later, she went to see her doctor, who immediately recommended an...

My wife, Charlotte, and I (in our 70s) had a wonderful, unforgettable trip to Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin in January ’05. I had searched the Internet and contacted all of the reputable travel agents in Bamako, the capital of Mali, and the only one who would do exactly what we wanted was Toguna Adventure Tours (B.P.E. 5096, Bamako, Mali, West Africa; phone 223 229-5366, fax 5369, cell 223 621-5079, e-mail togunaadventure@afribone.net.ml or visit www.geocities.com/toguna_adventure_tours)....