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“When nothing
is SURE, everything is uncertain”
Newsletter 59 | August 2006
P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD,
9302 E-mail:
info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500
Fax: (051) 436 3793
To receive our monthly newsletter electronically please send an
e-mail to
info@etniquetravel.co.za
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:
083 461 2561
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What you see is what you pay @ SURE
ETNIQUE TRAVEL |
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Since the beginning of
August the South African travelling public is protected against
misleading travel advertising.
The initiative of
ASATA compiles a set of guidelines to assist the industry to provide
fair and inclusive advertising of travel related products, thus
ensuring that you, the customer, can effectively compare prices.
“As an industry, we
feel that the consumer has a right to accurate advertising, that is
reflective of the end price they will pay for an advertised airfare
or package, rather than to be drawn by an advertisement that
excludes many of the compulsory fees, taxes and levies which must be
paid before the consumer can procure the services
advertised”. - Marion McPherson : ASATA CEO
The Sure Group were
the leader in utilizing this all-inclusive method in all their
advertisements, both nationally and locally, since March of this
year.
We do not make hollow
promises of always being the cheapest, but our prices are fair and
consistent and at least there are no hidden costs or nasty surprises
when eventually paying for your product.
We at Sure Etnique
Travel are proud to have been involved with ASATA’S honest process.
-
Johann Beukes
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A Taste of Tuscany & Umbria |
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It is hard to
imagine a place where life’s pleasures can be more easily or
consummately gratified than Tuscany, a region in central Italy. What
other region can boast Europe’s greatest art, its loveliest countryside,
some of its best food and wine and its idyllic hilltop villages and
historic medieval towns, writing the history of a people and its
culture. We have combined the two regions, Tuscany and Umbria,
during a recent visit: to a certain extent they are very similar, but
still so different and special!
When visiting the Tuscan region, Firenzi is obviously the capitol and
starting point. As we had been to Florence and Pisa on various previous
occasions, we decided to focus more on the countryside and its
distinctive personalised little villages. |
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We started our Tuscan experience in
Lucca,
the most intimate and charming of Tuscany’s towns: a civilised and
untroubled backwater where neither the pace of life, nor the appearance
of the medieval narrow streets and intimate oval square, (piazza San
Michele) seems to have changed over the centuries. Preserved within
a redoubtable oval of walls, the town is full of exquisite churches,
fascinating museums and galleries and plenty of quiet corners and
flower-hung lanes.
Lucca rivals any town in Italy for fascination and beauty. One century
flows into the next - and right up to the present - as you walk past
shops with medieval and art nouveau facades, cross the Roman
amphitheatre turned piazza and stroll along the magnificent 16th-century
ramparts that are now a pleasure garden lined with oak trees, full of
character.
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Our favourite has
always been San Gimignano, the fortified hilltop village, often
referred to as the
Manhattan of
Tuscany,
due to the numerous towers originally, of which only a few remained
presently.
Situated some hour’s drive south-west of Florence, San Gimignano has
much to offer: pedestrianised cobbled narrow streets, quite little shops
selling everything including some of the best Chianti wines, olives and
a variety of local cheeses, original forms of art objects, leather
shops. and special personalised triattorias (restaurants) serving
typical local cuisine. Our favourite is still the Dorandò, a
small restaurant (only 36 people can be served in the three small dining
rooms), recreating recipes from Tuscany’s Etruscan and medieval past,
which may sound pretentious, but the results are usually first rate, und
unfortunately a bit expensive! |
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Most
tourists come just for the day to visit this small town, but for those lucky
enough to be able to spend the night, San Gimignano
has three fascinating
little pensiones. This time, we have stayed three nights at the
Hotel Cisterna, situated right on the town square where the cisterna
or water well can be found. The accommodation is standard and simple, the
building blends in with the other historical buildings facing the piazza
(square): sombre stone walls softened by creeping ivy, arched shuttered
doors and windows and red-tiled roofs.
The Torre Grossa, at the Palazzo del Popolo/Duomo, offers an
excellent bird’s-eye view of the town below as well as the surrounding
vineyards in the countryside.
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The region between
Florence and Siena is Chianti - or Chianti Classico as it is now
called. The Chianti hills form the spine supporting a succession of
steep valleys of vineyards and orchards of olive trees. Areas such as
Castellina, Greve and Radda are the source of heady red wines, based on
the traditional Sangiovese grape and a special fermentation process to
give it more depth.
Tiny,
picture-perfect Radda, straddling a ridge between the Pesa and
Arbia valleys in the wooded Monti del Chianti, was once the capital of
the Chianti-region. You will pass numerous estates in the region selling
wine directly to the public. For a good one-stop selection of the
Chianti-region, visit Enoteca de Gallo Nero in Greve. |
Cortona’s
chief beauties are its
magnificent views – its hilltop site provides a vast panorama over swatches
of central Tuscany and northern Umbria, almost torn between two cultures –
and its picture-perfect medieval streets, lined with shops and pavement
restaurants. We stayed some 5 kilometres outside Cortona, at the perfect
little Il Falconiere – a jewel snuggled in the countryside. Here you
can enjoy some of the best food in Italy and sleep peacefully in the hushed
tranquillity of vineyards.
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For the fun of it, I
and Monique decided to spend a weekend and attend the hands-on cooking
class of Tuscan Culinary Delight, presented by the resident chef Titi
Richard. After preparing a five-course meal in the kitchen, we took off
our aprons and were served our experiments - luckily with complimenting
wines of the region! To be quite honest, the meal that we have prepared
was really delicious, the atmosphere at candle-light superb, and the
treatment afterwards at the spa relaxing!
Montepulciano
is one of
Tuscany’s most perfect hill towns: its high, breezy position commands
sweeping views and it has art and architecture far beyond its small
size, including San Biagio, one of Italy’s foremost Renaissance
churches. Despite the importance, this little town lies off the normal
tourist route and it is only the really dedicated traveller that
discovers the marvels of this gem! |
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The birthplace of St
Francis,
Assisi,
is one of the world’s most important pilgrimage destinations. Even
without the churches, extraordinary frescoes and associations with the
Saint, it would be worth coming to Assisi, simply to witness a sunset!
As the sun set on yet another memorable day in Umbria, the medieval
centre of this town is bathed in a warm glow of colours.
Our accommodation
was at the Hotel Umbria, a well-equipped small family-run
pension, located just off Piazza del Comune, in a room with a
view of the Umbria valley. The entrance, off a tiny alley, is through
wrought-iron gates: this opens onto a tiny patio where you are treated
to an idyllic oasis with tables under a trellis covered by vines
creating a lacy pattern of shadows.
The view from this
intimate terrace is great! The Laudenzi family oversees every detail of
this small inn and makes you feel totally at home. |
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A medieval Pope
predicted that Orvieto would float up to heaven on Judgement Day;
it seems to already be on its way - thrust up into the Umbrean sky by a
plateau of extinct volcanoes: at the foot of its sheer cliffs, vineyards
have been grown for centuries. The volcanic soil gives the town’s white
wine its distinct crispness.
The last destination
of our ten day excursion was the
Orbetello Peninsula.
Standing proudly on the cliffs overlooking one of Italy’s most
spectacular coastlines, are the remains of the Spanish watchtower that
has been cleverly incorporated into the Hotel Torre di Calla Piccola.
High cliffs drop precipitously down to the sea, forming a series of
coves where the waters of the Mediterranean dance in the moonlight. |
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- Johann & Monique
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Letters from our Customers: |
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“Hi
Tessa, thanks for everything - all was exceptionally well organised as
usual! Thank you for your high standards, efficiency and professionalism.
Always a pleasure to book through you! Will be going in December with the
boys again so will book through you as soon as our dates are finalised!”
Andrew and Sharon Cloete
“Dear Ms
Mposelwa, thank you for the professional organization you provided me with
in facilitating my travel to Bloemfontein. Much appreciated.”
Dr Ntsoane - Motivational Speaker,
Johannesburg
“Tessa, we are
safely back and everything went well. Your arrangements were excellent -
thank you very much. Prague is beautiful if you like old cities with
castles, cathedrals, etc. I prefer mountains and lakes and therefore I
enjoyed the trip to Switzerland more.”
Prof Theo McDonald - UFS, Bloemfontein
“Beste Tessa, ek
vertrou jy is veilig terug uit midde-Afrika. Ons het oor julle gevlieg, maar
weens die hoogte kon ons niks sien nie, het darem geweet jy is daar. Net 'n
groot DANKIE vir al jou puik reëlings. Alles het presies uitgewerk volgens
jou beskrywing en selfs Demitri het dadelik geweet ek is deur Tessa gestuur.
'n Pragtige straatjie waar hy sy besigheid bedryf. Tessa, nogmaals baie
dankie vir jou vriendelikheid, behulpsaamheid en professionele reëlings. Ek
en Gilbert het net die hoogste waardering daarvoor. Baie sterkte vir die res
van die jaar se werksaamhede. It was a wonderful experience to do business
with you!!!”
Johann van Staden & Gilbert Masitsa - UFS,
Bloemfontein
“Hello Tessa!!
We had a wonderful time! Everything ran like clockwork, Nicos delivered all
our documents and Paros was great. I will send you some photos! The maatjie
in Athens turned out to be as wonderful as I expected ! She and her hubby
went out of their way to entertain us, transporting us to their home,
treating us to the most awesome Greek food and driving us to the airport for
our flight to London. Corrie and I will definitely arrange a longer stay in
Greece next time, making Athens one of our stop overs. Thank you very much
for everything Tessa ! We appreciate your kindness and expertise! We know
where to go should we plan anything again. This time I'll leave ALL of
Greece to you to avoid double bookings again!
Esti Ploos van Amstel - Bloemfontein
“Tessa, Vic
Falls and Chobe were great. Thanks for pointing us this way and suggesting
these places. All the guides we have spoken with confirm what you said
about viewing game now rather than in the summer. We have seen so many
different animals. Game there is unbelievable and plentiful - saw lions 2 of
3 days and close up, too. We will be in touch for some more advice. Now we
are in to Namibia and plan to wander around until we reach Swakopmund - then
find an inexpensive guest house for a couple of weeks.....Thanks again.”
Pete and Maria Neumann - Retired
Peacecorps Volunteers
“Dear Yolande,
many thanks, we had a wonderful time. We are very grateful for your
discriminating choice of places for us to stay. We enjoyed every venue you
chose. Thank you and best wishes.”
Prof Raman - Dept Architecture, UFS,
Bloemfontein
“Dear Tessa,
many thanks for organising our trip to Sydney so efficiently and with such
kindness and warmth - we really appreciate it and as usual we could rely on
you to always do the best for us. The wedding was wonderful and all the
plans went well - we had a marvellous time.”
Gill & Les Greenstone - Bloemfontein
“Beste Nerina,
net gou om jou baie dankie te sê vir die reëlings na Amerika. Alles het baie
goed verloop en jou reëlings was puik. Ek sal beslis weer van jou gebruik
maak wanneer ons later die jaar verdere planne maak om na die buiteland te
vertrek. Nogmaals baie dankie”.
Albert Reitzema - Bloemfontein
MIND THE GAP
GAP YEARS - EVERYONE SHOULD
HAVE ONE, OR THREE, IT’S ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME OF A PERSON’S
LIFE, A RITE OF PASSAGE TO GET YOU OUT INTO THE BIGGER WORLD AND EXPERIENCE
SOMETHING REAL BEFORE SETTLING INTO THE GRINDING DAILY-DAILY BACK HOME.
IT IS REALLY ONLY A LATER
GENERATION OF SOUTH AFRICANS WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE END OF
THIS COUNTRY’S PARIAH STATUS. BEFORE 1994, GAP YEARS WERE CALLED EXILE, BUT
THINGS ARE DIFFERENT TODAY. THOUSANDS OF YOUNG SOUTH AFRICANS NOW HEAD
OVERSEAS EVERY YEAR TO GAIN A BIT OF REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE AND RETURN -
HOPEFULLY - WITH A SPLODGE OF CASH TO LAUNCH THEM INTO THE NEXT STAGE OF
THEIR LIVES.
LANGUAGE AND ACCESSIBILITY
MAKE THE UK THE TOP GAP-YEAR DESTINATION FOR SOUTH AFRICANS. LANGUAGE ASIDE,
THERE ARE STRONG HISTORICAL AND EMOTIONAL TIES BETWEEN THE UK AND SOUTH
AFRICA, AND IT REMAINS ONE OF FEW COUNTRIES WHERE SOUTH AFRICANS ARE
WELCOMED ON WORKING-HOLIDAY VISAS.
THIS IN NOT THE CASE WITH
OTHER ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES SUCH AS AUSTRALIA AND THE US. THE FORMER
HAS NO WORKING-HOLIDAY VISA PROGRAMME FOR SOUTH AFRICANS, AND AMERICA HAS
CAPPED THE NUMBER OF VISAS IT ISSUES EACH YEAR.
AT THE END OF IT ALL IS THE
PROSPECT OF A DECENT AMOUNT OF TRAVEL, PAID FOR IN HARD CURRENCY. THE WORLD,
AS THEY SAY, IS WIDE OPEN.
- SUNDAY TIMES
GPS NAVIGATION MAKES
DRIVING ABROAD SO MUCH EASIER
As a
rule we always rent a car and self-drive when travelling abroad. In the past
we always used the detailed Michelin regional maps indicating all the minor
roads and scenic routes.
The
last two trips we pre-arranged for a rental car with GPS installed; and what
a pleasure! What makes it even more exciting is the fact that the system is
linked via satellite to an active responding system: you are rerouted to
detours to prevent traffic jams and other hurdles occurring on route.
Especially when you would want to drive the less travelled, off the beaten
track roads, it is exciting to pre-programme your route, establish the final
distance and calculate the time to cover the distance at an easing pace.
Basically you have three options: shortest, fastest or scenic route; should
you choose the scenic option, you can either pre-schedule the route via
specific towns or otherwise referring to a specific route number as per road
map.
It is
also very convenient when looking for a specific venue or destination in a
town or city, for instance a shopping centre, hospital or hotel. When we
were in Salzburg, we were looking for a camera shop in a particular shopping
mall. After we had pre-programmed the system, the mystery voice directed us
to the parking lot next to the mall within 10 minutes. In Varenna, a small
town on the edge of Lake Como, the Hotel Milano can only be reached by
wandering along a narrow cobbled street off the little town square. GPS
brought us right onto the secluded square, some fifty metres from the hotel.
At
last, you no longer have to stop and try to find the road by means of hand
signals and poor communication! |
