Unusual Destination Contest

We asked our newsletter subscribers to submit an account of an unusual travel destination. After our travel advisors narrowed the choices down to our top three, everyone was invited to vote for the most interesting destination!

Our winner was Steven Belknap, who won himself a $500 credit and sparked our imaginations us with the following anecdote:

In 2005, we booked two nights at Monastero della S.S. Trinita in Cortona. The structure was built in 1268 by Cistercian monks but is presently operated by cloistered nuns who do not speak English.

The monastery was located near the top of a hill overlooking the city of Cortona. Since it was built inside the city walls, we had the entire town at our disposal, not to mention half of the monastery. We were the only guests. The nuns occupied the other half of the building (all six of them). Upon arrival, we entered a lobby and rang a bell. An elderly nun greeted us from behind a barred window. After awkwardly clarifying who we were, a novice was summoned to show us to our room. The building was made of stone, brick and red tiles. There was a huge kitchen, which we were shown and invited to make use of and then we were taken to our room. The room was large with two simple metal frame beds, covered by hand made quilts. Also in the room were two wardrobes with more than adequate space for our things, two table lamps and we had an in room bath with shower.

The views were incredible, not only during the day but at night as well. With the stars above and the city lights shining below, we were mesmerized like little children around their first campfire. During the daytime we could see the nuns, pacing themselves as they worked inside the walled gardens. Our contact with them was brief but very pleasant. They appreciated our staying with them and our attempts to communicate with them in Italian. We did this always, through that barred window. It was truly a step back into the past.

A big thank you to everyone who participated! Our whole office enjoyed reading about your unusual destinations.

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Funny Travel Story Contest

We asked our newsletter subscribers to submit their funny travel stories. After our travel advisors narrowed the choices down to our top three, everyone was invited to vote for the funniest travel story!

Our winner was Kathryn Elkins, who won herself a $500 credit and delighted us with the following anecdote:

Several years ago we visited Budapest. We jumped up in the morning full of enthusiasm to explore the city, caught the train into the city and had a great day. At days end we were sure of which line to catch back to the pension, as we had carefully written down the station name, “dohányozni tilos.” When we saw the sign we jumped off the train and headed up the escalators... Nothing was familiar. Panic - mild. Back downstairs, up a different escalator, same result. Panic - now moderate. We stop commuters, asking for assistance and showing them our note with “dohányozni tilos,” and they each smile and nod and head on. We are very confused and head above ground again - still lost and back down again to platform. We try a few more people they also nod and smile and we become a little bewildered. Panic - exacerbating. Luckily, we eventually meet an English speaking local who explains that my husband has carefully written down the words... “smoking forbidden.” I now laugh whenever I see the no smoking sign in any train station!

Our first runner-up was Jan Rees, with this story:

One time in Samos, my husband left the beach before us to make sure that we got a table in the taverna for lunch, whilst I dried the children off from their swim. My daughter spotted him and asked, “Mummy, why is Daddy sitting in that man’s garden?” He had actually mistaken a private house for the taverna and had sat at one of their tables on the veranda! When he reappeared, beet-red with embarrassment, he said that the Greek owner had appeared and very politely asked if he could help. When Tim ordered an ouzo and lemon fanta, the man apologized for not having any lemon and gently explained that the taverna was next door, but that he could offer him ouzo with water!

Our second runner-up was Denise Tucker, who entertained us with this story:

Last October, several friends of mine and I shared a great villa (we rented through Rentvillas) in Gambassi Terme. Wandering back to our villa through the countryside, we saw a "beautiful castle" up on a hill and decided to check it out. We really did not see a good road to get up to the castle. Everyone just seemed to be walking! We did not want to walk, so we drove the van up. I can only say that it was the most treacherous ride of our lives! After we arrived, we could not imagine how we were going to get back down. But we were overjoyed when we realized that we were in Monteriggioni. We asked a store owner if there was another way down the hill since it was dark and we were a little scared about driving the van down the way we came. Boy, was she amazed that we had driven up the walking path when there was a PAVED road right on the other side!

A big thank you to everyone who participated! Our whole office got a real kick out of reading your funny stories.

If you'd like to end up with a $500 credit towards your next villa rental, keep an eye on your email inbox for our next newsletter. We'll be running a number of contests in the next few months.

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Towns of Tuscany - Cortona

Final pick:

Cortona (pop. 22,594) is often overlooked simply because it's a bit out of the way-- well off the A1 central motorway, you really have to make an effort to get here. Once you arrive, however, it is immediately apparent that your time has not been wasted. Built high on a hill, this city made famous by Under the Tuscan Sun is absolutely beautiful from below... and once you get to the top, there are simply marvelous vistas over the entire valley. A couple of main streets feed into a charming piazza, and at the edge of the historic center there is a lovely public garden with-- need I say-- fantastic views. I must note, however, that Cortona is a town for walkers. Streets run either uphill or down, and there are plenty of historic sights dotting the hillside just begging to be explored on foot.

Hopefully this cross-section of Tuscan towns has given you a better idea of the selection available to you. However, please don't feel that choosing to locate yourself near a particular town forces you to forfeit all the rest... One of the great things about Tuscany is the fact that everything is so close! In fact, the two major cities of the region, Siena and Florence, are only about 50 miles apart. Except Cortona, all of the other towns I've featured lie in between.

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Towns of Tuscany - Greve in Chianti

Today's pick:

Greve in Chianti (pop. 12,700) is a wine-lover's paradise. The main square of this medium-sized town, Piazza Matteotti, is lined with shops featuring every gadget or accoutrement your favorite vintage could ever need. There are also a number of shops featuring handmade wooden items and small ceramic novelties. You can visit the Chiesa Santa Croce, at the head of the Piazza, or hike up a steep hill to the Franciscan monastery. And need I mention that wine-tasting opportunities abound?

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