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In October Guy spent 10 days in Israel, staying in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and touring the country from Masada to Metulla, end to end. It's been 20 years since his last visit, and while physically things may have changed, Israel retains its fascination.
Also in October 2008 Kim and Derrick hosted a Virtuoso cruise group on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, sailing from Istanbul to Athens, stopping at Kusadasi for Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Nafplio en route. It's one of our favourite parts of the world and we love this ship too. We visited the Mystique and Vedema hotels on Santorini - both Virtuoso members, both highly recommended. We also saw both Four Seasons hotels in Istanbul. The new Four Seasons at the Bosphorus compliments the property in the old city of Sultanahmet - the Old City property does not have space for a spa or pool, and the Bosphorus property makes up for that in spades. Nafplio and the Nafplion Palace was an eye-opener for us, and we would definitely return.
In May Derrick travelled to Australia, visiting Tasmania, Sydney and Brisbane. "I'd always known the Sydney and Brisbane were world-class destinations, but Tasmania was a real eye-opener! Delightful boutique hotels, magnificent scenery, unlimited outdoor activities, the cleanest air I've ever breathed, and wonderful food and wine. Tasmania is coming onto the radar of knowledgeable travelers, and anyone who goes there now will be ahead of the rusgh that is sure to follow!"
We visited the South Carolina and Georgia coasts over Christmas/New Year - Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah and as far up as Myrtle Beach. Call us for knock-your-socks-off dining recommendations. We recommend the oyster roasts in Murrell's Inlet!!
Guy took his son and duaghter to Bonaire for a week's scuba-diving this winter. Bonaire is laid back and easy-going. There's great diving, the reefs are in good shape, and best of all - no snow! That's the way to pass the winter!
On a quick trip to Boston for Virtuoso training we stayed at the Fairmont Copley Plaza - rather splendid! We had dinner in the Italian area on Hanover Street - you can't really go wrong there!
Last year in August we visited Las Vegas for the annual Virtuoso Travel Mart. It never ceases to amze us how Vegas continues to reinvent itself. After that we drove down to Phoenix/Scottsdale where we stayed at Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona Biltmore hotel. For lovers of art-decot, like ourselves, it was a dream come true!
During the summer of 2006 we took a Baltic cruise on the luxurious Regent Seven Seas Navigator from Copenhagen, to Talliin, St Petersburg and Stockholm. It's always been a dream destination for us, and it was no let-down. Tallinn was fascinating - we had a personal guide. St Petersburg was quite stunning - we had the good fortune of arriving just after the international G8 summit and the city was at its best, glistening in the midnight sunshine. Copenhagen and Stockholm... well, let's say we'd happily go back any time!
Ireland – we took a driving tour, staying at the Sheen Falls Lodge in Killarney, and the Merrion Hotel in Dublin. Both are delightfully welcoming and feature wondrous restaurants. Look for our reviews in Virtuoso's Best of the Best hotel guide.
When Derrick was growing up he dreamed of one day seeing the Canadian Rockies. Well, the Rocky Mountaineer luxury train from Banff to Vancouver was everything he hoped for, with top-level cuisine and stunning views to make it perfect.
Four days in Paris for Derrick's parents' 50th wedding anniversary - where else could one celebrate appropriately. We even took a bateau mouche on the Seine - shades of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant!
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