Our favorite places to travel in 2024
Happy New Year everyone. Today I wish to share our favorite places to travel. Some are places where we run tours. Others are places we hope to in the future.
Cicely:
Oaxaca, Mexico
Sunny, warm weather all winter, great food, and art all around. Oaxaca has it all and should be on everyone’s travel bucket list. We are fortunate to be heading to Oaxaca in a few days (and a group joins us the following week).
Provence, France
We love the town of Vaison-la-Romaine on the northern side of Provence. We’ve been traveling there for 25 years now and have led 4 groups there over the years. The town is lovely, with both roman ruins and a medieval city, the surrounding countryside is lovely, and the Tuesday market can’t be beat.
Barcelona, Spain
We’ve not yet taken a group yet to Barcelona, but what a city! It is set right on the Mediterranean, you can stroll up Las Ramblas, enjoy the extraordinary Gaudi architecture, and marvel how so much has been designed with beauty in mind.
Bob:
Crossing the Pyrenees
The traditional start point of the Spanish Camino is in France, with the first leg of the journey taking you over the Pyrenees into Spain. I’ve walked this section twice and it is the most beautiful hike I’ve ever taken. Unfortunately, it’s a steep 17-mile day, so we’ve not yet included it on any of our Camino tours.
Austrian Alps
From the cows and green pastures to the rocky peaks, Austria doesn’t disappoint. Some folks like the Swiss alps better, but Bob finds Austria much more relaxed (and less expensive). We’ve had two tours here and have two more planned for September 2024.
Porto, Portugal
Bob’s been in Porto 5 times in the past 2 years, leading 2 Camino walking tours and 1 art tour. There is nothing pretentious about this city on the banks of the River Douro. There are the views from the Cathedral tower, the walk to the beach, and great food. We are heading back in April with a Food & Culture tour.
Maddy:
Luang Prabang, Laos
Having worked in Southeast Asia for a number of years, this is Maddy’s favorite spot. A former French provincial capital, the small town presents the best of Laos with surprising French overtones. Amazing temples and fantastic French baguettes.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Maddy studied in The Netherlands and undertook a number of major bike tours throughout the country. The entire country is fun to visit, both town and country, and Amsterdam is the best of all. Don’t miss the Van Gogh Museum.
Tuscany, Italy
The vistas enchant, the towns charm, and there is pasta all around. And as a vegetarian, there is an endless supply of meatless Primo pasta or risotto dishes.
