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In This Issue...
Reader Tips & Suggestions
Hot Travel Deals & Getaways
WJ's Gear Reviews
Travel Tale: Sisters, Oregon -
Outdoor Quilt Show
Travel Tale: A Weekend in Venice
Travel Tale: Ich Liebe Dich
Switzerland
Travel Tale: River Danube - Anchored
in History
Great Recipes for Summer!
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Greetings!
Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is in full swing and with that WJ is enjoying
a wide range of activities: whitewater rafting on the Deschutes River in Central
Oregon with Sun Country Tours; enjoying the Bend Summer Festival in Bend,
Oregon; exploring the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park in
Washington State; filling our senses with the heavenly aroma of lavender at
Sequim, Washington's 12TH Annual Lavender Festival; watching the 2008
Tribal Canoe Journey arrive in Port Townsend, Washington; playing on the
beaches and visiting the towns along the Oregon coast. See some of our most
recent adventures at: www.flickr.com/wavejourney
This newsletter issue is going to keep you busy with travel tales about
Switzerland; a weekend in Venice, Italy; the Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt
Show; history along the River Danube. Then, if you're looking for a fun summer
recipe, try our easy to prepare and divine-tasting summer ravioli. Plenty of
travel deals are still to be had for those of you looking for ideas and a quick
get-away. We've included two must-have items for any outing, and make note
of the readers tips and suggestions for activities and events in your next
destination. What are you waiting for? Keep on reading...
Whatever summer has brought your way, have a safe and wonderful time and
don't forget to email us with your favorite summer memories: activities;
concerts; festivals and campsites.
Thanks to all our faithful readers and contributors for making the WJ website a
success. Keep your photos, stories, travel tips, recipes and recommendations
coming and help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to your
family, friends and colleagues.
To enter WJ's contests, go to:
www.wavejourney.com/contests1.html
To view WJ's latest photos, visit www.flickr.com/wavejourney.
Happy Trails!
Viv and Jill
(aka: WJ)
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You can win lots of fun and useful prizes.
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Reader Suggestions
The time of year has arrived to hit the beach in
Paris. The banks of the Seine River have turned
into a beach: with floating nightclubs; outdoor
music festivals; a climbing wall; sand castle
building and other activities to keep sun
worshippers, picknickers and partyers busy.
From July 21 to August 21, Paris Plage is open
daily from 7:00AM to midnight.
As recommended by Wendy in London, England.
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Hot Travel Deals
Book your travel and check the weekly bargains from Expedia.com.
* cruises
* car rentals
* hotels
* flights
* vacation packages
* excursions
* hot summer vacations at 30% off
Click Here For Details...
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Readers Recommend
Each summer I head to Vancouver, BC, Canada,
for at least a few days of fun in the sun. During
each visit Bard on the Beach is one of my favorite
events. Every June through September, this
Shakespeare Festival brings life to many of
Willie's great plays.
www.bardonthebeach.org
As recommended by Amelia in Calgary, Canada.
A great way to travel through Mexico's Copper
Canyon, is on the Sierra Madre Express. From
January 30TH to February 6TH, 2009 you can
board the train in Tucson, Arizona, and spend
eight days on tour with The Society of
International Railway Travelers. This should be a
fantastic trip!
http://www.irtsociety.com/mexico2009.html
As recommended by Janie in Sedona, Arizona,
USA.
If you are heading to Oahu, Hawaii and planning
to do scuba diving, the best company to go with
is AquaZone, Scuba Diving and Water Sports
Center. Safe, experienced and lots of fun.
www.aquazone.net
As recommended by Alane in Bend, Oregon, USA.
With the high price of travel to Europe these days
and poor exchange rates against the Euro,
hostels are not just for youths these days.
European hostels cater to travellers of all ages
and some even offer family rooms for couples or
those travelling with children. Instead of staying
home, try a hostel and cut down on
accommodation costs. A useful website to
research and book hostel accommodations is
europeanhostels.com.
www.europeanhostels.com
As recommended by Brenda in Maine, USA.
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Readers Recommend
Tibet is open for business as of Wednesday 25th June, 2008. Foreign visitors are yet again
able to visit this fascinating country and many tour companies have reinstated previously
cancelled group tours. So, it's probably a good time to make that trip you've always been
planning for but never made.
"Tibet's society is stable and harmonious, its markets are bustling, and its environment
beautiful", the government in Lhasa, has said in a statement on the official Tibet tourism
website.
As recommended by Carly in Glasgow, Scotland.
Upcoming events in Budapest Hungary:
Sziget Fesztival 11th-18th August
Since 1993 the Sziget Festival has become a symbol of diverse entertainment, and an
unforgettable cultural excursion. Today Sziget is also a strong cultural brand gaining an
admirable position on the international festival market. This year our favorite festival starts out
on 11 August with the Day of Hungarian Songs, on the next day, Day Zero, Sziget presents the
Iron Maiden, then the festival gets in full gear from 13 to 18 August offering the usual variety of
60 locations with 200 daily programs.
www.sziget.hu
St. Stephen's Day celebrated with fireworks - 20th August
On this day we celebrate the nameday of our first king, St. Stephen. Commemorating this
date a pre- and a postcelebration day is usually added. Like other state holidays, on this day
the program starts with some traditional concerts, children and family programmes,
craftstalls, streetparade, fair and food welcome the visitors. The first day night includes a Jazz
festival, and the 20th night's main point is the firework over the Danube, which lasts for 25
minutes fired from many different places.
www.budapestinfo.hu
23rd Nike International Budapest Half-Marathon - 7th September
The Nike International Budapest Half-Marathon will be held for the 23rd time on the 7th of
September 2008. The slogan of the competition is 'The Beatable Distance???', indicating that
the race distance of 21097.5 metres is far from impossible for any runner who trains regularly
and prepares well. 750 representatives from 45 nations will join the Hungarian athletes on
the starting line of Hungary's largest half-marathon event before going the distances on the
streets of Budapest. The race centre will be housed in the City Park and participants will run
past the most beautiful sites of the Hungarian capital, including Heroes' Square, Andrássy
Boulevard, the Parliament and the Buda Castle, as well as along both banks of the River
Danube.
www.budapestmarathon.com/eng/half.html
17th Budapest International Wine and Champagne Festival - 10th -14th September
The Wine Festival is one of Central Europe's most prestigious and popular trade events, as
well as an all-art festival where every year tens of thousands of visitors experience wine
tasting in cultured surroundings and get to know the wine makers and the arts and traditions
associated with viniculture.
www.budapestinfo.hu
As recommended by Arpad in Budapest, Hungary
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HIGH SIERRA SPORT COMPANY
For over 25 years, High Sierra Sport Company has strived to give
you the bags you need at a price you can afford. Specializing in
adventure travel, their dedication to function, design and quality
shines in each and every one of thier products. From athletes and
outdoor enthusiasts, to students, travellers and professionals, their
versatile, innovative products are sure to fit your needs.
To learn more about High Sierra products, click here.
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14 Night Scandinavian Splendors
Cruise with Oceania Cruises
Stockholm to London, August 8-22, 2009.
3 nights in St Petersburg, Russia, plus many
other ports!
Prices start at: $4,499 per person.
Optional post-cruise stay in London, including
golf!
For More Information Contact:
Betsy at CruiseOne in Bend, Oregon, USA.
PH: 541-385-0499
Email: betsy@luxurystylecruising.com
Website: www.luxurystylecruising.com
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Stay Healthy On Your Next Cruise
With cruise season to Alaska and Europe hitting full-throttle, it brings with it the Norovirus
(24-48hr stomach flu with symptoms of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, chills and weakness).
Most ships sailing the waters off North America, and many in Europe, will have hand-sanitizer
stations. Not all do and not everyone uses them. Keep yourself healthy on your upcoming
cruise by observing a few of the following germ-avoiding tactics:
- When you first arrive at your cabin, put on your rubber gloves.
- Spray or wipe everything down with a disinfectant product (such as Lysol or Clorox). Make
sure to get door handles, walls, floors, ceilings, beds, shower curtains, phones, remotes, etc.
- Remove the bedspread and place in the closet. Leave the cabin steward a note to leave the
bedspread off for the entire cruise (you'd be horrified with the nasty things on those
bedspreads).
- Ask the cabin steward to put an extra sheet on the top of your blanket (who knows when it
was last cleaned) - known as triple sheeting.
- If you go to the buffet, use one hand for handling the tongs and the other hand for eating
food. You don't know where other hands have been.
- Food that is cooked will typically be safer to eat than food that isn't - remember that the
Norovirus often comes from food-handling staff who don't wash their hands properly (if at all)
after using the toilet.
- Wash your hands frequently and keep them away from your mouth, eyes and nose.
You may think these tips are over-much and paranoid, but think how much you spent for your
cruise and why you're there - you're probably not on vacation to spend 2-5 days locked up in
your cabin, only making friends with the toilet.
http://children.webmd.com/tc/noroviruses-topic-overview
As recommended by Jill, Oregon, USA.
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Weekday Promotion - Stay 3 nights pay
for 2
Summer Sensation in Boutique Hotel
Zara, Budapest
Available: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday night stay only.
Period:
22-27 June 2008, 6 - 11 July 2008, 13-18 July
2008, 20-25 July 2008, 27-30 July 2008, 4-8
August 2008, 10-15 August 2008, 17-22 August
2008
Single room rate 240 EUR - Double room rate
285 EUR
The 3 days/2 nights package includes:
- accommodation in a standard room
- hot buffet breakfast
- taxes
The offer is subject to availability. Not valid with
any other offer. Book online! or Send an Inquiry!
To book the package, please contact:
Tel: +36.1 577 07 00
Fax: +36.1 577 07 10
E-mail: reservation@zarahotels.com
www.zarahotels.com
www.boutiquehotelzara.com
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Spotlight
TAJ SAFARIS ~ Wildlife Lodges in India
Our India lodges have exceeded expectations in recent months. Can you believe that our first
two jungle lodges are close to two years old! We are so proud that Mahua Kothi was awarded
prestigious Relais & Chateaux status (first of three properties ever in India!)
Mahua Kothi and Baghvan will be joined by two more lodges opening in October: Pashan
Garh and Banjaar Tola. With four exclusive lodges on the borders of four different tiger
reserves, the Taj Safaris tiger circuit offers the ultimate interpretive wildlife experience in India.
Experience India's legendary jungle wilderness by tailormaking a safari to Baghvan and
Banjaar Tola, or Mahua Kothi and Pashan Garh.
An ideal time to celebrate the highlights of Madhya Pradesh's wildlife circuit is from October to
March, just after the monsoon season. Stay at any combination of Taj Safaris lodges and
receive a discount:
· Stay at any 2 lodges, receive 5% discount
· Stay at any 3 lodges, receive 15% discount
· Stay at any 4 lodges, receive 20% discount
· Baghvan, Pench National Park
· Mahua Kothi, Bandhavgarh National Park
· Pashan Garh, Panna National Park
· Banjaar Tola, Kanha National Park
Valid: June 2008 - June 2009
Reservations: reservations@tajhotels.com
Website: www.tajsafaris.com
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WJ's Gear Reviews!
Great gear for anytime of year.
On a recent roadtrip in the WAVEJourney mobile,
we found some more uses for a couple of items
we've been testing over the last few months.
WJ recommends the following two products be
part of your gear for any kind of trip:
- MSR Ultralite Packtowels:
Excellent addition to any RV, road or camping trip.
When showering, washing hair or washing up on
the road, this light-weight and very absorbant,
microfiber towel takes up very little space, dries
quickly and is easy to wash out. WJ loves these
towels and has replaced our regular towels with
them for future road and camping trips.
http://msrgear.com/camptowels/ultralite.asp
- Thermarest Lite Seat:
Not only are these light-weight seat pads useful
for sitting on in various environments (i.e.
stadiums, trains, airplanes, snow, wet grass,
etc.), it makes a terrific addition to any
photographers equipment bag. No more dirty
knees or wet butts while trying to take the perfect
shot. This pad was a life-saver on many
occasions when we needed to get close to the
ground to take photographs.
http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?p
ID=45&cID=4
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Travel Tales
Anchored in History ~ A Danube River Cruise!
Story by Vivienne Chapleo, photos by Jill Hoelting
Who exactly was it that came up with the term "Blue Danube"? Well, if memory (could be in
trouble now) and research are my guides (best bet), I'm guessing it had something to do with
that Austrian fellow, Johann Strauss II.
"An der schonen blauen Donau" is the title of the waltz composed in 1867 by Strauss,
commonly known in English as "On the Beautiful Blue Danube". From my recent adventure on
the Danube (known in German as the Donau); I would agree with Johann that the Danube is
beautiful... but blue? More brown, like a mud-puddle, if you ask me.
Click here to read more...
Travel Tales
Ich Liebe Dich Switzerland!
Story and photos by Kelly Saunders
After a draining, overcrowded, eleven hour flight I was whisked away from the mayhem of
Zurich and set on Höheweg Strasse in the charming town of Interlaken. Sleeping for what felt
like an eternity, I awoke to the vast panorama of the Swiss Alps and the exhilarating echo of
the mountains.
Those ghostly, white, jagged peaks evoke magical dreams and powerful emotions within.
Finally alert and adjusting well to the six-hour time change, I went on a search for the perfect
cup of steaming, frothy cappuccino. I wandered outside into the brisk air to see what
treasures I could unearth. Interlaken, nestled between lakes Thun and Brienz, (named
accordingly "Inter" between and "Laken" lakes) is notorious for being somewhat touristy. But,
what I discovered was so much more.
Click here to read more...
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Recipes ~ Great Tastes of Summer!
Lavender Lemonade
This is wonderful on hot summer days.
Brew culinary lavender into a tea by adding 2
tablespoons of lavender to 1 cup of hot water.
Steep for about 10 minutes.
Mix the cup of lavender tea with 1 gallon of
lemonade.
Chill and serve with a sprig of mint.
Enjoy!
Summer Ravioli
Simple and delicous.
Serves: 4 - approximately 28 pieces
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour - more for dusting
1 cup boiling water
Filling:
3/4 cup ricotta
1 egg
1/2 cup finely shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Sauce:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dough: In a large bowl combine the flour and
water. Use a wooden spoon to stir into a large
ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm
place for 10-15 minutes.
Filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a
medium bowl and stir to mix.
Sauce: In serving bowl, combine all ingredients
and stir with a fork to combine.
Make ravioli: Cut dough into 4 even pieces.
Dough needs to be slightly sticky. Use extra flour
for rolling without sticking to board or rolling pin -
but as little as possible. Roll each piece into a 8"
x 16" rectangle. Only work with 1 piece of dough
at a time and keep unused dough covered with
plastic wrap when not in use to prevent drying.
Place rounded teaspoons of filling about 1" apart
down the center of the dough. Fold dough over
filling and press down around edges of each
ravioli with fingers. Cut ravioli into shape with
either a knife (make them square) or round
cookie/scone cutter. Put formed ravioli on a
baking tray and cover with plastic wrap as you
continue to make the remainder.
Boil a large pot of salted water. Add half the
ravioli and cook until ravioli floats to top of pot -
about 4 minutes. Use slotted spoon to drain
ravioli and place in a large bowl while cooking
remaining pieces. Place clean kitchen towel
over top of bowl to keep cooked ravioli warm.
When all ravioli is cooked, place in serving bowl
with sauce and toss gently.
Serve with a green salad and enjoy!
Click here for more recipes...
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Travel Tales
Sisters, Oregon: Color Me, Dazzle Me, Inspire Me! ~
Article by Vivienne Chapleo, with photos by Jill Hoelting
Who says you have to be a quilter to appreciate quilts? Well, whoever it was, they were
wrong! With 1200 quilts of all shapes, sizes, techniques, designs, themes, colors and styles,
the 33rd Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon, will awe and inspire quilters
and non-quilters alike.
The many quilts on display are works-of-art that will amaze visitors by the detail and number
of hours spent in their creation. This world-class event features submissions from quilters
around the globe, where visitors will find approximately one-third of the quilts on display are
for sale (so take your credit card).
Click here to read more...
Travel Tales
A Weekend in Venice ~
Article and photos by Neha Kirpal
Spread over 118 tiny islands with vaporettos or water buses as the only means of transport,
it is perhaps understandable why Venice is known as the city of lovers, poets and romantics.
A city built entirely on water, it provides and fosters the perfect ambience for creative pursuits
and peace of mind. As you get off at the Venezia S Lucia station, the first thing that awaits you
is a breathtaking view of a seamless sea of water everywhere you look. The magic of Venice
begins from the moment you board a ferry that takes you to the hotel through the calm of the
waters that surround you. For an authentic and rich Venetian experience, check into a hotel
that preserves the historical heritage of the city, characterized by thatched roofs and gardens.
The Lido Des Bains is one that provides it.
Click here to read more...
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