Corinne visits Patagonia

Leaving the Rocky mountains in November is a great time to find some sun and tango in Buenos Aires. Although Natascha and I know South America's wine regions really well we had not yet visited Patagonia. So to give my poor tango feet a break I decided to take an excursion to El Calafate, Argentina, a 3 hour flight south of La Capital in the heart of Patagonia.  Lunar like landscape on landing gave me second thoughts about my decision, but soon this quaint town on the edge of Lago Argentino with its Banff like shops and restaurants put my mind at ease. Most tourists were there to hike as was apparent in their boots and walking sticks. Yes, I did leave my tango shoes in BsAs and had my hiking boots along! 

My first excursion, the one most people take, was to Perito Moreno about a one hour drive from El Calafate. Daniel, the guide informed us that this glacier was in equilibrium - it advanced an incredible two meters a day and big chunks of the oldest ice at the front of the glacier (300 years) cracked and spat its way into the lake below.  How lucky we were with perfect sunshiny weather and no wind to be able to see and hear this glacial activity. The Argentines have created some extensive and safe walkways so that one is able to see all sides of this immense block of ice. Some more adventureous guests chose to hike on the glacier itself and were delighted at the opportunity to crampon their way down crevaces in the sky blue ice.  Looked scarey to me!

I opted for the boat excursion to the front of the 80 meter wall of ice to get a close up view of the age old ice!

A further ride away (4 hours) was Torres del Paine Park in Chile - yes that meant passports, papers, customs, throwing away any fruit for fear of being fined in Chile and time! But well worth the visit!  The park is the number one UNESCO park in the world!!!! Torres del Paine means Towers of a blue/black rock and they are young - only a meer 13 million years young compared to the 65 million year old Andes. Stunning is the only way to describe them!  The bright sunshine (hot in fact) and the robin egg blue water that formed the glacier lakes made it picture perfect. Unfortunately my camera battery was exhausted so no perfect pictures for me!  I have arranged to have them sent to me by a guest from Spain.  His camera equipment made me think that he just might have that perfect shot. After visiting waterfalls and lakes and learning about the delicate balance of this ecosystem, the big army style 4x4 that transported us to Chile left around 4pm for the 4 hour journey back to Argentina WITHOUT me.  I was so happy to have booked into an ecocamp at the base of the Torres for the night.  I hadn't really put much thought into the type of accommodation I would be staying in. A few of the other guests who were overnighters in the park (yes, another form to fill out) were staying in a fancy hotel so when Corinne, the director of the ecocamp showed me to my little hobbit house structure, it sunk in that this was truely an ecocamp, just as the name suggests - all electricity generated from water turbines or solar power - heat by wood stove and recycled wood and everything made from environmentally friendly materials.  Somehow I fell into this delightful accommodation without planning it.  Besides the low environmental impact, other delightful aspects of this camp were the windows to the sky,  the family style dining and welcome pisco sour that got everyone visiting in all varieties of languages.  One big happy family, informative guides who were busy planning the next days excursions with you. Corinne was sweet in giving me an upgrade to a superior dome which had its own bathroom, clearly she could see that I was not prepared for this delightful surprise.  Gracias Corinne!

Well I am back in Buenos Aries now, ready to squeeze my feet into those highheels again only to be whisked away on the dance floor by Juan Carlos! 

Artists Capture the Spirit of Newfoundland!

What a happy bunch!!!  The multicoloured jelly bean houses, the dramatic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, the idle fishing boats in the "Petits" Habours and the unprecedented spirit of the Newfoundlanders made our Sketchbook Workshop Tour to this great Canadian province this summer an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT!  Everyday was filled with wonderful sketching opportunities - too many for the artists' palettes to stay closed for even one day.  Cecelia inspired each and everyone of the 19 artists to capture the landscape even if it meant trudging over rocky terrain to get the perfect view!  

Ferryland lighthouse (photo) offered up ocean vistas (some even saw the minky whale), a colourful subject on challenging terrain and a lovely gourmet picnic lunch!  Bell Island just a short ferry ride from St. John's is where the artists looked like stones sprinkled along the Island's dramatic cliff that plunged to the ocean.   See any outhouses??? Thanks to the mayor of Bell Island to delivering a portapotty for our group!  Later that day our guided tour of the #2 Iron Mine with Ed was a real eyeopener to a miner's life during the operation of the mine from 1895 to 1966!

Audrey, our token Newfoundland artist helped us find the secretive " Pitcher Plant" - again another trek into the boggy countryside, but well worth it! This provincial flower is the one you see waving in the Newfoundland and Labrador TV ads.  We all agreed that these ads are a true depiction of the colours of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Yes, we were " Screeched In" and everyone kissed the slippery cod and took a swig of that Jamaican Rum called Screech! We are now official Newfoundlanders!  Darrin and Tracy of Newfoundland Tours, not only provided us with Transport but also entertained us with singing and dancing any occasion they could in the true Spirit of Newfoundland.

Corinne and Cecelia,

What a trip to our magnificent eastern coast!  You led us from amazing vistas to snug little harbours while we discovered the history and culture of the delightful Newfoundlanders.  Thank you both for your expertise and professionalism while creating memories of a truly unforgettable experience.  Hopefully, I will again visit Newfoundland, one of Canada's best kept secrets.

 Barbara Piper

Italy's Fabulous Amalfi Coast with Giovanni!

Since 2003 I have known about the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast but it wasn't until I connected with Josephine and Giovanni of Italy Limousine that VM Travel is finally able to offer an enjoyable and relaxed tour of this crazy, busy coastline with tiny villages tucked under the famous cantilevered coastal highway. Well, one cannot really call it a highway when it is impossible for two tour buses to meet at certain places and it can sometimes back up traffic for hours!  However the vistas, the terraced lemon groves  and tiny italian villages are well worth the effort.

The seven of us started our tour in Rome and once we got the "big city" out of our system we made our way down to Naples where Giovanni met us with  a comfortable van large enough for ourselves and our luggage!  We took a couple of  stops at Mt. Vesuvius to hike up to the crater and Pompeii to saunter through this huge metropolis in ruins before meeting Anna at La Vecchia Quercia. She treated us to a lovely gourmet meal created from her own kitchen - one of the best meals we ate in Italy!  The next day we spent in the country side touring the vineyards near Taurasi. Thank goodness for Giovanni's GPS as they are not easy to find in the rolling hills and terraced vineyards of Campania. Here we discovered the delights of Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino and Aglianico. Now try finding these varietals in a Canadian Liquor Store! Almost impossible! To add to the culinary experience we visited a Bufalo Mozzarella farm to see how this delicate cheese is worked into those lovely round white balls -mmmmm Que Buono when it is fresh!  My sister, Glenys  and I foundered ourselves of Insalata Caprese (fresh bufalo mozzarella , tomatos and basil) and we all know what can happen when one eats too much cheese, right Glenys???  After that, a visit to the magnificent Greek ruins at Paestum was not to be missed!  We enjoyed another great meal casa Anna, this time we contributed as she taught us how to make fresh pasta and a simple gelatin- fresh orange juice dessert! Our stay at La Vecchia Querica  was fabulous as we were perched up on the hill in lovely accommodation with fireflies entertaining us in our dreams!  Grazie mille Anna for the copious breakfasts with your fresh and varied produce topped off with, what other than a CAPPUCINO!

We spent one full day navigating the Amalfi Coast from Salerno to Sorrento with Giovanni as our guide!  Some decided to hike up to the clifftop Ravello, some decided to enjoy lunch in the square and do some sketching. In all there was plenty of time to shop and peer over vistas in one of the most beautiful towns on the coast. After a brief stop in Amalfi (more coffee and do-nuts for Eunice!) Gio delivered us to the port in Sorrento for our boat ride to the Isle of Capri. We lucked out as most people were returning from their day in Capri and we had the boat to ourselves as we arrived in the evening.  Villaceselle  arranged for our pickup in the tiniest pickup you can imagine. We realized that the size was necessary on the tiny little roads that took us up to Anacarpi to our lodging!  Needless to say, we did need another transport and that just happened to be a canopy taxi  specially built for the Isle of Capri. Four of us got to enjoy this open air ride while the rest of us road with the luggage piled high around us!!
Definitely it was worth the effort to go to the highest point on this Island, Anacapri where the real people live!  The town of Capri is full of tourists, designer shops and big prices. Cecelia  happened to recognize Tonny Bennett, but he did not recognize her so they did not have a chat!  Besides, he was too busy with the lovely lady on his arm!   We were glad only to have a quick look around before heading back up to our villa to great shopping with the local flavour.

 Besides hiking along the rugged coast (actually Paul was the only one who really enjoyed it, but then he is an elan!) we all enjoyed the boat ride around the Island as we ducked into caves and craned our necks to see the calcaire clifftops.  The hotel restaurant Gelsomina, again with stunning views from the restaurant and the swimming pool served us up some wonderful fresh fish and house wine on the terrace - a relaxing afternoon much deserved after the 3 hour morning hike!
We parted ways in Naples after a farewell dinner at the Transaltantico Hotel nestled in a port full of yachts and Mt Vesuvius as the background!
Ciao everyone!  Thanks to Trevor for keeping us on time and to Kim for gathering up the flock, when we were lead astray! Yes, often!!!

From Harris to Paris!

Harris to Paris!

This spring twelve women from the prairies with artist Liza Gareau-Tosh of Routes Gallery in Harris, Sask. participated in a discovery tour of the French Impressionist Artists in the south of France. All the participants did not know each other but it was their love of the Impressionist movement that brought them together on this voyage and it will not be their last! 

 From Dawn McKenzie at her ranch near Rosetown!

“Hello Everyone,

We've been home for a week and I am still dreaming of France, literally. Every time I lay my head down I am on the other side of the world with a group of women tossed together like a fine salad (I'm sure I have a picture of that).  Last night the dreams were in Paris, so

soon I'll be home.  All these dreams and how long they are lasting after arriving home is truly indicative to the strong friendships and the "impression" you all have had on me.” Says Dawn McKenzie of Rosetown, Sk. Corinne and Natascha of VM Travel adventures took them off the beaten path to Renoir’s small town of Cagnes sur Mer, Cezanne’s Mont Ste Victoire which he painted over 80 times,  Van Gogh’s colourful 18 months near Avignon and finally Monet’s Gardens in Giverny.  These sites combined with lots of wonderful food, markets, wine and picnics made this a life changing experience. "The order of the tour was so perfect....we knew the who, saw where some of them lived and experienced what they produced, all in two short weeks. We travelled by plane, train and automobile; ate a vast menu from frogs legs to goat cheese; drank copious amounts of wine all whilst creating friendships that I'm sure will last a lifetime."

Liza Gareau-Tosh, herself having visited France for the first time claims that she has "crossed over to the other side. My life will never be the same and now I realize how much more there is to see and experience” .  Liza’s  animated blog of the trip can be read at www.routesgallery.wordpress.com   Enjoy!

Next tour for Saskatchewan women is to exotic Morocco in April 2013.  Contact Corinne or Natascha at VM Travel for more information on this tour or propose a tour for a group of 12 of your friends – wherever and whenever you want to go.  We inspire Saskatchewan women to be all they can be.

www.customwinetours.com    1 877 423 5007

Weyburn French Travel Club enjoys Sunny Provence

We have just arrived back to the hotel in Avignon with the Weyburn French travel club students and parents.  We are all wet due to our ever present need to get in the water... this time we swam in the Gardon River under the Pont du Gard, a 2000 year old Roman aqueduct.  Yesterday we had a dip in the Mediterranean and a few days before that we did like the French on holiday and spent the afternoon at Sete on the sea.

 I am inspired to blog now, barely having dried off, as we have had the most wonderful day in the Provencal sun.  We did some shopping at the Saint Remy de Provence market for gifts, clothes, cured meats, cheese, olives and fresh fruits and vegetables.  Some of the girls made sure we all had a bushel of carrots to eat while others made sure we had the right picnic knives, napkins, and tablecloths for the best picnic atop the Grimaldi Castle quarry at Les Baux de Provence.  Our picnic was so fruitful that we had leftovers... half a watermelon, lots of cheese and Joel Durand chocolate... good thing that our driver Bruno put our goodies in the fridge on the bus, otherwise everything would have melted away in this heat!

 We practiced, tried and tasted everything '' French'' today.  The most authentic being the goose liver pate or foie gras which even our most sqeemish eaters couldn't get enough of.... well they were keen to try anyway.

I am having such a delightful time with the hilarious, punctual, adventuresome, worldly and intelligent group of travellers from Weyburn, Saskatchewan.  Their fearless leader, Leah has got them trained up on small suitcases and most can give me some lessons on the sites we are seeing on this trip from Barcelona to Paris.  Half way through the tour, it makes me sad to think that we have only one more week of fun left... demain, a Paris!!

Salut de Provence,
Natascha

    

The "Sids"... with Safety Yannick in the busy outfit at the back.                                            

VM Travel Adventures goes to South Africa

Dear fellow travelling friends,

We have found ourselves with an afternoon free at the GR Game Lodge in the Western Cape of South Africa! We're having some down time by the pool after already having seen the "big five" on our sunset and sunrise game drives...but more about that a little later...

We have been busy as beavers (or mongoose would be the appropriate animal metaphor for the region), researching wineries near Cape Town and the Cape region.  Our trip started in Cape Town where we were met by our driver, filmmaker, photographer and Africaans interpreter, none other than Rory Hinds of Mine Films.  Upon our arrival we were whisked to the beach, then we started with the wine tasting in the Constantia Region, just outside the city. We have really been hard at work, learning about the first grapes planted here in South Africa (brought from France, of course) and we discovered that these folks have been making wine since the 1600's!  Our quest was to uncover the secrets of the coffee style pinotage wines here in South Africa, but we are finding that they also make some wonderful white wines, the slightly oaked Chenin Blanc being one to mention.  Other reds are abundant with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and the non-coffee style pinotages, the more refined and subtle way of ageing this grape's juice.

We explored the French Colony of Franshoek to try some MCC or Methode Cap Classique bubbly with one of the best in the region, Haute Cabriere's one and only, Pierre. - he taught us all about the ways of making sparkling wine, and even called up our own Corinne to do "Sabrage"... she opened a bottle of his Pinot Noir MCC with a sword!!

Stellelbosch is a quaint university town with easily another hundred wineries to explore and we had a tour to KWV winery in Paarl where there are some great wineries and restaurants.

Corinne the adventurous did a horseback trek atop an English saddle at Diemersfontein Winery, and we took part in a wine walk through the vineyards near Wellington, only to happen upon a pack of Baboons in the vineyards, lurking about and looking for some rotten grapes still hanging on the vines!

Next we spent two days at a luxury guesthouse the Shoelphoek in Hermanus.  The food was exquisite, cooked by the owner himself, Chef Mannes.  Petro, his wife, hosted us in their cellar of 12 000 bottles and showed us the numerous opportunities for marine adventures in the area, such as shark diving and whale watching!  And just as we thought that we would get a break from the wine tasting we discovered Hermanus' newest attraction, the Hemel en Aarde valley, a wine growing region with at least 20 wineries (and growing), most named in accordance to the valley's English translation, "Heaven on Earth"!

Lucky us are currently staying in bush chalets, or round huts that look over the watering hole and game park.  I have just taken a photo of a giraffe walking nearby, with my smart phone!!

 Last night we met the baby white rhinoceros, Oliver who was munching grass next to his mother and grandmother.  Our buddy the Ostrich in heat entertained us with his pink legs and beak while he did a mating dance - you see, he was in love with a female ostrich from the farm next door... talk about a doomed romance!!  This morning we saw the pair of lions, the elephants, also a pair.... and the Cape buffalo reminded us that they are the most dangerous of the big five with their bulky stature and horns!

Next up we are on to Plettenburg Bay to spend some time with Rory's family.  We will also eat oysters from Knysna, bungee jump the 216m Bloukrans Bridge, research some monkeys and more elephants and lastly visit the Tskisikamma Forest near Port Elizabeth where our South African adventures will come to an end.

We hope this message finds you all happily involved in your own adventures and we hope to bring you back to South Africa one day!  This place is truly amazing and we know you will love it!!
Totzints (bye for now)!!

Corinne, Natascha & Rory
VM Travel Adventures....

Your window on the world of wine...
and beaches, culture, wildlife......

The Imperial Cities of Morocco

What an amazing 10 days we had in Morocco!  We managed to make it to several cities that we hadn't seen before - and discovered that they all have their own charm, excitement and tradition.  The people were helpful, delightful and cheerful.  The sounds of prayer call, the smells of the dye vats and leather and the sights of roman ruins and majestic gates all added to the intrigue of berber life contrasted with imperial rule.  Morocco has it all, coastline, desert, ruins, mountains, oases, and each corner offers up something unique.

As part of Oussaden Tours (NY) Familiarization trip, Corinne and Natascha set out to travel Morocco with 7 other travel agents and our tour director, Lahsen from New York City.  Jamal from Marrakech was our patient and thorough guide, reciting Morocco's history, way of life and beliefs with much clarity.  In 6 days we visited 5 imperial cities to learn about their importance in Morocco's history. 

Casablanca's immense iconic mosque of Mohammed V sits on the edge of the Atlantic, a serene and shady spot for a pilgrimage or a picnic.  We found our way through the Kasbahs (fortified cities) in Rabat, the cool blue reflecting the tranquility of ancient times in this bustling capital of the country.   The Hassan Tower and tomb of Mohammed V were testimony to the importance of Morocco's past rulers in modern day life.   The Gate of Meknes is said to be the loveliest in the country and this happens to be the wine growing region of Morocco - some nice crisp whites and rosés to add to the experience!  Nearby were the Roman Ruins at Volubulis, the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the founder of Islam, and the modern installment of the ski town of Ifrane.  

We both loved the first Imperial city of Fez as it offers a calmer, less touristy option to Marrakech.  We walked from one end to the other through the city divided in two, hence the name FES or 'axe'.  Twisting and winding our way through the unending 9000 alleyways of the souks, where people sold there wares, from cow tongue to turkeys, wedding decorations to jalabayas.  We even tried our hand at carpet weaving!  Children were everywhere... Corinne was delighted to chat and laugh with them in French.

Next we had an unforgettable drive over the Atlas Mountains to end the Bin-Ouidane Reservoir.  This dammed river was our breathtaking view while we stayed at the Widiane Spas and Suites.  This accommodation spans the reservoir and offers pontoon tours to view the stars, all the while getting a massage!

Back out of the mountain range towards Marrakech we stayed for a few nights experiencing the Jmaa al Fnaa or busy... busy square.  Everywhere you look there are snake charmers, monkey handlers, henna tattoo artists and makeshift dentists willing to pull out a tooth for 50 dirhams, about 5 euros!  After an evening dip in the hotel's lovely pool, we said goodbye to our US travelling companions to start a new adventure, a private tour into the Sahara Desert.

Leaving Marrakech we took off over the southern chain of the Atlas mountains to Ouarzazate, a place where several movies have been made.  There are two major film studios, both having taken part in movies such as The Gladiator, the Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia.  One could get lost in the Taourirt Kasbah.  This was the most interesting of the ancient fortifications, belonging to a Paschaa or government official.  We made a new friend, Karib who showed us around the complex chambers, kitchens and hammams or baths. 

Our next adventure required alternative transport as we arrived in Zagora for our dromadery trek.  We were to trek to a bivouac, a group of tents near M'Hamid on the Algerian border.  Our camel driver slept on the sand with the beasts, our dromaderys showing brotherly love as one bit the other in the behind.... twice!

Around the campfire we drank tea and heard the sounds of Berber song from our guides under the moonlight.

Back to Ourarzazate and an early flight to Casablanca had us re-encounter civilization in a hurry....though we were still dreaming about the magic of the desert and Berber way of life...

VM Travel plans to revisit these Imperial cities with all types of curious travellers.  Come join us!  Life is too short not to have this much fun!

Natascha