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Mail Call
Q&A WITH KIMBERLY KROL INLANDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
As we approach the holiday season, are you planning to travel for the holidays? A few years ago, my now-husband and I departed for a European river cruise the day after Christmas, celebrating the New Year in Vienna, Austria, and we returned with lifelong memories. Do you prefer to stay closer to home for the holidays, or do you use the break to see a new place?
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Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com
Q&A TIME
In our September 2022 issue we asked: Is a cruise in your future travel plans? What destinations would you recommend, and what regions would you sail to that you haven’t yet explored? A few readers wrote in:
My husband and I are looking at domestic cruises that sail through some of the country’s best rivers. We found that, while we are always keen to leave the country and explore new places, there’s so much of the United States we have yet to experience!
My friends went on an American Queen Voyages trip a few years back and had nothing but positive feedback. They went up the Mississippi River and were amazed at how different everything looks from the river.
I would love to book an American Queen Voyages cruise on the Mississippi, Illinois or Ohio rivers, or even try one of the cruise line’s Great Lakes trips. I have always wanted to venture onto Lake Michigan. I visited the Great Lakes as a child but never actually journeyed by boat onto these vast bodies of water. It would fulfill a childhood dream to cruise these lakes.
FATIMA HOOK, VIA EMAIL
CHATTANOOGA’S RECORD-BREAKING HOSPITALITY JOBS
In the Aug. 30 issue of eFlyer, we told readers how Chattanooga, Tennessee, met a major milestone of record-breaking hospitality jobs. We asked: What do you like most about Chattanooga? One reader wrote in:
As an outdoorsy traveler, I loved experiencing CONTACT GT
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Globility
\glo ‘bility\ n: 1. The quality of being open to a world of cultures and experiences
Chattanooga’s natural sites, from its trails to lakes to scenic overlooks. Some of my favorite places I visited in and around Chattanooga include Rock City Gardens, Ruby Falls and white-water rafting down the Ocoee River. I was thrilled to hear Chattanooga is bouncing back after the pandemic and hope to return to the area soon.
CONNER KRUEGER, VIA EMAIL
RECENT CRUISES, FUTURE TRAVELS
We had a delightful two weeks on the Queen Mary 2 in May/June (trans-Atlantic and Norwegian fjords), followed by a week in Helsinki and Germany. … I called it our visit to the great symphony spaces in Helsinki, Berlin and Hamburg. The new Elbe Philharmonic is particularly spectacular, and it’s revitalizing Hamburg.
We were pleasantly delighted with our first big-ship cruise, and we’re now booked on the new Queen Anne’s Caribbean itinerary in February 2024.
We followed the cruise with a week in Singapore in September, then a grand trip to Spain/Morocco in late October/early November. We will cap off 2022 with a week in New York City mid-December.
We’ve had zero issues in all our travels — though we did have concerns traveling through London Heathrow Airport with all the British Airways cancellations. I had a backup plan with KLM through Amsterdam, but even that airport faced labor issues, so we stuck with our original British Airways flight which, fortunately, did not get canceled. Still, I’ve always felt it’s best to be prepared with a backup plan nowadays.
JONATHAN FUCHS, VIA EMAIL
In the Sept. 7 issue of eFlyer, we told readers about Etihad Airways making history with the United Arab Emirates’ first female Emirati captain in commercial aviation. We asked: Is an airline’s support of gender diversity important to you when selecting an airline? One reader wrote in:
I heard this news about Capt. Aisha Al Mansoori and felt so empowered seeing her photo, wearing her uniform. It definitely makes me happy to see some progress being made, but at the same time, I feel disheartened. It’s 2022 and Al Mansoori is only now the first female Emirati captain in commercial aviation. I hope she proves to other women this is possible and we begin to see more and more women enter the field, feeling confident and capable of anything their male counterparts can do.
A big congratulations to Capt. Al Mansoori; I will be following her to see what she accomplishes next!
KHADIJAH MORA, VIA EMAIL
kicking back | COOK ISLANDS
fine vines
Torrontés Tango
Argentina’s signature white will have all your senses dancing.
in an attempt to describe Torrontés, argentina’s signature white wine, some have compared it to Pinot Grigio, viognier, even Riesling. but none come close. Made from the grape of the same name, Torrontés is like no other. it begins with an aroma that conjures up a bouquet of flowers (the honeyed, perfumed Muscat of alexandria is one of its ancestors), hinting that a sweet wine will follow. but no, Torrontés goes toward dry and fruity with a tangy and spicy edge. it is the perfect aperitif and equally right with shellfish, niçoise salad, chicken, other whitemeat dishes, lightly flavored cheese and many asian foods. as americans discover this intriguing wine, they will also discover that, with a myriad of choices, even the most attractive
Torrontés usually costs under $20. and what are the most attractive Torrontés? among two dozen that i’ve recently tasted, these are my favorites. Xavier Flouret Flaca 2008 ($18) is one of the most elegant Torrontés, with a delicate floral nose that hints of apricot and peach; a dry, round, well-structured body; a fruit-filled taste Powered by and vibrant acidity; and a long, delicious finish. its Muscat ancestor comes to the fore in lo
Tengo 2009’s ($11.50) vivid, flowery aroma. it goes on to be a clearly focused, intensely flavored, bright and satisfying wine. There is a suggestion of sweet mint and an evocation of orange and peach in Finca la linda 2009’s ($11) aroma, followed by a relatively full body and excellent balance. altogether a pleasing, inviting wine. Finca el origen Reserva 2009 ($12) is clean, crisp and refreshing, offering a typical Torrontés floral flavor with pear and peach overtones and a gentle reminder of citrus fruits in the mouth. a particularly harmonious wine. The delightful Pascual Toso 2009 ($15) combines keen fruit flavors, herbal notes and a fresh lemony acidity with a trace of honey and floral tones. Following its aroma of fresh flowers and ripe fruit, Colomé 2009 ($15) is a graceful wine with citric notes reminiscent of grapefruit. 72 globaltravelerusa.com JUNE 2017 The pale-shaded Dominio del Plata’s Crios 2009 ($13.50) has a lilac-scented aroma with peach overtones followed by a dry, tangy taste.
Art of IN THE COOK ISLANDS, on Rarotonga, I’m walking along a dusty path, edged by a plethora of plants and trees. Fat papayas hang from their umbrella-like trees; bananas, still green on the stem, invite; and mangos, ripe and ready, have Healing fallen from their roost. Blossoming bushes waft a perfume, butterflies circle halos around my head, and a stream gurgles nearby. A mother sow and her family of cartoonish piglets join me on the road. Not one but 10 roosters crow in competing symphonies — though early morning is long past. The sea lies nearby, but here, hiking inland, surrounded by steep hills and much vegetation, I feel like the only person left on Earth. Ease body, mind and soul in Luckily, I’m not. I share this walk with one of the Cook Islands’ most the natural goodness of the famous residents, a larger-than-life figure known as Uncle Pa, once a world surfing champion. Though an octogenarian, he wears long dreadlocks, treks Cook Islands. BY BECCA HENSLEY shirtless and sports a colorful sarong. With rippling muscles and the physique of a 30-year-old man, he belies aging and serves as the metaphorical poster child for his role as this island nation’s most famous healer. An herbalist or kahuna, he learned from his grandmother about the power of the plants that BEACHSIDE BLISS: grow on these less-traveled islands. Intuitive, fearless, with a foot in both the Spa treatment on the beach at Aitutaki Lagoon past and the modern world, Uncle Pa has helped thousands of people regain their health over the years. As we walk, he picks leaves, flowers, berries and PHOTO: © STEVE ALLEN | DREAMSTIME.COM fruit. He tells me how he makes elixirs or poultices from them; he lets me taste INFO TO GO
A variety of international airlines fly to Rarotonga International Airport on the Cook Islands’ main island. In December 2016 Air New Zealand began weekly non-stop flights on its comfortable Boeing 777-200 aircraft, which offers a new premium-economy option, from Los Angeles (LAX), making the trek from the United States easier than ever.
www.globaltravelerusa.com May 2011 | GLOBAL TRAVELER | 35
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