Kittie

Harriet, <BR>I will be going to Iceland later this year. <BR>I have looked on web pages and written (emailed) for brochures from the Icelandic Embassy. <BR>I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is one of the most scenic/interesting countries on earth. They have volcanoes and thermal baths (open year round). They have fishing and Keiko from "Free Willy". <BR>The entire country (?) is heated by thermal springs so it is the cleanest nation the world. <BR> They have pony trekking. <BR>The weather is comparable to the eastern northern US. <BR>I cannot wait to go there. <BR>IcelandAir has fares to europe with an optional stopover in Reykjavik. If you get on their email list they offer great discount fares. You and also stopover in Iceland for 1-3 nights at no charge other than your hotel. <BR>If you want more info please feel free to email me. <BR>Kittie

Kittie

Harriet, <BR>I will be going to Iceland later this year. <BR>I have looked on web pages and written (emailed) for brochures from the Icelandic Embassy. <BR>I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is one of the most scenic/interesting countries on earth. They have volcanoes and thermal baths (open year round). They have fishing and Keiko from "Free Willy". <BR>The entire country (?) is heated by thermal springs so it is the cleanest nation the world. <BR> They have pony trekking. <BR>The weather is comparable to the eastern northern US. <BR>I cannot wait to go there. <BR>IcelandAir has fares to europe with an optional stopover in Reykjavik. If you get on their email list they offer great discount fares. You can also stopover in Iceland for 1-3 nights at no charge other than your hotel. <BR>If you want more info please feel free to email me. <BR>Kittie

Betty

The only thing I can say about Italy is "I can't wait to go!!!" I will not be there until September. But, I do have a lot of wonderful experiences in Norway. My husband and I have been in many countries. Norway is still one of the best on our list--peaceful life, beautiful scenery, friendly people, coze log cabins, delicious open-face sandwich, ... <BR> <BR>We went to Norway in early Septmber, when weather was warm and there was no crowd. We had a car, stayed in cabins along the roads between Oslo and Bergen, stayed in a Mayor's farmhouse in Aurland--where we took a ferry to the fjords, fished salmons...oh, just wonderful!!! Bergen is beatiful and getting there is half of the fun especially by car. Send me email if you want to know more about our trip to Norway. <BR> <BR>Betty

Harriett

Now that we're at the height of the summer travel season, wanted to bring this topic up again to see if there are any new ideas. Would love to hear from those of you who've just been someplace new . . . please share destinations, hotels, what you loved most or wish you hadn't done. Thanks for sharing! <BR>

Sheila

<BR>Harriett <BR> <BR>Thanks for pushing this to the top. I obviously missed it first time around. <BR> <BR>I sing the praises of my native Scotland, but inMarch or April the weather is too iffy to make it reliable. <BR> <BR>However if you wer planning May or early June you could do a lot worse. Edinburgh for history; Glasgow for Art; the Highlands for hospitality; the Outer Hebrides for wild flowers and birds and beaches and good malt whisky in front of peat fires.

Kendra

I vote for Scotland. I went in March of this year and actually, the weather wasn't too bad (highs in the 50s, not too much rain) and there were no crowds at all. Edinburgh and the Highlands (especially the Isle of Skye) are wonderful.

camille

Hi, Harriett. My husband and I visited France for the first time back in October. We flew into Paris, rented a car, and drove down to the Cote d'Azur over two weeks. On our way, we drove through the Champagne region and spent two nights in Chalons en Champagne, a good base for exploring the region. Then we drove to Chorey les Beaune and stayed at an old chateau and vineyard of the same name. While there, we explored Beaune and the tasting rooms. After that, we stayed in Grignan at a wonderful hotel. From there, we drove along the coast to Nice, where we took the train back to Paris. We had a wonderful time, and hope that no matter where you go, you have one too!