 
Or rather: Where Has Linda Been?
Dear Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler,
I’m so happy to be back with you!
Well, it’s been an intense couple of months working on our new websites. This has been a round-the-clock task…barring the one weekend getaway I enjoyed with my son, flying to Milan for a playoff soccer game! (That’s me with my son, Giancarlo, at the legendary San Siro stadium in Milan.) That was quite a treat—and pretty much the only respite from website-building.
Now we’re close to the finish line, and I’m back with you at last, ready to take on our beautiful projects for 2009.
Here’s a preview of what we have planned for you this year:
Two New Websites!
First, let me introduce you to our new websites! I invite you to come and visit.
Just know that, well, ahem, we’re not quite ready for our official unveiling just yet. Our 'house' is still a little messy. We’re all hard at work, refining our look, taking out kinks, testing links, and pulling it all together.
But if you’re up for the adventure, come see us at www.peacethroughtravel.net and www.womentravelforpeace.org.
Yes, that’s right: we now have two websites, two ‘sister sites,’ one for Peace Through Travel and one dedicated to Women Travel for Peace! This is a big step we’re so excited about, one that reflects our vision of Women-Helping-Women Worldwide. I’ll happily be sharing our progress with you as we move forward.
I must interject a note here about our wonderful web programmers who have made it all possible: Alter-Consult here in Washington D.C. As with many website plans, ours have shifted, grown and morphed dramatically since we began this process. Alter-Consult has consistently stood behind us, patiently and adeptly backing us up every step of the way. They’ve been remarkable. If you’re looking for help with web design and development that comes hand-in-hand with outstanding customer service, I strongly encourage you to check them out and give them a call: www.alter-consult.com, 202.882.5290.
TraveLang
TraveLang is our new PTT-WTP Language Learning Department! You’ll soon see our offerings online, available in several languages! Whether you seek a short primer of text and audio for your travel preparation, or a deeper experience via live webinars, here you’ll find the right language-learning solution for you.
Announcement!
On Tuesday, April 28 we begin our TraveLang Webinar Classes: French for Travelers! Our four 90-minute webinar classes are fun, interactive, and thorough. These sessions will give you a sound foundation for your francophone communication.
I’ll be sending you more about the details for signing up for French for Travelers later this week!
PTT Agritourism Adventure: Italian Riviera Wine Harvest and EcoTour
Mark Your Calendar: September 11-19, 2009
Become part of the real lives of vintners who live and work on the stunning Italian Riviera. Participate in the wine harvest in a small, family-run vineyard overlooking this breathtaking coastline. You’ll also hike eco-protected paths along the sea, savor fine wine tastings, learn Northern Italian cuisine…and so much more. Come see the details at www.peacethroughtravel.net; enter Peace Through Travel and see Travel 2009.
WTP Women-Helping-Women: Senegal Rural Women’s Health Project
In November 2009, we’ll return to Senegal to work with a rural women’s health project in the beautiful Casamance region. After our smashingly successful Senegal adventure last November, we’re eager to go back to the land of teranga*, this time turning our efforts toward a rural women’s health program.
As soon as we have all these details for you, I’ll be sure to let you know!
*Teranga, a lovely Wolof word, is loosely translated as ‘hospitality,’ though its meaning is far deeper, encompassing the beauty and importance of our all helping each other. Senegal is affectionately referred to as the ‘Land of Teranga.’
So you see we have outstanding activities lined up for you this year. Stand by for our latest updates!
As always, we welcome your comments, questions and thoughts. Just drop us a line at info@peacethroughtravel.net.
Love and Peace
Peace Through Travel
Budget Dining On-The-Go
by Linda Rivero
Financial concerns are on everyone’s mind these days, yet our responsible travel tastes remain undiminished.  Now is the perfect time to share my tips for saving your pennies on food as you travel, while still enjoying pleasurable dining.
Let me start by saying that the key to budget eating is to eat as local people do. When you try to duplicate your at-home eating habits, you pay for it. So jump into the culinary adventure, and stretch your travel cash.
Breakfast
- Is breakfast included at your hotel? Great. Eat and enjoy. A good meal early in the day can carry you for hours.
- It’s not included? Ok, then forget breakfast in the hotel. Instead, stroll down to the neighborhood café or corner bakery. Enjoy a nice coffee or tea, bread or pastry, plus a view of local life. What could be bad?
- Go with the local breakfast menu. If the morning mainstay is a baguette, don’t insist on bacon and eggs; you’ll pay a premium for it. This is a great time to get into the local swing of things.
Lunch
- In many cultures, the mid-day meal is the main meal of the day. Because lunch generally costs less than dinner, this is an advantage for you. Adopt this rhythm and save.
- See if local restaurants offer a ‘tourist’ menu. It’s an objectionable name, perhaps, but a great opportunity to sample dishes for a fraction of what you’d pay at dinner.
- Often you’ll pay more for table service. Try eating at the counter or experiment with some take-out goodies.
- Take-out is a great way to go for lunch. Skip the restaurant prices altogether, and stop at the nearby deli-type shop or outdoor market for local cheese, meats, bread and beverages. Then head to the park, stretch out in the sun, and enjoy some local dining al fresco.
Dinner
- With these savings on breakfast and lunch, you can splurge on a few really nice dinners.
- For really good food, go where local folks go. Look for restaurants bustling with local residents, not tourists. Chances are, they know what they’re doing. They want a good meal, and they’re not willing to pay an arm and a leg for it. Follow their lead.
- Check guidebooks for restaurant suggestions on a budget.
- Ask around, and not just at your hotel. Ask for recommendations from the shopkeeper where you buy your newspaper or the woman walking down the street with her little boy.
- If you’ve enjoyed a big restaurant lunch, stop at the market for interesting sandwich fixings or an array of small dishes, and make that your dinner, instead.
- If your hotel offers free afternoon appetizers, enjoy the sampling. You probably won’t want dinner after that.
- Do you see local guidebooks, newspapers or travel magazines at your hotel or at a nearby restaurant? Many of these will have coupons for local eateries. Clip them and go for it!
Extras
- Watch out for the in-room fridge filled with chocolate, nuts, chips and candy. Plus the alcohol. Oh, so tempting, but oh, so pricey! Get your treats at the market, instead.
- Buy drinking water in a shop, not in your hotel.
- Gather the cash you’ve saved on breakfast, lunch and dinner, and treat yourself to theater tickets tonight!
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Do you want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can, as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the contact information below, and you send me a link or copy at info@peacethroughtravel.net. Thanks!
Linda Rivero, President of Peace Through Travel LLC, publishes Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler, a FREE monthly e-zine on culturally authentic travel that protects our world and all who live in it. You'll find tips on responsible travel, information on language-learning for travel, peaceful travel adventures, and updates on Women Travel for Peace and women-helping-women worldwide. Linda is at lrivero@peacethroughtravel.net. |
TraveLang Webinar Class:
French for Travelers
Four Consecutive Tuesdays
Beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Have you ever wondered how you would feel if you spoke some beautiful, romantic French? What would it be like to murmur those lilting sounds?
Well, here’s your chance to find out! Join our small group Webinar Class in French for Travelers, beginning Tuesday, April 28.
In four 90-minute sessions held on consecutive Tuesdays, you’ll learn everyday vocabulary and correct sentence form so you can master basic conversational skills. Our Webinar format enables you to see the lesson, hear the instructor (who’s been speaking French since childhood), and participate along with your classmates. Fun!
And because your leçon is online, you can come to class right in your own home or office. No travel involved!
You’ll find more information on our TraveLang Webinar Classes in your inbox later this week.
ABCABCA
The credit for this month’s Lingo Tidbits goes to Phil Price. I saw this charming tidbit and couldn’t resist passing it on to you.
Word puzzles can be lots of fun, and here’s a good one for you English speakers. Oddly enough, three words that you’ll find in a good dictionary actually have this spelling pattern: abcabca: the first letter is also the fourth and seventh, the second is also the fifth, and the third is also the sixth.
Know what they are?
Answers in the next Responsible W.O.R.L.D. Traveler!
Peace and Love, |
