Dear Guests
There have been quite a few of you now – visitors to here and people I’ve been lucky enough to meet on my tours.
WANTED: Your Comments…
Please use this page for your FEEDBACK and COMMENTS about the site or tours, or anything you feel like really… and I’ll respond.
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The Balti people, of Tibetan descent, believe that when you share a 2nd cup of tea with them, you become an honoured guest. (Incidentally if you go on to 3 cups, you become family - that blog might be a little way down the line). I feel very fortunate to have travelled so much. My aim in this blog is to share my experiences and offer any advice I can with you - to 2ndcupoftea you are all honoured guests.
Happy travels
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Thomas u r a fantastic person met u on our farm bureau trip from the states. This is Pam Janssen and wanted to say hi and can see u are doing well. My daughter will b visiting London come may and she will be seeing most of the sights u showed us only thing is she gets to see the inside of most of them. It would have. Been neat if u would have been her guide but o well. Hope your new year is full of wonderful people and events. Will keep in touch.
Dear Pam – thanks so much for your kind words. I think that was the most fun I had ona trip all last season – such a hoot! I remember guiding in London at 6 a.m! Another first for me, and you were such sports for coming along. Your daughter will have a great time I am sure. Who is she travelling with? I am around for a few days in May; – tell her to look out for the only guide in green wellies… Heaps of hugs. T
Thank you Thomas for an amazing 21-day tour of France (Road Scholar Survey of France from Sept 4-25, 2014). You are such a wonderful, talented, and brilliant group leader who made such a difference in our education and understanding of what we were going to see. Your readings, sharing your experiences, suggestions/tips on what to do and see, watching over those who needed help/assistance, and making us laugh will be remembered for a lifetime. We hope to take another trip with you in the future….and look forward to keeping up with you via your blogs and pictures. I would love to have a second cup of tea with you.
Hey Martie – Thanks so much for your kind comments… That 2nd Cup of Tea is waiting for you and Karl anytime you come back to Europe. You are both great travellers and so prepared to enter into the spirit of things… Really hope to see you again on a future trip… 😉
Thanks for your expert guidance on our recent tour of France’s wine regions. The knowledge you shared about wines, French & English history, & numerous other topics was invaluable. At times I wished I could have recorded it all because I know much of it will probably disappear into regions of my brain as yet untapped. I’m also thankful that we will be able to remain in contact in various ways and hope that we can do another tour with you in the near future. Managing the diverse group you had for 3 weeks was seemingly a herculean endeavor & you made it seem easy. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, welcome, welcome 😉 It was truly wonderful to have you in our group – even if I think you were nodding off at the back of the bus – good thing there was not a test at the end? Just kidding. The most important thing is the travelling bug has bitten and I’ll see you again whether in Luton or Arizona… a bientot 😉
Hi Thomas,
I just wanted to say thanks for the suggestions for Granada. We made it to El Templo del Flamenco and it was fantastic. A few others from our group went to El Trillo for dinner and were very happy with the recommendation. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for the tapas bar with the mojito happy hour or the Arabs baths, but there’s always next time. If you ever make it to Boston, I’m happy to return the favor with suggestions on things to do and see. Happy travels!
-Kerry
Hi Kerry – Thanks SO much for taking the time to write back, very few do. It was fun to meet you and one day I must surely make it to Boston (many of the agencies I work for are based there) so I’ll take you up on your offer. I’m happy you enjoyed both the Flamenco and the Trillo. As for the mojitos and the baths, well it’s always good to leave a reason to come back. Thanks again for writing and take care 🙂
Wow! Your own place to plant roots. Your account brought me to tears and a definite smile. So happy for you. I hope this is not the end of the written word of your life and experiences. Your blogs always make me feel happy. My sister, Kay Merriman, and I did a trip with you two years ago. What an experience. There’s always a bed for you hear in Sedona, AZ USA. Know as Red Rock Country.
Hey Mary and Kay… thanks so much for reading and commenting. AND for the sweet offer. It really means a lot. As you’ve traveled with me, you know how much I love what I do and the people I meet doing it. I am certainly not stopping writing – quite the opposite, so watch this space… Many many hugs 😉
Hi Thomas, it’s soon the one year anniversary of our fantastic Italy tour. We just made plane reservations to travel to England on Aug. 4-11, 2015. There are lots we want to do but need some advice. Will you by chance be visiting your parents at that time? Don’t want to take up too much space on your blog, may I give you my email address – it’s elliot318@aol.com and is the blog the best way to reach you? I checked your TG tips for London. Elliot is 16 and our daughter, Elizabeth is 13. She not so excited and wishes we were going to the beach thank you, Anne Knapp
Hey Anne. Thanks so much for getting back in touch. I’ll email you. And sorry for my rather poor London site – I really must update that. I’ll send you more stuff in the email. For those dates I shall be in my new home in Spain. Every teenager that goes ends up loving London, so fear not – I’ll try to help you out. Many hugs 😉
Thanks Thomas. We are planning on staying at the Marriott Regent Park. Tim’s a gold member and it was a good deal. We do want to hit Constable Country, Stratford on Avon, Downton, Harry Potter set, Stonehedge, Churchhill war rooms, tower bridge, Westminster Abbey, Parliament etc.
Thomas – thanks so much for reading the story in Rouen yesterday. It made me feel as if I was standing there with Jeanne. Merci beaucoup.
Margaret
Margaret – you are very welcome. I think Mr Twain writes beautifully and never more so than his piece on La Pucelle d’Orleans. Thanks for listening.
Hi Thomas, I was on the ACIS tour this past spring break and I was hoping to get some advice on study abroad. My top choices are Paris, London, and Florence, but I can’t seem to figure out which one to choose. If you have any advice or insight I’d really appreciate it! Thanks.
Hi Madison – good decision! You’ll love studying abroad. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t say it was fantastic! Ok, without knowing what you want to study – or courses offered by those places I would say; not London (you won’t learn another language); not Florence (14.000 US students per year there – too much like home); Paris therefore – great city and you can try to learn as much French as possible. Email me if you have any other question 😉 Oh, and let me know what you decide – good luck. Hugs T
The Green Fairie (preferred spelling, please note…..) can be found at the bottom of any bottle of real absinthe. Alternatively, one can use Top Shelf tequilla with green food coloring. Another alternative is to eat one-month old spaghetti left hidden in the back of the fridge that has grown green mould. Eating this will turn one green, and the verisimilitude of the Green Fairie will be seen in any mirror one chances upon, such as in the waiting area of the local emergency room……
I am doing 2 RS tours back to back: Southern Spain Yesterday and Today: Madrid, Granada & Seville from Sept 18-30, then The Best of Portugal: From the Age of Discovery to Today from Sept 30-Oct 9, 2017. I would love to go on the Languedoc to Catalonia Through the Pyrennes: A Cross-Border Discovery in 2018. Can you let me know if you are going to be a guide on this tour in 2018 and I’ll join you. Glad to see that Road Scholar has been booking you in advance – so likely you will be having many other great tours in 2018 so please keep me posted. Best wishes for 2017.
Dear Martha – I am SO sorry to hear about you and Karl. I send my love to you both… I love those words. I know I loved very much, but maybe I didn’t get the ‘gentle’ right. I am now desperately trying to let go gracefully, but it’s not easy. I have started meditation and yoga, which are helping and my mantra has been; ‘Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.’ Mahatma Gandi. Again, I was thinking happy things, but didn’t always get the saying and doing right. Still it’s better to become aware too late, than never… I think your apartment idea is great – maybe I can see you there… Your trips sound great – I know you will love them. When I know for 2018 I will post here and also try to let you know… Many many hugs and really hope to see you soon…. x
Hi Thomas,
I’ll be seeing you again in France on September 14th.! I just registered for the Languedoc-Catalonia trip with Road Scholars. Looking forward to a new adventure.
Peggy DeMarsh
Dear Thomas,
I have been to this page a number of times but was so full of memories and savoring them that I did not write. Thank you so much for such a marvelous, enlightening, joyous trip! I need to tell you that i needed it very much as I have been caring for a beloved niece with cancer…you would have loved her, as she was also a medieval scholar…full of magic and enthusiasm for the whole medieval world…Your passion and knowledge remind me of her so I will always be drawn to this site…
I hope your travel with your parents was happy and fulfilling…I imagine that you make it as exciting for them as you did for us….Be safe on your walk and keep sharing your amazing thoughts!
I laugh at times because friends ask us what our next trip will be and I tell them, “whatever Thomas is leading…”
Love, Kinney
Dear Thomas,
Just wanted to thank you once again for making our Lake Como tour last week unforgettable. Italy is one of our favourite places to visit so we were already converts but your local and historical knowledge took the holiday to another level.
We hope to take another trip to the Lakes this year, but the English Lakes not Italian, following in the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright – weather permitting! Next year however we shall certainly check your website for ideas.
Hope the pilgrimage goes well, we’re almost jealous of the adventure – apart from the rough sleeping!
Good luck and best wishes
Mike & Janet T
p.s. We were 2 of the unruly 4 that upset dinner one evening.
Hello Thomas,
We were raving about our guide (you) one night with some family. As a result, part of the family (group of 20) are traveling to Sicily with Rhode Scholar. Any chance you could do Sicily for them? I do not see it on your list. Really enjoyed you. Thank you so much. (Languedoc 2015)