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Posts Tagged ‘France’

Here at Amazing Journeys, we're lucky have the best jobs in the world—and we think our good fortune is worth sharing. So, when your next journey seems like a distant dream, take a few minutes to explore our WANDERLUST blog—it's chock full of engaging tales and helpful tips from our travels around the world. Check out the most recent entry (at the top) or search by your preferred criteria. Consider it motivation for your next embarkation.

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What a summer!

Wednesday, August 31st, 2022

by Erin

It has been an amazingly full, fun and fabulous summer here at Amazing Journeys, and we want to start out by saying THANK YOU!  We know that when the pandemic started and travel came to a screeching halt, many of you were not sure when you would feel comfortable traveling again.  But we are happy to share that so far this year, 218 travelers have hopped on planes, cars and cruises to embrace their wanderlust and get back out there!  It means so much to us that you trust us for your re-entry into the travel world and we are thrilled to have had so many incredible experiences since travel has become an option again.

Spring had us bouncing from Costa Rica to the Music Cities of New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville to Croatia to Morocco!

In June, our amazing travelers ventured to Israel – many for the first time.  From hiking around the top of Masada to floating in the Dead Sea, experiencing the nightlife of Tel Aviv and learning the history of Jerusalem, we took on Israel head-first. We tasted local flavors in the market, shopped for crafts in the shuk and celebrated Shabbat at the Kotel. We opened our eyes, ears and souls to new experiences and Israel did not disappoint. And half of the group ventured to Jordan to check Petra off their bucket list!

In July, our expedition-minded friends were Arctic-bound and explored the incredible country of Greenland. This was such a remote location, filled with unparalleled and unexpected beauty.  From the icebergs to the mountains, the colorful sunsets and rainbows, the nearly perfect weather, fjords and glaciers, we couldn’t have asked for more eye-candy. Our brand new ship was filled with wonderful people taking care of us, science projects, lectures on culture and daily life in Greenland. Each day was filled with hiking, taking Zodiac rides through the Arctic waters, walking through towns, playing games onboard the ship, swimming in iceberg filled waters and so much more!

Then in August, we were off to France. From seeing the Eiffel Towel sparkle at night, to visiting the synagogue in Rouen, to biking to Giverny and seeing the famous water lilies this river cruise had highlights at every stop.  The river cruise experience was new to many of our travelers but now everyone knows why we love this method of traveling so much! We explored the picturesque town of Honfleur, visited the landing beaches at Normandy and tasted chocolates, cheeses and calvados, giving us memories that are sure to stay with us for a lifetime.

We have a slight break in travel now, giving us the chance to unpack from the summer, spend time with our families during the Jewish holidays and most importantly, gear up for our next amazing round of travel!  We are busy finalizing more trips for the 2023 calendar year and nothing thrills us more than being able to share a new trip and see who is going to be joining us.

Keep your eyes open for new trip announcements coming around the corner, but for now, we take a deep breath, smile, and say “Wow – what a summer!”

Unusual Fun Facts About Traveling

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013

Its the holiday season so time to perk up!  Have a little fun!  Laugh and bring cheer!

So, we searched high and low for some of the most unique, unusual, and unknown fun facts about parts around the world.   Here are our Top 10!  Be prepared to “LOL”.

10. An unbelievable amount of 250 people have fallen from the Leaning Tower of Pisa

9. There are over 5 million parts in a single 747 aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

8. Dying is illegal in Britain’s House of Parliament

7. What is known as a “French Kiss” in England is known as an “English Kiss” in France.

6. In 1987, American Airlines eliminated one olive from each salad served in first class. This saved them $40,000 annually.

5. The concrete used in the Hoover Dam is still drying, and it’s estimated that it won’t be completely dry for a few hundred years.

4. Donald Duck comics were once banned in Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.  Quack!

3. The majority of earth’s oxygen is naturally produced in Russia.

2. It is illegal in the UK to stand within 100 yards of a ruling Monarch if you are not wearing socks.

1. About 25% of the total land mass of Los Angeles is committed to cars.

Ok….more more:  There is enough fuel in one full tank of gas in a jumbo jet, to drive an average car around the world FOUR times.

Are you amazed yet?  If not, here’s one last attempt:

Don’t be offended if someone from Tibet sticks his tongue out at you.  This is a cultural sign of a greeting.

“Hello!”

Just who is Amazing Journeys?

Tuesday, November 5th, 2013

-by Erin

What is it that makes Amazing Journeys truly amazing?

If you’ve traveled with us before, you already know the answer to this question. But if you’ve never been on a vacation with us, you might just be wondering what is it that makes Amazing Journeys so amazing?

At Amazing Journeys, we believe that traveling is about more than escaping your daily cares – it’s about enhancing your life by viewing it through an always-fresh, often-exotic new lens. Every year is different; each trip is unique. What remains consistent is our unfailing commitment to quality, our unparalleled expertise with the Jewish group travel experience and our genuine passion for discovering new destinations. With over 75 years of combined travel experience, we take the guesswork out of vacation planning, so that all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the ride! Click here for introductions to the Amazing Journeys team.

New to AJ and want more information? Click here so we can answer some of your most commonly asked questions.

Throughout the years, we have sent over 10,000 passengers on their dream vacations! These trips have been incredible – but don’t just take our word for it – click here to see what some of our passengers have had to say.

We are always adding new trips to our upcoming line-up so check back to our trips page often so you don’t miss the opportunity to cross another location off your bucket list. We will be posting new trips soon including a cruise to Spain, Italy and France, a National Parks Adventure in the States, a land tour in Ireland, exploring Morocco and a long weekend getaway to Hawaii. Also on the horizon, a brand new division with trips exclusively for those in their 20s and 30s including adventure travel! Tell your friends, your family members and your co-workers that we may just have the perfect trip for them in 2014.

Join in on the fun and get to know our friends on Facebook. We always have something fun to share! Hope to travel with you soon!

Hidden Secrets of the World

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

The so-called “world traveler” that I am, I have been blessed to bear witness on many famous and coveted landmarks around the globe.  According to my map on facebook’s Where I’ve Been application, I have seen about 1/3 of the world. Some world traveler!  But as they say (or at least, what I’m told quite often) its not about quantity, its about quality.

Sure, I’ve seen The Great Wall of China, The Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Statue of David, The Egyptian Pyramids, Big Ben, Alaskan Glaciers, The Colesseum in Rome and even The Blarney Stone….but its the obscure landmarks and uncommon experiences that I have been blessed to view that I feel are true witness to being properly labeled as a world traveler:

The country of Ecuador is an aesthetic smorgasbord of sight and sound.  The mountains of the Andes not only surround this country, they emcompass it.  Imagine the rolling hills of Ireland, blended in with the jagged edges of the endless Alaskan mountain range. Villages sit on sloped mountainsides, grass and farmlands intersect with rock and cliffs….the climate is pure and the people live simple lives compared to America, yet traffic conjests the motorways like any other big city.  The equator, an imaginary symbol of what’s north and what’s south has a profound effect on Ecuador’s tourism, economy and climate.  Tourists flock to park-like settings to view a painted line and learn the effects of the gravitational pull on this side, and then on that side.  The weather, while changeable is relatively constant and comfortable given that this gravitational pull actually deflects aggrivated weather patterns.  The most amazing and well-preserved 400-year old Hacienda Pinsaqui provides historic and meaningful authentic Ecuadorian hospitality.  Of course, Ecuador is also the gateway to The Galapagos Islands.

Le Touquet, France is just a couple hours car and ferry ride from London and is a popular beach resort for French and English tourists alike.  Finding an American in Le Touquet (pronounced Leh Tookay), however would be as unlikely as a french fry being, well, made in France.  You’ve probably never heard of the town, but those Europeans who yearn for beach, sun and a resort-like lifestyle make Le Touquet a frequent summer destination or “snowbird” residence,  if not an outright year round home. Few of the locals speak english (the English who visit do speak French) so for me, it was a challenge ordering food in a restaurant or having a chat with anyone other than my traveling companions (two of whom were able to interpret).  The town is all about the beach and the ocean with almost every residence, restaurant, storefront and of course hotel having a view of the ocean if not being right on the water.

 

Cadaqués, Spain owes its beauty in part to its complex geology. Only a two-and-a-half hour drive from Barcelona, it is very accessible for tourists and locals who want a second home for weekends and summers. Cadaqués official population is less than 3,000 but that number skyrockets during the summer months. This small seaside town’s historic claim to fame belongs to Salvador Dalí who visited often during his childhood, and later kept a home on a bay next to the town.  Other notable artists, including Pablo Picasso also spent time here.   Cadaqués is one of the wildest winter weather spots on the Costa Brava in the winter (Costa Brava means “wild coast”),  as the coasts and cliffs are battered and eroded by the wind whipping  off the mountains.The geological history has been exposed by erosion from wind and sea, and many geologists have mapped the area for this reason.  While visiting Cadaqués I was mezmerized by the authentic Spanish feel of the past; narrow mazelike cobblestone alleys, ancient brick & mortar buildings so close to each other that you would be better off chatting with your neighbor out the window than with a telephone call…and fauna that grew from strange angles on cliffs and beachy alcoves borne from mist and relentless sea action.  Beauty and Spanish authenticity aside, my strongest memory is of visiting Salvador Dalí’s House-Museum.

Barrow, Alaska is a dull, unscenic, underdeveloped and weather-ravaged city. My day in Barrow, however, was one of the most memorable and amazement-filled days of my life. This is a place where the temperature soars above freezing less than 20 days a year; where for 120 days a year the sun rises and falls–somewhere else; where polar bears roam freely during the winter months; where a staple in the diet is whale meat; and where satellelite dishes point horizontally towards the horizon because they need to reach south as much as possible but pointing them anymore downward would have them reflecting off earth rather than space.  Barrow is the northernmost spot in all of the U.S.. and save for remote parts of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, it is literally ‘on top of the world’.  In the winter, average temperatures are so far below zero that you have to cover your coffee cup if you go outside because it will freeze instantly in the cup otherwise.  Our guide took us along the coast so that we could see where earth ended and the Arctic Ocean began.  Some touched the bitter cold – your’s truly joined the official and authentic Polar Bear Club with a dive into the freezing abyss. Whaling is an important part of Barrow-ian’s culture and the worship of whales is both ritualistic and essential.  Hunting is regulated and moderated to serve the purpose of feeding the community and providing oils, clothing and other elements of living in these elements.  Each whale is blessed and each whale serves every resident in some way.  Our guide took us to his home to see if his mother was there to give us a sample of their ration.  Fortunately, she was not there–only his sister–but as recompense, we got to meet the neighbor who was busy skinning his caribou for that night’s dinner.   An unusual treat was lunch at the most famous establishment in Barrow. No, it wasn’t McDonalds. It was Pepe’s Mexican fare. Interesting?  Yes  indeed.  A hidden secret?  Just one of many in this strange and wonderful world in which we live.

Which leads me to suggest this: While visiting such icons as the Opera House in Sydney, the Acropolis in Greece, or the Hermitage Museum in Russia are bucket list To-Do’s for most adventure seekers….the effort to take some time to go “beyond the borders”; to see what the masses usually don’t; and to follow the path less taken….is a fulfilling, enriching and specially memorable addition to anyone’s personal travel resume.  The true essence of meaningful travel is to see more than what the guidebooks tell us; to do more than our predessors have done.  To truly see the world beyond those borders, make it a point to go off the beaten path, to expect (no…hope for) the unexpected, and realize that traveling is more about a journey than it is about the destination.