What does "Summer" vacation look like if you are an ExperiencePlus! tour leader?

While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are suffering through the cold and darkness of winter we thought we’d check in with ExperiencePlus! tour leaders Stefania Casadei and Joan Escosura to see what they’ve been doing on their “summer” vacation.

Stefania Casadei has been leading ExperiencePlus! bicycle tours since 1999 and helped design, scout and then lead our 2008 Danube ExpeditionPlus! trip from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. So how is this adventurer keeping herself busy this winter? The answer might surprise you.

Stefania tells us she has spent the past 8 weeks quietly, she has been tutoring her niece Elena in math and physics (you might not want her to tutor you, as her best method for getting Elena to focus and not make careless errors was to fine her 20 euro cents for every mistake. After lots of tears and pleading on the part of her 15 year old niece, the fine was reduced to 10 euro cents; they have agreed that the proceeds will be donated to charity at the end of the tutoring session. The good news is that the tears and mistakes have subsided as Elena is more careful in her calculations. Elena has grown to appreciate her aunt since she her math scores have improved greatly these past few months! (Perhaps proof that tough love can work with some people).

Other activities have included yoga, volunteering at a fair trade shop and helping friends at local Christmas outdoor markets….and preparing for her annual trip abroad. This year’s destination, Japan! Stefania took off at the end of February for 6 weeks in Japan, a country that has never attracted her until recently. While she was originally thinking of cycling through Japan, as she has cycled around New Zealand, Cuba, Nepal and Costa Rica, she changed her mind because of cold temperatures and her research found that the Japanese train system doesn’t make it easy to travel with a bike. So for now she’s going for the good old backpacking method of travel. She’s prepared for her adventure by reading novels, travelogues and guide books. Stefania will be back in mid-April to begin her ExperiencePlus! tour leading season—perhaps speaking Japanese in addition to English and Italian!


Joan Escosura was born in Barcelona and has been leading ExperiencePlus! tours in Spain for the past 4 years. With a degree in Tourism and a passion for people and bicycling he found his dream job leading bicycle tours.

Joan tells us he has been spending the winter skiing, as well as organizing several extreme sport competitions near his home in the Spanish Pyrenees. For a few years now, Joan has been actively helping his local government in the small town of Sort to increase active tourism to the area. In addition to some consulting, Joan is currently assisting the government with organizing  the 2010 Wildwater Pre-World Championships which will be hosted in Sort. Additionally, he helped found an organization that is in its second year of organizing a “Free-Ride” extreme skiing and snowboarding competition that took place in February. Although ExperiencePlus! bicycle tours in Spain aren’t as extreme as these events, we’re always proud when our tour leaders help promote active travel around the world.

Before the ski season, Joan and his girlfriend, Olatz, traveled to southern Spain and Morocco for a few weeks to keep the summer going. Other travels outside of their mountains include an upcoming trip to Spain’s capital, Madrid. Bicycling in the Pyrenees is not very possible these days, so when not skiing and organizing championships, Joan has been reading all types of interesting books, from Almudena Grandes’ “The Frozen Heart” which depicts a chilling image of Spain during the Spanish civil war and its present-day effects, to Catalonian books on the Pyrenees where he lives (most recently, a book that chronicles the demise of the Pyrenees bear).

Though he’s’ making the most of what winter has to offer, Joan is looking forward to the tour season and invites you  to  join him in Spain on the ExperiencePlus! Camino de Santiago tour!