Welcome to the March 2007 ExperiencePlus! Rambler E-Mail Newsletter

• Dear Folks, A letter from the owners
• More About Us
• The Giro d'Italia in Tuscany, Umbria and the Dolomites
• Turkey on the Eastern Horizon
• From Our Customers: Bob Keller
• Il Postino
• From Paola's Kitchen - Polenta

Dear Folks,

We’re beginning to thaw out here in Colorado and hope you are too! It is even cycling and hiking weather as it is in the high 50s and low 60s this week. So we’re starting to look to our summer travel plans.

Paola’s recipe this month is for “polenta,” traditional corn meal mush popular in northern Italy. In Italian “corn” is called “Turkish grain.” It got its name the same way our Thanksgiving bird received the name “turkey.” Both the grain and the bird came from the New World by way of Spain and North Africa. The latter was then under the control of the Ottoman Turks. Trade in these “Indian chickens” as they were called in France, was first handled by Turkish merchants or “turkey merchants.” Hence, the name turkey applied to the bird and Turkish grain to corn. In English we inherited the name for the bird but not for the grain. (Read more in your etymological dictionary).

(Why all this talk about Turkey? Rick's headed there again in May to do our new bike tour on the Turquoise Coast, and he's been reminiscing about his six trips there beginning way back in 1968. You can read about his travels below.)

There seems to be lots of interest in our new bicycle tours in Croatia, so we’ve added departures in October 2007. Call now for space on one of these or any of our Croatia dates.

Our annual Send a Teacher Traveling (SATT) competition is underway. We’re looking for an outstanding public school teacher to send abroad as a guest on one of our tours. Our hope is to reward outstanding service in this ever-so-difficult profession. Teachers should have taught at least ten years in public school. More details about our SATT program here.

A lot of people seem to be traveling lately. If you’ve got the bug and need some ideas give us a call. Slovakia looks good this summer. So do France and Italy. Ahhh, for a little pasta made by somebody’s grandmother. . .

Sincerely,

Rick and Paola Price

Pro bicycle racing doesn't get any better than standing among the cheering tifosi ("fanatics") as the entire Giro d'Italia slips by only a few feet away. This year, we're offering two ways to see the race: one on the famous climbs of the Dolomites in Northern Italy; the other in the rolling terrain of Umbria, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, the heart of Italy's culinary heritage.

• Following the Giro d'Italia through Umbria, Tuscany, and Romagna
• 2007 Giro d'Italia in the Dolomites

And if the destinations sound great, but you're not a racing fan, consider our other bicycle tours in these regions:

• Cycling Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy
• Cycling Tuscany's Classic Climbs
• A Culinary Cycling Circus (Emilia-Romagna)
• Cycling Italy's Veneto and the Dolomites

As he prepares to join our inaugural Cycling the Turquoise Coast of Turkey tour this May, Rick thinks back on the many memorable visits he's paid this intriguing country over the last 40 years.

What an adventure! One of my most vivid memories of that 1968 trip is riding the last twenty five miles to the Turkish border leaning over the cab of a full-size dump-truck, wind blazing in our faces. Ahead, marking the intersection of the borders of Turkey, Iran and Soviet Azerbaijan was biblical Mount Arrarat, rising nearly 17,000 feet above the plain.

Read the full story of Rick's lifelong fascination with Turkey here.

Bob Keller has kindly agreed to be interviewed about his life and travels this month. Thank you, Bob!

Describe your perfect day outdoors: A relaxed visit to a place with interesting scenery and people, with, I would add, appropriate weather. A foggy or rainy day can be just as good as a sunny day... if it works out. It’s always nice to be with a good friend also. “Wow, did you see that?”

Read the rest of Bob Keller's interview here.

For our review this month, Rich Young takes a look at Il Postino. It turns out to be a great movie, as long as you're not looking for an Italian lesson:

I recently picked up the subtitled Italian film Il Postino in an attempt to improve my language skills. It turned out to be a great picture, but a humorously poor choice for my linguistic goals.

Read Rich's full review of Il Postino here.

Paola and Maria Elena collaborated on this month's recipe for polenta, a simple Italian dish with many disguises.

Polenta can be eaten hot or cold, broiled, grilled or cooked in the oven, served as a first course or accompanied by eggs, fish, meat, cheese or any of the above in stew form.

Click here to read the rest of Paola & Maria Elena's Polenta recipe.

If you would like additional recipes, visit our online recipe archive. You'll find recipes for European and Latin American specialties like Panzanella: a Tuscan Salad, Tapenade, Gallo Pinto, and more.

Happy Walking and Cycling until next month!

E-mail us at tours@ExperiencePlus.com with comments and questions. Or give us a call at 800-685-4565.

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