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

• Dear Folks...
• Walls, Wine and More!
• Helping with the Olive Harvest
• Bicycle Advocacy at the Local Level
• From Our Customers: John & Sandy McCarty
• Book Review: Schwinn Bicycles
• From Paola's Kitchen - Kolokithokeftethes (Greek Zucchini Patties)

Dear Folks,

It's that time of year - have you got your gift list together for your cyclists yet? We can help! What about a spring break trip to Costa Rica, March 15 - 23? If that doesn't work, check our website for a comprehensive list of departures. Or maybe you have a special event coming up and would like to put together a custom trip for that retirement, birthday or graduation? Give us a call and we'll talk about creating a tour just for you and your group.

We can also help with gifts under the tree or for those stockings. Above all, give gifts to keep your cyclists safe, and then give gifts to keep them warm and to keep them riding this winter:

Safety first:

• Time for a new SCREAMING YELLOW jacket (if it's one size too big they can wear it over their heavy winter coat)
• Front and rear lights - get 'em two; nothing like redundancy for safety!
• Bright yellow rain gear if it rains where you live (none of that combat green gear!)
• A new helmet?

Comfort Second - Keep 'em Riding:

• A tune up for the old commuter bike?
• New tires?
• An under helmet or warm beanie (your bike shop will have suggestions, but be sure to get one that can fold down as ear warmers too)
• Warm gloves
• Really cold? Get 'em a serious balaclava that covers their nose and mouth!

After pedaling South America over the holidays last year, we'll celebrate with the entire family at home this year. Monica comes in from Italy and Maria Elena will take time off from her MBA studies at the University of Colorado. Both made it to Greece in November to help fellow tour leaders pick olives with our Greek tour leader Yorgos Paraskevopolos. See Michele Boglioni's photo essay of olive picking with Monica's narrative here.

Rick's essay this month is on his bicycle advocacy activities in Fort Collins. Our bike group is working on a vintage bicycle museum, hence Rick's book review this month on Schwinn Bicycles. Speaking of which - word is out that SOME of you have older Italian racing bikes (or classic Schwinn cruisers or . . . ) hanging in the garage that you don't use any more. You could turn these collectibles into a nice tax deduction by donating them to our museum (yes indeedy, we are a 501-c-3 public charity!) If you are interested, drop Rick a note.

The Giro d'Italia route for 2008 is out. We'll offer two tours to view three stages each of the Giro in late May (tentative dates are May 19 - 24 & May 23 - 28). One tour will be in Emilia Romagna near our headquarters (so plan on a picnic at the farm!) and one in the Dolomites. Give us a call if you are interested as we finalize details.

We have a couple of special offers available from now until February 1st. Book now for an April through June 30 tour and save $250. This offer is limited to 100 bookings and cannot be combined with any other discounts. You'll receive the $250 discount by giving up a Re-Cycle credit for the tour. We are also offering $1750 off your St. Pete to Istanbul trip if you book and pay for it by Feb 1.

Please call us for details and have a happy, warm and safe holiday season!

Sincerely,
--Rick and Paola

Our two newest tours in Italy promise fascinating medieval walled cities, famous local wines, and scenic rides you won't forget.

Read more about what makes these tours unique, or jump straight to the tour information for each one below.

• Bicycling Faenza to Verona across the Po Valley.
• Cycling the Coast of Tuscany.
• Cycling the Coast of Tuscany Plus! Vineyards & Olive Groves.

A group of tour leaders met during Thanksgiving week in Kalamata, Greece at the home of tour leader Yorgos Paraskevopoulos to pick olives and ride bikes. And what a week it was! Check out their photo essay on their two days picking olives.

Yorgos taught us that we wouldn't actually be "picking" olives, but would be beating them from branches that he pruned... we're to use what look like small canes with a hook underneath.

• Read the rest of Monica's stories from the olive harvest here.
• Or see Michele's photos of the work here..

As Rick passes the baton at the bike advocacy charity he helped to found two years ago, he looks back on the lessons he's learned about making our town more bike-friendly (and maybe your town, too!).

Just over two years after helping to start a bicycle advocacy group, Bike Fort Collins, in our town, I'm stepping down as president of the Board. As I do, I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts on our successes in the hope it might inspire you to get involved or start your own local advocacy organization.

• Read more about Rick's local bike advocacy work here.
• Visit the Bike Fort Collins website here.

John and Sandy McCarty were kind enough to answer our questions this month. Take it away, John & Sandy!

Do you have a particular piece of travel wisdom to impart to your fellow traveler? Any lessons learned that you would like to share?
Don't let the idea of a bike tour scare you, with a little training you can do it and enjoy it (even if you have to walk some times). You don't need to be a hard-core biker to have a great time.

Read more from John & Sandy here.

For his book review this month, Rick turns to a fascinating period in American bicycling history: the Schwinn era, as chronicled by Jay Pridmore and Jim Hurd:

John Wayne, Harley Davidson, Peanuts, McDonald's, Route 66, James Dean, Babe Ruth, Ford, and many, many more, including, last but not least, "Schwinn Built" bicycles make up a list of indisputable cultural icons that help to define this country.

Read the rest of Rick's review of Schwinn Bicycles here.

ExperiencePlus! tour leader (and olive grower) Yorgos Paraskevopoulos brings us this holiday recipe for forgotten zucchini:

Many of these squash are just overgrown zucchini that were hidden by the leaves of the plant and overlooked by the gardeners seeking them all summer. When this happens they grow too sweet and mature to be cooked as part of some of the Greek summer recipes. Traditionally, it is around the Christmas holidays that people have enough free time to carve a squash and use it in a simple and flavorful way.

Click here to read the rest of Yorgos'Kolokithokeftethes 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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