Welcome to the March 2009 ExperiencePlus! Rambler E-Mail Newsletter

• Dear Folks
• Favorite Tours: Cycling along the Coast of Tuscany, Venice to Florence or Pisa
  
• Turkey - A Land Bridge From Asia
  
• From Our Staff: Interview with Jonathan Hancock
• "Summer Vacation" with Tour Leaders Stefania Casadei and Joan Escosura 
• Recipe: Cacciucco alla Livornese (Fish Soup)

Dear Folks,

As usual, February flew by, and March arrived with 70 degree weather here in Fort Collins, CO. We express deep felt sympathy to our friends being buffeted by snow and freezing temperatures in the East. We aren’t sure if it’s the good weather in our area or the horrendous weather elsewhere but regardless we have noticed people are starting to plan their summer vacations and we can help. We’re currently offering a $200 discount to the first 50 people who book a 2009 tour in Argentina or Europe before March 31st so give us a call. Plus! If you book an April, May or June tour we’ll add a free hotel night before or after your tour at a select hotel near the tour start or end. If you are looking to stay closer to home don’t forget we have a great selection of bicycling trips throughout the U.S. and Canada offered through our TourzPlus! partner program.

Here are a few tidbits of news from Fort Collins and around the world:

• High Andes Expedition has begun -  the first expedition across the High Andes of Chile and Argentina began on March 1st . You can track the progress of our adventurous group of 10 on Expedition member, Bill Weidenfeller's blog: Biking with Bill.
  

• Join Rick and Paola on tour this summer! - Many of you know that Monica and Maria Elena Malpezzi Price have taken ownership of the company this winter. That doesn’t mean Rick and Paola aren’t still out traveling and riding their bikes  – in fact you can join them on our Krakow to Budapest tour this June.

• ExperiencePlus! MS150 team this summer: Loyal and frequent customer Kathy Price captained an MS 150 ExperiencePlus! team last year and our group won “most money raised for new team”! This year we think we can do better and we invite anyone on the Front Range to join in the effort and fun. The ride takes place June 28 and 29 and Kathy is organizing regular training rides to prepare for the event. E-mail: tours@experienceplus.com if you’d like more information about the ExperiencePlus! MS 150 team.
  

In this edition of the Rambler we have an  interview with tour leader and France Country Coordinator, Jonathan Hancock, a recipe inspired by the coast of Tuscany (yummy!), a special article featuring Turkey (and all of its delights!), and more… so browse through our articles and contact us if you have any comments or suggestions!

Until next time - Happy Cycling, Maria Elena

Tuscany is the classic destination for bicycle touring in Italy and any time you can add Venice and Emilia Romagna to Tuscany, you’ve got a winning tour.  We’ve been doing our Venice to Pisa trip since 1972.  Or, if you don’t have twelve days, the eight-day Venice to Florence trip is almost as good.  Both afford classic Italian art towns (Venice, Ravenna, and Florence), great rural landscapes and the best pasta in Italy, especially in Emilia Romagna.  If you want to get off the tourist track a little, our newer “Coastal Tuscany Tour,” combines the best of the Tuscan Coast and the foothills with hilltop villages, wines, and great bicycling.  Coastal Tuscany also includes a short (7 day) and a longer, eleven-day trip so you can pick and choose. 

Read all about these four exciting tours by clicking through the links below.

• Bicycling Venice to Florence
  
• Bicycling Venice to Pisa
• Cycling the Coast of Tuscany
• Cycling the Coast of Tuscany Plus! Vineyards & Olive Groves

But this is just the beginning, on day three of your trip you actually begin the day walking your bike along the beach and through a national archeological reserve.  Before the day ends you’ll have pedaled some of the most beautiful coastlines in the Mediterranean region and had a taste of history that begins with the Greek Chimera and continues on through the Greek and Roman ruins at Lymira, near Finike. bike tour along the south coast of Turkey takes you through layer after layer and century after century of Mediterranean history.

• Read more about all that Turkey has to offer here.
  

Jonathan Hancock began leading ExperiencePlus! tours in France back in 2001. We couldn’t help but wonder how a boy from Montana grows up to work, live and ride his bike in the south of France…

• Read more from Jonathan here.

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.

Read more here.

Here is a recipe that tastes like the Mediterranean and speaks Tuscan, the mother language of Italian, thanks to Dante’s influence.

Click here to read the rest of Paola's “Cacciucco alla Livornese” 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 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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