Contest Winner: Featured Photo for April
Last month we initiated a contest to select photos to feature in each of the next 12 issues of Slow Tidings. Sixty photos were submitted by 34 members, and the Slow Travel moderators selected the winning photos. We're happy to congratulate our first winner, Laidback whose photo of himself, taken in Colliure after a gourmet lunch, shows him about as "Laidback" as he gets.
We'd also like to congratulate our other winners whose photos will appear in our next 11 issues:
| dgassa | James Paterson |
| mckenna | Bob the Navigator |
| Tina in Tennessee (2 photos) | Martha |
| TominVB | AnnieNC |
| PamieJo | Felicity |
A New Contest: Show Us Your Trunks!
No - not THOSE trunks! 
But we would love to see the trunk of your rental car - especially when you have loaded it with your travel luggage. This is the focus of our next contest, which will run until Labor Day.
Many of us have had similar experiences when booking rental cars for a vacation - wondering if the smaller, less expensive car will hold us AND our stuff. Kim shared her experience here and we talked about it a bit last winter here.
With the 2009 travel season upon us, we thought it would help future travelers if we compiled a photo gallery of rental cars and their luggage capacities.
So what we would like is to have you e-mail photos of your luggage packed into the trunk (boot, if you prefer) of your rental car. Please see our Contest Announcement for full entry details.
April Fools' Fun on Slow Travel
Did you miss the annual April Fools' fun? This year we offered some excellent tips to help everyone get the most from their travel dollars. See SlowTravelTours and SlowCheapo Tours and Travel Tips.
Featured Advertiser - Summer in Italy
Did you know that Slow Travel contains hundreds of Classified listings? These businesses support Slow Travel and enable us to bring you the thousands upon thousands of pages of travel information, as well as the 35,000+ photos and our travel forums. Advertisers, like Summer in Italy, which has been with us since the beginning of the classifieds over five years ago, make this all possible.
Summer in Italy, located in Salerno, Italy, represents vacation rental properties along the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento Coast, Capri and the Cilento National Park, not to mention, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and Venice! They represent hundreds of properties, show availability on their website, and accept credit cards. A long-time Slow Travel Favorite, we have over 30 reviews for their properties and they've always been generous, donating a week's stay in Villa Trotta not once but twice for our Slow Travel contests. Next time you're considering a rental in Italy, consider Summer in Italy.
PhotoHunting!
Even pillars of stone can break
Every week or so moderators post different themes on various forums. Slow Travelers hunt through their photo files and post photos that interpret that theme in some way. Here are the results of some recent PhotoHunts.
- Fragile on the Everything About Travel forum.
- Mystery on the Italy forum.
- Narrow on the France forum.
- Spring on the UK & Ireland forum.
FAQs on Slow Travel
Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Forum includes about fifty topics that come up on the forums on a regular basis, with links to threads and Slow Travel resources with useful information. Most of the FAQs relate to Italy, but we have developed several FAQs for general travel topics and for France. Here's just one example. Our FAQ on Italy - Media Sources - Guidebooks, History Books, Novels, Movies includes links to several pages on the main Slow Travel site and also to forum discussions. Would you be interested in developing an FAQ on other topics or countries? This is an area where we could use some volunteers! E-mail Kim for more information.
Help Us Know You Better - Update your Forum Profile!
We'd like to encourage all our forum members to update their profiles from time-to-time. It's always helpful to know something about where members live (city, region and/or country), and you can also add a bio and a photo. To access your profile, visit the SlowTravel Forums, click "Go" on the top left of the forum, then "Personal Zone," and then "Profile."
Slow Travelers Talk!
Here are a few of the most interesting discussions on the Slow Talk forums this past month. Feel free to participate in the conversations!
General Travel Topics
–interesting, fun, sometimes provocative travel discussions- It's clear that foot comfort while traveling is still crucial. In addition to the still-growing Comfortable vs. Stunning Shoe discussion (almost three years and over 470 posts!), TrojanEE wrote to ask for men's shoe advice.
- There was an outpouring of concern from Slow Travelers about the earthquake in central Italy.
- On the France forum, members shared their tips for traveling more economically in France.
- In anticipation of her trip to England, Sharanov asked Am I the only one afraid to drive on the right side? Members offered some good ideas for making it easier.
Trip Planning
– requests for ideas, input or help on upcoming trips- Sheena is getting ready for a trip to Tuscany and asked members to share their most memorable Val d'Orcia experience.
- Dms1709 is going to Italy with three grandsons and asked for advice about how much time to spend in Rome.
- Colleenk asked for suggestions for favorite Bologna restaurants.
- Lesfaye asked about Jullouville les Pins in Basse Normandy and got some good tips on visiting Normandy.
- Sarahnwalker got some excellent suggestions when she asked what to do with two weeks in Edinburgh?
Sharing Resources
– posting links, articles and information of interest to others- Members discussed the best laptop carrying case. See which one Teaberry chose.
- Americana in Parigi shared information about the Journée du patrimoine de pays et des moulins. If you plan to be in the French countryside in mid June, you'll want to read this.
Unanswered questions
- these members haven't received much response ... perhaps you can help!- Geewhiz wants information on Girona, Spain.
- Pat Kauf is still looking for help on her trip to Machu Picchu.
Elsewhere on Slow Travel
(reviews, trip reports, photos and blogs)Enjoy a sampling of some of the new publications on the Slow Travel website:
Travel Articles
Are you planing a trip to Piedmonte? Well, no trip would be complete without a visit to Acqui Terme and Diane Strinati Bauer tells you why in So, Ok, But, Well, Why Acqui Terme?
Looking for a winter escape along the east coast of the States, then Judith Salter's Mad River Valley may be for you!
Trip Reports
Floating Above the Tuscan Hills
Celebrating 10 Years of Adventures Together with an Adventure in Italy by JDeQ
"We returned to Italy from May 13 - June 1st to celebrate our tenth anniversary. While in Italy we fell in love with Piemonte, ate wonderful meals, drank delicious wine, enjoyed historic art and architecture, laughed, and had adventures in balloons, cars, and on foot. We made new friends and enjoyed the company of already existing ones. It was a perfect way to celebrate!"
Visiting Beijing, China December 2008 With Children aged 11 1/2 by Robyin
"My 11 1/2 year old twin daughters and I joined my husband in Beijing for six days in December. He's been going to China frequently for business over the last few years, and has been urging us to join him. Finally that moment arrived. The girls missed a week of school, but it was worth it."
Reviews
Lots of people are getting ready to travel, so please remember to take a few notes and submit your reviews when you return! Here is a small sampling of reviews from the past month:
Vacation Rentals
Lawpug spent a week in Paris in the Rue de Birague apartment from Drawbridge to Europe and sent us this review, while Mimi052347 spent time in Praiano in a Slow Travel favorite, Summer in Italy apartment, Villa Fulvia, and sent us this review.
Hotels
AlanP made a return trip to B&B Dei Mori in Florence and submitted this review (we have nine reviews for this B&B, going back to 2001.). Momma's Traveling from VA reviewed The Limes B&B in the city of Chester.
Restaurants
We're focusing on the USA this month. Jgk reviewed Michy's in Miami, Florida. Cubbies reviewed Valeriano's Ristorante in Los Gatos, California.
Blogs
Palma, Marcia and KHB had dinner at Top Chef Fabio's restaurant. They each blogged about their great dinner and meeting Fabio in person. See Palma's post, Fabulous Fabio at Cafe Firenze, Marcia's post, Dinner at Fabio's Cafe Firenze and KHB's post, Dinner at Fabio's to get the inside scoop.
Valerie has several posts on the recent Italian Earthquake on her blog, 2 Baci on a Pinon Tree.
See our past newsletters: Newsletter Archive.
We hope you will forward this newsletter on to your friends. If you've received a forwarded copy and would like to subscribe, register on our forums: www.slowtalk.com.
Happy Travels!
The Slow Travel Team
www.slowtrav.com - Slow Travel
www.slowtalk.com – Slow Travel Forums
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