Various & Sundry observations
-those Egypt-bound may wanna consider adding the Western Desert oases to their itinerary; villages like Farfara and Siwa are unforgettable
-Alberta's famed sights are this close to Lake O'Hara, just across the border in BC's Yoho park and worth every effort to sign up months ahead with the parks department for permission to visit; one guide described it well: 'a perfect microcosm of all the best that the Rockies have to offer'; we loved the Lk. Oesa hike up there.
-we chose to honeymoon in Utah and suggest the inclusion of lesser-known parks such as Cedar Breaks and Kodachrome.
-Patmos isle during the late fall shoulder season will mean lesser crowds plus lower temperatures; *the unique stones of its Lambi Beach are a unique sight
-RS nailed it by recommending Gimmewald, but there are a number of equally compelling mountain villages
-*an aside regarding NG: we once rented in pre-quake Castelluccio and through the week, crossed paths with our neighbour and fellow renter; as fellow shutterbugs, we gave him a number of foto op tips e.g. "Maybe check out that old Roman water well on the outskirts--foxes sometimes go there for a drink" etc etc. He was always gracious in accepting our advice.
Fast forward to the morn of our mutual departures, we to Rome, him to his d'Aosta home. He summons us over to his van, there to hand us his card IDing him as an official NG photographer and writer of half a dozen wildlife coffee table books, including his most recent: a serious publication about Estonian foxes, which had seen him sleeping in hides for days at a time
We'd naively been tryna advise a pro who needed no suggestions from amateurs!
I am done. the NG
