Vol. 28 No. 4 May 2010 - The Travel Society

eaders’lettersshe invited me to attend her friend'sHalloween party and invited me toher home for afternoon tea before theopera.Then, on checking the programmecalendar, I found three more operaswere to be shown before my departurein mid January. I was richlyrewarded. Aida turned out to be abirthday present from my hosts atClair Farm, outside Blenheim. Toattend Turandot in North Havelock Icycled for 8 km to catch the bus inNapier, arriving at my destinationwith enough time to enjoy a hike on atrail built by local volunteers to stoperosion of a river. At that cinema Imet a lady who not only gave me aride back to Napier but also gave mea tour of that town's best Art Decobuildings. Les Contes d'Hoffman wasin North Auckland. To reach the cinemaI took a bus, which I was surprisedto discover was free for seniors.And the cinema itself was nextto Hall Beach, where I took a refreshingswim before the performance andenjoyed a delicious snack in the cafénext door during intermission. Myquest for opera had led me to places Imight otherwise have missed.Maria Wu,Toronto, ONBoating on theRiver ThamesI'd like to share this information withother members. On a recent flight, Isat beside a couple - Sue and RoyFarman - who are the owners andoperators of a Dutch barge that pliesEngland's River Thames. The vessel,called The Bag Lady, is Sue andRoy's home, but they also love toshare it with others. During our conversationthey exuded a great deal ofenthusiasm for their lifestyle, andtheir ope-ration sounds fascinating.They offer day-trips or longerexcursions along 125 miles of theRiver Thames, from London'sThames Barrier to Oxford. There isjust one en suite guest cabin (withReader to ReaderCan any one help with a recommendationfor a home stay propertyor a B&B in Barbados or onanother island? Thanks for anysuggestions.Gillian Kismanegkisman@rogers.comThe River Thames at Westminsterking bed) so the trips that involveovernight stays are just for one couple.The day trips, which include lunch,can be for four. You can select the sectionof the river you wish to exploreand you can do as much or as little asyou like. You can help operate thebarge, you can disembark and explorevillages, castles and stately homes, oryou can merely sit on deck and enjoythe passing scene.In our conversation, Sue and Roywere passionate about the river and thewildlife in particular. They havereceived good press reviews and havealready welcomed some Canadians.You can check it out at www.hotelboatbaglady.co.ukGillian KismanToronto, ONwebsitewww.thetravelsociety.comOur website is fully operational. We always want to improveit and welcome your input.You can renew your subscription on-line too!4www.thetravelsociety.com