European Autumn 2012

Dear Walkabout Walkers and Friends,

Our 2012 European Walking Holiday season will soon be over and it will be time to give our walking boots a well earned rest for a while ! We had lots of lovely groups again this year - it's always so nice to see all those familiar faces. But of course it is always great to welcome guests who have never travelled with us before too. We trust that you have all received a copy of our new 2013 brochure and that there are plenty of holidays which might tempt you !

Win a Week in Provence by Sharing your story Fancy spending a week in one of our lovely apartments in our hometown of Forcalquier in Provence ? ... all you have to do is send us a story about your walking holiday with us and you will go into the running of our "Tell us your Walkabout Story" competition. Entries are open until the end of December 2012 and the winning story will receive 1 week's free accommodation for 2 people in one of our lovely apartments in Provence*.

So put your "pen to paper" and let us hear your story ! It doesn't matter when you did one of our Walking Holidays - it can be this year or it could be a tour you did with us when we first started in 1986 ! The best stories will be published in our regular Newsletters.

Share your story

*The accommodation can be taken between 1 April - 30 October, 2013 depending on availability

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Thanks for letting us know what you think - We were delighted to get so much interest and positive feedback from our Questionnaires and Guestbook Invitations - the idea is to help us make our walking holidays even better so please take the opportunity to let us know what you think

See Our Guestbook

Single supplements come down ! Yes you are reading correctly ! We are happy to announce that many of the Single Room supplements which our partner hotels charge us for our single guests are coming down. We have been able to negotiate with many of the hotels with regards to our single occupancy rooms and for the 2013 season some single room supplements have been reduced by as much as 45% ! It is an ongoing process and we haven't heard back from all our hotels yet but we are hopeful that for the 2013 season we shall be able to reduce most of our Single Room Supplements. We shall keep you updated. The tours which we have been able to reduce the Single Room Supplements (SRS) are:

TOURS	NOW
From Seat to the Summits	$985
Eastern Circuit	$845
Peer Gynts Trail, Norway	$1,135
Discover the Pyrenees	$625
Paradors & the Road to Santiago	$845
On the Snail Trail	$655

Pictures & Comments about some of our recent Trips

We would like to share some of the pictorial highlights of a few of our recent holidays plus some comments on what our guests had to say about their holiday.

PEER GYNT'S TRAIL

Our Peer Gynt's Trail in Norway proved to be as popular as ever again. It has taken us quite a while to spread the word on what a marvellous destination Norway is. As we have always said: "even the driving days here are a highlight. As for the food it is unexpectedly very gourmet !"

See Tour details and Photos

Here are some comments from guests on this year’s walk:

This was our seventh tour with you and it was one of the best trips we've done. The scenery was stunning despite the fact that fog and leaden skies meant we often didn't see it at its best, Graeme and Pascal were excellent guides and the accommodation was generally comfortable and full of character. The surprise was the quality of the food. With the exception of the buffets at Rondablick, the food was truly gourmet, especially the imaginative and flavoursome meals prepared by Knut's Icelandic chef. Our favourite walk was definitely Besseggen, where a superb mountain walk with spectacular views of lakes, glaciers and rugged peaks coincided with the best weather of our trip. Obviously the day where we all became soaked and saw very little except our feet wasn't particularly pleasurable, nor was the day when the walk degenerated into a 'gallop' up a bitumen road. Still, our group functioned well and the walks were generally scenically beautiful and well-paced. Finally, a highlight was seeing the musk oxen (a 'musk see' experience). Just 'technical' sightings on the day when we expected to see them and they just kept emerging from the hole when we weren't expecting them and had left the camera in the van! Still, thanks to Graeme we have piccies. Thank you once again” - Judith and Duncan, Adelaide, Australia

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We had not been to that part of the world before so the whole adventure was an experience for us. All the hotels were excellent as were the meals. The company on the tour was great and we enjoyed the company of all the participants. Graeme was as usual a wealth of information and a guiding strength. We were very lucky that there was so much snow about to add to our enjoyment. It was hard to say which was the highlight of the trip. Seeing the Musk Oxen was great. The Union hotel also deserves a mention; we will never forget that lovely old building. We were told that a train trip in Norway was a must but I have to admit the road travel with Graeme was far more rewarding. Thanks again for a top trip and looking forward to next year’s trip”- Graham and Liz, Sydney, Australia

EASTERN CIRCUIT

The Eastern Circuit is another tour which deserves a mention - we had wonderful Autumn weather on our walk to the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia this year. Unlike most of our other holidays we actually spend time in a couple of cities on this Walk - Prague and Cracow. They are both amazing places to visit and with 2 nights in each you can certainly get a real feel for them. The purpose of the tour though is to end up in the Tatra Mountains - they are one of the smallest mountain ranges in the world and they always live up to their expectations ! This holiday finishes in Vienna which is always great city to spend a few days.

See Tour details and Photos

Here are some comments from guests on this year’s walk:

Mary and I had a fantastic time. This is the 6th or 7th tour we have been on and they just keep getting better! The walks were varied, associated with enough challenge to be satisfying but all achievable by the mild to moderately fit. The scenery was breathtaking (sometimes literally) and the company enjoyable. Hotels were well chosen with good to excellent amenities (loved the whirlpool and saunas). The food was an unexpected highlight as i assumed it was going to be a little bland and heavy but though was of course regionally appropriate it was excellent. There was even good shopping options. Something for everybody! We are already searching through the new tours for options for 2013” Michael and Mary, Melbourne, Australia

A Place in ProvenceWe have had a very busy year with our Holiday Apartments in Forcalquier. We have had lots of our Walking Holiday guests staying with us before or after their walks. Being in one place for a while certainly has its advantages - our guests particularly enjoy being able to access so many wonderful areas in Provence from Forcalquier. The other big plus is the close proximity of our apartments to the local restaurants and cafes - it’s very appealing to be able to wander down the cobblestone street in the evening and enjoy a delicious meal without having to worry about who is driving!

See Apartments details and Photos

Exceeded our expectations in every way” - My husband and I had the privilege of staying in this gorgeous villa. I knew I wanted to spend a week in Provence, but hadn't a clue on where to stay. I began searching Trip advisor and came across 'A Place in Provence' and immediately fell in love with the pictures. We didn't even know where Forcalquier was, but thought we'd take a chance. Well all I can say is wow. When Graeme opened the gates to the courtyard, I knew I'd made the absolute best choice. If you're looking for a true regional experience of Provence, then this will be it. From the accommodations, Graeme's wonderfully understated gracious hospitality to the town itself, you will not be disappointed. He gave us several recommendations of the area sites, and he didn't steer us wrong. The apartment was not only beautiful, but very secluded and tranquil - no vehicle noises, I don't think Rick and I've slept better. If you're looking for a low key immersion in the regional flavour, then this is the place. Thank you Graeme for a wonderful week, we hope to come back some day”- Valerie & Rick, Canada

A great place to rest and enjoy the delights of rural France. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Graeme and Gabriela's in Forcalquier. Their villa was perfect for the 3 of us. Spacious, quiet, well equipped, in the heart of the old town. Graeme was a great host, offering information about places to visit, where to eat etc. We would happily have stayed longer than our 7 day stay” - Gillian, Paris, France

Upcoming Victorian & European walking holidays

GRAMPIANS & GREAT OCEAN ROAD COASTAL TRAIL

Our Australian Walking holidays will be commencing again soon - we still have some vacancies on our 8 days Grampians & Great Ocean Road Holiday departing Melbourne on 24 November. Experience two of Victoria’s most beautiful National Parks - 3 nights in Halls Gap in the heart of the Grampians National Park, 2 nights at the pretty coastal village of Port Campbell next to the Port Campbell National Park and our final 2 nights just outside of Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road. Enjoy leisurely walks during the day and delicious meals at night.

See Tour details and Photos

Here are some comments from guests on last year’s walk:

I write to thank 'Prevention' and 'Walkabout Gourmet Adventures' for a wonderful holiday, which I won last year in your 'Best walking Town in Australia' competition. My husband and I have just returned from the pleasurable experience of an 8-day Treasures of Australia walk through the Grampians and Great Ocean Road and I must say the treasures were many. To enjoy these unique Victorian icons in such a personal way leaves one speechless. The magic of the Grampians, the beauty of the unspoiled coastline with its natural limestone monuments 'The 12 Apostles', the unforgiving ocean which caused many historic shipwrecks in the 1800's as well as the magnificent rain forests in the Otway National Park were truly awesome. Our accommodation was five stars and the word gourmet a true description of the restaurants where we enjoyed our evening dinners. This adventure has certainly whetted our appetite to experience another of Graeme Clarke and his knowledgeable team's walking tours in Europe and Australia. There is only one problem - the choice of which one. I encourage all your readers to call or email 'Walkabout Gourmet Adventures' for their 2012 brochure listing all destinations - they will be impressed by the variety available” - Jeannette N., Noosa, Australia

PARADORS AND THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO

As a result of the film, "The Way" we seem to have lots of enquiries this year for our Pilgrims Trail Walk. As usual we shall be operating this tour in early April which is an ideal time to experience Spring in Northern Spain and the Basque region of France. Apart from the history of walking along the famous Camino walking trail to Santiago de Compostelle we spend the first 4 nights in one of our favourite hotels in France - Hotel Ithurria - a wonderful family run hotel with a 1* Michelin restaurant. Here we also walk on the Pilgrims Trail but in addition we also discover some other lovely trails through the beautiful Basque countryside. The 14-day Walk departs from Biarritz on the 8th of April, 2013.

See Tour details and Photos

LAST MINUTE DEAL | CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN PROVENCE
Due to a late cancelation we now have one apartment available for rental during the Christmas and New Year period. Why not experience the charm and atmosphere of our beautiful Provencal village Forcalquier and celebrate Christmas differently this year !

Read more

We hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter and we look forward to walking with you soon.

Until next time,

Gabriela, Graeme and the Walkabout Team

IN THIS ISSUE
WIN A WEEK IN PROVENCE
SIGN THE GUESTBOOK
SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS DOWN
COMMENTS FROM RECENT TRIPS
A PLACE IN PROVENCE
UPCOMING TOURS (VIC/EUROPE)
CHRISTMAS IN PROVENCE

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