Testimonials

Hi Dora,
We've arrived back home after a whirlwind of a trip to the Baltics! This part of the world is really beautiful and I'm so glad we decided to take the plunge. I've always loved Europe and have explored quite a bit on my own over the years, so seeing a new part of the continent with my wife was a special experience for both of us. We loved Lithuania which is where you mentioned you were from, and now I can see where you get your pleasant personality! :) The people in Vilnius were very good to us, and they welcomed tourists with open arms. While all of the hotels were nice, my personal favorite was the Radisson in Riga. We were told it was the only hotel in the Baltics that had a spa, so we took full advantage of that. Much needed. Also, the view from the Skyline bar couldn't be beat. Other highlights in Riga include the Old Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, and the Latvian National Opera House. Again, hats off to you for pulling this fabulous Baltic tour together for us! Your expertise and care is very evident.
Cheers from California,
Thomas and Patty McCurdy

Dear Dora, Cindy and I went on your Classical Baltic tour from Vilnius a few months ago and loved every minute of it. I really enjoyed chatting with you beforehand while you told me about your experiences as a child in Vilnius. It's such a beautiful city, I thought of you and your wonderful stories while we were there. St. John's Church, the ancient Bell Tower, and Bernadine Garden were all really special places in Vilnius. I also couldn't get enough of the cepelinai. I think the food in Lithuania was my favorite. Everyone wouldn't stop talking about the pastries in Riga, but I wasn't a big fan myself; I enjoy heartier dishes. No real complains about any of the city tours, our guide seemed very knowledgeable about each region and he was easy to understand as his accent wasn't too thick. Thanks for all of your recommendations and for making this Baltic tour so incredible. We'll hold these memories close to our heart for years to come. - Paul Lalor

Dear Dora,
It has been a couple of weeks since our return from the Baltic tour and I have been away again for a week. However, I did want to thank you for arranging our delightful trip. My sister and I were happy that our friend, Stavrula, was able to share our adventures. We were all very pleased with our accommodations in each city and found the food everywhere was delicious and the people very friendly. Nearly everyone we met spoke English and we learned that they had learned it in school. It seems that English is one of the compulsory subjects in all the schools. I wish we had to learn more languages in our schools!

Vilnius was particularly memorable (I said "hello" for you) as I met a very nice young man who was originally from there and was just home for his father's 75th birthday celebration and a nephew's wedding. He and his family are now Americans living in North Carolina. Since one of his children is now in college they could not afford for the whole family to be away for four weeks, so he was representing his family. He gave us some very good advice of places to see on our own as well as what foods to eat if we wanted a sample of the native dishes. As a result we found a lovely restaurant on University street where we had beer soup and some tasty cepolinas. At the Lokys Restaurant we had a drink of starka after our dinner and we enjoyed the local beer everywhere.

All of the city guides were excellent and were very knowledgeable about the history, architecture and folklore, but Ona, our guide from Vilnius to Tallinn went out of her way to help make our trip more memorable. Even when she was "off duty" she volunteered to show us places that we had not seen on the regular guided tours.

Again, thanks for arranging such a nice tour (how did you arrange for the good weather???).

All the best wishes,
Jo Humphrey and Shirley Miller