Making Travel Lemonade


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When Life Gives You Lemons...

Stuff happens.

Even on trips.

Or is that especially on trips!?

Sometimes things just don't go according to plan when we travel. Flexibility and adaptability are important additions to our packing routine, and I always joke about bringing a suitcase full of patience. Unexpected complications are stressful and it would be great if no one ever needed a Plan B. Having a travel advisor in your corner can help prevent disappointment or provide you an advocate when sudden changes present themselves.

But on the other hand, how many memorable travel stories have you heard where the tale includes some aspect that has gone awry--and then an unexpected new experience is the result?

When life gives you Amalfi lemons....make limoncello!

Last fall on the Amalfi Coast, the weather was gorgeous. Picture perfect. But as a recent art exhibition in Le Havre pondered, how do you paint the wind?

This stiff breeze, to put it mildly, was so muscular that smaller boats were unable to sail along the coast the day we had planned a private excursion to Capri.

For 3 of the 14 guests, this was no big deal–because I had already arranged for them to enjoy a visit and lemon-accented lunch at a picturesque lemon grove, dramatically positioned on the cliffs above Amalfi. But for the rest, it was a disappointment.

Fortunately, I was able to quickly increase our party size to include the full group and we had a delightful (if breezy) afternoon learning about the family's history of lemon cultivation, as well as the products made by the family with their crops (like limoncello!). After a delicious home-cooked lunch on a terrace among the lemon trees–bearing softball-sized fruit–we made the scenic stroll back into Amalfi proper. It was an unforgettable experience, and it was all because of a last-minute reboot.

Henceforth, all of my reboots will be known as Lemon Tours.

Have you had a (metaphorical) Lemon Tour? What bonus experience did you have when you lost the best-laid plans for something else entirely?

Or did you just end up with a hilarious travel tale, with which you have regaled friends and strangers alike for twenty years?

Come over to our Mon Voyage Facebook group and share it!

Join the MV Travel Hub on Facebook

The Newest Batch of Lemonade

Just when I thought the major reboots were in the rear-view, what happens? My fabulous Danube itinerary is dislodged from the date upon which it had been moored for the last year. Well, that's gonna be a whole pitcher of lemonade.

Clients on that trip were given the opportunity for several other cruise dates, and it came down to two options: late April or mid-November. Since one date did not work for everyone, AmaWaterways has generously offered to make sure I am able to sail on both dates with my clients, so that no one who was supposed to be in my group would have to travel without me.

This means that other clients now have the opportunity to join me on a 2023 Danube cruise: either April 22nd or November 11th. I'll have the pleasure of enjoying this beautiful itinerary twice, and now I am able to escort additional guests--those for whom the original March dates were impossible.

Now that's some pretty sweet lemonade!

But how about some wine mixed with that lemonade?

Sounds questionable, I know, but I've seen recipes for lemonade & white wine spritzers, red wine & lemonade cocktails, and of course, we cannot forget sangria's prominent citrus notes.

What have I concocted? This unexpected schedule change has given me the opportunity to add another optional land package to the mix ONLY for the November sailing: a mini-Hungarian wine tour! For three days at the end of the Danube cruise we will explore several of the wine regions of western Hungary. (The Krakow land package will still be available for those who prefer it.)

I'm still finalizing the Vienna and Hungarian wine land package pricing for the new dates, but I invite you to peruse the online brochure for the trip.