AN UNTOUR IS MORE THAN A TRIP

Our Untour this year was another wonderful trip;but it was more--
We saw favorite old places..........
HERE IS AN OLD FAVORITE
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and visited some new ones .

HERE IS NEW FAVORITE

EFRA WATERFALL IN TICINO
After our two week term in the Hasliberg this year, we took our backpacks for three nights to Locarno (our first time in Ticino) and stayed in the Untours recommended, Hotel Rio. It's conveniently located across the street from rail and bus stops. Mr. and Mrs. Kunz, the English speaking hosts, (Italian, French, and German speaking too), were very helpful and a good team. Mr. Kunz is native of Locarno. His parents owned the hotel before he and his wife took over the property. He grew up there and is knowledgeable and passionate about the area. Breakfast was a delight with fresh jams made by Mr. Kunz. And, I'm not just talking one jar of jam. There was an entire tray full of apricot, strawberry, plum, persimmon, and even pumpkin jams. The hotel had a special--stay two nights and get the third for half price. It made the price reasonable.
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http://www.hotel-rio.ch/

As much as we enjoy the travel and sightseeing with Untours, a greater benefit for us is the gift of friendships we have formed through the years. I'll never forget the shock we felt when we posted our first Untour question on Idyllchat and asked what we could expect from the town of Sachseln. It was our first time to post anything on the internet, but knowing it was Untours, we felt safe. We got back a reply from Vance Roy. He told us about that wonderful town and also said,"I'm sure I'll see you because you are staying in the apartment below mine". We couldn't believe our eyes. How in the world did we connect with someone not only in the town we were going to visit, but someone in the "apartment above ours".That first day, he greeted us at train station. During our Sachseln tour, we shared some great hikes and we have remained friends ever since. Then there are the friends from a small town in Pennsylvania. We became friends during a Kandersteg trip. They later came out to see us in Phoenix.

UNTOUR FRIENDS VISIT PHOENIX

Another time at the beginning of a tour, while we waited to board the train to our villages, we met some people from Prescott AZ. We have cabin in Prescott and have shared Fondue at their home and our cabin after that Untour trip.
Fondue was also the feature as we shared a dinner in our Hohfluh apartment with Swiss friends we had met on former tours and new friends we had met at the orientation this year.

OLD AND NEW FRIENDS VISIT US IN
KUNZLER 2 APARTMENT IN HOHFLUH

Then on the last night of our Untour term this year, someone invited us to pool our leftovers for a final dinner in Lungern. Eight of us who had never seen each other before the trip just two weeks earlier, sat down as old friends, and shared our own "last supper" that night, This year we met someone who has a brother who attends the same church we do in Phoenix. We plan to get together at Christmas time when they are in town. And just this weekend, while meeting Portland friends at Grand Canyon, we learned they know our Portland Untour friends also. It is indeed a small, small, wonderful world.


Besides our American friends, we've made friends with landlords and people we have
met in the countries we have toured
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Lydia and Ernst Brugger (our former Meiringen hosts prepare a special dinner).

An Untour means individual travel, but it is best of both worlds; a chance to do your own thing if that is what you like, but we have found it's a chance to do our own thing and also make some new friends.
Thanks so much to all the Untours staff for making this all possible through your TLC, organizing, programs, Idyllchat and now the Untours Cafe. Untours is always changing, always evolving, adding new destination and new things to the website.
--Hope to meet you on a trip, but until then we'll see you at the Cafe!
Barbara