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Tours Judy Hoctor Tours Judy Hoctor

Floating on Cloud Nine: Luxor's Affordable Sky-High Adventure

There’s something incredibly serene about watching colorful hot-air balloons drift lazily through the sky. I never seriously considered being in one since I assumed they’d be fairly expensive. It is a shocking surprise to see how little it costs to hop into one of these floating wonders in Luxor, Egypt, so this is one of the rare occasions …

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Safety Judy Hoctor Safety Judy Hoctor

Pharaoh's Revenge: A Cairo Culinary Tale

I’m sitting on our Airbnb patio taking in the sounds of the truck and driver using a megaphone to shout out foreign words that I can’t understand. Birds are chirping and horns are honking. We were supposed to tour the pyramids and see the Sphinx today, but

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Destinations Judy Hoctor Destinations Judy Hoctor

Roaming Rome: A Quick Day-Long Love Affair with History

Don’t think that it’s sufficient to see Rome in a day. You wouldn’t be bored if you spent a full two weeks or more biking through and examining all the gems hidden here. But when you only have a day, it can be fun to do a quick stop and wave to familiar sites and allow your heart to swoon for a few minutes before finding the next place that takes away your breath.…

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Accommodations Judy Hoctor Accommodations Judy Hoctor

Suite Surprises: A Roman Valentine's Day Getaway!

It’s Valentine’s Day and the homestretch before we leave for Egypt. We’re supposed to be in Assisi today, not Rome, but last week our travel doctor asked us to come back for our second cholera vaccination. Visiting a doctor is not the most romantic way to celebrate, but it’s fine because this day is not typically one that grabs much of our attention.

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Destinations, Accommodations Judy Hoctor Destinations, Accommodations Judy Hoctor

Frozen Surprises and Hot Water Woes: Lecce Adventures

We arrive at our next destination’s train station on Monday evening. Lecce greets us with cold temperatures, elegant Baroque architecture, and silence. Our original plan for the Christmas season was to visit this eastern city in Italy’s Puglia region and take in its famous paper mâché manger scenes, but we ran short of time. Since Greece is only a hop away, we …

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