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Frank working at the lava lake of Erta Ale volcano, Ethiopia
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"Hallo Tom,
ich möchte mich hiermit bei Dir für die exzellente logistische Organisation der Touren nach Äthiopien Januar 2008 ( Erta Ale, Dallol) und Indonesien Juli 2008 ( Krakatau und Tengger Kaldera) bedanken.
Dank Deiner netten und kompetenten Partner vor Ort (Solomon, Doni und alle anderen) fühlte ich mich in sehr guten Händen aufgehoben und verköstigt. Somit konnte ich mich auf meine fotografischen Aktivitäten konzentrieren, ohne mir über organisatorische Dinge Sorgen machen zu müssen. Ich bin überzeugt, dass wir noch einige weitere Exkursionen zusammen machen werden und kann Volcano Discovery Touren sehr empfehlen.
Good luck und gut Lava"
Frank Krahmer - Premium Nature Photography
------------------------------------------------------- www: http://www.frankkrahmer.de
"Tom, I'm thinking you might be on your way to Krakatau now -- I hope you all have a great trip. We had such an excellent time on our Santorini tour and I keep going back to your web site to figure out which volcano tour I want to try next... " (Jill, USA) |
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"Hola Marta
Disculpa que haya tardado un poco en responderte, he estado viajando bastante por trabajo estas semanas, y ahora toca unas semanas más tranquilas en Barcelona. El viaje estuvo fantástico, llevábamos años con ganas de ir a Nápoles y vuestra combinación vulcanismo-arqueología-historia estuvo realmente bien. Nosotros nos volvimos encantados, la organización perfecta, tu trabajo fenomenal y hasta el tiempo acompaño. Tenemos ganas de volver y no descartamos para el año que viene un poco más de “lava volcánica” con el itinerario Stromboli-Etna.
Da recuerdos a Tobias, es siempre agradable encontrar personas con esa pasión por la naturaleza y por intentar hacer cosas diferentes, incluso en sitios como Italia y Grecia donde parece que esta todo inventado. Si avísanos cuando vengas por Barcelona que tenemos ganas de verte. Abrazos" (M. A. Vallencillo, Spain, Vesuvius-Pompeii tour)
"Hello Tom,
We’re now back from another great week on Etna.
We very much enjoyed our day out with Marco on 5th June (Rosario had to lead a group that day) which Steve Banfield joined us for. We visited the ‘Bottoniera’ to do some filming/photos for a few hours, returning down the usual pleasant descent route around Mte. Montagnola.
We undertook numerous other walks on Etna during the week – some of which we had not done before - including a return to the current eruption site at the ‘Bottoniera’, when the activity had changed to more random and sporadic explosions from the upper vent, some of which were quite violent, although activity from the lower vent remained relatively predictable. We got some good night-time video footage of the active vents and lava flows from the Schiena dell’ Asina on one of our evening excursions. On our last day, we got excellent views (and, luckily, some more good video footage – for once the Valle del Bove was mainly clear of clouds!) of the advancing active lava front between Mte. Simone & Mte. Centenari from the ridge above the Serra del Concazze; the eruption was clearly continuing in similar style to the previous days, although there were far less ash emissions as the upper vent was exhibiting more Strombolian-type activity." (Niki, UK, custom Etna tour) |
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"Hi Tom, Just a quick note to fill you in on what we did after leaving you on Etna...we think we used our time wisely, we saw lots, and we had a very good time. Thanks for all the good advice, it was very useful to us.
We had such a good time on our expedition with you! It was more strenuous than I expected, but also more rewarding and more fun! I could hardly wait to get back to show pictures to my friends and brag on our exploits! One other unexpected plus--despite the mass quantities of delicious food, I actually lost a couple of pounds--my trainer at the gym was impressed! Thanks for being such a thoughtful, knowledgeable and food-oriented guide. We loved our trip!Regards, Linda K." (Linda K, Washington, Stromboli to Etna trip April 08)
"Hi Tobias We are writing to express our high level of satisfaction with our tour of Naples on 3-6 May.
We are impressed with your professionalism and competence to coordinate travellers from different countries. Our sensation is that you are very professional agency, providing fast and clear answers to our series of e-mails, making it easy the tour booking and solve problems. Additionally your excellent website provides clear and useful information.
The hotel was great, the Napolitanean food and wine were delicious and the itinerary was wonderful appropriate to our interest with a perfect combination of geology-nature, historical values and the interesting city of Naples. All the places visited were very interesting in itself, but after the explanations and assistance of our guide, Marta, they became sincerely impressive. We want to make a special mention to Marta, our guide-driver-assistant-bodyguard, because she was very good and has make our trip better.
It was a pleasant experience to find a company like Volcano Discovery, which provides a service so different, fun and interesting even in places where everything seemed invented on tourism. We are already planning our trips for 2009, we'd like to repeat in the future with another trip in Italy, and why not, in your loved Greece which we have not visited yet. Once again, thank you very much for organising the trip. We had a fantastic time! Many thanks and regards Miguel A. V. & Maria del Carmen P." (M.A.V & M.C.P., Spain - Vesuvius to Pompeii tour)
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"Hi Tom and Tobias, I just wanted to tell you what a nice job that Marco did on our volcano tour last month. I had originally asked for Marta because I thought she would be great with the grandchildren. Marco did a fabulous job with both children-the eight year old grandson especially enjoyed Marco. They were great friends by the end. ... Thanks again for a great volcano tour, Terry" (Terry D., Coloroado, Stromboli to Etna trip May 08)
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Marlies and Solomon at Dallol
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Hello Tom Hello Solomon
Sand - stones - rocks - lava - salt - camels, not to forget the fascinating volcano Erta Ale and the mysterious and magic scenery at Dallol. Thank you TOM for taking me on your pilot expedition. Thank you SOLOMON for being such a great and helpful tour guide. (Marlies B, UK, Erta Ale - Dallol expedition). |
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Thanks again, Tom, for this great week in Santorini.
Thanks for your competency, your kindness, your support in all situation. Thanks for the ouzo, the orange juice, the wine ...Keep in touch, Marie-Paule (Fascination Volcano, Santorini)
| One word that describes Etna is 'awesome' and one word that describes Rosario's skills as a guide 'outstanding' ! ... thank you for arranging this Tobias ! (Etna tour - Kamal M., UK) |
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"Thanks again for the great time we all had when visiting Methana & Poros Island. I was very impressed by Greece & will return when other things allow." (Robin, UK, tour to Methan & Poros, Jan 08)
Hi all, Sorry about the late reply, just getting back in the swing of things at work. We climbed Etna as planned, although you do not appreciate the grand size of it until you are there. Etna being over 3 times higher than any mountain in Ireland. We met our guide at the top of the road near the excursion centre by the cable car. After he had sorted us out with gear we headed off up the cable car and trekking across the snow. i must admit that i had never trekked in snow before nor had any of my team. (We hardly get any snow in Ireland only rain). After hiking for about 4-5 hours and lots of breaks we got to the cabin at the top with in about 30 - 45 mins from the main cones.
It is hard to describe the mountain. it was total covered with snow and was a small bit cold but once you keep moving you don't really feel it, a clear blue sky since we were above the clouds and total quite not a person for miles. Peaceful a bit different than my job.
After the guide digging out the snow from the cabin door we ventured in to get some much needed food and hot drinks which we had carried up the mountain. after resting at the cabin it was decided to head back down, as one of the teams old back injury had came back to haunt him. On the way down we looked at some lateral craters and vents. We later headed back down the cable car and to the excursion centre.
This trip was well worth going and i would recommend it to any one traveling to scissile to attempt this trip. Who knows I may come back and attempt it again myself one day, when I am a bit fitter I think.
A special thanks to the guide for staying with us and showing us the beauty of the mountain. I am sure he could have climbed the mountain in the half the time it he wanted to. (lol). And to all the staff of Volcano Discovery for making this trip one of the best trips i have been on.
Yours sincerely
Christopher Corbett
Igor Kendrinkski
Paul Doolan
Marco (Ireland) |
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"MANY THANKS again to TOM for the incredibly wonderful trip to Krak. OK, tell him I will wait to exit Krak photos until next monday or tuesday, I will need many days to edit so many photos............ Hoping Tom is amusing of Indonesia summer, warm greetings from a very cold Trieste!! m"
( Marco Fulle, a VolcanoDiscovery Europe Team member after his tour in Nov 07 to Krakatau; his photos are now online on www.Stromboli.net at:
Tom,
I am writing to you to thank you for a wonderful tour.
Both yourself and Rosario provided a fantastic service from the moment we enquired to the moment we arrived back at Rifugio Sapienza. Rosario was a great guide and he helped us to get much more out of our trip to Mt Etna than we could have hoped for and truly made it a trip to remember.
Should you ever need a reference, I would be more than happy to oblige. As soon as I can, I will be putting some photos on our website of Rosario and our trip. Should you want a copy of any of them, just let me know. I will let you know when I have published them. It will probably be at least a week though.
Many thanks once again,Daniel & Julie http://www.danielandjulie.co.uk/ |
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"Tom, Had a great tour, Etna was more than impressive, just fantastic - like a moonscape up there. ..." (J Perston, UK)
".. Just got back from Sicily. I had a very enjoyable time even though Etna has been shy and did not want to put on a performance. On the Monday I went round to the North side visiting the Grotta del ghiaccio, first time wearing crampons. The second day was spent in the Valle del Bove. The third day spent at the summit craters. The fourth day I joined Marta visiting the Alcantara gorge, Taormina and spending the evening and next day in Catania.
As usual, Marta maintained the professional standards I have come to expect from the "Volcano Discovery" team, and I expect the three other clients felt the same way." (S. Banfield, UK)
"We have arrived at home last night as per schedule...We could enjoy our tour very much and we think that our tour aim was 100% satisfied. We could have wonderful experience that we could never forget. Thank you very much for your guide. Later, by mail, I will send two video files, mpeg2 format and mpeg4 format, that recorded turnover the lava lake. Sincerely, Seiji" (S. Takeda, Japan, Kilauea Volcano Special tour July 07)
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One of the participants sent us this nice spostcard she made herself.
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Sacred Sites in Greece 2007 tour - hand-made postcard.
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"Hello Volcano Discovery and especially Marta, I just wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed our tour with Volcano Discovery... For me personally the whole trip was fabulous from the hikes to the boat trips on the Mediterranean. There is not a single thing I would change for myself. Marta-You did a nice job, the ladies all loved you. .. Terry" (Colorado, USA)
| "This is a note to say that we enjoyed the climb and you made it successful, interesting and informative. Thank you very much for being an excellent guide. I attach two of our photos, one taken at the crater rim - and one of you! ... Thanks again Rosario!" (T Ecott, Etna private tour, May 07)
"Just a quick email to say what an amazing time I had hiking up Mount Etna last Thursday. It was an amazing experience I shall never forget, much thanks to our guide who was informative, safety conscious and extremely patient! Regards, Francoise J." (Etna private tour, May 07)
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| Tour to Athens, Cos & Nisyros 14.5.-26.5.07"Thank you for the great holiday with you!" (Anette, Germany)
The tour to Nisyros was a great success. Annette Arenkens designed this nice postcard about the tour. We started in Athens and did a lot of sightseeing there. Later we had a flight to Cos island where we did a excursion to the mountain village Zia and to the volcanic Kefalos peninsula. A ferry brought us to Nisyros volcano island where we stayed at the nice family hotel of my friend Antonis. We walked a lot and visited the active craters in the center of the island. One of the highlights was the hike to the highest mountain top where we spent a romantic night with bondfire at the "hanging gardens." (Tobias, May 07) |
"Doni, Just a quick line once again to thank you for your assistance , companionship and friendship over the last two weeks. I had a brilliant time." (B. Barker, Isle of Man, Krakatau to Bali April '07) |
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"... I just wanted to thank you for another nice trip. I'm sure it won't be the last. ... You seem to choose your people well...Marta was quite knowledgeable and very enjoyable to be with..." (Stephen, USA)
"Having been back from Italy for a week, just a few lines to say what a great holiday it has been. I thought that Marta did a brilliant job as tour manager, up to volcano discovery's usual high standards, if like the rest of the group, it had of been my first time travelling with the company i would have been very impressed..." (Steve, UK)
"We hiked the volcanic lava with Philip on Jan. 30 and what a thrill it was for us! Philip was able to point out various configurations and structures that we saw along the way and explain their existence because of his background as a geologist and volcanologist, and that just made the whole trip for us. He also took us close to a skylight where we could see the glow from the lava flowing through the tube and be the first people to walk on the new lava around it, and that was definitely a thrilling experience! We have shown just about everyone we've met the pictures of the skylight and have told them about your company, so hope you get some business out of it. There was certainly a lot of interest.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for enabling us to have such a wonderful experience, and to thank Philip again for taking us on such a fascinating hike. It was the highlight of our cruise around the Hawaiian islands. We're glad that we got to ride in Philip's old hunker of a jeep as it made it a bit funky for us, but hope he enjoys his new vehicle." (Sheila, US) |
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"Hi Tobias, just wanted to say how much we loved Greece and you; Hannah had to leave at 9:00 am; we are enjoying the pictures but miss the real thing. love, Kathy and Hannah" (San Francisco; Saronic Gulf tour 06/07)
"Just wanted to say thank you very much to Marta Gasparrini, for her mamzingly led trip through Naples, to Amalfi, which I was on the last two weeks...thank you for making it one of the best holidays of my life!" (J Brown, UK)
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Hi Doni! "Hey guys! What's up, what's up yo?!"
We're all sorry we have not written to you earlier, guess we've had enough just thinking of all our good Indonesian memories. It was really an exciting and exotic adventure for us, we are often talking about when we'll do our next trip to Indonesia. There sure will be one. And as a gesture of our gratitude, we'd love to show you Scandinavia if you're ever in Europe. ... It's really amazing how different countries and lives can be and Indonesia is probably the most interesting place all the three of us have ever visited. So, of course we've told our Scandinavian friends about the amazing trips to Bromo, Sukamade, Ijen plateau, Bali, all the towns, other places and of course our new Indonesian friends. If any of my friends want tips for Asian trips, I will without any doubts recommend them Indonesia and your guiding.
Sorry, but I don't remember your wife's and older son's name, but I do remember "little Buddha"'s name - Yoni. Anyway, say hello to them all and Manitro (hope I spelled his name correctly) from all of us. And of course Annika and Fredrik send their best wishes to you. Terima kasih for the magnificent tour and wonderful company!
//Arvid E H." (Sweden, Java custom tour)
"Hello Doni, back in my home I would like to thank You again for the 3 ½ weeks on the islands Java, Bali and Lombok. It was very, very nice weeks. The job with our group was not surely always easy for you. In spite of that you made Your Job good and fulfilled every wish. Next to the wonderful landscapes, to the interesting volcanos particularly the people in Your Country for whom it is been surely often heavily but they are always cheerful and sociable, left me enthusiastically. Very different than we European. I request you always good health and a happy family. I hope, we see ourselves again. ... Once more thanks and greetings, Karlheinz" ( Krakatau to Bali tour, 2006)
"Once again, thank you very much for for organising the trip. We had a fantastic time! Many thanks and regards, Penelope" (UK, Volcanoes of East Java tour, summer 06). |
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Group of the Bromo-Semeru-Ijen tour (Sep 2006)
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"Hallo Tom, seit vergangenem Freitag sind wir wieder zurück in Deutschland. Die Tour durch Java und Bali war ein unvergessliches Erlebnis! Vielen Dank auch für die Vorbereitung dafür. Viele Grüße und alles Gute für VulcanoDiscovery, Florian" ( Bromo-Semeru-Ijen, Sep 06)
"Dear Marco, We want to thank to you for your very kind guide in Italy... Hiromi asks me for saying thanks to you and Tom. She is also impressed by the beauty of the eruptions and volcanoes and is very satisfied for your guide... Kind regards, Seiji" (Japan; Stromboli tour Sep 2006)
"Buenos Dias Marco, It is really great hearing from you. How was your last tour? Not as good as us, right?! I really wanted to thank you for being such a wonderful guide. I had a wonderful time. Believe it or not, I really want to go back already. Someday, maybe I will move to Italy, who knows. For now, I am preparing to move to New York. I will continue to practice my Italian and perhaps I will see you again at another volcano. All the best, Sedelia" (NY, Etna-Stromboli tour May 2006) |
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"Bonsoir Tom, Merci pour les photos de Santorin qui sont magnifiques! Et encore félicitations pour l'organisation de ce voyage. Quand on revoit les photos et le film qu'a fait Yvon, on se rend compte qu'on a non seulement bien vu l'aspect Géologie de cette île, mais aussi l'aspect humain... Bonne continuation (les Suisses disent "bonne suite") und alles gute. Nathalie et Yvon" ( Santorini tour, Sep. 2006) "Un très grand merci, Tom. Quel plaisir de revivre ces moments fabuleux grâce à tes photos ! J'espère que ton périple italo-sicilien se déroule aussi bien que le nôtre et je te redis ma reconnaissance pour la qualité de l'organisation et les commentaires dont tu nous a fait bénéficier. Cordialement, Geneviève" (Santorini tour, Sep. 2006)
"Hi Tom - Hope you are well. Thanks again for a great trip - really enjoyed it - particularly the second climb to the craters. Had a good time - helped by the weather and a good group. - Well organised! ... Andy" ( Etna-Stromboli tour Oct 2006)
"Tom, I just wanted to say thanks for arranging such a great trip. It was everything I hoped for and more. Marco was great, as was Rosario, and Stromboli was absolutely stunning. I also wanted to confirm you were ok...we were all quite concerned considering you were right in the center of all the trouble over there. Please let me know if everything worked out. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship, and fully intend to use your services again in the future. With warm reguards, Stephen Hunt" ( Etna-Stromboli tour May 2006) |
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"Aloha Tom
Just wanted to give you some feedback from the above trip. It was FANTASTIC!!!!!. As you know I was the only participant which worked well for me as we had a suggested itinerary, but was able to modify to suit my requirements, including the incredible boat trip to view lava. I have travelled extensively, and this boat trip is definitely up there at the top with other unbeatable life experiences. Philip Ong is one of the kind. His knowledge and passion for the Big Island is unsurpassable. His friendly disposition enjoyable. I loved every minute I spent with him, will treasure the discussions about anything and everything we undertook. The joking and laughs we shared - he really made the experience work. Also I would like to thank you for all the emailing and sorting of dates etc that you did to make my trip possible. Phil has some fantastic ideas and plans to include in future tours, which will make it even better - if that is possible. An amazing experience that I will never forget and a new friend made. Mahalo!! Denise Ellson"
"Can you pass on my sincere thanks to Tom Pfeiffer for his extraordinary assistance in giving us a very, very good interview on the base of Mt Merapi last week. None of us were to know how significant our interview and programme was to be, until the earthquake hit us on Saturday morning and the whole value of what we were doing increased enormously. Elliott flew out of Jakarta on Monday morning and the tapes are going straight into editing to be made into an hour programme tentatively called "Fire Mountain" - this will then go to air world wide on Discovery very soon we hope. Toms contribution was significant and I for one will keep your contact information in case other networks need similar expertise and talent. In return, If you can make a note of my company at www.limage.tv in Singapore, Im freelance and available to shoot these programmes to the highest global standards for any client, in any location on earth. ... Thank you gentlemen, it was a genuine pleasure meeting you and working with you. Yours Sincerely LAURIE K. GILBERT s.o.c.
Motion Picture Director of Photography
Film & HD Cinematographer" |
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VolcanoDiscovery featured in Endless Vacation magazine
"Hello Tom, ... Penelope and Elizabeth left Java last Monday, and are now half way down the coast of Vietnam. I am sure they will email you on their return to the UK in about 2 weeks but I thought I should pass on some very positive comments. They both absolutely loved Java and I am sure they will be wanting to return in the near future. They found the local people particularly friendly in marked contrast to their initial experiences in Hanoi (although things are running much more smoothly now). In one of your emails, you said that Doni was very good. In fact, that is a major understatement. Penelope ranks him EXCELLENT - not only as a volcano guide but also in making sure everything ran smoothly in camps, hotels, restaurants, etc, etc. (Elizabeth also met him on the last day). ... they both had a wonderful day going to Krakatoa with Alain - from the wonderful departure port, to the volcano climb, swim, and restaurant in the evening. In & around Yogya, they admired both temples (getting locked into one because of the time & having to climb the gate), and got to 4kms from Merapi. Also, they particularly liked the hotel at Yogya - very happy with the others, but they felt this one was special. As I say, I hope they will comment further on their return, but I would like to thank you very much for organising this trip and to thank your people on the ground for all their work. Many thanks again. Best regards Robert" (May 2006, Robert, UK) |
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"Tom... really enjoyed the day. Because of the amount of snow, we had to walk from the top of the cable car, and that made it a very long day but all the more memorable.
The visibility from the top was very good, and we could clearly see the Aeolian islands, although it was very hard to see into the crater because of the clouds of gas. We had some walking equipment, but the snow shoes Rosario brought were very useful, if a little difficult to get used to.
Rosario was great, with a very good knowledge of the mountain, volcanos, and good English (even if he didn't think so). We would certainly recommend yourselves and/or Rosario to anyone else visiting Sicily who wanted to go on Etna (or any other volcanos). Mark & Sarah (Scotland)"
"Hi, ... I just viewed the DVD I bought and thought I could hear the sounds and smell the smells! I really had a great time on our trip and appreciated your knowledge and experience and your company! It was, for me, an experience of a lifetime! Mahalo, once more, and all the best! Fondly -- Regina"
"Tom Pfeiffer proved to be a knowledgeable and trustworthy guide throughout our trip. He communicated not only a wealth of information and his passion for the subject of volcanology, but also his delight in the drama and beauty of the world of volcanoes. Respectful of individual needs and interests, he made the experience both educational and most enjoyable. Regina Bringolf, Hancock, New Hampshire, U.S.A." |
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"Hi Tom, just a note to thank you for a great tour in October, it was great fun and I learned much, the food and company were excellent, the whole experience was fantastic. I see I even made it to the picture gallery! I have been busy with the thin sections, and have attached a few photos for you to look at. As is often the case ones that you expect to be good are disappointing, e.g. Cape Riva Ignimbrite, while dacite, which looks to be just glass, shows a lot of structure, flow aligned crystals and good zoned feldspar and pyroxene. The sale of slides seems to be going well and I have stared a ‘shop’ on ebay http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Geosec-Slides which is difficult to keep stocked as they sell so quickly. The fund for future collecting expeditions is growing nicely! ... Once again thanks for October, send my regards to your Mother, and have a happy Christmas. Rob" (UK, Dec. 2005) |
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Some nice words from a mixed group on Santorini ... (French, English, German speaking)
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"Thank you Tom for a wonderful week of discovery & wonderful surprises! Judith."
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"Hello Tom, Thanks a lot. I'm glad that I joined the Volcanoes of Italy - the Grand Tour. Everything was very well organised. For me personally, Stromboli and Etna were the highlights, but the other places and volcanoes may also not to be missed. Stromboli wasn't very active the evening we climbed to the summit. But, the day after I got the chance |
