Join us for an in-depth presentation on the amazing Galápagos Islands with Klaus Fielsch, Product Manager and expert naturalist for travel partner Metropolitan Touring. Klaus will provide a general overview of the Galápagos, as well as insights into the wildlife and natural habitats one might expect to see on a cruise to the “Enchanted Islands.” He’ll be introduced by David Lewey, Tour Architect for our small ship expeditionary cruises in the Galápagos archipelago.
Born in Quito to a German / Ecuadorian family, Klaus Fielsch has two passions – nature and design. He became fascinated with the study of nature when his father presented him with books by Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Darwin, Edward Whimper, Theodor Wolf (the unknown “Naturalist of Ecuador”), Konrad Lorenz and more – and he pursued his passion for design during studies at renowned US universities in the 1990s. Today, his career with Metropolitan enables him to share his passion for Galápagos and nature with colleagues to in turn bring to guests.
Recording Coming Soon
The post Enchanted Islands – The Galápagos appeared first on The Taucker Travel Blog.
I’ve been hearing from friends who are traveling about what it’s like out there. They say that after the initial jumpstart they quickly got back into the flow. The key is the safety protocols. When you are consistently in environments where safety guidelines are followed as a matter of course, you can put the worries out of your mind and go ahead and enjoy yourself.
I do like Canadians. When I meet someone who says they are Canadian, I expect to like them. And they never disappoint. Canadians seem to know things we Americans don’t, as if they harbor some national secret.
Sample incredible food and wine at their source in the culture that mastered the culinary arts… at renowned family-owned vineyards… unique venues, such as Lyon’s famed food market… at a Provençal lunch on a farm in La Camargue… at celebrated restaurants such as Fouquet’s in Paris. With bucolic vineyards that produce a bounty of wines, lush landscapes fed by the mighty Rhône River , the Rhône-Alpes region is renowned for its cooking schools and culinary creativity. Master chefs perform their magic… pot au feu, quintessential quenelles, salade Lyonnaise and savory coq au vin that are perfection. If you visit a local market, you’ll be introduced to the vast array of fresh fruits and vegetables, locally produced cheeses, warm-from-the-oven baguettes, spicy sausages and pastries that make their way to your plate in delectable variations… made all the more memorable with a glass or two of wine this area is famous for the world over. And then there’s chocolate… the French are passionate about chocolate, and their tastes for chocolate are as discriminating as their taste for wine.
The Escadrille bar at Fouquet’s is named in honor of pioneer aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who, legend says, once landed his plane on the Champs-Élysées and stopped in for a drink. Although it is unlikely to have happened that way, it sounds like something the flamboyant Brazilian bon vivant would have done. In 1891, Santos came to Paris at age 18, the wealthy son of a coffee plantation owner. He had a passion for flying machines and a genius for invention. A “sportsman of the air,” he bought and built dirigibles to fly around the city, one of which he kept tethered to a lamppost outside his apartment. Santos would cruise down the Champs-Élysées above roof-height, and drop in at his favorite cafés. He flew a motorized airship around the Eiffel Tower, and once snagged a balloon on the Trocadero Hotel. He was a celebrity, a friend of millionaires and royalty. Cartier made a wristwatch for him, so he wouldn’t have to fumble for his pocketwatch while navigating. When he won the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize for flight in 1901, he gave part of the 100,000 francs to his crew and the rest to the poor. And in 1906, when he built and flew a fixed-wing, self-powered flying machine for 720 feet, France and all of Europe declared that Santos had invented the airplane.
