The day started early as we went into Philadelphia, PA for the Travel Show. Arriving in center city by 8AM allowed time for breakfast in the Reading Terminal Market located across the street from the Convention Center where the show was being held. Entering this huge market the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls filled the air. Walking past the fresh sticky buns (a local favorite), we stop for a “Home Cooked” breakfast which proved to be delicious and was accompanied by an endless and equally good cup of coffee.
Walking through the show and visiting the vendor booths, we spoke to our fellow professionals in the exciting field of travel. After hours of learning what others are doing around the world, we were pleased to sit back in the train and rest our tired feet in the warmth of the car. As the scenes rushed by in the cold 13 degrees outside we reflected on the confirmation that The Spanish Touch is unique in offering personalized small group tours in Spain. We did find that there are similar services being offered in a number of cities and countries outside of Spain. This is not surprising as we have found the discriminating traveler wants to experience the smells and taste that are part of the local culture.
A number of companies we spoke with continue with the mass market approach that is reflected in the movie If its Tuesday this must be Belgium. Last fall we took such a one day canned tour with its fifteen and thirty minute stops at preplanned tourist shops in Scotland and while it was cheap and covered a lot of distance, seeing the highlights “coming up on the right side” at 50MPH is just not the way I want to experience other cultures. I for one plan to continue meeting the local people on the less traveled paths.
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