Dubrovnik: Full day guided tour of Dubrovnik and Cavtat
On a Friends of Eric Tour you can expect to see some spectacular vistas and visit some beautiful medieval cities.
You can also expect to stop and enjoy some of the local flavors as well. Here we are in the fishing village of Cavtat on the side of the Adriatic Sea. While other tours rush from one sight to another, we like to stop on a tour and just enjoy the moment.
Turkey: Full day guided tour of Ephesus
We had an amazing guide for the day who spent all morning walking us through the ruins of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. They are a must see for anyone going to Kusadasi. At lunch we had a feast of local salads and cold appetizers followed by a huge plate of local meats cooked fresh off a charcoal fire pit. After lunch we visited a silk carpet shop and saw some very talented ladies hand weave beautiful carpets followed by a visit to a leather manufacturer and a fashion show. When in Turkey, you must get a carpet and a leather jacket.
An amazing meal with friends
Did I mention that we like to stop and drink while on a Friends of Eric Tour? Trying local fruit wines and olive oils in a local market village.
Our Friends are also sometimes asked to participate in a fashion show. We travel in style and therefore obviously are asked to model the latest styles.
Italy (Sicily): Full day tour of Syracuse
In Sicily we rented a car and driver and visited some great Greek ruins and got to meander through the lovely town of Ortygia. We found a local restaurant to enjoy lunch and visited the crying Madonna statue.
Italy (Naples): Full day tour of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius with an archaeologist
This was a very unique tour and a great opportunity to visit two famous archaeological sites with a professional archaeologist. First we went to Herculaneum and found a wonderfully preserved city under 60 feet of ash. While Pompeii is more famous due to its size, Herculaneum was better preserved. Our guide was a retired professor of archaeology and wanted nothing more than to share everything he could about the great sites in the limited time he had. He could point out minute details about the ruins that any large tour group guide would have never even known about
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Here we have the worlds first fast food counter Herculaneum with Mt. Vesuvius
One of the many streets of Pompeii The Pompeii central market with Mt. Vesuvius
The path up Vesuvius The famous crater of Mt. Vesuvius
Italy (Livorno): Full day tour of Pisa and Florence
We had a full day tour of the Tuscan countryside. We started with a short trip to Pisa to see the famous tower. While on our way to Florence we made a stop in the Chianti region of Tuscany to see the vineyards. Once in Florence we had the opportunity to go see the Statue of David at the Accademia and countless masterpieces at the Uffizi. We had some time for lunch and to wander around the center of town to see the famous sights and buildings of Florence.
I am not a huge fan of art, but I could have spent hours looking at the statue of David. I can also see why people fall in love with Tuscany. We were there in November and it was beautiful, so I can only imagine it in full bloom during the summer time.
France (Toulon): Full day tour of Provence with local lunch and wine tasting
This was one of the more special tours that I organized. Our guide was a local and took us through the countryside and to a small fishing village of Cassis. Above which stands the highest ocean side cliff in France and some breathtaking views. In the village we sampled some french pastries (FOET tours loves the culinary experiences).
We visited Aix-en-Provence which is a wonderful city to walk through. We got to experience the Sunday market in town and came back with our hands full of purchases (soaps, table cloths, scarves, cookies and various artisan items).
Once we managed to escape the beauty of Aix-en-Provence we were off to a unique experience. We went to a local vineyard to sample their wines and have lunch prepared by a local chef, using all local ingredients. Once of the best meals of the trip (and we had some pretty spectacular meals on our cruise)
The vineyard where many locals come for lunch and some wine. When the locals come for Sunday brunch with the family, you know it has to be good.
The Moroccan Chicken and vegetables A chocolate mouse with fresh caramel drizzle