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Here's a little inspiration for the coming weekend.

Tags: Alps

A Hand Crafted group on a walk along the Via dell'Amore on Italy's Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre is one of the most rugged and beautiful sections of Italy's coast, five tiny villages clinging to the cliffs. Historically linked only by sea or by a narrow trail along the cliff, the villages are easy to reach now, thanks to the train line. Unfortunately the Via dell'Amore is closed for the foreseeable future, due to a rock slide. Other sections of the trail are open, but their status changes frequently.

Get up to date information on the Cinque Terre, and any other destination in Europe, by scheduling a Trip Planning session with Bryan.

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Visit the poignant beaches of D-Day, discover the rugged Brittany Coast, dine at an elegant estate in chateaux country, and spend three memorable nights in Paris on one of our most comprehensive Northern France and Normandy tours – AND for a limited time get great savings on airfare.

There are still seats available on June and July departures, starting at $6990 per person, double occupancy (land only).

One upfront, flat round-trip price per person covers air from US and Canadian gateways:

• $890 Economy Class
• $1,490 Premium Economy Class
• $3,490 Business Class

Special air price is available for new bookings only made January 9 – February 28, 2017. Valid for departures March 1 through August 31, 2017.

Contact us for a detailed itinerary.

Tags: Loire Valley, Normandy, Paris

I can't tell you how many times I've sat in an airplane seat on a long-haul flight, and been part way through a decent movie when the flight attendants announce that there's a problem with the in-flight entertainment system, so they're going to re-boot – and I'll have to start watching from the beginning. Or how many times I've suffered through a screen with less than perfect pixels. Or felt sorry for the person two rows up whose screen isn't working, and who sits staring at the blank screen in front of them, while everybody else is watching a movie. If the airlines have their way, that will all be history, because they want to get rid of screens altogether.

By some estimates, the screens for in-flight entertainment make up about 10% of the cost of an aircraft. Add to that the maintenance issues, increased fuel costs from the weight of the screens, and satisfaction issues due to customer complaints. It's easy to understand why the airlines want to get rid of them.

With so many people bringing laptops, tablets and smartphones with them, it makes sense for the airlines to ditch those costs. Bring your own entertainment with you, or the airlines can stream content to users via on-board wifi – either way the savings will be huge for the airlines.

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