Featured Special

Tuscany Fall Cycling: Under a Tuscan Sun in the fall is much more tolerable with lower temperatures and a lack of tourists! September and October are ideal times to visit. Weather averages highs in the 70's in October and all the way through the end of the month is fine to travel. Grape harvest will take place during this time too, so some of the wine villages will be busy during harvest, but once the grapes are in, the festivities begin! We have 6 night trips, 4 night trips, and we can accommodate some custom requests. See full tour details at

http://www.pure-adventures.com/tours/cycling-italy.php

Some of the famous and important sites on this trip include: Pienza, Montalcino, Siena, and the chianti wine region around Castellina!. Full tour details at this link.

In the Spotlight

Hungary: Cycling along the Danube from Budapest to Vienna!

Budapest is of course one of the classic capitals of the new/old Europe! Some fall in love at first sight, and others take their time to appreciate the beauty and long history of this important city. The all import Danube River cuts the city in half - the hilly Buda side and the flatter Pest side make up the two banks.

So, as the capital city, Budapest is the first stop on the tour we offer from Budapest along the Danube to Sopron and on to Vienna. There is no way to see it all, and our time is short, but Budapest is a city full of sights! From Budapest the cycling goes along the Danube until Esztergom. Here is the impressive basilica (pictured). This site is a massive construction on the hill overlooking the Danube and well into current day Slovakia.  Built between 1822 and 1869, the cupola stands at 71.5 meters above the ground. (over 210 feet).  The crypt is also worth visiting.

The cycling then takes you on to Pannonhalma (UNESCO site), the 1000 year old Benedictine Abbey that still operates and is very influential in Hungary culture. The trip continues on eventually at Sopron... See full tour details here...

What's New

Provence Cycling - FREE Jersey Offer

Book any Provence 7 night tour between Aug 15 and Sept 15 for travel between Oct 1-31, and each person booked gets a Free cycling jersey! This applies to the Classic Provence, Luberon, and Vineyards and Lavender Tours.

Full details here...

PURE News

OPEN SKIES - the new agreement for air travel between the USA and Europe is expected to help lower fares and create more opportunities for travelers between the two continents. The agreement goes into effect in March 2008, so as the airlines position themselves now, we can hope to see some lower fares for the main Europe season starting next year!.

World Cup Rugby - Coming this Fall : Sept 7- Oct 20. The sixth Rugby World Cup will take place in France and Great Britain. Started in 1987, the Rugby World Cup occurs every four years. More than 2,400,000 fans will attend 48 matches hosted by 12 cities (ten in France, and two in Great Britain).

The cities in France are: Bordeaux, Lens (Northern France), Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Denis (Ile-de-France, Paris environs), Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse. Note that hotel space in Paris is VERY hard to get during this period!! Full details: www.france2007.fr

Hiking in Grindelwald: though we currently offer a program it is going to change for 2008. Don't know where is Grindelwald? How about Interlaken? Most people know Interlaken, and Grindelwald is very near, just a short train ride UP into the Jungfrau region. Have you heard of the Eiger? That famous rock of a mountain that was so hard to climb for so long is located, or should be said, dominates over Grindelwald. It seems you could fall off the Eiger and land in Grindelwald! The pictures at the right are from Grindelwald. A new very flexible hiking tour will be available in2008 for this region! For more details about the region, see our curret tour at http://www.pure-adventures.com/tours/hiking-grindelwald.php

Go Local!

Looking for a Gite rental in the south of France?! How about a nice little vineyard home tucked away in the vines of famous Rivesaltes appellation and yet only 15 minutes to the beach?! The Mas Cayrol is a charming and recently renovated house in the vines and as well surrounded by fruit trees of many varieties including peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, orange, lemon, and more. The house has been in the family for more than 150 years and for most of its history was a vineyard estate. The owners no longer produce wine, but the grapes are still there and are cultivated by others. The house itself has been recently renovated and while very comfortable, it isn't deluxe. Yet, the "acceuil" or welcome extended by the owners can't be beat anywhere. Mr et Mme FABRES are the sweetest people anyone could meet. BUT, they only speak French and Spanish! See property 116402 on www.gites-de-france.com

Self Guided Travel Tips

Fixing a flat tire - can you do it? You should know how to do this before you come on a self-guided trip as this is one thing you will have to take care of when it happens. On all of our trips we include all the materials you need to change a flat except the mechanic to do it! Be sure to visit your bike shop before traveling to get a short lesson if you don't know. Or, make your traveling partners take care of it for you!

Events

LEONARDO DA VINCI - THE EUROPEAN GENIUS: In the magnificent setting of the Basilica of Koekelberg from August 18, 2007 through March 15, 2008. The exhibition will show original documents, scale models, notebooks as well as several of Leonardo’s inventions. The exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome and is co-produced by « Europa 50 » and the European Commission.

The Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica, internationally known as the "Venice Film Festival", will once again be directed by the renowned Marco Müller. It is the oldest film festival still in existence today and will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, while continuing to take place in the Lido area. The 4 major sections featured in the festival are: In Competition, Out of Competition, Horizons (offering feature-length documentaries), and Corto Cortissimo (short films). The films featured in these four categories will be competing for the notable "Golden Lion".

Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc et des Graves Sept 8: A unique marathon through the Bordeaux/Médoc area and its legendary wine villages, châteaux estates and vineyards, the first and last to arrive at the finish line are honored in the same way: instead of a cash prize, they receive their weight in great wines. Music, costumed runners, partying, food and of course wine, are a regular staple. www.marathondumedoc.com 

Survey

no survey this month; results from past surveys include:

Newsletter content: areas of interest

cycling tours: 47%
both cycling and hiking: 33%
hiking tours: 6%
multisport: 14%

Top destinations of interest:

France: 80%, Italy 73%, Holland/Belgium 40%, Spain 33% and mid 20% for all other countries.