✯ Daily Travel Destination: Positano, Italy

Situated among slopes of darling houses in the hills above and the Sirenuse Islands just off the coast—Positano offers boutique beauty on the sophisticated Amalfi coast.   Once an important seaport for transporting goods from northern Africa and beyond, this resort town offers much to do including Culinary Tours and the renowned Positano Ballet.  It is also just a stone’s throw from the island of Capri.

 

“The Real McCoy” … Term Coined From Shipments of Canadian Club Whiskey

Following Prohibition’s enactment in 1920, the Canadian Club distillery was the locale of many backroom deals, border-crossing car chases, and immense profits. Lore has it that influential customers, including Al Capone, spurred sales of the whisky in the U.S. CC became the “unofficial” Whisky of Prohibition. During this time Canadian Club was the most copied whisky bootlegged to America.  To insure customers like Al Capone
received the authentic CC, elaborately coded orders were sent to Bill McCoy, a Capone henchman working the shipping dock, who took care of his boss. Word of this got out and soon others were insisting they also receive the “Real McCoy”, and not a fake.

 

- Ray Pearson, Curator, Whiskey Tours Worldwide

 

✯ Daily Travel Destination: Dublin, Ireland

They say that in Dublin, Guinness beer is one of the four food groups… and it is here, in Dublin, that you can sip a frothy glass direct from the source at the Guinness factory.  Head out on a Literary Tour and follow the steps of James Joyce or Thomas Yeats to learn why UNESCO dedicated this as a literature heritage city.  Frolic through the wild flowers on a hike or a bike, relax at a luxury spa, shop the local stores, hit up one of the many festivals held throughout the year, learn about Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family, have some chips at a legendary pub where the fiddle practically plays itself…  Dublin.  Today’s Daily Travel Destination.

 

 

Photo © HaukeSteinberg.com

 

✯ Daily Travel Destination: Papeete, French Polynesia

Black pearls, black sands, white sands, volcano’s, lagoons… sounds like a mysterious paradise full of wonder, doesn’t it?  Papeete (Pahp-eee-ehtay) is one of Tahiti’s three major islands (along with Tahiti and Bora Bora) and has a lively night scene where wanderers can relax with locals after a day of people watching in Tahiti’s capital city.

 

“City of God” – Independence Missouri (Spiritual Tours Worldwide)

In 1831, hundreds of Mormons arrived, bought land, cleared farms, and built sturdy log homes. Leader and prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. declared this to be the city of God, also called Zion, placed a marker stone dedicating the site for a temple and drew up a plat for what would be a city of 15,000 to 20,000 residents. Economic, political, religious and cultural differences between the Mormons and Missouri “old settlers” arose and were fanned into flames by the issue of slavery. By 1833, armed conflict broke out, and the Mormons were driven north across the Missouri River, where they settled temporarily. In the winter of 1835, they crossed the Mississippi and established Nauvoo, Illinois. The story of the Mormons in Independence is colorfully reflected through displays, artifacts, a narrated tour and a audio/visual historical presentation in the lower level of the Mormon Visit Center. The upper level explains the beliefs and doctrines of the Mormons, known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now headquartered in Salt Lake City….

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Read more about this religious historical site on Spiritual Tours Worldwide. >>

 

Founder’s Sale: Discounted Services for Travel & Tourism Companies

 

Flash Sale for Tour Companies! Expires Friday, July 8th at Midnight.

Welcome to CityRoom’s “Insider’s Club” Inside Deals – Up to 80% off.

There has been a huge swing to “Flash Sales” (offers at very deep discounts) in the travel/tours market, primarily aimed at the travelers.  Over the past few days, that swing has shifted to include marketers like us.  So, we thought we’d give it a try.  For the next 36 hours, we are offering featured listings on our Maps at a promotional price.  (Offer expires Friday at midnight.)

Through our www.WorldwideToursDirectory.com group of sites created specifically for the Tours industry, we put your tours on the (Google) map.

See an example of our “Culinary Tours” map: http://www.cityroommaps.com/tours/culinary-tours.htm

To add your marker, go to http://www.worldwidetoursdirectory.com/advertising/ and select either our Standard or Featured Marker for $20 or $30 – an 80% discount!   (Use Coupon Code:  80 Off )

 

Let us help extend the reach of your tour company.

 

 

Welsh Seas Salt Spans Millenia

Sea salt from Anglesey, Wales is arguably the most pure, flavorful, and brilliantly white, of any on earth. On the coast of this small island of 85,000 inhabitants, in northwest Wales, David and Alison Lea-Wilson’s Anglesey Sea Salt Company harvests the superlative product known around the world as Halen Mon Sea Salt.

Salt production in Wales is no Johnny-come-lately enterprise. Alison explains, “Our island has been occupied by different invaders, including the Vikings, but it was the Romans who were the first recorded people to make salt here, around 50 AD”.

Indeed, salt’s economic and health value to humankind, predates recorded history. Neolithic Age settlements (about 9500 BC) were established at salt springs. The infancy of the salt trade was born during the Bronze Age (3500 – 1200 BC). Salt had great value during Rome’s glory days, to the extent of being used as salarium, “salary”, to Roman soldiers. Salt is mentioned in the Bible, Matthew 5:13 – “ye are the salt of the Earth”.

The mineral can be mined from within the earth, like coal, or “harvested” from sea water. Alison describes the unlikely first step in sea salt production in Anglesey: “We need a license to draw sea water. To get that, we have to apply and pay the Queen’s bank every year for the privilege of taking the water. The monarch owns all the shore around Great Britain.” A pipe goes into the waters of the Menai Strait, through a sand bank and mussel bed. Mussels are filter feeders, so the seawater is cleaned of organisms. Next, the water goes through carbon filters, and into the salt plant. Water is concentrated by the use of heat lamps to raise the level of salinity. Crystals begin to form on the surface of the water. As the crystals get larger and heavier, they fall to the bottom of the tank. Each morning the harvesters scoop out the crystals, rinse and drain them. The rinsing imparts a gem-like quality to the crystals, which are then dried in ovens, and packed by hand.

The main difference between Halen Mon Sea Salt and regular salt is in the snowflake-shaped crystalline structure. It gives a good “crunch” to the foods it’s on, and does not melt when put on hot food. About the brilliant color, Alison proudly explains, “It’s extremely white; in fact, it sparkles. People have said we must bleach it, but we don’t”.

Anglesey Sea Salt Company is the largest employer in the village of Brynsiencyn. The job of packing the salt is a skilled job, requiring about six months of training. Most of the employees are indigenous Welsh.

Halen Mon Sea Salt comes in several flavors. The smoked variety is gently infused with smoke from Welsh oak chippings, and has a sweeter edge. Alison’s most famous customer, Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle, WA, sprinkles this variety of salt on their Smoked Salt Caramel, which is reported to be one of President Obama’s favorite sweets.

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Ray Pearson | Curator, Whiskey Tours Worldwide

 

 

 

 

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