A Letter to the SF Chronicle from members of a 2000 Turkish tour:
"My wife and I just returned from a
sensational 21 day adventure in Turkey. With eight other travelers and our
guide (a USC Professor of Classics) we visited ancient archeological sites,
sailed the Turquoise Coast in a private yacht and marvelled at the art from
ancient civilizations.
The tour billed as "a tour for people who don't like tours" took us
from a tiny encampment of a few nomads to Istanbul with 10 million
people.
The Turks
are the friendliest people we've encountered in any country, the food rivals
that found in San Francisco, and the natural beauty is
astonishing.
The
cost includes an experience of a lifetime."
Jim & Jan Nixon
Daly City, CA
A Letter to the NY Times from members of a 2002 Greek tour:
"Ever wanted to see the art and archaeology of ancient Grece with a professor to explain it all to you? Longed to go on a university tour but were dazzled by the price tag of over $5,000 per peron? My wife and I discovered a way to see Greece with a polymath guide without the need to float a second mortgage. We just returned from a wonderful trip to Athens, the Peloponnese, Crete, and Santorini with Dick Caldwell, former professor of classical studies at USC. Dick can of course recount all the myths relevant to the places you will, see and also provide erudite rapid-fire tours of the best museums and archaeological sites in Greece. He knows more than all the guide books combined about Greece — art, literature, history, and language — and his infectious enthusiasm conveys his passion for the country. No pedant this professor — he personally took our tour group of eight to amazingly picturesque mountain villages, staged a picnic by the sea with a wonderful local Cretan host, and took us on a mission to find the most delicious Kalamata olives and olive oil to bring back home. The balance of ancient and modern beauty made a unique experience which we and our fellow ravellers agreed we would never forget. We can't wait to return for another tour with Dick to Turkey, which he promises is even better."
Patrick J. McGrath,
M.D.
3 June
2002
A Letter to the Washington Post from members of a 2001 Turkish tour:
"Your article about the difference between being on your own in Turkey and taking a tour was great. But how about a tour for people who don't like tours? We had the best of both worlds in July 2001, on a two week non-tour, tour. We traveled with Dick Caldwell, who runs Sporades Tours). Dick is a retired Classics professor, who has been taking groups to Turkey (and Greece) for more than 25 years. He actually bills his trips as "tours for people who don't like tours" which is one of the things that attracted us to his trip. Dick is a wonderful guide, speaking without ever referring to notes, about everything from the ancient world to the current political situation in Turkey. We saw spectacular sites, never ate in a restaurant where there was another tour group (and had fabulous food every time), and enjoyed every minute of the trip. Anyone considering a trip to Turkey should consider going with Sporades Tours."
Debra D. Yogodzinski
Alan R. Schwartz
Washington, D.C.
12 July 2002