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Having a blast in Greece, Croatia
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Editor’s note:
To promote Hangzhou as a world-class tourism destination and lure more foreign visitors, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission organized Hangzhou China Global Tour 2015. Two families, one from China and the other from the US, were selected as Hangzhou ambassadors to tour seven countries while promoting Hangzhou.
The tour started on August 1 and lasts 30 days. The global tour includes a visit to Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu Province and then moves west along the Ancient Silk Road. It also includes stops on the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Dubrovnik in Croatia as well as Venice, Geneva, Paris, Boston and New York.
Shanghai Daily invited the Capaldi family, the US ambassadors, to write a weekly column during the trip. Today we carry their second article about their world tour.
Our family are the official US Ambassadors for the Hangzhou Global Tour 2015, and we are presently traveling around the world, telling people we meet about the beauties, the traditions, and the rich history of Hangzhou.
During our third week on the Global Tour we have had colorful adventures in many exotic places. We have also experienced some of the world’s most amazing sights: the historic majesty of the Acropolis and the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens; the hedonistic sensual ambiance of Mykonos and Santorini, two of the most beautiful Greek islands; the medieval castle and ancient stone structures of Dubrovnik in Croatia, and many more.
We have also had several wonderful surprises along the way, as when we learned that there are over 1,000 Chinese weddings held on the island of Santorini every year. This hit home when we met a young bride and groom, having pictures taken in their wedding attire, who turned out to be from Hangzhou. One of them has recently graduated from university in Boston, Massachusetts, a sister city to Hangzhou. We wished them good fortune in their life together.
Another surprise directly affected our tour. As we prepared to join the beautiful cruise ship Costa Deliziosa, our floating home for four days, we learned the Zhou Zhen family, the Chinese Ambassadors on the tour, had received a special invitation to attend the Milan Expo in Italy, and would be flying there the following day.
This last minute change in plans was a delightful surprise for them, and both families wished each other a safe journey and bon voyage as they stayed in Mykonos and we boarded the ship. The first rule of travel is “Be prepared for any eventuality.”
One great surprise was finding an antique, extremely rare English edition of Marco Polo’s book “My Travels,” in which he describes his visit to Hangzhou, which he called Kinsai, in great detail. To quote from his book, he writes of reaching “...the splendid city of Kinsai, whose name means ‘City of Heaven.’ It well merits the description, because it is without doubt the finest and most splendid city in the world.”
Indeed, who are we to disagree with the astute and insightful Marco Polo?
In all of the places we’ve visited on the Global Tour so far, we have shared stories, pictures, and videos about beautiful Hangzhou. We’ve exchanged gifts and made friends in Dunhuang and Athens, in Mykonos, Santorini and Dubrovnik, on the Costa Deliziosa, and even on our many airline flights. Our traveling troupe of 14 is learning how our similarities, and our differences, serve to give a clearer understanding of who we are.
Now, as the Global Tour forges ahead to Venice, Paris and beyond, we find ourselves thinking that if more people were given the tremendous opportunity we have been given — to travel the world together, we would all perhaps find ourselves in safer and more peaceful times.
Editor’s note:
To promote Hangzhou as a world-class tourism destination and lure more foreign visitors, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission organized Hangzhou China Global Tour 2015. Two families, one from China and the other from the US, were selected as Hangzhou ambassadors to tour seven countries while promoting Hangzhou.
The tour started on August 1 and lasts 30 days. The global tour includes a visit to Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu Province and then moves west along the Ancient Silk Road. It also includes stops on the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Dubrovnik in Croatia as well as Venice, Geneva, Paris, Boston and New York.
Shanghai Daily invited the Capaldi family, the US ambassadors, to write a weekly column during the trip. Today we carry their second article about their world tour.
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