New for 2010

It is a natural part of the passion for landscape to care for its continuity and few who love wilderness can be completely contented in the restless atmosphere of the city or the bland anonymity of suburbia. The temptation to make puns about carbon footprints can be overwhelming but walkers have long been aware of green issues and subliminally these may have formed a major part of our reasons to choose to travel where we do. Certainly few people are more aware of the pleasures that slow travel can give.

Travelling for pleasure is undergoing a quiet revolution in all areas. The gradual increase in awareness of how seriously we need to take the issue of climate change has combined with the new economic realism to create a more thoughtful and measured approach to where and, more particularly, why we travel. We felt it was right to mark that change in attitude with an equally measured response to the new realities of travel in the new decade that will soon be upon us.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

This newsletter and ‘brochure’ is the first in what we intend to be a continuing series of informative and enjoyable reports on what we are doing and where we are travelling. Each time we create a new trip or announce a walk we will publish a separate short itinerary and brochure. We hope that this will enable us to create new trips more easily and at shorter notice, responding to new opportunities. In addition we have created a new blog page on our website which will give details of where we are and what we are doing as well as thoughts about new travels. You can see our website at http://www.duendetravel.com/duendetravel2010/ or go directly to the blog at http://duendetravel.wordpress.com to keep up to date with our thoughts, travels and news. If you would like to receive regular updates by email please let us know at info@duende-travel.co.uk.

We hope that in turn you will feel free to comment and give us your ideas. We have always tried to respond to the suggestions of those who have walked with us in the past and we intend to make this a stronger feature of all we do in the future. Let us know where and when you would like to travel and we can often arrange a trip which will suit you. It only needs a lead from a few people to create the nucleus of a very successful trip.

SPRING 2010

We are starting 2010 with a magnificent trip in Provence. April is often the most beautiful time of the year in this region: there are few travellers, the blossoms are out and there are many sunny warm days with average high temperatures around 65 degrees. We have selected six of the best walks in the region and two of the very best hotels to visit: one in the city of Avignon and a lovely converted farm out in the country with one of the finest chefs in Provence.

NEW WALKS

We hope to announce a new walk very soon – research is currently taking place in northern Spain and we are expecting to be able to give more news in the New Year. Provisional dates are 23 to 30 May. If you would like to register your interest for this trip in advance of the itinerary please email info@duende-travel.co.uk or call 0870 7106666 to reserve a space. You will be given time after the trip is formally announced to confirm your reservation or cancel without charge.