Dale Says

We had booked a guided cycling and sailing tour for a week on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, and we were slightly anxious about who our traveling companions would be.  It’s always a crapshoot when you book a group tour, and we were going to be spending all day and night with these people for a week. 

When we boarded our ship the group was already eating dinner.  There were two couples from Vancouver, British Columbia on board who knew each other, and by the time we arrived they were working on dinner, a bottle of red wine, and having a great time.  We joined them at the open places at the table and quickly found out they shared our interest in good food, of which there was plenty, and our love of travel (especially by bicycle). 

Ian and Colleen are good cyclists and enthusiastic travelers, and they enjoy seeing, touching, and sensing the countries they travel to.  She is a retired teacher, mother, writer, and cancer survivor.  He is a successful businessman who is retiring and wants to travel more.  Both are knowledgeable and confident, yet humble and generous.  They told us stories, shared travel experiences, taught us new card games, and sat up nights playing games and laughing with us. 

Danny and Francien are truly worldly. He is Scottish-Canadian, with a genuine Scottish accent, which we eventually got used to.  He works for an oil company, is stationed in Africa, and spends several days each month traveling back and forth to his job.  He has a buoyant personality and frequently breaks into song.  Francien is Dutch-Canadian, enthusiastic, and has a terrific sense of humor.  She is also an excellent cyclist, and her determination and persistence inspired us to make it to the top of the many hills. 

Our Canadian companions shared a lot with us that week; including their terrific sense of adventure, enduring good moods (even when the weather didn’t cooperate), and their love of new experiences.  They greatly enhanced our trip, and we were fortunate to have them as mates.