Why Oxford is Called the City of Dreaming Spires?

Why Oxford is Called the City of Dreaming Spires?

By: Globus
Oxford has long-served as an inspiring landscape to writers, artists and dreamers. In his poem, “Thyrsis,” written to commemorate his friend, Arthur Hugh Clough, who died in 1861, Matthew Arnold famously captured Oxford in the view from Hinksey Hill with the evocative expression, “that sweet city with her dreaming spires,” describing the elegance of the famous university buildings.

Today, the view from Hinksey Hill is less dreamy, despite the greensward foreground of “Matthew Arnold’s Field,” which was purchased by the Oxford Preservation Trust in 1928. Now, those spires are best appreciated from atop St. Mary’s or Carfax Towers in town. Other literary treats lie in Oxford’s Christ Church College, where Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) was a mathematics tutor from 1855 to 1898. He created his stories Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to entertain the daughters of Dean Henry Liddell. Much of his inspiration came from Christ Church, including the long-necked “firedogs” that hold the logs in the fireplace (Alice’s neck stretched long), the narrow spiral staircase down which the Dean would disappear after meals (down the rabbit hole) and the mulberry tree outside the library where a cat would perch (the Cheshire Cat).

Today, a stained glass window in the Hall depicts scenes and characters from the stories. And, of course the Hall was used in the Harry Potter movies as the dining hall at Hogwarts. For the less lofty, a stained glass window in Christ Church Cathedral tells the story of St. Frideswide, Oxford’s patron saint, with her deathbed panel bowing to modern convention. The window was made in 1858 – a year after the aptly named Thomas Crapper invented the flush toilet. Thus, a flush toilet sits clearly in the background of the final dramatic panel of this famous stained window.

Destinations aren’t just places on a map. They’re the backdrop for some of the most fascinating stories in history. What story might you discover next with Globus and The Little Travel Consultant?

3 Big Benefits to Booking a Condo with a Travel Agent

3 Big Benefits to Booking a Condo with a Travel Agent

By: Outrigger Condominium Collection
Recently we've all been hearing a lot of our clients telling us that they are booking a condo directly with an owner, rather than with a travel agent, because it costs less.
Before you make that decision, let us explain the benefits of booking through a travel agent and a reputable management company, like Outrigger Hospitality. Here are three great reasons to book with a travel agent.

1. You will be able to check-in and check-out at the front desk of the property vs. having to go to another off-property location, like a realty office, to pick up the key.
2. You will enjoy regularly scheduled housekeeping services.
   • With owner-direct bookings, the unit may only be cleaned only after the guest leaves.
   • If you need or want certain types of housekeeping or maintenance services during their stay, and if they booked direct with the owner, they may have to arrange for these services themselves, via the owner or the owner's representative. If you book through the agent, we'll take care of this for you.
3. You will have overall peace of mind knowing that you have an experienced travel agent behind you if you need assistance to make your vacation experience match your expectations.

It's your vacation and your time to relax. Let us book your condo for you. Give The Little Travel Consultant a call to book your next Outrigger getaway to any of the Hawaiian Islands.

Best of Italy

Best of Italy

By: Francis Touschek and Insight Vacations
1500 miles of undiluted history of art, architecture and above all, human endeavour. A cross section of 3000 years of history, beautifully displayed, tangibly visible and also “exhausting”.

Every moment of this tour is a constant reminder of human ingenuity and fallibility. An exhaustive trip to the roots of western civilisation. A trip of a lifetime.

From the primordial and indigenous tribes of the Italian Peninsula, to the nomadic tribes of Asia Minor, the exciting Greek influence, the glories of the Roman empire, the gloom of the dark ages and the Barbaric hords, the Arab and Norman invasions, the sophistication of the Swabe dynasty, the apotheosis of the Italian Renaissance, the gradual decline, the Spanish and French invasions and finally the utopic dream come true, the unity of Italy in 1861.

Italy is not only a beautiful and fascinating country, it is also a beautiful way of life. Every facet of this country is to be experienced, understood and frequently pardoned. It is sometimes confusing and yet proud, chaotic and efficient at the same time, a world-leading industrial and financial reality and yet politically a banana republic. A country of extreme contradictions. A country of sailors and poets, a country of frustrations and indifference.

Every moment of the “Best of Italy” is aimed to share with you a whirlwind experience of a country worthy of many repeat visits, a taste of (always) better things to come, never a dull moment. You leave with a lingering feeling of enrichment and an extraordinary feeling of humility. You will leave with a sense of achievement.

For all the above reasons and many more, you have to experience the truly Best of Italy.

Contact The Little Travel Consultant and get ready for the Best of Italy.