Q & A
The Erie Canal and Beyond
Q. I am interested in making a canal trip up the Hudson River that includes the Lake Champlain canal, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario and the Erie Barge Canal. -- Donald Lord, Forest Hills, Queens
A. This route passes through calm canals, where the speed limit is typically 10 miles an hour, and across Lake Ontario, where open waters allow greater speed and winds call for more maneuverability. So you want a vessel versatile enough for both situations. The trip covers almost 700 miles and can take three to eight weeks, depending on route and pace.
Among the companies that can handle the trip are these:
Blue Heron Boating Vacations with offices in Mount Vernon, N.Y., (800) 320-1224 or (914) 668-1040, fax (914) 667-2762; www.blueheronboats.com. It does not supply a crew and requires that someone aboard have boating experience. Now in its fourth year, Blue Heron has two 34-foot trawlers based in Whitehall, N.Y. Each has two cabins and two bathrooms. The rate is $3,100 a week plus 7 percent New York State tax; that includes a 10-foot inflatable boat with a 3-horsepower engine, third-party liability insurance and canal fees. Discounts are available for long and out-of-season rentals. Fuel and dockage fees are extra.
Classic Cruiser Charters, based in Kingston, N.Y., (607) 397-9344, online at home.stny.rr.com/cccharters, is in its eighth year. The company, headed by Henry Geerken, provides a crew of three for the 47-foot motor yacht Ka-Dee-Ge. Passengers use the two aft staterooms, which have an adjoining shower and bath. Mr. Geerken, who estimates the trip will take six weeks or so, underscores that he is not interested in speed records. The total rate for one to four people is $1,500 a week, including tax, breakfast, lunch, fuel and the cost of canal passes. Passengers pay dockage fees (generally $1.25 to $1.75 a foot), if any.
For those planning a route, here's one way to go, suggested by Robert Reib, author of eight guidebooks about cruising in North America; (724) 775-4892; skipperbob.home.att.net. From Troy, head west 160 miles on the Erie Canal to the Oswego Canal. On the Oswego Canal, go north to Oswego, which is on Lake Ontario. Head north across the lake to Kingston, Ontario, where you enter the Rideau Canal. Traveling northeast on the Rideau Canal for 126 miles will take you to Ottawa. From there, you can continue to the outskirts of Montreal and then Sorel at which point you head south on the Richelieu River and Canal to Lake Champlain, the Champlain Canal and back to Troy and the Hudson. This 690-mile route passes through 99 locks.
The itinerary Mr. Geerken takes is similar. But after coming into Lake Ontario from Oswego, he heads for the St. Lawrence River and through the Thousand Islands rather than taking the Rideau Canal to Ottawa.
Information about the New York State Canal System: (800) 422-6254 or www.canals.state.ny.us. Inquiries about canals in Canada: (888) 773-8888 or www.parkscanada.gc.ca/searchengine/search--e.htm.
Greek Wine Festivals
Q. Having enjoyed the wine festivals in Greece, I would like to include at least the one in Dafni and Rhodes next year. Any idea of the dates? -- George Newman, Montclair, N.J.
A. Greece's increasing urbanization in the last decade has resulted in a decline in wine festivals, says Nick Cobb, who runs www.greekwinemakers.com. The site focuses on the variety of Greek wines.
The festival on the outskirts of Athens at Dafni is no more, Mr. Cobb reports. But on Rhodes a festival is scheduled at Embona, with the probable dates being Aug. 29 to 31, says Mary-Irene Triantafillou, area marketing director and exports manager of Emery Wines. Emery has a winery in Embona, on the northwest side of Rhodes, about 30 miles southwest of Rhodes town. It is open 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Information: www.emery.gr/visitorsguide.htm.
Other celebrations include these:
On Crete, Rethimno holds a 17-day festival, starting July 20. According to Yiannis Prokopakis, owner of the Veneto Hotel in Rethimno, which is about 40 miles west of the capital, Iraklio, typically there is traditional Cretan music and dancing in the evening.
In Anhialos, a village in northern Greece, nine miles northwest of Thessaloniki, a weeklong festival is to begin on Sept. 14. Information: www.wineroads.gr/engindex.htm.
A Stay in Verona
Q. I would like to rent an apartment in Verona -- not in the countryside -- for a month or so. Any suggestions? -- Camille Hoheb, Loudonville, N.Y.
A. If you go to a real estate agency, expect to be asked for two months' rent as a security deposit, which is returned at the end of a stay, and to pay extra for utilities -- which is the policy at both agencies listed here.
'With some luck you can find an apartment' though supply is not keeping pace with increasing demand, says Andrea Serafini, a real estate agent with Gruppo Forsale Immobiliare, at Via Lungadige Porta Vittoria 5A. The agency has about 40 apartments available starting at $550 a month plus a 20 percent commission. A one-bedroom furnished apartment in the center of town can be had for $1,200 a month. Information: (39) 045 800 4494 and (39) 045 800 30 7000, fax (39) 045 800 5798; e-mail centro@forsale.it.
The Turolla agency takes a month's rent as commission, says Rosanna Gaspari, one of its agents. Other charges, she says, are for upkeep of the building (usually about $50 a month) and for drawing up a contract (about 2 percent of the total rent for duration of the lease). A couple of 'lovely, new' studio apartments now available, Ms. Gaspari says, cost about $750 a month; there's also a one-bedroom with access to a garage for $1,136 a month. Information: Piazza Cittadella 15, (39) 045 803 6400, fax (39) 045 800 1044; e-mail ugo.turolla@libero.it.
Another option is a residence hall, which provides fresh sheets and towels regularly. Residence Verona House, at Via Antonio Provolo 3, has about 20 rooms, mostly studios and one-bedroom apartments. Longer stays cost less, but a deposit of 20 percent of a month's stay is required. For a month's stay in low season, November to January, it's $62 a night for a studio, $68 for one bedroom and $88 for a suite. Information: (39) 045 808 9311, fax (39) 045 800 1177; www.residenceveronahouse.com.
Residence San Zeno, Regaste San Zeno, 3, has upscale rooms and small apartments, with rates that run from $100 to $600 a night. For information, call (39) 045 59 7721, fax (39) 045 800 2439 or visit www.residencesanzenoverona.it.
PAUL FREIREICH
Q & A