The Åland Islands or Åland (pronounced "Oh-lahnd") are a group of small islands officially belonging to Finland in the Baltic Sea, consisting a surrounding archipelago. It is autonomous, demilitarised and is the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in Finland. Åland's original name was in the Proto-Norse language - Ahvaland which means "Land of Water". In Swedish, this first developed into Áland and eventually into Åland, literally "river land"—even though rivers are not a prominent feature of Åland's geography. The Finnish and Estonian names of the island, Ahvenanmaa and Ahvenamaa ("perch land"), are seen to preserve another form of the old name.
I was so pleased with a recent trip that I wanted to share my satisfying experience.
My mother and sisters and I have a tradition of celebrating milestone birthdays by going on a trip together. Our travel agent, Diane Ross, planned a trip-of-a-lifetime for us. We wanted to cruise, but also to tour. Because Mom is 88, navigating around a large ship would have been too strenuous. A river cruise was the answer! Diane had so much knowledge about various lines, and was able to narrow down the selection for us. An elegant environment was important to us, as well as cuisine. She found an ideal itinerary and knew which cabins were the most spacious and well-located. The ship’s staff knowledge of the (60th) birthday made the celebration more memorable (which Diane facilitated). She inquired about our interests to enhance our enjoyment of the trip. As a result, while docked in Paris, she arranged a Walking Tour of chocolate boutiques for us! Everyone loves chocolate, but I think few travel agents take the time to learn about their clients’ likes and dislikes, so that they can personalize their trip in such a lovely and different way. In addition to her professionalism, Diane’s depth of traveling experience allows her to recommend and implement trips for clients on every scale, from a local getaway to an around-the-world voyage. I can’t recommend her services highly enough“
By IJ, Cherry Hill NJ trip to Best Western Travel Inn Hotel