By tour leader Ingrid Reichard Yesterday was a full day – Cana, Nazareth, Har Meggido, Gideon’s Spring and many kilometres in-between. We got together under a big tree at our Kibbutz to reflect on the last 4 days – […]
Our Sunday in Israel Well, we did not make it church today – not the way we normally do anyway. We sang a worship song and prayed on the bus, read scripture, fellowship together, and listened to a few […]
By tour leader Ingrid Reichard Today was a surreal day. We walked on the ground that Jesus walked on – the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We started by setting a contemplative mood, and by 8:30 am […]
By tour leader Ayold Fanoy Today was a good day to spend mostly outside. We started at the picturesque cheese village of Edam and heard all the Anabaptist/Mennonite history of this place in their Mennonite church. The weather forecast […]
By tour leader Ingrid Reichard The fact that we lost a night seems to be creating confusion. A few times today people asked “What day is it?” or “Is it really Friday?” Yes, it was Friday, which means the […]
By tour leader Ingrid Reichard The red-eye flight, necessary to make it to the Middle East, is probably the toughest part of our journey. We all made it over the pond and to Tel Aviv without an incident and […]
By tour leader Ayold Fanoy With a complete group we explored the city of Haarlem Tuesday. In the morning we took a walking tour, ending at the Teylers museum where we had a wonderful guided tour. After that it […]
By tour leader Ingrid Reichard Some days are filled with more anticipation than others. Any day that involves locking the front doors of your home behind you, getting to the airport, and making your way to the Middle East […]
As you may have heard in the news, Cape Town has been experiencing a serious drought. We want to assure you that we are proactively monitoring the situation in consultation with our contacts on the ground in South Africa. […]
Interest in family history has grown in popularity over the last several decades. In fact, in the USA, genealogy is the second most popular hobby after gardening! So what are some of the benefits of uncovering your Mennonite heritage? Five benefits […]
Choosing to go on a TourMagination group tour is an investment of your precious time and money. You want to be sure you’re going to have an outstanding experience. Tour leaders have a significant impact on the quality of […]
In 2016, approximately 12 million North Americans took a river or ocean cruise. Around the world, there are almost 1,000 ports of call accessible to cruise ships. What makes cruising so popular? Most things are included in the cost […]
Do you have an Anabaptist heritage? Join an Anabaptist Heritage tour with Ayold Fanoy in 2018: European Heritage Tour in the Netherlands & Belgium, with Ayold Fanoy, April 23 to May 4, 2018 Life & Times of Early Anabaptists, […]
We were deeply saddened to hear of the unexpected and tragic passing of David Friesen last week. We mourn with David’s wife Trudy, son John, and other family members. David led several tours to Mexico with TourMagination. He will […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader The campers packed up early and arrived Thursday morning for breakfast and we learned it had been a peaceful night despite the constant chatter of the penguins. Apparently a leopard seal had parked itself […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader The Fram travelled further south throughout the night and we woke to an announcement that we had arrived at the small island where Port Lockroy is located. One of the four young women that […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader Today we started our day by travelling into Wilhelmina Bay to witness the massive glaciers and many humpback whales keeping company with the thousands of icebergs and growlers (icebergs smaller than 5 meters in […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader We awoke to an announcement that we had arrived at Cuverville Island which was surrounded by massive icebergs that the captain and his team had skillfully navigated through early in the morning. Our landing […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader It was early in the morning when our ship carefully entered the narrow entrance into Deception Island which is actually an active volcano and uniquely, a volcano crater accessible by boat. The last time […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader We arrived at Half Moon Bay around 8:00 a.m. under bright blue skies, temperatures just above freezing and little to no breeze. We stepped onto this island amongst thousands of chinstrap penguins breeding everywhere […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader We arrived at Brown Bluff early in the morning after cruising across the Bransfield Strait. This is the most northerly point of the Antarctic peninsula and this would be our first actual landing. The […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader Our charter flight to Ushuaia (the most southerly city in the world) arrived without issue and after we claimed our bags we had about four hours to enjoy some local excursions or visit the […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader Following some challenging flights due to winter weather issues in eastern North America we all managed to settle into the luxurious Hotel Emperador located within walking distance to the Puerto Madero, a historic port […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader Friday in Riquewihr, France was a real treat. The scenic ride from our remote docking location took us through flat farmland to the rolling hillsides almost entirely draped by wine grape vineyards. As we […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader The AmaSonata (our luxurious river boat) cruised most of the night and into the morning which offered a relaxing start to the day. By noon we docked in Mannheim which would serve as our […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader The AmaSonata cruised 300+ km (186 miles) through the night down the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the River Rhine and by lunchtime on Monday we arrived at our docking platform in Cologne, Germany. Our group […]
By Terry Petkau, tour leader The “Christmas Markets on the Rhine” tour began on Saturday, December 2 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands where we boarded the AmaSonata, a massive three level river vessel which will serve as our floating luxury […]
By Len Friesen Robert Mugabe’s recent “retirement” in Zimbabwe provides a good opportunity to reconsider the remarkable legacy of Nelson Mandela, the first President of a post-Apartheid South Africa. There are, interestingly enough, many parallels between them. Both were […]
By Ervin Stutzman, Tour Leader On Thursday, we began the day with an overview of the city on the Mount of Olives at the Seven Arches Hotel. A lookout provided a panoramic view of the old city from the […]
On Wednesday, November 8 the Trump administration announced that it will be tightening travel restrictions in Cuba for American citizens. Americans are still allowed to fly to Cuba under new rules issued by the US government, but they must […]
By Ervin Stutzman, Tour Leader Today we left Tiberius to head south toward the Dead Sea, and ultimately to Jerusalem. That took us out of Israel into the West Bank, which is Palestinian territory. As we drove along the […]
By Ervin Stutzman, Tour Leader Today our tour group drove through Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first miracle, on the way to Nazareth. What was once a sleepy village of perhaps forty homes in Jesus’ time has […]
By Ervin Stutzman, Tour Leader After the group arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on November 4, we spent a couple of hours in a part of the city that is the ancient city of Jaffa, […]
As the India tour progresses, more and more locals are anxious to join us for group photos as illustrated by this shot from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Amritsar is a city in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab about […]
Well well, we have reached that stage of the final day. We’ve had our final meal in a lovely setting and are now settled in for a whole 5 hours of sleep (!) before we start our journey home. […]
Monday, October 16, 2017 Despite flight delays, the group arrived in good spirits and are great tour members. We celebrated all birthdays and Ben and Erna’s 60th anniversary with treats we bought at a bakery the first meal we were […]
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 For many in the group this was the highlight of the trip, at least in advance. For so many had heard of the Hermitage. This art gallery, one of the largest in the world, is […]
Monday, October 16, 2017 If it’s Monday it must be St. Petersburg, at least for this fine cohort of travellers. We arrived in the late afternoon on Sunday, and settled into our Crowne Plaza Ligovsky. The location could not […]
Sunday, 15 October 2017 It’s Sunday morning in Moscow, our last morning here. Some are still getting going, others are at breakfast (and quite a spread it is), while still others have gone to their rooms to pack for […]
Friday, October 13, 2017 Today was a rather conventional day in Moscow, but that only tells half the story. The conventional part was the first half of the day when we went to the Moscow Kremlin and toured the […]
By Len Friesen, Tour Leader “So why would someone (bother to) lead a tour for TourMagination?” I was asked that question on the first day of this trip by someone who has known me for decades (my former high […]
By Len Friesen, Tour Leader Well, well, the TourMagination tour for 2017 is up and running. We arrived in Moscow earlier today after a couple of smooth flights across the Atlantic, and then from Frankfurt to Russia’s capital city. […]
By John Schroeder, Tour Leader The adventure begins. Soufflé appetizers. Soufflé main course. Soufflé deserts drowned in chocolate, Grand Marnier or Calvados. I think I’m gonna like this trip!! Good thing we do 4 hours of walking tomorrow […]
by Sandra Reimer Here we are at Christ Church in Dublin on our first day of the tour. Our guide Antoinette told us that the cathedral was built in 1029. It has been a functioning church for almost 1000 […]
For those in the Waterloo region, an event that might be of interest is “Peace on Paper: What’s Ahead for Colombia?” CLICK HERE to read more at the Woolwich Observer.
We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Roma and John Ruth on the loss of their beloved daughter Dawn Ruth Nelson. Dawn passed away at the age of 65 on August 21, 2017 at her parents’ home […]
Tour leader Allan Rudy Froese on the Rhine Cruise with our youngest tour member Sam. Happy Birthday Sue! Way to keep it healthy. Sam relaxing with his grandparents Keith and Judy on an afternoon cruise along the Rhine in [...]
by Bob and Margaret Nally “Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you.” (prayer to St. Brendan the Navigator). We have […]
Many of you may know Shirley Redekop. She has led TourMagination tours on her own and with her husband Fred. Shirley recently approached us about putting together a women’s tour. As President of Mennonite Women Canada, Shirley is passionate […]
by Wilmer Martin, tour leader On Thursday morning we traveled to Torgau. This city in Germany was important during the Reformation as it allowed the first Protestant designated worship space. We visited the Castle Chapel and sang a song […]
by Wilmer Martin, tour leader On Monday after a driving tour of the Nazi sites of Nuremberg, we traveled to Bamberg. We enjoyed visiting the Romanesque Cathedral, dating to 11th century. The Monastery Church was closed for renovations; however, […]
by Len Friesen, tour leader I have just returned from a long walk through the heart of St. Petersburg, a city that has played such a powerful role in my life over many years. My TourMagination group has […]
by Hart Wiens, tour participant This trip has been one of those “bucket list” activities for Ginny and me. We had long talked about visiting the country where our parents and several generations before them lived. Friends kept […]
by Len Friesen, tour leader It is our second morning in St. Petersburg, and it is striking how quickly members of our group have gotten a feel for this majestic city of canals, rivers, and palaces. Typical of […]
By Wilmer Martin, tour leader TourMagination’s Celebrating 500 Years of the Reformation & Life of Martin Luther began in Frankfurt on Friday. At our welcome dinner at the Mercure Hotel the conversation around our three tables was intense as our tour […]
By Len Friesen, tour leader We had a bit of a bus city tour on Friday morning: from the Kremlin to the Bolshoi Theatre to St. Basil’s. We then toured the Kremlin itself, that great fortress at the […]
by Len Friesen, tour leader It’s been a magical if slightly sleep-deprived 36 hours or so. I’ll summarize in three snapshots: 1. The first snapshot: Our final banquet in Zaporozhe seems to have barely happened, but it was […]
by Len Friesen, tour leader What a couple of days it has been. We returned to the vast Molotschna settlement yesterday but for a very different day. First off was a small village where people invited us in to […]
by Len Friesen, tour leader Prelude: Our Ukraine/Russia tour for 2017 is off to a flying start. We came to Zaporozhzhe by many paths, such that yesterday was our first real meeting time: but one and all should […]
We are staying in a lovely hotel, The North Star, from the 1890’s that is beautifully restored. The breakfast was wonderful, and abundant with fresh Irish breads. Within walking distance of Trinity College, Dublin Castle , the River Liffey […]
Bob and Margaret Nally, tour leaders for our upcoming Sights, Sounds, and Sacred Spaces of Ireland tour in September, have just left to spend a month traveling in Ireland. During their travels they’re reviewing the route for the tour […]
We are on a tour of discovery of Dutch culture, tulips and hyacinths, and Menno Simons. Our first engagement was with the very warm and hospitable Pieter and Martha Postma. They invited us for tea to their traditional Dutch […]
Sometimes solo travelers who inquire about our tours worry that they’ll feel out of place among couples. A good balance of couples and singles travel with us on most tours. If desired, we assist travellers to find roommates and […]
We offer our deepest condolences to John and Michele Sharp as they grieve for their son Michael, who was tragically killed while working for peace in the DR Congo. Many of you may have traveled with John on a […]
“The Spirit is always reforming us and that shows up in our art, in our paintings, in our sculptures, and in our architecture” says Allan Rudy-Froese, Assistant Professor of Christian Proclamation at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. He also says […]
Our first night at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney was a welcome rest and like the majority of hotels throughout the tour it was an ideal central location which allowed for plenty of quality eating establishments and great […]
What is Celtic Spirituality? by Margaret Nally Celtic Spirituality draws its inspiration from the earliest manifestations of Christianity in the wild western edges of Europe. Its prayers and practices were also motivated by the wisdom of an older understanding […]
“The Celtic world knows darkness and pain, but rejoices in light, poetry, song and celebration. It displays penitence and the heights of praise.” Join Irish-born Margaret Nally, leader of TourMagination’s Sights, Sounds & Sacred Space of Ireland tour, at […]
Saturday morning began with a short walk from our hotel to the wharf where we were welcomed on-board a Reef Magic Catamaran Cruiser and once we completed the safety briefing and departed the wharf it took about 1 ½ […]
We loaded the bus in Melbourne Wednesday morning and headed for the airport. There was some anxiety when we got stuck in a traffic jam on the highway but it didn’t hold us back too much in the end. […]
Our guide Fay met us in the hotel lobby to take us on the city tour of Melbourne. It made sense to start later in the morning so we didn’t have to contend with the typical morning traffic, especially […]
Our last full day in New Zealand was a welcome free day to take in the sights in and around Queenstown, NZ. Some of the group joined a tour to some film locations of movies like Lord of the […]
We had arrived to Mount Cook late on Wednesday but caught a glimpse of the impressive Alps of New Zealand (NZ) amongst the broken clouds. Following a delicious buffet dinner at the Hermitage Hotel we were looking forward to […]
It was an early start to the day as we had many sights to take in around Rotorua, NZ. Our first stop was Rainbow Springs where Rainbow Trout are hatched and raised for seeding lakes and streams around Northern […]
Touring Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve in Te Puia, near Rotorua, New Zealand. The group stopped on a bridge while enjoying a fascinating private tour that included steaming geysers and bubbling mud pools.
The long flight from San Francisco to New Zealand was very manageable as the Air New Zealand crew provided a very good service and most of the group were able to catch some sleep before our arrival. We landed […]
We enjoyed a beautiful day in the Viñales region. It is largely a tobacco growing region because the soil conditions are ideal for tobacco. We stopped at a lookout to see the Viñales valley, an absolutely beautiful view. […]
On Sunday we worshiped with a Brethren in Christ church about 30 minutes outside of Havana. It was a small congregation that meets in the pastor’s home, but this Sunday knowing that we were coming, another congregation from a […]
Our first two days in Cuba were full of so much learning. We landed in Varadero to sunny skies and to everyone’s delight we immediately saw some of the iconic classic cars of Cuba. On our way to Havana […]
On Thursday, February 9, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, TourMagination will host a Mennonite Family History Night in collaboration with Mennonite Archives of Ontario in the Community Education Room (Room 2202) at Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Rd […]
by Kelly Schroeder I’ve fallen in love with vegetables, or more specifically, vegetable gardening. I have loved vegetables for a long time already. On a trip to South Africa in 2014, my husband John and I visited an […]
Friday morning we visited the War Remnants Museum. This was a very moving experience for each one in the group. The museum speaks for itself, recording the impact of the war in different regions of Vietnam, as well as […]
