Secret Squirrel’s Private Musings

Welcome to the ramblings of our favorite secret agent, and favorite ridiculous cartoon character of the 60’s: Secret Squirrel. Though Diaper Man certainly gives him a run for his money.

If you have reached this page in error (without use of either decoder ring or the password, swordfish), well, you probably won't find it very interesting. Even if you came here intentionally, you may have your doubts....

It offers the following chapters.

• News (updated in February, 2008)
  • A Strong Start to ‘08
  • “Alumni” departures
  • A “Family-Friendly” Loire Valley trip
  • A Chatty Overview of our 2007 Season
  • African Biking Shirts by Nicolas
  • Blue Marble Biking Jerseys, not by Nicolas
• Our “Referral Points” Program
  • How to Earn Points
  • How to Spend Points
    

NEWS

Early Observations on 2008

We were expecting this to be kind of a down year. What with everyone losing their houses, depression-era bank runs, jet fuel pricier than Uzbek mineral water at the aqua bar, and a US dollar so worthless that anyone who throws one into a wishing well gets struck by lightening, we would have understood if you just wanted to curl up into a ball and shiver.

Not a bit of it! In fact, our early sign-ups are actually up on last year’s (nearly 20% date for date). Spring trips filling nicely, a few mid-summer trips already full, and several little “open alumnae” groups adopting one or another trip, in some cases scheduling their own (more on those below).

We obviously approve. Yes, prices in Europe are silly if your base currency is Uncle Sam’s. But our trip prices have increased only a fraction of that, and so provide a pretty good “value haven.” And, frankly, this is unlikely to get better soon. The probable outcome of current US fiscal policy is a big spike in inflation, so your savings will soon be worthless wherever you spend them. May as well enjoy a warm summer day on a bike, surrounded by the scent of the vineyards and the harmony of the stone villages!

Many of the old hands who have run our show in recent years are likely to return in 2008: Blue Marble’s own Fidel Castro, Jimi Thomson is hoping to set a new record for “last year,” with his 7th in a row. Nicolas Clifford has Umbria in June, Denmark in July, Provence in October.... Tim Suba is doing the Dordogne trip in May. Lyn Donelson has a full dance card of trips. Brian Pistolesi has been saying for years that this would be his year to return. And Carlos Correa said he would be back this year, though he is about to become a father, and this seems ambitious to those of us who already are.... This would all be good news: these guys actually know where they are going, for the most part. ;-)



Alum Groups Forming

At this stage, there are six trips which still have space, peopled largely (or exclusively) with alums.

Gorges of the Cévennes on May 24th is the first. Always an alum favorite (no one else trusts us enough to go to a place they’ve never heard of), this is the trip that ran in ‘07 with no fewer than 3 Blue Marble coordinators, past and present, amongst its 8 riders. Suffice it to say that getting somone to help with your flat tires wasn’t much of an issue. In ‘08, we are offering a special 30% discount to alums who sign up between one month and one week prior to departure.

Next up is Umbria Unravelled, on June 1 (can actually be combined with the Cévennes trip mentioned above). This one is a pure alum construct, specially scheduled by folk who met in the Loire two years ago, and will mark a rare appearance by Nicolas in Italy (uh-oh).

The July 6 Denmark trip, with 10 sign-ups, is thus far an all-alumni-and-their-friends affair, again with Nicolas leading. His Danish is improving by the day. Capacity is 18, so it will probably be a near-total take-over. For those who have never seriously considered Denmark, it is time to! It is one of our most beautiful trips, through a truly unique part of Europe.

On August 9, we are running a “Family-Friendly” Loire Valley Cycle. Special arrangements for meals, luggage movement, room disposition in the hotels... are all on offer. Kiddie trailers and child seats available... we’ll even offer baby-sitting if you would like it (though it’s a bit pricey, since we have to send people we know, who come out from Paris). Probably space for two families left, though it depends on the size of the families....

Nicolas’ children, test subjects, on last year's Alsace trip, are pictured at right. Yes, you CAN travel with children!
This photo is mostly an excuse for Nicolas to show off his to a semi-captive audience....



Another alumni construct is a September 14 Provence trip. This one is not in the virtual catalogue, but it will approximately follow our regular route.... It was put together as an anniversary celebration by Tom Detroy and Cherie Zavitz (who met on the Provence trip 10 years ago — isn’t that sweet?). This is a “closed” trip, not in the catalogue, but if you know Tom and Cherie, or live in Phoenix, Arizona, we bet we could get you on....

The October 12 Provence trip is also all-alum for the moment, though this is a popular trip, and a few people are likely to drift in off the street before it fills.

Not a bad line-up, eh?





About 2007

A real blast!

Jimi, Nicolas and Lyn ran the bulk of the trips, and the echos were good.

Our ridership continued to climb towards its pre-Osama / Bush highs, with a 10% increase over 2006.

But, above all, it was just a fun summer! Fun people, good weather (not too hot, not too cold — except in Norway, which really got hit), beautiful scenery, and biking that just gets better every year, as the needs of cyclists are increasingly catered to in ways great in small, all over Europe.

We particularly enjoyed the Spring Cévennes trip (photo at right, thanks to Greg Green): 3 of the 8 riders were Blue Marble Coordinators, past and present (Nicolas, Greg, and Sue Sterling). Two others were multi-week alums. Leaving a surprised trio of newbies to wonder how they wound up on a trip with a bunch of eclectic loonies.

And then there was the alumni Alsace trip in June... beautiful weather, great company, and a gastronomic extravaganza that we will all long remember. It ended with a 6-hour lunch at the Michelin 3-star Auberge de L’Ile, in a beautiful garden setting. Most of the participants are still full. (Was anyone from the trip sober enough to have taken a good picture at the end of the meal?)

On a more personal note, Carlos Correa, our cheerful companion of the past two years, tied the knot with Karen Moscow, a Blue Marble rider for a decade now. Leading the rest of the coordinators from that span to wonder just what was wrong with us all those years.

Wasting no time, they are expecting a son this Spring.... Here is a photo. They clean up well, don’t they?

Nor was theirs the only Blue Marble engagement... Thad Vinson and Jill Cesari, who met in Switzerland in 2003, betrothed and were kind enough to let us know. They will be living in Japan for a year before, probably, moving to Europe. Look for Thad as Baggage Master in ‘09.

All in all, and for many different reasons, our best year since 2001, and one holding lots of happy promise for the future. We hope that those of you who joined us felt the same!



Anti Bike Gear Bike Gear, a.k.a. “Nico-Shirts”

Those of you who have cycled with Nicolas have often “noticed” his sartorial freedom, in particular with regard to bike gear. Vibrantly-colored African cloth bought on the Lomé market achieves approximately the visibility of the garbage-collector vests currently in vogue, and shows up better on flash photos. Button-down cotton provides the ventilation of lycra and then some, and dries as quickly. And you cut your panier contents by half: you wear a clean shirt to dinner, and then ride in the same shirt the next day.

Well, now you, too, can be a proud owner of a genuine, hand-tailored, Togolese, Blue Marble biking shirt. We have about 20 in hand, enough to satisfy the pent-up demand of all those of you who have asked over the years (he can’t actually remember anyone asking, but assumes it was just jealousy). More info is here. We can’t wait for our first “team Togo” sortie. If we don’t provoke at least one fender-bender, it’ll be quite a let-down.

And special thanks to our Danish Biking crew from last August, who put together a special order for the Lomé market that the local tailors are still talking about :-)


And Pro Bike Gear Bike Gear: Blue Marble Bike Jerseys!

Can you believe it? Despite the total lack of interest on Nicolas's part (he is not buying one -- and why should he? He has a lifetime supply of African biking shirts), we are offering full-zip, short-sleeved, 3-color jerseys, made by Nalini in Italy. The company was recommended by our in-house bike geek Jeff Kralik, so we are sure they are up to hardcore biking standards. But the logo includes a wine glass, so no one will confuse you with the folk on the Tour de France. Unless Georges DuBoeuf has started sponsoring a team, which he may have....

And, depending on the response, we may even do biking socks (Nicolas doesn't want those, either).

Information on ordering is here.



And lastly, a reminder to our alums....

Earn REFERRAL POINTS to get trip discounts (or even a free trip)

For each new rider you refer to our regularly scheduled trips, you receive “Referral Points.” These points can be used to earn discounts on future trips which you yourselves take.
Referal points do not apply to charter or guest-initiated trips.

Each rider referred earns a 5% - 8% discount on your next trip of similar length.
The exact formula takes into account trip lengths, additional friends who join in, and whether or not you travel on the same trip, so look through the details before you start spending your points. But, essentially, that sums it up.


How It Works

Earning Points

There are four ways to earn “Referral Points.”

(1) You earn 50 points per single rider referred, 70 points per couple referred (couples are any pair of people sharing the same room on the trip). You earn an additional 10 points per week travelled beyond the first, per single person (15 points per couple).

Example, if you refer a rider who travels on “Mozart and the Matterhorn” (trip length = 3 weeks), you would garner 70 referral points: 50 for the first week travelled, 10 more for each additional week. If a couple travelled, you would earn 100 points: 70 for the first week, 15 for each additional week).

(2) If the person you refer then brings along other friends and acquaintences (beyond the person sharing his or her room), you receive 20 more points for each of those travellers, as well (regardless of their trip length). The other travellers thus recruited by your friend earn points for you provided they sign up for their trips before your referee has travelled (regardless of whether they sign up for the same trip or not). If they sign up only once your referee has travelled, they are considered his or her referral.

If your friend in example (1), above, travels with two other friends, you receive 110 points, total (70 for the friend, 20 more for each person s/he brings).

(3) If you travel with your referee(s), you receive an additional 30 points per referee on the trip with you (45 points per couple of referees). This is true provided you spend at least the first week of your referee’s trip together (to help them adjust to our odd world).

Example: your referee travels on Mozart and the Matterhorn. If you travel on the “Italian Lakes” trip that comprises the first week of that “Mozart” trip, you receive 100 points instead of the 70 that you receive if your friend goes alone. You receive the same 100 points if you take the whole “Mozart” trip.

(4) If you put up flyers at your local gym, or give a talk to your spinning class, or send a company-wide e.mail... let us know where / when / how. A simple e.mail will suffice. You will receive 50 points for anyone who signs up citing that source, whether or not they name you.

The first person to claim a source receives credit for all bookings in that year from that source (and in subsequent years, unless and until the source is claimed by someone else). If you "maintain" a source for multiple years (continuing to put flyers in your gym, for instance), you retain your claim to it. But you must tell us each year that you are continuing your effort there.

More Detail....


Spending Points

Points buy trip discounts.

• 10 points spent purchase a 1% discount on a one-week trip.
  The price of the trip is considered to be the price of the trip alone (not including optional services such as baggage transfer, extra accommodation charges, etc.), after other discounts (if any) are applied.
• If you elect a 2-week trip, a 1% trip discount can be purchased for 12 points.
• If you elect a trip of 3 or more weeks, a 1% trip discount can be earned for 14 points.
  

Example: if you spend 110 points, and travel on A Week in Provence, you buy an 11% discount on the trip. If you go on a 2-week trip such as Alpine Lakes, you receive a discount of slightly over 9%. If you take Biking Transcontinental, your discount would be a bit under 8%.

Points may be spent on any trip to which you subscribe, in the year in which they are earned, or in subsequent years. See below for details.

There is no limit to the number of points you may spend on a given trip, up to the value of the trip + baggage services (if any) + extra accommodation charges (if any) + equipment rental (if any). Points may not be spent on things that we do not directly provide, such as “Access Packages” (where hotels and railroads generate the bulk of the costs).

Discounts obtained by spending points are cumulable with other discounts, such as “early sign-up” discounts, when offered. However, the percentage discount applies to the “net” cost of the trip, after other discounts are applied.

More Detail...


Fine Print

Generalities

• For the purposes of this program, each trip is rounded to the nearest “whole week” to determine its length. For instance, a trip comprising anywhere from 4 to 8 nights is considered to be a one-week trip.
• The terms for earning and spending points are subject to change without notice.
• The program is subject to termination without notice. We will, however, try to give you ample opportunity to spend any accumulated points.
  
  

Qualifying for the Program

• To qualify for the program, you must have travelled on at least one of our cycle trips at the time your referee subscribes to his or her trip.
  
  

Earning Referral Points

• Points are earned from any new rider who lists you on the “How Did You Hear About Us?” line on the trip application form when it is originally submitted, whether you are aware of their signing up or not. If you post a flyer, or send an e.mail, and make us aware of the effort, you will be credited with any rider citing that source (your gym, company cafeteria, wherever).
• Should a rider cite more than one informational source in the “How Did You Hear About Us” space on the trip application form, equal weight is assigned to each source. So, for example, if two sources are cited, you receive half the usual number of points for that rider. If the rider assigns a sequence (“John Westlake, then I looked you up on Google”), the first source in the sequence is considered to be the referral source.
• Points are earned only once the referree’s trip is completed. We reserve the right to not accord points in the unusual case where your referree hates us, hates the trip, and makes everyone miserable. Please do not refer wet blankets or fun vampires. We will be the sole judge of whether or not your referee is a fun vampire, but it is not a term we use lightly.
• Only guests who have never travelled with us before qualify to earn you referral points. You do not receive referral points for alums of our trips, even if they say that you are the one who initially told them about us, or who told them about the specific trip to which they are subscribing.
  
  

Using Referral Points

• Points not yet earned (for referees already signed up, but travelling later in the season than you do, for example), may still be used, but you must pay for the trip as if this discount did not apply. Once your referee(s) take their trips, you will receive a refund corresponding to the discount the earned points purchase. Points earned for referrees travelling with you on a trip may be spent to earn a discount on that same trip. In the event of a last-minute cancellation by the referree, however, the discount will be lost, and the difference must be paid prior to trip start.
• Points are personal. For the moment, they are not transferrable, but this may change in the future.
• Discounts purchased with Referral Points apply only to the trip itself, not to any optional extras, Access Packages, or other services.
• Fractional discounts (not an even percentage, but, for example 15.5%) are possible. The prices they lead to are rounded to the nearest whole currency unit (dollar or euro...).
  
  

Program Maintenance

• Points do not expire, at least not until we do. However, they have no financial value, and are not redeemable for anything but discounts on our trips.
• Points may be redeposited to your account without penalty if you are obligated to cancel a trip to which you have subscribed. However, cancellation fees will be based on the full cost of the trip, without the discount earned by spending your points. You may, at your discretion, choose to spend the points to lower the cost of the trip, and thus lessen the cancellation costs.
• Account statements will be sent annually (in the winter), if you have any accumulated points, and we have a current e.mail address for you. You may contact us at any time (by e.mail only, info@bluemarble.org) to ascertain the number of points on your account.