Connections
Welcome on a journey of discovery as we take you inside some of our favorite destinations, places and unique experiences around the world.
April showers bring
May flowers
It’s that time of year when the sun stays out longer, the birds return from their southern retreat and the flowers once again begin blooming across nature’s canvas, blank from winter.
Spring has awakened.
While here in the United States, spring is synonymous with Easter, daylight savings time, baseball and the home stretch to summer vacation, in other parts of the world, spring is represented by a number of different traditions or events that mark the arrival of the season.
Japan – cherry blossom season
In Japan, there is nothing more iconic than the cherry blossoms. Home to over 600 different species, the arrival of springtime marks the blooming of these stunning trees, known as sakura, and alongside it comes celebration. Referred to as Hanemi, meaning “viewing flowers,” these celebrations have taken place across Japan for over a millennium and include picnics, sake celebrations, tea ceremonies, live performances, dances, and the lighting of paper lanterns – all taking place in fields and areas surrounded by the illustrious cherry blossoms.
Switzerland – Sechseläuten
In Zurich, Switzerland locals celebrate Sechseläuten, a centuries-old tradition heralding in the beginning of spring. Donning historical costumes and joined by music ensembles, horses, flowers and flags, Sechseläuten is a two-day celebration culminating with the lighting of the Böögg, a snowman figure whose head is filled with fireworks, symbolizing the end of winter. Similar to Groundhog Day, legend has it that the faster the Böögg’s head explodes, the finer the summer will be.
India – Holi
Celebrating the end of winter (as well as the eternal love of the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna), Holi is a full day celebration starting on the evening of the full moon (Purnima) in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna (which Gregorian calendar followers know as March). During this time, songs and dances are performed, friends and family come together and most notably, people smear each other with bright, vibrant colors called gulal, representing the playful relationship Radha and Krishna once shared. Celebrated across India, in recent years Holi has spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the Western world as well!
The Netherlands – tulip festival
Each year in the Netherlands, over 7 million tulips, hyacinths, orchids, roses, carnations, irises and lilies bloom coinciding with the arrival of spring, providing locals and fellow travelers with an array of colorful scenery that would make Dr. Seuss jealous. To commemorate this time of year, the city of Amsterdam hosts its annual tulip festival, highlighting 85 different locations across the city where the fully bloomed tulips are on display.
Stories from the road
In early March, a team of Tauck employees joined partners in Europe for our annual “River Kickoff,” – a time of learning and preparation for the year’s upcoming river cruising season.
20 years of memories on the water
When we began blending our land experience with our strong passion for cruising in our first European river cruise back in 1992, we knew that no “ordinary” river cruise would do for our guests. We wanted them to travel Europe’s rivers in the same beyond-the-ordinary Tauck style they experienced on our land journeys.
With that in mind, we searched for a partner that would share our values and our commitment to “do the right thing” by our guests, and in 2004 we were able to find that partner in another family-owned company – Scylla.
9 custom-crafted riverboats, 6 rivers and 1 longstanding partnership later, Scylla has been instrumental in helping make our guests’ dreams come true. For the past 20 years, we have had the privilege of working with Scylla and together, we’ve crafted a river cruising experience that’s ahead of its time and inspired by the destinations we explore.
We thank them for their commitment to our guests and congratulate Scylla and the Reitsma family on their 50th anniversary.
In the news
Learn more about some current events happening around the world this month.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a… total solar eclipse?!
Earlier this month, the United States witnessed a total solar eclipse! Those in parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine were within the “path of totality” where the eclipse is at its best (and darkest!) Occurring when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, this phenomenon happens once every 18 months, although an eclipse won’t occur again in this same area for at least another 350 years! So we hope you were able to see this one (with protective glasses of course).
“The fastest two minutes in sports”
2024 marks the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, one of the most prolific events in all of sports.
Nicknamed “The Run for the Roses” for the blanket of roses that are draped over the winning horse, the Kentucky Derby is best known as the first leg of the Triple Crown, a title given to the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes & Belmont Stakes, a legendary feat that has only been achieved 13 times and is the most prestigious title in horseracing.
Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the origins of the Kentucky Derby date back to 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Alongside its sibling, the Kentucky Oaks, the Derby and the Oaks are both the oldest continuously held major sporting events in the United States and the only two horse races to be run annually since their inception.
One of the most watched and attended sporting events in the United States, attendance at the Derby averages 150,000 spectators each year and 14.8 million viewers tuned in to watch Mage take home the gold in 2023!
A highlight visit on our “Bluegrass and Blue Ridges: Louisville to Nashville” tour, be sure to tune in on May 4 and see who takes home the gold and “wears the roses.”
In case you missed it
Looking to take a river cruise on the Rhine? Our Rhine Guide is the perfect resource to help you pick the right journey!
Our recent insideTauck presentation gives you a sneak peek into the magic of New Zealand on a virtual exploration across Rotorua and Queenstown.
Reader’s Poll
What you would like to see in our upcoming insideTauck events?
