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China 2005: A New and Ancient World
Tentative: Sept 2-16, 2005*
Estimated cost: $2799
(including all hotels, land costs, most meals and 6 flights inside China!!-excluding internat’l airfare – Cost is based on a group of 11 to 15 participants, double occupancy-for a group of 6 to 10, the cost will be $2949. – Single supplement: est. $475.)
*(An optional extension in Shanghai is possible.)
TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Beijing: Here the new and ancient worlds collide. Amid the bustle of a vast and modern city, there are some of the most astonishing and beautiful manifestations of the past. You will visit The Forbidden City to glimpse the opulent life and traditions of the Ming and later Qing emperors who ruled into the 20th century. Sacred sites, such as the Yong He Gong lamasery, will introduce you to some of the powerful spiritual traditions of Chinese culture. You will explore the narrow alleys of some of the old hutong neighborhoods and dine in style on delectable Beijing duck and other culinary specialties.
Sept 2: depart USA (B, L, D on airplane)
Sept 3: arrival-transfer to Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel-welcome dinner. (D)
Sept 4: Tian’an men Square with Mao Memorial Mausoleum-the Forbidden City and Jing Shan Park-lunch-Yong He Gong Lama Temple-hutong tour by pedicab-dinner of local Beijing specialties.
(B, L, D)
Sept 5: The Great Wall at Badaling-lunch-afternoon options: visit the Summer Palace or explore other sites your own, such as the Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, National Museum of China, China Art Gallery-Beijing duck dinner. (B, L, D)
  
Chengde: A real jewel, overlooked by most foreign tourists in favor of the sights in Beijing, Chengde was a sleepy village until just over 300 years ago, when Emperor Kangxi decided to build a summer villa in the mountains to escape the bustle of the city. The charms of the hills, lakes and gardens were not lost on Kangxi’s successors, and by the time the great emperor Qianlong completed his additions, the walled compound was bigger than Beijing’s Forbidden City and Summer Palace combined and was surrounded by a dazzling array of magnificent temples. We will leave our heavier luggage in Beijing and take overnight bags for a stay in a charming, traditional-style courtyard hotel adjacent to Puning Monastery.
Sept 6: Morning train through the farmlands and mountains to Chengde-lunch-visit the Imperial Mountain Villa, including royal apartments, lakes and gardens-dinner-overnight at Puning Hotel. (B,
L, D)
  
Sept 7: Visit Puning, The Temple of Universal Peace, built in 1755 as a replica of the Samyai Monastery in Tibet. We will also visit the magnificent Putuozongchengzhimiao, also built in the 18th century as a copy of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. From its rooftop we will have panoramic views of the mountains, fantastic rock formations and shrines that drew the Qing emperors to spend so much of their time here. Lunch-afternoon return to Beijing for overnight at Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel. (B, L)
  
Xi’an: Long before Beijing became an important city, Xi’an was the center of the Chinese world for many centuries. It certainly rivaled Rome and Constantinople as the greatest and most cultured city in the world. It is the only large Chinese city with nearly intact city walls, originally from the Tang dynasty about 1500 years ago. More than 2000 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified all China for the first time and ruled from here. (Film buffs should see the recent movie Hero, which fictionalizes events surrounding the ascent of this emperor.) Near his tomb, a peasant digging a well in 1974 made one of the 20th century’s most important and amazing archeological discoveries-the buried army of at least 8,000 to 10,000 life-size warriors and horses, fashioned of terra cotta and outfitted with arms and
even chariots.
Sept 8: Morning flight from Beijing to Xi’an-lunch-afternoon tour of the excavations and museums at Bingmayong to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and to learn about the early history of China-we will see the lively city center around the Bell Tower and Drum Tower where we will enjoy a dinner of famous Xi’an dumplings–evening stroll around the fountains near the Big Goose Pagoda. (B, L, D)
Sept 9: This morning we can explore the city impressive city walls and visit the Shaanxi Museum, which houses a beautiful collection of art and artifacts from China’s many dynastic ages-lunch-afternoon flight to Guilin. (B, L)
Guilin: In and around Guilin, we will begin to experience the lush southern reaches of China. The entire region, especially along the Li River, is studded with incredible karst peaks which jut vertically from landscapes of rice paddies, scenic villages, and farmers driving their water buffalo ahead of them. At every turn, the scenes are like classic Chinese paintings, come to life. One day, we will also drive through the bamboo forests in the mountains to see amazing vistas of rice terraces like steps to the clouds and to visit some of the many ethnic minorities of the region: particularly charming are the women of the Yao villages with floor-length hair and rich musical and handcraft traditions.
Sept 9: Evening arrival from Xi’an-dinner and stroll around the lakes near the Guilin Park Hotel. (D)
 
 
Sept 10: Today promises to be a highlight of our trip: a morning on the Li River, sailing on a small river cruise boat from Guilin to Yangshuo. We will pass hrough a surreal landscape of peaks and sheer rock walls draped with lush greenery. Whether in stark sunshine or in ethereal mist, every bend of the river reveals a fantasy world. Lunch on board-afternoon visit to a village tourist park for a ride in small boats past houses, gardens and fields. Villagers from local ethnic groups demonstrate handcrafts and provide entertainment. After dinner, you may choose to attend an optional evening of dance an acrobatics at a theater in Guilin. (B, L, D)
Sept 11: All-day trip into another storybook region in Guangxi Province, near the town of Longji. The rugged mountains of the Dragon’s Backbone harbor tiny ethnic villages and picturesque rice terraces up to the mountain crests. If the weather is clear, we can ascend (on foot or by sedan chair!) to the lookout points above the houses and fields, where we will also have lunch. Especially charming
are the long-haired Yao women, who can be persuaded to demonstrate their dancing and singing and to show off their amazing tresses. We will visit one of our favorite Yao villages, before returning to Guilin for dinner. (B, L, D)
Sept 12: Morning visit to scenic sites in Guilin, including Qixing Gongyuan Park, Elephant Hill, and the lakes and riverside of this charming city-lunch-afternoon flight via Kunming to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
Lijiang: Yunnan Province in the Southwest of China is amazingly varied. It includes many minority nationalities and vastly different landscapes, from jungles along the Burma border to high mountains near Tibet. It is impossible to see everything in one trip, but we will take time to explore carefully one of the most beautiful regions. Lijiang lies in the far northwest of the province and is the home of the Naxi people, an ancient and strongly matriarchal group descended from Tibetan tribes. The old city is a maze of winding, cobbled lanes, gushing canals, stone bridges and low-slung wood-and-tile houses. This area may have inspired the fictional “Shangri-La,” and you will venture out to see some of the towering peaks, deep valleys, and mountain meadows where yaks are the local livestock.
Sept 12: Evening arrival at our courtyard hotel, the Yulong Garden Hotel, nestled in the edge of Lijiang’s Old Town.
 
Sept 13: To get acquainted with this amazing town, we will take a morning walking tour of the old city, including Sifang Jie (the old market square, where Naxi men and women gather daily to socialize and dance) and the Mu local chieftain residence. After a lunch of local food, we will visit Yuhu Naxi village and the former home of Joseph Rock (the famous and somewhat eccentric Austro-American botanist and explorer who stayed on and off in Lijiang from 1922 to 1949). After dinner, you may choose to attend a charming dance performance which celebrates the ethnic diversity of Yunnan Province. (B, L, D)
 
Sept 14: Today we will go to the high meadows around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. If the skies are friendly, we can see the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. We will stop at white water river, see herdsmen with their yaks, and take a lift to Dragon Spruce Meadow to enjoy the forest and mountain vistas. Lunch-then free time to explore the city, shop for handcrafts, and watch the Naxi people dance
in the town squares. (B, L)
Sept 15: For another mountain adventure, we will go by way of Stone Drum Town and Qiaotou village to Tiger Leaping Gorge. After making its first bend, the Yangzi River (here called the Jinsha Jiang) rushes between peaks some 12,000 feet above it. Everywhere here are breathtaking views of one of the deepest chasms in China. Lunch-afternoon return to Lijiang. (B, L, D)
  
Sept 16: Flights from Lijiang to Kunming to Shanghai for connection to the USA. Shanghai Option: You may extend your stay for 1, 2, or several days in the amazing city of Shanghai. Once it was seen as the exotic, mysterious and lawless city of adventurers, gamblers, dandies, tycoons, missionaries, pimps and international intrigue. Now it is a stunning modern metropolis of skyscrapers and high finance, but it still retains some vestiges of its past. We will be happy to arrange for a hotel in the city center and for other services if you wish.
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May 21 to June 5, 1999 Italy, the Art of Passionate Living
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May 21 to June 5, 1999 $3,195 (plus air)
Italy, the Art of Passionate Living
Venice, Tuscany and the North
Program itinerary:
May 21 — Departure from USA
Overnight connection to Venice.
(Dinner, Breakfast on airplane)
May 22, 23, 24, 25 — Venice
Venice is truly one of those few places on the earth which is a unique testament to the greatness, imagination, adaptablility and ingenuity of the human spirit. It is still staggering to contemplate that a great and powerful city, which attracted the finest art, architecture, music and cultural events of each age for well over 1000 years ónot to mention attracting riches from the exotic ends of the worldó, could have risen on the mud flats and small islands of a shallow lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. In few other places did human beings become so wedded to a watery environment (almost becoming amphibians, some have joked) and then transform those inhospitable surroundings with such magnificent style.
By the time Marco Polo and his father NicolÚ set off for China and the court of Kublai Khan in the 13th century, Venice had already been a powerful force in the trade, politics and warfare of the known world for centuries. Venice had grown wealthy and also had developed a unique system of political leadership under the rule of the Great Council and the doges.
We will spend 4 nights Venice. We will explore on foot and by boat the different districts and islands which make up the city. With the help of colleagues and friends who make this their home, we will wander along the maze of streets and waterways, but we will also help you and allow you the time to find your own passions and interests.
And we will savor the taste of Venice’s culinary tradition with its wealth of sea-food dishes, pastas, risottos and more. Although there is no room for vinyards in Venice’s urban center, wine is an import-ant part of Venetian good living, and we will spend several days in the areas of the Veneto region where that wine is grown.
On one day, we will take a day trip from Venice to the stroll in the historic city of Padua in the Veneto region, where one of the first universities was founded,and where Galileo Galilei taught physics. We will also explore the historic villages, such as Arqua Petrarca, and the hills and vinyards where the great 14th-century poet Petrarch spent his last days.
(3 Special Meals)
May 26, 27 — Countryside near Asolo
The Veneto region is a land of contrasts. Not only are incomparable cities, such as Padua, Vicenza and Verona here, but it has rich agricultural land, lovely lakes, the dizzying Alpine peaks of the Dolomites, and some of Italy’s most charming towns. It is rich in cultural heritage. The 16th-century masterpieces of one of the most famous of all European architects, Andrea Palladio, dot the landscape. We have chosen to spend our nights away from the bustle at an inn among the vinyards! Here we will enjoy the mingling of the natural and the historic worlds.
On one day, our Italian host for 2 weeks, my friend Teresa Carta, will proudly show us her native city Vicenza (home also, by the way, to Paladio’s most famous works). Together we will also visit the beautiful old town of Bassano at the foot of Monte Grappa, and here we will have dinner with Teresa’s local friends. You will want to sample some of the many varieties of one of Italy’s most famous firewaters here, because this is the homeland of grappa.
You may choose to spend part of one day strolling the countryside through the vinyards, or you may choose a more robust hike on the edge of the Dolomites. But part of our day will belong to Asolo, a jewel of a hilltop town in the cypress-clad hills, which was beloved by Italian and foreign writers, including Robert Browning.
(Special Dinner)
May 28 — The Ligurian Riviera
As we leave the charms of the Veneto region behind, we plan to stop in Verona. The historic center has been the bustling heart of the city since the days of the Roman Empire. At its core the Roman arena still stands today. And here we can remember the lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The original tale was written by the poet Luigi da Porto of nearby Vicenza ó but it is Shakespeare’s version of the fate of these “star-crossed lovers,” which has become an indelible part of our collective Western consciousness.
We will then hasten on to a romantic interlude in our trip. The Ligurian Riviera is more than one of the major stops for the yachts of the jet set and for the paparazzi who follow them; it is one of the most lovely parts of the Mediterranean coastline, and some of it is still nearly inaccessable to visitors. We will stay near the Portofino peninsula, so that you can follow your heart and soak in the beauty. We can spend the evening and the following day exploring óby boat and on footó Portofino, Santa Margerita, or Rapallo, and rocky coastline, crowned with cypresses and washed by gentle waves. With considerable justification, the tiny harbor of Portofino is often said to be the most picturesque in Italy.
May 29, 30, 31, Jun 1, 2, 3, 4 — Castello Montegufoni, Tuscany
Tuscany! The word itself is somehow magic! In so many ways Tuscany seems to be the very cradle of our Western culture: we think of artists and architects: Michael-angelo, Leonardo, Boticelli, Brunelleschi….; of poets: Dante, Boccaccio….; of political leaders, demigogues and reformers: the Medici princes, Machiavelli, Savonarola …..; of scientists and engineers: Galileo came to the leaning tower in Pisa to test his theories about gravity, and Leonardo’s imagination planned machines which could not be built until the 20th century….
Yet Tuscany is so much more than Culture with a capital “C.” It has kept its rural, small town, folk atmosphere to a remarkable degree. Farmers, housewives, shopkeepers and children gather in town squares which have appeared the same for centuries; local residents may live in stone farmhouses or in village apartments above the bakeries and butcher shops which have been managed by their families for generations; many of them tend vinyards which may have produced wine at the time of Caesar; they meet in hilltop cafes and on country roads to chat, to gossip and to strengthen their bonds of family and friendship. In the Chianti Valley and in neighboring regions, winegrowers, large and small, tend their vines to produce an incredible variety of tempting beverages. Along with those wines, country inns serve up local cheeses and sausages, fresh vegetables, tasty pasta and succulent meats.
We will spend an entire week in apartments at the historic hilltop Castle Montegufoni!! It is in the countryside, surrounded by gardens, its own vinyards, and olive groves. The week will be organized to allow for flexibility, depend-ing on your interests. On many days, you will have options. Some of you will want to spend more time among the artistic glories of Florence, and some would prefer to loiter in towns in the Chianti region, or just take a day to relax and stroll to nearby towns. We will do our best to help you find your own favorite places .
Your choices will include excursions to nearly every part of Tuscany: We will see Florence, of course; the glorious old city of Siena and the fantastical hilltop towers of the village of San Gimignano await us; the towns and local wines of the Chianti region are incomparable; you can visit the great walled city of Lucca (and also Pisa, if you wish); the towns and monasteries near Arezzo and the fortified hilltop towns, like Montepulciano are magical invitations to another time and another world.
(4 Special Meals)
Jun 5 — Florence to USA
Transfer to airport for flight to USA.
(Lunch, Dinner on airplane)
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July 28 to Aug 11, 1999 Mozart and Much More
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July 28 to Aug 11, 1999 $3,295 (plus air)
Mozart and Much More
including: Vienna, Prague, the Salzburg Music Festival
Program itinerary:
July 28 — Departure from USA
Overnight connection to Vienna.
(Dinner, Breakfast on airplane)
July 29, 30, 31, Aug 1 — Vienna
Your faculty guides will help you dis- cover the wonders of the past two millenia in the bustling center of Vienna, all within easy strolling distance of the hotel. The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius died here; later the Babenberg dynasty and then the Habsburgs made this their capital. We will contrast ancient Romanesque and Gothic churches (including the great Cathe- dral of St. Stephen) with the joyous Baroque fantasies of swirling stone and plaster which have flavored the elegant atmosphere of city palaces and churches since the 17th century.
Near the Ring, the grand boulevard around the center of the city, we will see great museums, theaters and palaces and will also find reminders that at the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna was one of the birthplaces of modernism: this was the city of Otto Wagner’s innovative architecture, of the fascinating and shocking paintings of Klimt and Schiele and of the challeng- ingly dissonant music of Schönberg and Berg. Of course, we will visit sites which remind us that Mozart spent most of his last years here. From the heights in the Vienna Woods we can descend to the city like the imperial troops who ar- rived in 1684 to rescue Vienna from the second Turkish siege, which was the origin, according to the tales, of both Viennese coffeehouses and croissants.
On Sunday you may want to attend Mass in one of Vienna’s magnificent churches. And on one evening we will, like Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven, enjoy the conviviality of a “Heurigen,” a traditional vintner-owned wine house, where we will have dinner and sample the new vintage. You can be assured that we will not join the usual rows of tourist buses; your faculty guides have their favorite wine gardens on the edge of the vineyards where the Viennese like to relax.
(2 Special Meals)
Aug 2 — Vienna to Prague
A ride through the beautiful countryside along the Danube River will bring us to the Wachau district, famous for its lovely old river towns, its hills topped with castle ruins and great monasteries, and especially for its wine. The great river has flowed through many ages of human history here:
–To the Romans it represented the remote edge of their empire, a defensive line against the wild Celtic and Germanic tribes of central Europe, and the local culture preserves one of the most enduring legacies of the Romans to the region: wine!
–In the Middle Ages the Danube was the only reliable highway for crusaders, mer- chants, nobles and their ladies; it was the conduit for exotic wares from the East and the West and also for the stories and songs of minstrels who were drawn to the court in Vienna. In the cozy town of Dürnstein, where England’s Richard, the Lion-Heart, was imprisoned (and discovered, says the legend, by his faithful minstrel Blondel), we will relive tales of knights and chivalry.
–Nearby monasteries, such as the great Benedictine abbey of Melk, demonstrate how dramatically the aroque style of the 16th and 17th centuries rejected the values of austerity and restraint and tried to replicate the glories of heaven on earth!
We have planned a special meal to share local culinary delights with you. Then we will cross the Czech border, which until recently represented the Iron Curtain between Eastern Europe and the West. Small gems, such as the restored town of Telc° are along our path on the drive to the “Golden City,” Prague.
(Special Lunch)
Aug 3, 4 — Prague
We will explore the historic inner city, paying special attention the the sites associated with the Czech struggle against Soviet rule and the “Gentle Revolution” of 1989, and we will also see the monuments of Prague’s glorious past. Near the Old Town Square with its city hall and one of Europe’s oldest mechanical clocks are Charles University (the oldest in central Europe), the old Jewish Quarter (where legend says that Rabbi Löwe brought his clay man, the Golem, to life), the theater where Mozart saw the successful produc- tion of Don Giovanni, and sites associated with the Renaissance astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, the reformer Jan Hus, and the writer Franz Kafka. The ancient Charles Bridge spans the lovely Vltava River (the Moldau) below the Hradc ° any Castle district, where we will also see the Gothic magnificence of St. Vitus Cathedral, the Golden Lane, and much more. In the evenings the faculty will take you on a stroll through the Old Town to discover the magic of Prague at night. You will also meet some of their Czech friends, who will help you see this glorious city through the eyes of those who have lived through its recent history.
You will want to save some time to shop for renowned Bohemia crystal and other souvenirs. On one evening we will invite you for a sampling of the best of Czech cuisine, accompanied by Moravian wine or excellent and justly famous Czech beer!
(2 Special Meals)
Aug 5 — Prague to Cesky Krumlov
An trip into the region of the Bohemian Forest will bring us to and idyllic retreat for Czech campers, canoers, swimmers and hikers along the upper Moldau River, inspiration for the music of Smetana. In the Communist era, the romantic woods and historic ccastles in this border region were off-limits to most visitors from the “West.” Cesky Krumlov is a jewel–one of the most complete medieval towns in central Europe; it has been a haven for artists and musi- cians; and vigorous restoration is helping it regain its reputation as one of Europe’s most beautiful town and castle complexes.
Aug 6 — Cesky Krumlov to Salzburg
A drive through forests, villages and farmlands will bring us back to Austria, and on our way to Salzburg, we will stop for a specially arranged meal among the mountains and lakes. Then we will enter what many have claimed to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities and will join the festivities at one of the world’s premier musical events–the Salzburg Festival!!
(Special Lunch)
Aug 7, 8, 9, 10 — Salzburg
Our schedule in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, will accommodate the various opera and concert schedules of tour participants. The Festival attracts many of the world’s leading musicians, and each member of our group will have tickets to three of these events as part of the tour. Your faculty guides will help to prepare you for the concerts and operas.
You will also explore the city of Salzburg with your faculty guides and their Austrian friends. The history of this city also goes back to Roman times and it was later ruled by the Archbishops of Salzburg for centuries. The fortress castle, St. Peter’s abbey, the Cathedral, the Nonnberg cloister, the narrow streets and spacious plazas will invite us to feel the spirit of past centuries. We will also take a group excursion to Hellbrunn Castle, where the amazing waterworks will show us the boyish trickster in one archbishop and will keep us all on our toes!
A day’s trip through the Salzkammer- gut district will take us into the heart of some of Austria’s most awe-inspiring scenery. We have arranged a special meal here, where villages cling to mountain slopes above crystal-clear lakes, and also another special meal in Salzburg before we reluctantly leave.
(2 Special Meals)
Aug 11 — Salzburg to USA
Transfer to airport for flight to USA.
(Lunch, Dinner on airplane)
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Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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