ITALY
Our grand adventure begins. This afternoon we depart from Dallas for Venice via London on British Airways to explore the wonders and beauties of Italy. BON VOYAGE!
This morning we visit the captivating ‘City in the Sea,’ Venice. The ‘Queen of the Adriatic’ is considered by many to be the most unusual city in the world. Built for defense on a group of tiny islands, it is a labyrinth of 150 canals and is graced by hundreds of bridges and abounding with narrow alleys and canyon-like footpaths. The vast S-shaped Grand Canal flows serenely under the Rialto Bridge and past more than 200 palaces, which line its two and a half mile course. Much of the architectural splendor of Venice is of Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance marble.
During our walking tour, we will visit the 11/16th-century Byzantine St. Mark's Cathedral to see the Pala d'Oro, a magnificent jewel-encrusted altar piece whose origin dates back to 1105. The Evangelist Mark is buried under the main altar. We will also visit the Doge's Palace, adjacent to the Grand Lagoon, which is of striking beauty. It contains works of the great Venetian masters: Tintoretto, Bellini, Tiepolo, Veronese, Titian (Tiziano), and Carpaccio. We then visit the Bridge of Sighs, over which so many unfortunates had their last view of the outside world. It was built in the 16th century and leads from the Doge's Palace to the prison. We then walk around St. Mark's Square and see the Clock Tower, whose two huge bronze Moors parade and strike the time every 15 minutes. Completing the tour is the Campanile, and Rialto Bridge.
The afternoon and evening are free to explore this lovely city on our own.
This morning we leave Venice and drive to Florence, a city of cultural treasures located on the banks of the Arno. Florence reached its peak during the full flowering of Italy’s Renaissance period. Today, the city’s true inspiration is found in the unexpected—in an ornate bridge, in gorgeous sunsets, and in the discovery of an obscure statue. Upon arrival in Florence, we check in at our hotel, with the remainder of the day free to explore this lovely city.
Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Galileo contributed to the intellectual life of Florence while Michelangelo, Giotto, Cimabue, Ghiberti, Donatello, Botticelli, and the Della Robbias left their aesthetic imprints.
Today we will enjoy the sights of Florence with our local guide. We will see the lovely Piazza del Duomo, Giotto’s Campanile, the magnificent Brunellschi Dome of the Cathedral, and the Baptistry’s incomparable bronze doors by Pisano and Ghiberti (said by Michelangelo to be worthy of the Gates of Paradise). We will also see the Piazza della Signoria, the city’s most handsome square, which is an outdoor museum of marvelous statuary and fountains; the Uffizi Gallery with what has been acclaimed as the best collection of paintings in the world spanning the 13th to 17th centuries; the frequently photographed Ponte Vecchio; the 14th-Century double-decked bridge, which is lined with a beehive of shops; Santa Croce Church; and the Piazzale Michelangelo, with its sweeping view of the River Arno. During our sightseeing tour, we will also visit the famous Galleria dell’ Accademia, where David, Michelangelo’s masterpiece, is displayed.
The entire day is free to explore this historical city on your own.
This morning we leave Florence and drive through the Tuscan countryside to San Gimignano. A hill town with a soaring skyline of 12th- and 13th-century towers, San Gimignano has hardly changed since the Middle Ages, when pilgrims passed through the town on their way south to Rome. The 14th-century Palazzo Popolo houses the Municipal Museum; while the Collegiata, San Gimignano's biggest church, contains one of the great works of renaissance painting—Ghirlandaio's decoration of the Chapel of St. Fina.
We then drive south to Montalcino, where we will have some free time to explore the town. The name of Montalcino is familiar to wine lovers. The vine-clad slopes below this delightful hilltop town produce excellent Brunello wines, whose fame has spread well beyond the confines of Italy. The local people promote their wine with a shop and tasting bar (Enoteca) inside the grounds of the formidable Fortezza, the town’s 14th-century castle; and a wine exhibition inside the Palazzo Comunale, the Town Hall. A short drive takes us to the Castello Banfi estate, where we stop at the estate vineyard.
We then continue our journey south to Rome, Italy's Eternal City. Upon arrival, we check in at our hotel. Rising out of both banks of the Tiber and on the slopes of seven hills, Rome has remained for centuries a shrine for all those who come to look in awe upon its art and mighty ruins. It is the city of the Pope, of Caesars, of large piazzas, and of lovely palaces and fountains wherever you look.
The highly fashionable Romans seem not to notice that their daily routines are performed against the most incredible backdrop of antiquities. Everywhere are amazing ruins of temples and classical columns. Today we will see the highlights of this incredible civilization.
This morning, we visit the Vatican Museums, which display the treasures of the Holy Roman Empire that have been cultivated over centuries. We visit the Sistine Chapel, which features Michelangelo's beautiful ceiling fresco depicting the creation of man. We also enter into St. Peter's Basilica, the holiest of all churches to the world's one billion Catholics. As you stand inside the very heart of Catholicism, take a moment to marvel at the magnificent gold altar and marble embellishments.
In the afternoon, we see Piazza Navonna; Piazza Venezia, flanked by the enormous, alabaster-white marble monument to Victor Emmanuel II; the legendary Trevi Fountain; and the stupendous Roman Forum, one of Rome's most photographed landmarks. We will also visit the storied Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death and Olympic Games were held.
This morning we leave Rome and drive south to Herculaneum, where we will have an expertly guided tour of the excavations. Named after Hercules, this town was once a quiet resort by the sea. Following the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, volcanic mud preserved much of the town with its frescoes—sculptures and mosaics intact—though the mud has made excavations difficult. Look out for the House of the Wooden Partition, the Trellis House, and the House of the Mosaic Atrium, as well as the public baths and gymnasium.
After our very interesting visit, we continue our journey to Sorrento. Upon arrival in Sorrento, we check in at our hotel.
The entire day is free to explore Sorrento on your own. It is one of the loveliest of the southern Italian resorts and is famed for its gardens. There is a heady scent of citrus blossoms wafting through the town from the numerous orange and lemon groves in the surrounding countryside. Sorrento’s shops sell marquetry objects, the speciality of local artisans, and you can view examples of this specialty in the Correale di Terranova Museum.
Day 11 |
SORRENTO / NAPLES / LONDON |
This morning we leave Sorrento, as our scenic drive takes us along the Amalfi Coast to the Naples airport. Approached by a steep road full of hairpin bends, we make a short stop in the stunning seaside resort, Amalfi. In the early Middle Ages, Amalfi was the seat of a powerful maritime republic that dominated trade in the western Mediterranean. We then drive to Naples airport.
“Arrivederci!”— this afternoon we reluctantly bid farewell to Italy as we board our British Airways jet for the flight to London. Upon arrival at London’s Gatwick airport, we will be met and transferred to our centrally located hotel by private bus.
The entire day is free for independent activities.
London is like a collection of villages, each with its own charm and character, and you can discover them all as you explore sites such as Trafalgar Square; Piccadilly Circus; and the Palace of Westminster, which contains the Houses of Parliament, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and Westminster Abbey. Vitality, history, and friendliness are just three words that could describe London, Britain's exciting capital city. By day, London buzzes with the frenetic pace of commerce that not even Dickens could have imagined. By night, the excitement and glitter of theaters, shops, and restaurants beckon throngs of delighted sightseers. There are also countless museums, quiet tearooms, immaculate gardens, and hushed churches. Extraordinary London holds a stunning abundance of hidden, around-the-corner surprises.
This morning we bid farewell to London as our motor coach transports us to Gatwick Airport to board our British Airways jet for the flight home. We arrive in Dallas this afternoon, full of memories of our tour to Italy and London.
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