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Ancient
Rome
This in-depth
tour divides our touring into historical segments, visiting
the monuments of each period as a unit, including Republican
Rome, Rome of the Caesars, Early Empire and High Empire
Rome, Christian Rome, ending with the Imperial Palaces
of the Later Empire. We will spend a full day at Ostia
Antica, the port of ancient Rome and another day at Tivoli
visiting Hadrian’s Villa, the largest villa ever
built in the Roman Empire.
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Provence
Our new tour provides an understanding
of Roman Imperial architecture as well as a delightful
journey through the color-drenched countryside of Provence.
Its great cities hold many of the best-preserved Roman
monuments to be found in the world. Visits to archaeological
sites and museums will provide further context for understanding
life in Roman Gaul. Our tour also includes an opportunity
to walk in the footsteps of van Gogh, Cézanne and
Monet. Fields of spring flowers, tile-roofed villages,
fascinating markets as well as gourmet meals will enhance
this wonderful experience.
| May
12 23, 2008 |
Led
by Gail
Cornell,
Architectural Historian |
12
DAYS |
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Anatolia
(Crossroads of Europe and Asia)
Beginning
in Ankara, this tour features the Hittite capital of Hattusa,
Çatal Höyük, the oldest Neolithic site
excavated in Anatolia, the rock-hewn churches in Cappadocia,
the Hellenistic cities on Turkey’s southern and
western coasts, Pamukkale, the ongoing excavations at
Aphrodisias, Sardis, Ephesus, Pergamon, legendary Troy
and Ottoman Bursa. Our adventure ends with a three-day
visit to Istanbul’s fabulous mosques and museums.
| May
25 June 14, 2008 |
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20
DAYS |
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Great
Museums: Moscow & St. Petersburg
This
new tour will focus on the three cities that have fought
for Russia’s soul for hundreds of years. Moscow is
the heart, cultural and spiritual capital of Russia’s
identity as the capital of Eastern Christendom. St. Petersburg,
built in 1703 as Russia’s window on the West, is its
bridge to Europe’s intellectual and aesthetic experiments,
while Novgorad is old Russia, steeped in tradition. We shall
study the diverse and dynamic museums of these three cities
in a stunning journey into one of the great civilizations
of the world.
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Treasures
of the Balkans: Serbia,
Croatia & Montenegro
As we wend our way from Belgrade through
the gorgeous mountains of central Serbia to Priština
and Cetinje, this unique new tour will explore the Balkans’
rich artistic and cultural heritage as found in the lavishly
decorated churches and monasteries: Dacani, Sopocani,
Pec, and Studenica. As we continue our journey south along
the Dalmation coast to Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and into
the Istrian Peninsula, we discover the Roman emperor Diocletian’s
extraordinary residential and urban complexes, charming
medieval cities, and the fabulous Roman amphitheater at
Pula. The tour ends in vibrant Zagreb. Throughout we will
be stunned by the artifacts in the museums and charmed
by our hosts.
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Caves &
Castles
Northern
Spain & France
An
exploration of the outstanding Paleolithic art found in
the caves of northern Spain and southwestern France. The
tour begins in Burgos visiting Atapuerca, an extremely
important paleontological site. From Santillana del Mar
we visit caves known as Tito Bustillo, El Castillo, Las
Monedas and Altamira II, as well as the Guggenheim Museum
in Bilbao, before crossing the Pyrénées
into France. Tour highlights in France include the caves
of Gargas, Bédeilhac, Le Mas d’Azil, Lascaux
II, Pech Merle and the major caves around Les Eyzies-de-Tayac.
We will also explore medieval villages, castles and fortresses
of the Dordogne Valley. The tour ends at the extraordinary
Prehistory Museum in St-Germain-en-Laye.
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Sicily
& Southern Italy
Touring includes
the Byzantine and Norman monuments of Palermo, a Roman
villa unique for its 37 rooms floored with exquisite mosaics,
Phoenician Motya and the classical sites of Segesta, Selinunte,
Agrigento and Siracusa. We will take a break in luxurious
Taormina and, on the mainland, visit the fascinating ancient
cities Paestum and Pompeii, plus the incredible “Bronzes
of Riace.”
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Great
Museums: Berlin & Vienna
This tour will focus on the great museum
collections of Egyptian, Classical and Near Eastern art
in Berlin and Vienna. For all who have visited Egypt,
Turkey, Greece, Italy, Syria or Iraq, or will visit these
places, this tour is an absolute treasure trove of art
from their ancient cities. We will also visit major collections
of Christian art as well as museums known for their outstanding
paintings.
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Italy:
Byzantine to Baroque
As we travel from Assisi to Venice, this
spectacular tour will offer a unique opportunity to trace
the development of art and history out of antiquity toward
modernity in both the eastern and western Christian worlds.
The tour begins with four days in Assisi, including a
day trip to medieval Cortona. It then continues to Arezzo,
Padua and Ravenna, where we will see churches adorned
with some of the richest mosaics in Europe. Our tour ends
with three glorious days in Venice. Throughout we will
experience the sources of visual inspiration for a thousand
years of art while sampling the food and drink that have
enhanced the Italian world since it was the center of
the Roman Republic and Empire.
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Classical
Greece
This popular tour encompasses the major
Mycenaean, Classical and Byzantine sites of mainland Greece
beginning at the Acropolis in Athen, the tour includes
Tiryns, Mycenae, Epidauros, Olympia, and Byzantine Mistra
on the Peloponnese. Traveling north, our program includes
mystical Delphi, Meteora, the outstanding museum and churches
in Thessaloniki, the mosaics of Pella and the many monuments
associated with Philip and Alexander. Sunny skies, warm
weather and delicious Mediterranean cuisine will enhance
our discovery of these splendid civilizations.
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Cyprus,
Crete & Santorini
This
very popular tour examines the maritime civilizations
linking pre- and ancient Greek and Roman cultures with
the East. After an eight-day tour of Cypriote sites (south
and north), spanning some 9,000 years of history, we fly
to Crete for an extensive five-day exploration of Minoan
archaeology. Our voyage ends with two days on splendid
Santorini, to tour well preserved Hellenistic Thera, and
the remarkable town of Akrotiri, the "Minoan Pompeii"
(ca. 1525 BCE), now emerging from the volcanic ashes that
buried the site. A tour highlight will be a reception
and lecture at the Cyprus American Archaeological Research
Institute. Throughout, there will be time to enjoy the
lovely beaches and countryside.
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