A
Pilgrimage to
with Father Mike Boutin
Visiting Rome, Assisi, Florence, Venice, Lake Como, StresaOctober 11
to 24, 2009Price
if paying by check $4,445. (by credit card $4,600. )YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:
† Round-trip air from Boston (Add-on Airfares from all US gateways)
† 12 nights at 4-star hotels:
Oct 12 - 15: 3 nights: Rome
- Hotel CiceroneOct 15 - 16: 1 night: Assisi - Hotel Subasio
Oct 16 - 18: 2 nights: Florence - Hotel Baglioni
Oct 18 - 20: 2 nights: Venice - Hotel Splendid & Suisse
Oct 20 - 22: 2 nights: Como - Hotel Barchetta
Oct 22 - 24: 2 nights: Stresa - Hotel Dino
† Buffet breakfast daily
† Dinners, 3 dinners at hotels, 1 lunch, and 4 special dinners at restaurants
† Transportation by air-conditioned Motorcoach
† Tour escort throughout
† Guided tours, admission fees, boat transfers as noted on itinerary
† Hotel Taxes and service charges
† Porterage of luggage, 1 piece per person
† Mass daily
† Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Not Included:
Airport Taxes, Security and Fuel Surcharges (approximately $358. subject to change until paid in full )
Meals, drinks and sightseeing not mentioned on itinerary.
Travel Insurance optional and strongly recommended $225 pp.
Tips 6-8 Euros per day pp.
Credit card fees—3.5% surcharge.
Sample Day by Day Itinerary:
Day 1: Sunday, Oct. 11 – Departure to Italy
Departure at 5:30PM with Air France from Boston, Logan Airport for our overnight flights via Paris to Rome.
Day 2: Monday, Oct. 12 - Rome
Change flights in Paris. Arrive Rome at 9:30AM. This morning your escort will warmly greet you and welcome you to Italy! Enroute to Rome, we’ll make a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, which house the remains of St Paul under its main altar. We’ll arrive at our hotel Hotel Cicerone . Enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation or exploration. Your tour escort can suggest walks for you to enjoy. This evening we’ll gather for a welcome dinner at a typical Roman restaurant, Meo Patacca. In Trastevere, restaurant is among the alleys, where you'll find the traditional spirit of true Rome.
Later, we’ll enjoy a panoramic "Rome by Night" tour passing Circus Maximus and the Temple of Vesta. We’ll pass alongside the Jewish quarter, and then ascend Janiculum Hill where we’ll stop to enjoy the most splendid view of the ―eternal city‖. Arriving at Piazzale Flaminio you will see the famous Piazza del Popolo
, the ancient northern entrance into Rome, and then pass through the beautiful park of Villa Borghese, and enter Via Veneto through the ancient Aurelian walls. Pay a visit to the Trevi Fountain and throw in a coin, where it is said that this will assure your re-turn to this beautiful city.
Day 3: Tuesday, Oct. 13 - Rome
Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, and afterward, we’ll enjoy a half day tour of Ancient Rome. We’ll see the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and the Statue of Moses in Chains, among other sites. Later this afternoon we will celebrate Mass and visit the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Scala and Santa Maria Maggiore. Dinner is on your own this evening.
For those who wish to do something different today, optional tours are available (including transportation, visits with local guide, entrance fees, lunch and tour director): click here for optional tours
Day 4: Wednesday, Oct. 14 - Rome - Papal Audience and Vatican Museum Tour
Rome! This beautiful city is also the spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
(pending papal schedule). Following the audience visit of the Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's is the grandest of the world's churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican.
This afternoon you’ll have some time at leisure to explore your own paths, to shop, or just to sit in one of the outside cafes and watch the world go by. Dinner is on your own this evening.
For those who wish to do something different today, optional tours are available (including transportation, visits with local guide, entrance fees, lunch and tour director): click here for optional tours
Day 5: Thursday, Oct. 15 - Rome - Assisi
This morning after breakfast we’ll depart Rome for Assisi. After checking into our hotel, we’ll tour this magnificent city. We’ll visit the tomb of St Francis and explore this quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis. His birthplace still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. We’ll celebrate Mass, and afterward, have some time to stroll the medieval streets of this little town. We’ll go to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility.
Today we will celebrate Mass at the Eremo delle Carceri, the old jail where St. Francis wrote “The Canticle of the Sun.” Dinner and overnight at Hotel Subasio.
Day 6: Friday, Oct. 16 - Assisi - Siena - San Gimignano - Florence
After breakfast, we will depart Assisi for our visit to Siena. Here, the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine, is one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. We’ll celebrate Mass, and if time, we'll visit the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares, and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous conse-crated hosts that remained intact since 1730. Today we shall enjoy a lunch together including wine and olive oil tasting. We’ll continue to the ancient city of San Gimignano a famous ―small town in Italy. San Gimignano dominates the skyline bristling with towers. Founded by the Etruscans it became a resting place for pilgrims on the way to Rome.
Lunch at Castelfiorentino, where we will have lunch and share in a wine and olive oil tasting at the renowned Castello di Oliveto.
Upon arrival in Florence, you’ll check into Hotel Baglioni. Balance of this day at leisure, and have dinner on your own.
Day 7: Saturday, Oct. 17 - Florence
Florence! A paradise for art lovers, Florence drew to itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. We will enjoy a guided tour of Florence which includes magnificent Franciscan church of The Holy Cross or Santa Croce with the beautiful facade, church is a burial place of nobles, among which is Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Walk through Piazza Signoria, pass by Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio. Con-tinue through Republic Square to the Santa Maria del Fiore 13th century cathedral. Time on your own this afternoon. Dinner this evening with music at a typical Florentine restaurant Finisterre.
Day 8: Sunday, Oct. 18 Florence - Padua - Venice
After breakfast at our hotel, we shall depart for Padua. Upon arrival, we’ll continue on a sightseeing tour including one of the oldest universities, Tomb of St. Anthony and his relics. Pass by Pratto Della Valle, one of the biggest squares in Italy, Basilica of Santa Giustina, and the Scrovegni Chapel with the famous fresco cycle by Giotto, ar-guably some of the most important masterpieces of Western art. We’ll arrive in Venice later this afternoon. Our stay for the next two evening is Hotel Splendid & Suisse. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Day 9: Monday, Oct. 19 - Venice
After breakfast at our hotel, we will enjoy a guided tour of Venice. We’ll visit of some of the greatest sights you’ll ever see: St. Mark’s Square, The Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs, and the extraordinary visit of Dodges’ Palace. You’ll tour the Murano glass factory where we will learn about the ancient art of blowing glass. This afternoon, we’ll take a boat tour to the island of Burano, Torcello and Murano.
Dinner this evening at a typical Venetian restaurant, Anonimo Veneziano .
After dinner, you might decide to take an optional gondola ride around the canals (to be booked on spot)
Day 10: Tuesday, Oct. 20 Venice - Verona - Como
After breakfast at our hotel, we will depart for Verona, one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, and the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans. Here you will see the Balcony from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet! From Verona, we will continue on to Griante on beautiful Lake Como. Griante overlooks Lake Como, and faces Bellagio with the Dolomites in the background, a truly beautiful place. We’ll celebrate Mass, and enjoy free time afterward.
Hotel Barchetta. Dinner at our hotel.
Day 11: Wednesday, Oct. 21, Como - Lugano - Como (Lugano Excursion)
After breakfast at your hotel and celebrating Mass, we will depart for a scenic drive to Lugano. Enjoy this excursion into the Alps and Switzerland, skirting Lake Maggiore before reaching Lugano. This beautiful city is rich with shops and art galleries, where you can enjoy leisure time for shopping the elegant boutiques of Via Nassa. Later, enjoy a boat-ride to Bellagio, known for its beautiful views of a large part of the lake, its mountains and streets. Visit some of the many shops or wander the romantic gar-dens of Villa Melzi or in those of Villa Serbelloni. After a brief visit to Bellagio, we’ll return to our hotel, stopping in Cernobbio, Villa Carlotta, and Villa Melzi. Hotel Barchetta. Dinner at your hotel.
Day 12: Thursday, Oct. 22: Como - Stresa
Breakfast at your hotel. After celebrating Mass, we’ll depart for Stresa. We’ll stop in Verbania for a visit the Villa Taranto Botanical Garden. After our arrival in Stresa, we’ll take a ferry to tour the Borromee Islands and the famous - Isola Bella‖ on Lake Maggiore. En route, we will stop in Verbania to see the famous Villa Taranto Botanical Gar-dens. After arrival at our hotel, we’ll tour the Borromee Islands and the beautiful Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore by ferry. Overnight at Hotel Dino. Dinner is on our own.
Day 13: Friday, Oct. 23 - Stresa
Breakfast at your hotel. After Mass, you’ll have this day on your own. Enjoy your day in this international tourist resort situated in a beautiful lakeside setting, with views of the Borromee Islands. Overnight at Hotel Dino. For those who wish to do something different today, optional tour
Including transfers and entrance fee to the Last Supper. (pending confirmation, price based on min 15)
This evening we’ll gather for a farewell dinner at a typical restaurant I Mori.
Day 14: Saturday, Oct. 24 - Departure for USA
After breakfast, we’ll depart for the airport and our return flights home with memories that will last a lifetime.
Optional Tours:
OT1 - $169; Rome. Capri (operates Apr 1 - Nov 15th Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
After leaving Rome and driving along the “Sun Route” motorway, we will cross the regions of Lazio and Campania. From the road you will enjoy the view of the famous Abbey of Montecassino. Arrival at the pier of Naples and embarque to Capri, an island on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, that has been a celebrated beauty spot and resort since the time of the Roman Republic. From the small seaport of Marina Grande we will continue on board of a minibus until Anacapri, little town located high on the hills. After lunch transfer to the town of Capri, where you will have free time at your disposal to go for a walk through the characteristic streets and taste a good coffee in the celebrated “Piazzetta”. At 4.30 pm the group will meet at the pier of Marina Grande to embark back to Naples.
OT2 - $158; Rome. Naples & Pompii (operates daily, except Christmas and New Years day)
After leaving Rome and driving along the “Sun Route” motorway, we will cross the regions of Lazio and Campania. From the road you will enjoy the view of the famous Abbey of Montecassino. Once in Naples, there will be a short panoramic tour of the city: the pier of Santa Lucia with its impressive Castel dell’Ovo, the historical centre, Piazza del Plebiscito, the Royal Palace, the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, the San Carlo Opera House, the Gallery of Umberto I and the imposing Maschio Angioino. We will then continue towards Pompeii where, after a short visit in a coral and cameo factory and lunch in a restaurant, we will visit the excavations of this world-famous Roman town, destroyed by the eruption of the Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Return to Rome.
OT3 - $58; Rome. The catacombs of St. Callixtus
The catacombs of St. Callixtus are among the greatest and most important of Rome. They originated about the middle of the second century and are part of a cemeterial complex which occupies an area of 90 acres, with a network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels, more than twenty meters deep. In it were buried tens of martyrs, 16 popes and very many Christians
With only 120 visitors allowed each day, the Scavi (excavations) Tour is one of Rome's hottest tickets. The tour, which goes beneath St. Peter's Basilica to the tomb of Saint Peter, must be booked months in advance. Bookings for Scavi Tour are all "on request basis" and are pending confirmation.
OT5 - $76; Tivoli Villas. operates Apr 1 - Nov 15th Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, departure 8:00AM return approximately 1:30PM
Going along the motorway we will get to Tivoli, a world-known small town since ancient times for its soothing spring of “Acqua Albulea” (sulphureous baths). Crossing the Ponte Lucano, we will admire the Tomb of Plautius Lucanus before arriving to visit Hadrian’s Villa (from the parking till the entrance a walking distance of 300 meters has to been calculated) built under the homonymous emperor. We will continue our sightseeing with a visit of Villa D’Este, famous for its water system, the architecture of its gardens, the pavilions, the artificial caves and the fountains.
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Remember credit card payments add - 3.5% surcharge
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Travel Dates October 11 - 24, 2009 |
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| Trip Price per person in double occupancy from Boston |
$4,445 |
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Trip Price per person in double occupancy from Boston (by credit card) |
$4,600 |
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Upgrade your air to business class (@ $1,450 each way) |
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Single Supplement / Private Room (pending confirmation/ upon request) |
$1,399. |
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Upgrade to Business Class at $1,450. one way or $2,900. round trip
For any questions regarding your reservations contact 206 Tours:
Sandra Savic - Sandra@206tours.com Liz Shea - Liz@206tours.com Or Call - 800-206-TOUR (8687)
Group Coordinator: Rich Rolon designconsultants@comcast.net
Spiritual Director: Father Mike Boutin boutinerjr@aol.com
For Additional Information & Travel Tips Please Visit:
What to Know Before You Go to Italy
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