VIVI VERDI - DAY by DAY October 2017

Transcription

1 Tuesday, 10th Oct 9.00pm (approx) VIVI VERDI - DAY by DAY October 2017 PAOLO BELLUSO STEWART DEPART AUSTRALIA We fly out from our various capital ci9es, bound for Dubai. Wednesday, 11th DUBAI am Our various flights touch down at around 5.15am. When you leave the plane, please just follow all the people to Passport Control, go through, then head to the baggage carousel nominated for your flight. Airport signage is good but s9ck with others in the group and you ll be fine. Once you have your baggage, look for the Brisbane flight carousel and head to it to meet us. If in doubt, just stay where you are and Jennifer or Stewart will come by and find you. Once we are all assembled, we proceed outside to our wai9ng coach and transfer to our hotel very close to the airport. On arrival, we enjoy immediate check-in, with our main luggage taken to our rooms. You are free to enjoy a lovely buffet breakfast, a shower, a lie down or doubtless all three! Relax. You re free 9l late lunch this awernoon. 2.30pm We meet for a delighyul buffet lunch at our hotel, a chance to unwind and begin to get to know your fellow travelling companions. AWer lunch your evening is at leisure. Most people feel they are ready to just relax for a while, then go to bed very early to prepare for an early wake up! (B, L) HOTEL Radisson Blu Deira Creek Dubai Baniyas Road, Deira Creek Thursday, 12th Oct DUBAI TO BOLOGNA 5.00am Wake up call. You ll probably be awake anyway given the 9me difference! 5.30am Please place your suitcase outside your room. 6.30am Please meet in the foyer to take our coach to the airport. 9.00am We fly out for Bologna at 9.00am. 1.00pm Arrival in Bologna is at 1.20pm. Once we ve collected our luggage and gone through Customs, we head out to meet our coach and our delighyul Tour Director, Paolo. We then transfer the short distance to our hotel. 3.00pm We arrive at our hotel at approximately 3.00pm and check-in as a group. Enjoy some free 9me to explore Bologna or relax before we meet for dinner. 6.15pm We meet in the foyer at 6.15pm to walk the short distance to our delighyul local restaurant, Tra^oria Belle Ar9 (or Anna Maria) for our first taste of famed Bolognese cuisine! AWer a two-course, pre-opera dinner, we will walk to the Teatro and tonight s performance.

2 ^^^^^ Group Dinner pre-opera (1) TRATTORIA BELLE ARTI or Anna Maria 8.30pm ### Medea - Teatro Communale pm (D) HOTEL Grand Hotel MajesSc gia Baglioni 5-star Via dell'indipendenza, 8, Bologna Friday, 13 th Oct BOLOGNA AWer a good sleep in our beau9ful hotel, enjoy a leisurely breakfast before 9.45am mee9ng in the foyer at 9.45am am (3.00hrs) We ve a 10.00am mee9ng with our local guide, for a Walking Tour of the historical heart of Bologna, including the Quadrilatero, (old market) the Archiginnasio (once the main University building), with its Teatro Anatomica & Stabat Mater library and lots more. There will be 9me for a short coffee break during our tour pm Our morning ends with a guided tour of the Museum of Music at 12.00pm You can then enjoy lunch and your awernoon exploring at leisure. You may like to visit the Museum of History, Palazzo Pepoli and many other places our expert local guide will have recommended. Perhaps find out about the Scogsh connec9on with Bonnie Prince Charlie! Ask Stewart!! 7.15pm We meet in the foyer and walk together to another wonderful restaurant of Bologna. Tonight there is no rush so we can sit back, relax and savour three delighyul courses at Ristorante Ciacco. (B, D) 7.30pm Group Dinner (2) RISTORANTE CIACCO Saturday, 14th Oct 0.00am BOLOGNA Today there is no rush to get out of bed then again there is lots to do on your FREE DAY IN BOLOGNA! Don t stay out too late as we ve a rather early start tomorrow. Lunch & Dinner at Leisure (B) Sunday, 15 th Oct 8.45am 10.15am 1.15pm 4.30pm BOLOGNA Please be in the foyer ready to board the coach by 8.45am. We are off to spend the day in RAVENNA (1.20 ) soaking up the marvels of the main sites of gli^ering 5th & 6th Century Mosaics. Our local expert guide will be wai9ng to meet us at 10.15am to spend three hours enlightening us. AWer we ve enjoyed the mosaic sites, there will be 9me for lunch at leisure and a leisurely look around the charming town of Ravenna. We meet at an appointed place to board our coach and head back to Bologna where your evening and dinner are at leisure. (B) Monday, 16th Oct BOLOGNA to REGGIO EMILIA 8.30am Please place your bag outside your room by 8.30am. 9.30am Please be in the foyer, checked out and ready to go by 9.30am. We are off to pay a very important visit to the home of late, great tenor, Luciano Pavarog am We will tour the Pavarog Casa Museo which lies just outside MODENA (1. ) 12.00pm AWer our visit we head to the town of Modena (.25 ) where you can enjoy lunch at leisure and free 9me to see some of the sights, including the Duomo & Ghirlandina Tower Bell, the Piazza Grande, Palazzo Ducale and the Albinelli Indoor Market where you are sure to find some good lunch on the go op9ons including the local piadina. Paolo will help us get our bearings. When it s 9me to leave Modena, we meet up to board our coach, bound for

3 4.00pm our next base, Reggio Emilia. (.45 ) 4.50pm We arrive at our hotel and check-in. 7.15pm We meet in the foyer to walk to dine together at Ristorante Il Sipario. 7.30pm Group Dinner (3) IL SIPARIO HOTEL Albergo delle Notarie 4 star Via Palazzolo, 5, Reggio Emilia RE, Italy (B, D) Tuesday, 17 th Oct REGGIO EMILIA 10.00am (3.00hrs ) Please be in the foyer ready to go at 10.00am as we ve a Walking Tour of the historic centre with our local expert guide. Our tour includes a visit to the home of the first Italian flag, the Tricolore Sala/ Museum. PM AWer our tour, lunch is at leisure and you can spend your awernoon relaxing and taking in some of the delights of this small town which, incidentally, is famous for it s revolu9onary method of teaching young children. Do have either a substan9al lunch or early dinner or big awernoon snack as there s no 9me for dinner tonight! 6.20pm We meet in the foyer ready to go at 6.15pm as we must transfer to Parma. (.50 ) for the first of our performances in the Verdi Fesitval 8.00pm The performance of the concert, Fuoco di Gioia (Fire of Joy) starts at 8.00pm 8.00pm ### Fuoco di Gioia - Concert pm Teatro Regio, Parma (B) Wednesday, 18th Oct REGGIO EMILIA 0.00 No need to rush out of bed awer our late night. Enjoy a relaxing morning and breakfast. Perhaps if you are up and about, pay a visit to Caffe Fon/nesi am We meet in the foyer at 10.30am, board our coach and drive into the countryside to visit Agriturismo Cavazzone (.40 ) an establishment which makes some of the famous vinegars of this region. (Yes, wine isn t the only valuable thing found in the barrels of Italy!) On arrival we ll tour the cellar 11.30am and enjoy an informa9ve Vinegar Tas9ng. It will then be 9me to se^le in for a Long Lunch with wine, Italian style all in this very pre^y, rus9c segng. 3.00pm AWer lunch, we drive to nearby Sassuolo (.30 ) to visit a gorgeous palace, the 3.30pm Palazzo Ducale. This Baroque folly belonged to the Dukes of Este and boasts lovely out-door features and some 40 rooms with stunning frescoes. (It s also called Delizia or Delicious!) AWer our tour, if there is 9me, there are some cute bars around the square in Sassuolo where we can enjoy a drink. 5.30pm AWer our lovely day in the campagna, we must board our coach again and return to Reggio Emilia (.45 ). Your evening and Dinner are at Leisure (B, L ) Thursday, 19th Oct 10.00am REGGIO EMILIA TO PARMA Please place your bag outside your room by 10.00am and remember to check out. We re off to Parma today am Please be in the foyer ready to go at at 11am. En route to Parma we ve planned a special visit to a jewel of a theatre, the Teatro all An9ca, (the first free-standing theatre in Europe) with a guided tour by an onsite expert. This theatre is located in the li^le town of Sabbioneta (1.15 ) 12.15pm On arrival at around 12.15pm, you can have 9me to explore the town centre and enjoy lunch at leisure before we meet again to visit the theatre. 2.00pm We tour the theatre at 2.00pm and awerwards board our coach again at 3.30pm around 3.30pm to drive to Parma (1. )

4 4.30pm On arrival, we check in and you have a li:le ;me to relax and get ready before we meet in the foyer a 6pm, ready to walk to our early dinner followed by a thrilling performance of Verdi s Requiem. 6.15pm Group Dinner (4) OSTERIA DEI MASCALZONI 8.00pm ### Messa di Requiem Concert - Teatro Regio pm (B) HOTEL Hotel Stendhal 4-star Via Giamba`sta Bodoni, 3, Parma Friday, 20 th Oct PARMA 10.00am (3.00hrs) AWer breakfast, please meet in the foyer, ready to go by 10.00am,. Our local expert guide will be wai9ng to take us on a Walking Tour of the historic centre of Parma, including a visit to the Museum of Toscanini the legendary conductor. 1.00pm AWer our tour, you are free to spend the awernoon enjoying Parma and perhaps visi9ng one or two of the key places men9oned by our guide. Do be sure to enjoy a big lunch or an early dinner before our long opera tonight. 6.45pm We meet in the foyer, ready to walk to tonight s performance. (B) 7.30pm ### Jerusalem - Teatro Regio pm Saturday, 21st Oct PARMA 0.00 Today you can take it easy and sleep in a li^le if you wish. You have a totally FREE DAY IN PARMA. Don t worry, there will be plenty to do or perhaps just take it easy head out and see where you end up. Enjoy a relaxing lunch a drink in a pleasant square Live la dolce vita whilst you can! Whatever you do, be sure to have a big early Dinner or late Lunch as we ve to travel to Busseto tonight (1.00 )for our concert of Verdi orchestral gems. There ll be no 9me for dinner as such. 6.15pm Meet in the foyer ready to board our coach and head to Busseto. 8.00pm ### Verdi Virtuosismi Concert - Verdi Theatre - Busseto pm (B) Sunday, 22nd Oct PARMA 0.00am AWer our late night you have a Free Morning to sleep in if you wish or to just take things easy for a few hours am We meet in the foyer to walk together to our midday concert of arias and duets, performed by an up and coming soprano and tenor. The performance is an hour in dura9on, so you ll have 9me for lunch at leisure awerwards pm ### Mezzogiorno in Musica Concert in Farnesi Theatre 12.00pm 2.45pm We meet up at an appointed place, or perhaps just at the theatre for those who are happy to take their 9ckets and make their own way there. Our opera this awernoon is Verdi s comic masterpiece, and final work, Falstaff. 3.30pm ### Falstaff - Teatro Regio pm 6.30pm AWer the performance which will run approximately three hours, we ll head back to the hotel for a quick freshen up and perhaps a change into 7.15pm something comfier or warmer, before mee9ng in the foyer at 7.15pm to walk to a relaxing dinner together and some reviews of the performances! 7.30pm Group Dinner (5) TRATTORIA CORRIERI (B, D)

5 Monday, 23rd Oct 9.15am PARMA We meet in the foyer, ready to board the coach at We ve a big day ahead, walking in the footsteps of the great master, Verdi. Our day begins at 10.00am 10.00am at Verdi s birthplace, Verdi Casa Natale Museo - in the small rural town of Le Roncole (.45 ) We will have an expert guide with us all day am AWer our visit we drive to Villa Verdi, his home in Sant Agata. (.15 ) 11.00am Here we enjoy an 11.am guided tour of the home and gain many insights pm AWer our visit, we ll spend the rest of the awernoon in Busseto, (.15) beginning with 9me for a quick lunch at leisure. 2.00pm Our first visit awer lunch is to Casa Barezzi, the home of Verdi s first benefactor Antonio, the father of Verdi s first wife, Margherita. There is much history here! AWer our visit, we ll walk together to Villa Pallavicino which houses a museum to the great soprano Renata Tebaldi. We visit at leisure. Also in Pallavicino Na9onal Museo Giuseppe Verdi which some may wish to visit at leisure if there is 9me and we re not too 9red! 4.30pm At 4.30pm, we head back to Parma.(1. ) Dinner tonight is at Leisure (B) Tuesday, 24 th Oct PARMA to MILANO 8.00am Please place your bag outside your room by 8.00am 9.15am Please allow 9me to checkout and meet in the foyer at 9.15am, ready to depart for our final stop. the bustling city of Milan. We ve scheduled an interes9ng stop on the way and that is a visit to Cremona, (1.15 ) a town famous for the making of world famous violins, including the Stradivarius am When we arrive in Cremona, we ll have a quick coffee before we go to enjoy 11.00am a fascina9ng visit to a violin workshop to see a master crawsman at work and learn the methods of crea9ng these instruments and their glorious sounds pm AWer our workshop visit, there will be 9me for a quick lunch at leisure before 2.00pm we make our way to the Violin Museum which you can tour at leisure with audio guides and interac9ve displays. 3.30pm AWer our visit, we board our coach around 3.30pm bound for Milan (1.40 ) 5.30pm On arrival at our Milan hotel, we check in and freshen up before mee9ng in 7.15pm the foyer at 7.15pm to walk a few steps to our restaurant for dinner. (B, D) 7.30pm Group Dinner (6) RISTORANTE AL CANTINONE HOTEL Hotel Sina de la Ville Via Ulrico Hoepli, 6, Milano Wednesday, 25 th Oct MILANO 9.30am (3.00hrs) Please be in the foyer at 9.30am ready to head off with our local expert guide who will take us on a very informa9ve Walking Tour of Milan Centro Storico, (old centre) including a tour of the Duomo with it s famous Terraces pm Following our tour, we break for lunch and a li^le rest before mee9ng up 2.30pm again at 2.30pm for a coach transfer to Casa Verdi di Riposo, the home Verdi established for re9red singers and musicians of limited means, to live out 3.00pm their la^er days supported and in comfort. Our visit is at 3.00pm. We also visit Verdi s mausoleum where he lies with his wife Giuseppina Strepponi. Verdi s first wife, Margherita Barezzi died young at just 26. AWer our visit your evening is yours and dinner is at Leisure (B) Thursday, 26th Oct MILANO

6 10.30am Take it easy this morning and we ll meet a li^le later today at 10.30am so you can have a li^le sleep in if you need it. We will be walking a short distance (15mins) to the Museo Bagag Valsecchi for an 11.00am guided tour of an incredible property burs9ng with the Renaissance treasures amongst which two brothers, avid collectors, lived. AWer our visit, you may wish to spend 9me and enjoy lunch at leisure in the famous shopping district, the Quadrilatero, which is right nearby. 3.30pm 4.00pm We meet in the foyer at 3.30pm to walk together to La Scala where we have a very special visit and tour of the back-stage of this iconic theatre at 4pm. We will be split into two groups, with half touring the theatre whilst the other half visit the wonderful La Scala museum at leisure. We ll then swap! 5.30pm AWer our visit concludes at around 5.30pm, we return to our hotel where you can put your feet up for a quick rest and/or freshen up before dinner. 7.15pm We meet in the foyer at 7.15 to walk a short distance to enjoy dinner, very near the Duomo Piazza. This will be our final meal together in Italy. 7.30pm Group Dinner (7) RISTORANTE VICTORIA (B, D) Friday, 27 th Oct MILANO 0.00am Take your 9me or hop to it..as you wish. Today is the last day of our tour in Italy and you have a FREE DAY IN MILANO to do as you wish. There are fabulous exhibi9ons at the Palazzo Reale where you can choose from Caravaggio or Toulouse Lautrec or see both. You might head back to the Quadrilatero or the Galleria for some last minute shopping or just enjoy walking around the centre of Milan drinking in the atmosphere in some of the lovely cafes and reflec9ng on all we have seen and done. Be sure to have an awernoon rest and some early dinner before tonight s fabulous La Scala produc9on of Verdi s Nabucco starring legendary baritone, Leo Nucci in the 9tle role. What a way to finish! 7.15pm Meet in the foyer at 7.15 to walk to La Scala. 8.00pm ### Nabucco - Teatro alla Scala - 8 PM (B) Saturday, 28 th Oct 9.00am 10.00am 2.15pm Dept MILANO to DUBAI (overnight) Please have your bags out at 9.00am Please be in the foyer ready to transfer to the airport at 10.00am We board our Flight to Dubai and fly out at 2.15pm arriving late into Dubai. where we spend the night at the convenient and luxurious (5-star) Airport Terminal Hotel. It is right within the terminal so your main luggage will be checked through to home, all the way from Bologna. Just keep with you, in your hand-luggage, what you need for one night. Bliss! HOTEL Dubai InternaSonal Terminal Hotel, Dubai Airport T Sunday, 29 th Oct DUBAI to AUSTRALIA From around 8.am We walk to our boarding gates for our various flights home. Given our different departure 9mes and early morning food preferences, your breakfast is at leisure. Most will probably opt for something they fancy out in the airport or, if you ve deep pockets, food is of course available at our hotel. Monday, 30th Oct We arrive in AUSTRALIA early, around 6am, 9red but thrilled by all we have around 6.00am heard, seen (and tasted!) together on our Viva Verdi tour! Thank you for coming. We look forward to seeing you on another musical adventure soon!