Free Time Suggestions: Paris

Our three-night stay in Paris is the longest of the trip. This is because Paris offers so much to do and to see. Fortunately, our tour consultant has taken care of some of the top sights for us. We will be touring the Palace of Versailles, and zipping through the gardens on a bicycle tour. Since we are doing this on Bastille Day the fountains will be turned on and baroque music will be playing throughout the gardens. We also have tickets lined up for our visit to the Louvre. We even get to take an evening boat ride on the Seine. Even with all of these exciting adventures, Paris still offers much more. Here are a few suggestions of sights and activities to fill up your free day (and evenings) in Paris:




-Orsay Museum: This museum picks up where our visit to the Louvre left off. The Orsay houses one of the best collections of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art in the world inside of a converted Belle Epoque train station. Here you will find Realists like Corbet and Millet, Impressionists like Monet, and post-impressionist masters like Vincent Van Gogh. Save time by purchasing your tickets online. You can even download an electronic ticket to your smartphone. (http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html)

-Rodin Museum: Wander through this garden museum and enjoy one of the largest collections of Rodin sculpures in the world, from the Burghers of Calais to The Thinker. (http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/musee-rodin)

-Eiffel Tower: Most visitors to Paris don't consider their visit complete without a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The ticket line and the line for the elevator can get very long during the summer months. If we let our tour manager know ahead of time he or she may be able to arrange the purchase of the tickets and save us the time in at least one of the lines. (http://www.eiffel-tower.com/)

-Pompidou Center: This large, industrial-looking complex appears to be a building with all of its inner workings on the outside of the building. It houses the largest museum of modern art in Europe. (http://www.centrepompidou.fr/Pompidou/Accueil.nsf/Document/HomePage?OpenDocument&L=2)

-Jewish Art and History Museum: If you elect to take a stroll through the Marais, the Jewish quarter of Paris, don't miss this museum. Housed in a converted Marais mansion, it tells the story of Jewish history and traditions in Europe starting with Roman Empire. (http://www.mahj.org/en/index.php)

-Carnavalet Museum: Located in another converted Marais mansion, the Carnavalet Museum opens the doors to French history and the history of the city of Paris. Try not to get lost in the Revolution! (http://carnavalet.paris.fr/en)




-Luxembourg Garden: This beautiful park was once the private garden of Marie de Medicis, the widow of Henry IV. Today, it is the second largest public park in Paris. Take a stroll through this lush green garden and admire the many statues, including a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty. If you're feeling brave, ask one of the locals for a quick lesson in the game of pétanque. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_du_Luxembourg)

-Walk the Marais: The Marais (swamp) is home to more pre-revolutionary buildings than any other neighborhood in France. That is quite a feat for a neighborhood that was the choice of 17th century nobles to build their mansions. It was also the home of that hated prison, the Bastille. Check out Rick Steves' guide to a great walk throught the Marais. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/marais.htm)

-Tour the Opéra Garnier: This giant wedding cake of a building was one of the highlights of Baron Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. Take a self-guided tour of this grand opera house, made famous in "The Phantom of the Opera", to see where the Paris elite mixed and mingled. (http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/Palais_Garnier/PalaisGarnier.php)

-Shopping Like a Parisian: The Parisians invented the department store, and nobody in the world has been able to beat them at their game. If shopping is your passion, take a trip to Galeries Lafayette, or one of the other Parisian department stores, Printemps and Bon Marché. Check out this guide to shopping in Paris. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/parisshops.htm)

-Catacombs of Paris: These former limestone quarries are home to over six million former Parisians. In the late 18th century the cemeteries of Paris were emptied out and the bones were artfully stacked 60 feet underground. The catacombs tour takes you on a one-mile trip under the streets of Paris through stacks of bones that are 80 feet deep. (http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm)

Check out Rick Steves' website for articles about things to see and do in Paris. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/france_menu.htm)


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Free Time Suggestions: London

Our first stop on this summer's trip will be London. Our stay in London will be short, so it might be a good idea to have a couple of ideas about what you want to do during your free time in the city. Here are a few suggestions:

Tower of London
Built by William the Conqueror in 1078 to pacify his newly aquired kingdom, the Tower of London has served as a fortress, a prison, and a home to kings at various times over it's nearly 1,000 years of exsitence. It's still an active military post today! Take a tour with one of the Tower's Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) and visit the Crown Jewels. (http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/)

London Eye
This 450-foot tall obeservation wheel offers a great view of London's somewhat underwhelming skyline. The ride lasts aproximately 30 minutes, and the price is somewhat expensive. However, if your goal is to reach the highest point in each city, this is your ride. (http://www.londoneye.com/)

National Gallery
The National Gallery, located on Trafalgar Square, may be one of the best free museums in Europe. This fantastic treasure houses paintings from the 13th through the 19th centuries. From Titian to Monet, this museum has it all. Did I mention that it's free? (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/)

Tate Modern
Another free museum, the Tate Modern resides in a former powerstation on the south side of the Thames, directly across from St. Paul's Cathedral. Take a stroll across the Millenium Bridge to enjoy a great collection of twentieth century art, incuding works by Picasso and Dalí. (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/)

Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms
This museum is actually located under the busy streets of London. This is where Winston Churchill and his inner circle directed the war effort against Germany while Nazi bombs fell on the capital above. (http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms)

Victoria & Albert Museum
The V & A bills itself as "The World's Greatest Museum of Art and Design." They might be right. This is another free museum (with the exception of special exhibitions). Check the website for exibitions and prices. (http://www.vam.ac.uk/)

British Museum of Natural History Museum
This museum was built during the 1870s to house the enormous collection of specimens being brought in from all over the Queen Victoria's British Empire. There are over 50 million specimens house in the museum, which is divided into a section for the life sciences and one for the earth sciences. Once again, admission is free. (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/)

Stroll through Hyde Park
Hyde Park acts as the green lungs of London. Enjoy a stroll through the park, as many Londoners do. This is a great place to bring your own food for a relaxing picnic. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_Park,_London)

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
Located on Picadilly since 1707, Fortnum & Mason are the offical purveyors of fine teas to Her Majesty the Queen. This is a great place to enjoy a traditional tea with scones, clotted cream, and strawberry preserves. (http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-3-fortnum-mason-piccadilly-store-london-luxury-department-store.aspx)

Theater in the West End
If you're planning to take in a show in London's West End, you might want to take advantage of the TKTS booth located on Leicester Square. This booth offers the unsold seats to the evenings shows at a discounted rate (sometimes as much as 50% off of the original price). Available shows are posted on a board next to the booth. Let us know if you are interested so we can point you in the right direction. (http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/buy-tickets/tkts/)

Visit a Pub
Take a trip to one of London's many Public Houses (Pubs). Pubs have been serving as the livingrooms of London since the middle ages. Enjoy some "pub grub" and the company of local Londoners. Be aware that you must be at least 18 years old to purchase beer or ale, and many pubs may not allow anyone under the age of 18 entrance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_house)

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New Itinerary, New Experiences

When I heard that we were going to have to change our departure date I was understandably nervous. Last summer we were asked to change our entire trip. We were the smaller group, so we didn't have much choice. Fortunately, the itinerary for that trip was equally as fantastic as our original choice. After reviewing our new itinerary, I am more excited for this summer than ever!

The first change is in the direction of our travel. We still get to visit every city on our original itinerary. However, by traveling from north to south we have opened ourselves up to some absolutely fantastic side trips. Instead of rushing from Engelberg to Lausane to catch the train to Paris, we will be able to take a more leisurely detour to Brienz, Switzerland, where we will learn all about the art of Swiss woodcarving from a master woodcarver. Our travel day from Engelberg to Munich will be marked by a visit to Ludwig II's fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein (Think Sleeping Beauty's Castle...). Traveling from Venice to Montecatini will give us two days in Florence instead of only one.

We have also been set up with some bonus activities in most of our destinations. Our visit to Versailles will be capped by a bike tour of the gardens. This is one of my favorite things to do at Versailles. A boat ride on the Seine in Paris is now included on our itinerary. The optional excursion to the top of Mt. Titlis in Switzerland is now included in our tour. I think I'm most excited by the inclusion of dinner in an Alpine Hut in Engelberg. We will have to take a cable car to get there! I'm also excited to take a crack at the alpenhorn (Riiiiiiiiicolaaaaaaa!!!!).

125 days until departure!

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Change in Our Itinerary

Here is the proposed change in our itinerary:
JUL 10: DAY1 Dept – all groups depart from USA
JUL 11: DAY2 LONDON
JUL 12: DAY3 LONDON
JUL 13: DAY4 PARIS
JUL 14: DAY5 PARIS
JUL 15: DAY6 PARIS
JUL 16: DAY7 ENGELBERG
JUL 17: DAY8 ENGELBERG
JUL 18: DAY9 MUNICH
JUL 19: DAY10 MUNICH
JUL 20: DAY11 VENICE – the PSMs departs from MUC here
JUL 21: DAY12 VENICE
JUL 22: DAY13 MONTECATINI – the MME departs from VCE here
JUL 23: DAY14 MONTECATINI
JUL 25: DAY15 ROME
JUL 26: DAY16 ROME
JUL 27: DAY17 POE departs from ROM.
Please note that we will not be losing any days, nor will we be losing any cities by reversing the direction of our travel. It will probably be better to miss the Olympic madness in London. :-)