HOLLAND and BELGIUM
Holland, Belgium, Normandy and Beyond! An epicurean, historical, and cultural adventure
For so many of our tours we have had the pleasure of special meals, sights, and experiences thoughtfully arranged in itineraries designed by Joe Green exclusively for FTC. He has now committed to join us on part of an adventure that promises to continue to please even the most discriminating traveler.
17 Day Custom Tour made exclusively for Focus Travel Club
$6199.00 PP based on double occupancy
April 26 – May 12th 2011
Optional 3 night extension to Paris
AMSTERDAM- KEUKENHOF GARDENS – VOLLENDAM – BRUGES – HONFLEUR – NORMANDY - ST. MALO - BAYEUX – CAEN & D-DAY BEACHES -MONT ST. MICHEL – CHAMBOARD - TOURS – GIVERNY
Highlights include:
- Custom Itinerary exclusively designed for Focus Travel Club
- Special “Joe Green” dining experiences and unexpected pleasant surprises
- Small group size
- First Class, centrally located hotels including two nights at the famous Château D’Audrieu! http://www.chateaudaudrieu.com/
- Deluxe Motor Coaches
- Wonderful meals, sights and experiences in the usually FTC style
- No-rush sightseeing with expert guides and our Tour Manager
- Gratuities for the driver
- Airfare from Denver
COST OF TOUR FROM DENVER $6199.00 pp
RESERVATION DEPOSIT $500.00 pp
2nd DEPOSIT DUE AUGUST 1st 2010 $1200.00 pp
FINAL PAYMENT DUE JAN. 1st 2011 $4499.00 pp plus airline tax/security fees.
SINGLE ROOM SUUPPLEMENT** $1599.00 pp
**Payment for single room does not guarantee a superior room, only ensures privacy.
THREE NIGHT PARIS EXTENSION $1199.00 pp
NO SPACE CAN BE COFIRMED UNTIL TOUR REGISTRATION DEPOSIT IS RECEIVED BY TUMLARE. EARLY REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED. Tour cost is based on a minimum of 24 participants. There will be a per person surcharge should these numbers not be reached.
Deluxe Travel Insurance is offered at $299 per person, you will be added to the insurance unless you decide to opt out of it. Please see the registration page for more information.
YOUR TOUR INCLUDES: Touring and services on an exclusive basis by private deluxe motorcoach. Roundtrip airfare from Denver (economy class). Porterage for one piece of luggage at airports, hotels, (except in restricted areas). Welcome assistance upon arrival. All airport transfers. Accommodations in centrally located First Class Hotels. All rooms with private facilities. Daily enhanced continental breakfast. Meals specified in itinerary. Touring and sightseeing as specified in itinerary. Professional English-speaking Tour Manager/Director as specified.
YOUR TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE: Passport and visa fees. No visas required for U.S. citizens on this tour. Items of a purely personal nature such as: extra beverages with meals, room service, telephone calls, personal expenses, etc. Meals not specified in itinerary. Airport taxes and possible fuel surcharges, facility and security fees (PFC’s) as presently levied. Gratuities to the escort and local guides.
METHOD OF PAYMENT: By personal check to: Tumlare Corporation, Inc., 615 Boston Post Road Sudbury, MA 01776 Attn: Jill Camara. Credit card payments accepted for 1st deposit only.
REGISTRATION FORM: A separate Registration form and Terms and Conditions accompany this itinerary. Please read carefully, sign the Terms and Conditions and fill out the Registration form and mail with your deposit to Tumlare Corporation, Inc., at the above address Please make a copy of the Terms and Conditions for your files.
Please send along with you registration form a copy of the information page of your passport for our records.
DAYS 1-2, April 26 – April 27, 2011: MORNING ARRIVAL AMSTERDAM (D)
A mile or so down the airstrip your pilot pulls back on the "stick," and your wide-bodied jet rotates skywards, Europe-bound! A movie, snack and nap later, a spectacular arctic sunrise presents itself for your approval as engines are throttled back to near silence, in preparation for landing. You're in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, where the runways, laid on the floor of what was once a lake, are sixteen feet below sea level. Enjoy a view of Amsterdam's neat-as-a-pin village suburbs on the way to your centrally-located hotel As our rooms will in all probability not be ready for us as yet, we will check in and leave our luggage (to be delivered to our rooms when ready) and depart with our guide on a City Sightseeing Tour.
With a local guide, we will see 17th- and 18th-century patrician houses and historic landmarks, including the Oudekerk (Old Church), Nieuwekerk (New Church) and the Westerkerk (West Church), where Rembrandt is buried. A visit is included to the house which was the hiding place of the Frank family for two years before they were deported to Germany by the Nazis. The rooms described by Anne Frank in her journal have been preserved as they were when she lived there. Anne began her life in hiding as she turned 14 and died in a concentration camp at the age of 16. Along the way we will stop for a light lunch on our own.
We return to our hotel by mid-afternoon to rest and refresh before meeting for our Welcome dinner.
Dinner and overnight in Amsterdam.
DAY 3, April 28, 2011: REICHSMUSEUM AND EXCURSION TO VOLENDAM AND ZAANSE SCHANS; NIGHT CANAL CRUISE (B, L)
After a leisurely breakfast we depart with our guide for a tour of the famous Reichs Museum. Located in a majestic 1585 building, this famous museum houses Rembrandt’s most famous work, The Nightwatch, along with many other Rembrandt pictures and Vermeer’s Milkmaid. Steen, Hals and Breughel are also represented. Although the Reichs Museum has a few van Gogh’s in its collection, for the real thing, those who are interested can visit the van Gogh Museum just around the corner. Our guide will have “fast track” admission tickets for us, so we will not have to stand in long lines.
After our included lunch we will enjoy an excursion to the Old World village of Zaanse Schans – where we'll see the manufacture of Dutch cheese and wooden shoes. The excursion also includes a visit to the enchanting fishing village of Volendam. In this simple hamlet you'll see a traditional harbor of fishing boats with brown sails, little houses with painted wooden façades, women washing thresholds and men walking to work in their wide, baggy trousers carrying casks of smoked eels. (Remember Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates?)
Did you know that Amsterdam is called the "Venice of the North" and is composed of some 90 islands connected by about 1,000 bridges? We’ll be able to judge for ourselves tonight on our (included) canal cruise past some of the prettiest facades in Europe, many beautifully floodlit.
Overnight in Amsterdam.
DAY 4, April 29, 2011: AMSTERDAM KEUKENHOF GARDENS AND DRIVE THROUGH TULIP FIELDS (B, D)
This morning we experience a sight we will never forget: a visit to the renowned Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse. Landscaped in 1857, Keukenhof became a spring flower exhibition in 1949. Strolling through the extensive gardens it is easy to see how the tulip came to dominate the lives of so many Dutch people. However, it is not only the tulip Keukenhof celebrates, but also all bulbous plants and many perennials are showcased here. There is also a display of orchids, daffodils, hyacinths, narcissus and many more. There are many garden sculptures in the grounds, many of which are very old. Some of our group may be tempted to purchase bulbs to be shipped home at planting season at some of the many kiosks scattered through the garden grounds.
After lunch on our own at the garden’s outdoor restaurant, we will rejoin our guide and coach for a drive through some of the many nearby tulip fields. The best known are those between the towns of Haarlem and Sassenheim – an area which includes the small village of Lisse.
We will return to Amsterdam and our hotel in mid afternoon. Perhaps some will relish a visit to the van Gogh Museum if time did not permit the preceding day. Other may elect to visit the New Market or explore the area close by our centrally located hotel. Some may want to visit the house, restored to its original state, which Rembrandt purchased at the time he painted The Night Watch. He lived and worked in this house from 1639 to 1658.
After our included dinner tonight, our guide will take those interested on a walking or canal tour to see the famous red light district of Amsterdam.
Overnight in Amsterdam.
DAY 5, April 30, 2011: EXCURSION TO THE DELTA EXPO, POLDER LANDS AND KINDERDIJK (B)
Today's excursion takes you to some of the most extraordinary sites in Europe. Enjoy the unique landscape as your coach travels through polder lands to the vast delta of the Rhine River and Schelde River.
Continue to the massive Storm Barrier, an engineering feat designed to protect low-lying regions. There, you will learn how Holland defends itself against the encroaching sea on a visit to the Delta Expo that includes a boat ride along the Storm Barrier.
No trip to Holland would be complete without a glimpse of majestic windmills with their sails turning gracefully above an endless expanse of canals, dikes and polder lands. The finest collection of windmills is to be found at Kinderdijk, now a UNESCO World heritage
site, where you'll see the oldest working wooden windmills in the country, still draining the surrounding fields.
Overnight in Amsterdam.
DAY 6, May 1, 2011: THROUGH ROTTERDAM TO BRUGES (B, D)
Today we leave Amsterdam behind and travel to Bruges through Rotterdam.
Rotterdam is only an hour from Amsterdam, but is centuries away in appearance and personality. Bombed to rubble in WWII, the city is today the world’s largest port and busiest harbor. The modern city retains very few traces of its past. Swinging through Rotterdam, we continue on our way to Bruges, a UNESCO world Heritage site nicknamed “the Venice of the North” for its many canals
After checking into our hotel in this charming, medieval town, we’ll scatter to explore the immediate area and enjoy lunch on our own. Back at our hotel by mid-afternoon, we meet our guide and depart for an introduction to Bruges through a canal tour.
Tonight we will have dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy a nice glass of Belgian beer!
Overnight in Bruges.
DAY 7, May 2, 2011: BRUGES CITY SIGHTSEEING (B)
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of this city which values its traditions and radiates charm, and has been dubbed by Ernest Dowson as "the most medieval town in Europe." You'll see the Markt (market square), the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the ornate City Hall and Michelangelo's delicate Madonna and Child at the Church of Our Lady.
The afternoon is free to spend as you wish. You may want to view the rich collection of
Flemish paintings at the Groeninge Museum or to visit the Kantcentrum (Lace Center), both a museum and lace-making school.
Overnight in Bruges.
DAY 8, May 3, 2011: NORMANDY – HONFLEUR AND CHATEAU D’AUDRIEU (B, D)
This morning we bid goodbye to Bruges and travel into Normandy. The countryside, villages, and resorts of Normandy are among the most beautiful in France. We’ll arrive in the charming, small town of Honfleur, often termed one of the most picturesque ports in Europe, in time for lunch on our own.
After lunch we will visit Saint Catherine’s Church, built by local shipbuilders as a temporary structure in the 15th century; the ceiling of this church resembles the hulls of upside down ships. Honfleur is a town of artists who are inspired by the beauty of the town and its surroundings. Eugene Boudin was an early impressionist painter and many of his paintings are on view in the museum named after him.
Later this afternoon we continue on through rolling countryside with thatched roof homes and charming farms to the famous Chateau d’Audrieu, where we will delight in staying for the next two nights!
The Chateau d’Audrieu dates from the beginning of the 18th century, but its history goes back to the time of William the conqueror when it was the residence of the Lord of Percy, first ruler of these lands. According to legend, Lord Percy was the personal chef of the Conqueror. The Chateau has welcomed guests as a luxury hotel for the last 30 years. The bedrooms, which vary widely in size and style, are all furnished in elegant French style, have been created in the wings. The central part of the chateau houses the dining rooms, drawing rooms, and suites.
The hotel is proud of its excellent gourmet restaurant and their bar. A perfect ambiance is created by the formal gardens and the English style park which surround the chauteau.
On arrival we will check in and have time to wander and explore before dressing for dinner in the elegant dining room.
Breakfast and Dinner. Overnight at the Chateau d’ Augrieu.
DAY 9, May 4, 2011: FULL DAY EXCURSION TO ROUEN (B, L)
Rouen is an ancient city of 100,000 which mixes magnificent Gothic architecture with charming houses and modern bustle. Victor Hugo called Rouen “the city of a hundred spires”. The fifth largest city in France, it is also a popular tourist destination. The city was a center of power during Roman times, the middle ages, and during Norman times. William the Conqueror made Rouen his home before moving to England. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake here. Although allied bombers destroyed half of Rouen, most of the historic area remained intact and the Gothic cathedral painted by Monet can still be admired today.
This morning we will take a City tour of Rouen including the gothic cathedral. Just around the corner from the cathedral and surrounded by half timbered buildings is the fine, gothic, St. Maclou Church, best known for its beautifully carved wooden doors from the 16 century. We’ll include the Palais de Justice , St. Ouen, the church of a Benedictine Abbey where Joan of Arc was sentenced to death, the small Joan of Arc Museum, and the Place de Vieux Marche.
We will enjoy lunch at La Couronne. The oldest inn in the region, registered in 1345, La Couronne has long been a legendary place where kings, queens, heads of state, politicians, artists, writers and movie stars come for lunch or dinner. The restaurant is a gourmet’s delight where the best of Norman cooking is proudly offered.
Overnight at Chateau d’ Augrieu
DAY 10, May 5, 2011: NORMANDY DAY BEACHES AND BAYEAUX (B)
This morning we make an early start. Today we will relive the historic invasion of Normandy by Allied forces during World War II at the museums, battlefields and monuments along the beautiful Normandy coast. During this memorable day we will, see the museum and amazing artificial Port Winston at Arromanches 360, where we will view the impressive Price of Freedom, an eighteen-minute film presented on nine screens in a round theater. Our tour begins with a visit to the Caen Peace Memorial with its inspiring WWII history exhibits and artifacts. Then it is on to the actual battle sites.
Spread along the shore of the English Channel are landing beaches such as Omaha Beach, where you can imagine Allied soldiers making their way into a hail of lead. We visit Omaha Beach, the principal landing site of American forces, where soldiers of the 28th and 1st divisions landed, fought and died. This operation was the bloodiest of the five beaches, but the bravery of those young men turned disaster into victory.
Just over the dunes and overlooking the eastern end of Omaha Beach stands the American Cemetery and Memorial which holds the bodies of 9387 soldiers who came across the Atlantic to liberate Western Europe from the Germans. You can see the graves of some of the 307 unknown soldiers or visit the resting places of some of the most famous such as the family who inspired “Saving Private Ryan” and General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.
We will continue to the impressive German Battery at Longues-Sur-Mer composed of 4 guns of 152 mm caliber, capable of firing shells to a maximum range of 15 mile allowing a reach not only to Omaha Beach, but also to the British landing zone at gold Beach 5 miles to the east. The Allies had tried to knock out this Battery with aerial bombardment leading up to the landing, but it was not until D-Day itself that the guns were finally silenced by the off-shore Allied navies. The damage inflicted on the guns themselves can still clearly be seen today as can the indentations left by the bombs.
This afternoon we board our coach for the short drive to the city of Bayeux, the first French city to be liberated by the Allies on D-Day, and one of few in the area that escaped major damage. It has kept its 14th-century half-timbered houses and a magnificent cathedral which overlooks the city. Here we will view Bayeux' treasure, the superb 231-foot-long tapestry embroidered in the 11th century to chronicle the invasion of England by the Normans, almost a thousand years before the D-Day landings.
We end this memorable day with our arrival at the close-by medieval town of Saint-Malo where we will stay for three nights.
Overnight in Saint Malo.
DAY 11, May 6, 2011: SAINT MALO & AFTERNOON EMERALD COAST EXCURSION. (B, L)
The town of Saint Malo is perched on a rock at the mouth of the Rance River, its only link to the mainland a narrow causeway. This morning we’ll drift back through time as we enjoy a walking tour through streets ringed by high, fortified walls. The spectacular views of the port and bay look just as they did when discovered by 18th century explorers. We’ll see the cathedral and the 15th century castle known for its Tower as we stroll through the narrow, shop-filled streets.
After our included lunch, enjoy an excursion along the Emerald Coast, named for the color of the sea in this region. First stop: the Pointe du Grouin, a jagged promontory which owes its appeal to the spectacle of the waves breaking on its rocky shore and to superb views of the Bay of Mont St. Michel. You may want to stop in the nearby and picturesque fishing port of Cancale, renowned for its oysters, before continuing to the resort of Dinard.
With its Victorian villas facing the English Channel, its sandy beaches, five miles of paths along undulating cliff edges, secluded coves and lively cafés, Dinard is a great destination for an afternoon excursion. While here, perhaps you may wish to try one of the creperies, much loved by the locals, where you will find the regional specialty, a galette bretonne. Or try one of the numerous seafood restaurants and sample the freshly caught fisherman’s catch of the day. Later, we will return to St. Malo, traveling over the first bridge on the River Rance, which is formed by the dam of the Usine Marémotrice Usine Marémotrice de la Rance, the world's first tidal power station.
Overnight in Saint Malo.
DAY 12, May 7, 2011: FULL DAY EXCURSION TO MONT SAINT MICHEL (B)
Today we will revel in our day-long excursion to Mont St. Michel, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Looming out of the bay like an apparition, it is an unforgettable sight and a fascinating place to visit. We’ll visit the famous spired abbey at the top of the Mont, a wonderful example of ancient architecture. We’ll revel in the spectacular views out over the bay where the tide is said to come “galloping in like horses”, listen to tales of pilgrimages and of prisoners who were once kept on this small island. and wander the charming medieval village with its many shops and restaurants at the foot of the Mont. Some may wish to walk along the dike laid across a flat seabed, where incoming tides are said to rush in as fast as a galloping horse. Lunch will be on our own in Mont Saint Michel. We should be sure to sample the specialty of the area – lamb fed on the salt grasses.
Overnight in Saint Malo.
Day 13, May 8, 2011: TRAVEL TO TOURS. (B)
Today is a travel day. We drive through the beautiful hills and valleys of “Swiss Normandy” as it is known, toward the Loire, traveling via Sees, Alencon and Le Mans to our hotel at Tours in the Loire valley, where we will stay for two nights. Tours, hometown of Saint Martin and of novelist Honoré de Balzac. Tours is the provincial capital of la Touraine, where royalty built fancy castles to entertain their courtiers.
Overnight in Tours.
DAY 14, May 9, 2011: EXCURSION TO CHENONCEAU & CHAMBORD. (B, L)
This morning we begin an exploration of the châteaux de la Loire, with a visit to one of the most easily-recognized of the Loire Valley's royal residences, the Château de Chenonceau. In 1547, a century before the royal palace was designed at Versailles, King Henri II gave this property to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. On her orders, splendid gardens were added and a bridge was built to link the castle to the other bank of the Cher. The wing erected upon that bridge by Queen Catherine de Medici served as an escape route between Nazi-occupied northern France and unoccupied southern France during WWII.
After an included nice light lunch our tour will continue with a visit the breathtaking Château de Chambord. At the age of 25, flamboyant King François I decided to build this sumptuous residence, but over the 32 years of his reign he spent only 42 days in Chambord! No visitor could fail to admire the park (enclosed by a wall 18 miles long), the grand façade and the spirals of le Grand Escalier, which cross and re-cross as they rise from the Salle des Gardes Salle des Gardes to a 100-foot turret crowning a roof adorned with 365 chimneys!
Overnight in Tours.
DAY 15, May 10, 2011: CHARTRES TO GIVERNY. (Tours to Chartres 120 miles) (B, L)
Our morning begins with a guided tour of Tours including the renovated Vieux-Tours with its Gothic cathedral, towers and timbered houses.
After our included lunch we depart Tours and travel to the region known as the Ile-de-France. The spires of Chartres' cathedral will come into view, solemnly rising above sprawling wheat fields. Soon, you're facing the most beautiful Gothic structure in Europe, known for its stunning stained-glass windows and flying buttresses. After our visit of the cathedral, there'll be time to stroll in the medieval district around Notre-Dame de Chartres and to shop for post cards and souvenirs.
A short approximately 50 mile coach ride on the auto route then takes us into a whole different world: Monet’s home village of Giverny where we check in to our hotel.
Overnight in our hotel - in or near Giverny.
DAY 16, May 11, 2011: GIVERNY (B, D)
This morning we devote to an exploration of Claude Monet’s home at Giverny – a must-see for lovers of gardens and impressionism. We’ll visit his house and private gardens, including the Japanese Garden with its half-moon bridge and waterlillies so well known from Monet’s paintings.
Time for a leisurely lunch on your own and a wander through the little village. Our guide and coach will take us on a tour around the surrounding area to places where some of Monet’s famous painting ere painted. Signs alert the traveler to stop and gaze.
Late in the afternoon our coach will take us to our Paris hotel. Tonight we will say goodbye to those returning home on the morrow at a gala farewell dinner.
Day 17, May 12, 2011: PARIS AND THE FLIGHT HOME OR CHOOSE A 3 DAY PARIS EXTENSION!
Most good things must come to an end. Your suitcase full of memorabilia and photos ready to be processed, you'll arrive home later today, eager to share your discoveries with family and friends.
THOSE JOINING THE PARIS EXTENSION BEGIN A GLORIOUS THREE DAYS OF EXPLORATION IN THE FRENCH CAPITAL
DAY 17, May 12, 2011: PARIS CITY SIGHTSEEING, LOUVRE, NOTRE-DAME, EIFFEL TOWER ASCENT (B, D)
This morning, enjoy a coach tour of the city in the company of a local guide. On the Right Bank of the River Seine, see Napoléon's Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées, the Place de la Concorde, and the exuberant Opéra Garnier. On the Left Bank, discover the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
This afternoon, we visit the Louvre Museum to explore its restored galleries and their ancient treasures as well as the modernistic underground galleria beneath M. Pei's glass pyramid. You will see Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, among countless other masterpieces. Lunch will be on our own in the excellent food court at the Louvre.
The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
This evening we ascend by elevator to the third level of the most famous structure ever built, la Tour Eiffel, for an unforgettable panorama of Paris by night. Afterwards, we’ll walk along the Champs de Elysees and enjoy dinner in one of the many outdoor cafes while gazing at the passing scene and the Eiffel Tower.
DAY 18, May 13, 2011: EXCURSION TO VERSAILLES AND VALLEE DE CHAVREUSE IN THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE (B, D)
This morning we board our coach and travel outside the city to Versailles for a visit to the amazing palace where the Sun King, Madame de Pompadour and Queen Marie-Antoinette all come to life. In this ultimate example of Baroque architecture, you will marvel at the lavish decoration, abundant gilding and
exuberant ornamentation. This is particularly evident in the Royal Apartments of Louis XIV and in the Hall of Mirrors.
Our coach will drive us to the little village of Versailles where we can have lunch on our own in one of the little restaurants near the train station
This afternoon our coach drives us to see the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon Gardens and Marie-Antoinette's Village.
Overnight in Paris.
DAY 19, May 14, 2011: PARIS (B, D)
This morning our guide will take us to the Ile de la Cité, the very heart of the ancient city which the Romans called Lutetia, for a visit to Notre-Dame. This cathedral has presided over centuries
of glorious and somber French history, from its construction in the Middle Ages to the French Revolution and the coronation of Napoléon in 1804 (the 35-year-old upstart crowned himself emperor!). Admire the bas-reliefs, statuary, gargoyles and remarkable rose windows.
Around the corner from Notre Dame is St. Chapelle, a must see! Visitors must be certain to find their way upstairs in the chapel where a room is surrounded and lit by magnificent stained glass windows.
No visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to Montmartre. This afternoon we visit the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur at the very peak of the mont at Tartre Square and then have time to wander the quaint streets of this area. Artists are everywhere, both painting and selling their canvases and cafes abound.
This evening, our final night in Paris, we will celebrate our time here with dinner and then a Bateau Mouchecruise on the River Seine. Watching the lights of Paris and the illuminated monuments as you glide along the Seine is a pleasure which all will long remember.
DAY 20, May 15, 2011: FLIGHT HOME
After breakfast meet transfer to the airport for a flight home.