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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Ireland.
DAY
2 ARRIVE DUBLIN (3 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your tour manager/guide
board your own private coach and be transferred to your hotel
in Dublin. Founded by the Vikings, Dublin is the vibrant modern
capital of Ireland, but it still retains the aura of old world
Europe. After time to relax, your guide will take you on an
introductory Walking Tour of Southeast Dublin. We begin
outside the Bank of Ireland, one of Dublin's most treasured
landmarks, before strolling along Grafton Street, the spine
of Dublin's most popular and stylish shopping district. After
viewing the Molly Malone statue, we continue
to St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful 22-acre
park in the heart of Dublin filled with beautifully landscaped
flowerbeds, fountains, a lake and memorials to important Dubliners.
Our walking tour concludes with a walk around Merrion
Square, a marvel of Georgian architecture known for
its colorful doors and the famous literary figures that once
lived here, including Yeats and Wilde.
DAY
3 DUBLIN
Our morning begins with a visit to St. Patrick's
Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland.
It is said that St. Patrick baptized converts on this site,
and consequently a church has stood here since A.D. 450, making
it the oldest Christian site in Dublin. St. Patrick's is closely
associated with Jonathan Swift, who was dean from 1713 to
1745 and whose tomb lies in the south aisle. Our day continues
with a visit to Trinity College, the oldest university
in Ireland, with cobbled squares, beautiful gardens, a picturesque
quadrangle, and buildings dating from the 17th to the 20th
centuries. The college is also home to the Book of Kells,
an 8th-century version of the four Gospels with elaborate
scripting and illumination.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 DUBLIN & SANDYCOVE
This morning we will visit the Dublin Writers
Museum, housed in a stunning 18th-century Georgian mansion
with splendid plasterwork and stained glass. The museum is
an impressive reminder of the grandeur of the Irish literary
tradition, and Yeats, Joyce, Beckett, Shaw, Wilde, Swift,
and Sheridan are among those whose lives and works are celebrated
here. This afternoon we will visit Sandycove on Dublin
Bay for a visit to the Martello Towerthat was once
home to James Joyce.
DAY
5 DUBLIN - LARNE FERRY - CAIRNRYAN -
ALLOWAY AREA
(1 NIGHT)
We will make an early morning start and drive north
to the port at Larne where we will board the ferry to cross
the Irish Sea to Cairnryan on the Scottish coast. We will
continue to the Alloway area, famed as the birthplace of the
poet Robert Burns. The Burns Cottage and Museum
evoke his humble origins and house an extensive and well-displayed
collection of manuscripts and relics. Near the Burns Monument
and the Brig O'Doon we will visit the visitor center,
the Land O'Burns that recalls the bard's life and times of
the poet Robert Burns.
DAY
6 ALLOWAY AREA - THE TROSSACHS - STIRLING
AREA
(2 NIGHTS)
After an early morning start we will explore the
Trossachs, one of Scotland's most scenic areas and forever
associated with Sir Walter Scott's outlaw hero, Rob Roy. We
continue on to Stirling where our first stop will be the dramatically
located Stirling Castle, site of many sieges and once
the royal residence of the Stuarts. Mary Queen of Scots was
crowned in the castle's Chapel Royal. In 1297, the Scottish
hero William Wallace captured the castle from the English.
DAY
7 DAY TRIP TO EDINBURGH
Our day in Edinburgh begins with a visit to Edinburgh Castle,
a place filled with history, legend, and lore. Our visit will
include: St. Margaret's Chapel, the State Apartments,
the Great Hall and the Crown Chamber,
which houses the Honours of Scotland (Scottish Crown Jewels).
We continue with a Walking Tour along the Royal Mile,
where we will view many of the city's most interesting structures,
with turrets, gables, and towering chimneys. During our walk,
we will visit the St. Giles Cathedral, one of the most important
architectural landmarks along the Royal Mile and the first
Presbyterian church. Our final stop will be the Palace
of Holyroodhouse, built by James IV, adjacent to an Augustinian
abbey David I established in the 12th century. Our tour of
the palace will include: King James Tower, the Throne
Room, the King's Bedchamber and the Picture Gallery, with
portraits of Scottish monarchs.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
8 STIRLING AREA - SCOTT'S VIEW - DRYBURGH
ABBEY -
ABBOTSFORD - THE LAKE DISTRICT
(1 NIGHT)
After an early morning start we will arrive at Scott's View,
a viewpoint which faces west across the winding Tweed to the
three conical peaks of the Eildons. We will arrive at Dryburgh
Abbey, one of a group of Border abbeys founded by David
I, and it was begun in 1150. It was repeatedly attacked by
the English in the 1300s and was badly damaged when the town
of Dryburgh was razed in 1544. A sheltered meander of the
Tweed provides a splendid setting for the ruins of the abbey.
The conventual buildings are among the best preserved groups.
Our day will end with a visit to Abbotsford, a fantasy in
stone typical of Sir Walter Scott, the man who did so much
to romanticize and popularize all things Scottish. Our Guided
Tour will highlight a collection of some 9,000 rare books
and some of the many items relating to Scotland and its history
collected by Sir Walter throughout his life. We continue on
to our hotel in the Lake District for the night.
DAY
9 THE LAKE DISTRICT - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
Today we begin with a driving tour through the Lake
District. With 16 lakes and the highest peaks in England this
is a region of uncompromising beauty. We will see Windermere,
Thirlmere, Rydal Water, Derwent Water and Ullswater and visit
Dove Cottage Wordsworth's home from 1799 to 1808 and St
Oswald's Church, where he is buried at Grasmere. We continue
on to the nation's capital where after dinner, your guide
will take you on a leisurely Walking Tour of Westminster
to introduce you to some of London's most famous sights. We
will start at Trafalgar Square, walk down Whitehall
past Horseguards Parade and Downing
Street before arriving at Parliament Square and
the Houses of Parliament. Your walk can continue
through St. James's Park to see Buckingham
Palace.
DAY
10 LONDON
We begin with a visit to Westminster Abbey,
where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066.
We will take a guided tour that will include the Royal
Chapels, holding the tombs of the monarchs, as well
as Poets' Corner, featuring memorials to famous
British literary figures. Our morning continues as we walk
past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben before taking a
Thames River Cruise, a relaxing way to view many of
London's most magnificent sights. This afternoon we will visit
the Tower of London, one of Britain's most fascinating
and important historical structures, with its macabre associations
with the legendary figures imprisoned and/or executed here.
Our visit will include the armories and the
Crown Jewels Exhibit. This evening we will spend
time around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square,
two of London's most vibrant and lively areas.
DAY
11 LONDON
Our morning begins with a visit to the British
Museum, one of the most comprehensive collections of art
and artifacts in the world. Highlights of our visit will include:
the Rosetta Stone, whose discovery led to the deciphering
of hieroglyphs; the Elgin Marbles, from the Parthenon in Athens;
and the Sutton Hoo Treasure. After lunch we continue with
a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren's
Renaissance-style masterpiece. Our visit will include an ascent
to the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic marvel
in which the faintest whisper can be heard clearly on the
opposite side, as well as the American Memorial Chapel, honoring
the 28,000 U.S. service personnel who lost their lives while
stationed in Britain during World War II.
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
12 DEPARTURE FROM LONDON
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your tour manager/guide accompanies you to the airport
for the return flight home.
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