admin December 7th, 2012

May 5 – 12, 2013? AND May 12 – 19, 2013

8 Days ~ Group Size: 6

Price: $2,700.00??? - OR -

Sierra

5 Days (day 1 through day 5 below)

Price: $2,100.00

San Francisco, Yosemite, and Carmel, a Strong Dose of Beautiful CA

Some history, some pampering, and regaining of perspective in magnificent Yosemite.? Enrichment, exercise, fresh air, shopping, that is what this trip is designed to do.? I have guided this trip and loved it so much, that I couldn’t wait to offer it again.? Of course, it certainly helped that my guests were awesome and so we had nothing but fun.

Day 1 – We will meet up at our pretty boutique hotel in San Francisco, and from this point on you can relax and leave this trip to me. Everything will be taken care of so you can relax and enjoy California. We will spend this first day exploring this beautiful “City by the Bay”. Beginning with a drive across the Golden Gate to look back and admire this sparkling city, we will wander a bit in the BEST Chinatown in the U.S.

Because of the Gold Rush, c. 1845, a world wide migration took place, with thousand and thousands of people arriving into San Francisco Bay, by the ship load, everyday, eager to get to the gold fields. Many of these were from China, and they, in particular, have left a stamp on California forever. Hence, San Fransisco’s Chinatown, the best in the U.S.! Following a wander through Chinatown, a visit to a fortune cookie factory and extraordinary views, of the city in all directions, we will have a delicious dinner and? enjoy the lights.

Day 2 – We will leave the bustling Bay Area and drive to the slower paced heart of the California Gold Rush, Sonora.? Nestled in the foothills of the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains, we will spend two days between relaxing professional massage treatments, and tasting some of the best wines produced in California.?After checking into the Historic Gunn House, we will drive to the adorable town of Murphy?s, where the main street is about four blocks long, lined on both sides with fun shops and oodles of tasting rooms.? We know these tasting rooms well, and are wine club members of a few, so we will introduce you to some of the winemakers and let you choose your favorites.? The last time I guided this trip, my east coast guests purchased cases of wine to be shipped home. They told me how they enjoyed opening and sniffing those California wines out east.? A nice souvenir. Early dinner in Murphy’s.

Day 3: ?Leave it to AHA to discover relaxing spa treatments in an historical building built in 1895.? Built after the gold rush, this classic western boomtown style building with its wooden sidewalks, was the very necessary Mundorf Hardware store with the Mundorf family living above. They would probably be shocked to know that within the rooms where they raised their children, today, soft music and candle light beckon clients into the quiet, warm and relaxing treatment rooms. Our? treatments will be divided between a one hour body massage that is designed by you, and another glorious hour-long European facial. Whether you prefer a Swedish, sports, or lighter aromatherapy massage, it will be tailored to your achieving an all over ?wet noodle? experience. I have spoken at length with, and experienced first hand these professionals, and they understand completely what my goal is for each of you traveling with me on this trip. Pampered excellence and a long lingering memory of travel with Art History Alive.

I will provide in a very private picnic lunch, at the Gunn House, so you need not feel rushed, but can linger in your newly relaxed state of mind.? The balance of this day can be spent shopping in Sonora, napping, whatever you feel like. Dinner in Sonora.

Day 4:? After breakfast, I will drive you into Yosemite National Park, stopping along the way at scenic views that will take your breath away.? After a picnic lunch, and a walk around Yosemite Village so that you can get your bearings, we will check into our beautiful rooms at the unique Ahwahnee Hotel.?? This historic hotel, built in 1927, and like no other in its massive grandeur, still cannot compete with the drama and majesty of Yosemite Valley. You will feel your life slip into perspective as we quietly walk the pathways of Yosemite with its enormous granite cliffs surrounding us and as its magnificent waterfalls crash; all outside troubles and pressures seem to morph back into perspective where they should be.? Now, we are on Yosemite time.? All my life I have been visiting this natural cathedral and always have the same response to it.? It makes me quiet, thoughtful and enormously thankful.? If you have been before, maybe it is time to go again, if this will be your first time, brace yourself for a powerful experience.

?Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.? John Muir

Day 5: After breakfast in the Ahwahnee dining room, we will take a wonderful open air bus tour of the valley, before driving back to the coast.? This evening will be spent in Santa Cruz overlooking the Beach Boardwalk and Municipal Wharf.? Breakfast surrounded by enormous mountains to dinner overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this is California.

Day 6 and 7: This morning we will make the short drive down U.S. Coast Highway 1, to Carmel, where we will spend the next two days.? This quaint village is so picturesque in every way, you will never want to leave.? Art galleries, shops of every kind, a style of architecture that can only be described as “Snow Whitesque”.? Those of you who have been there, know exactly what I am talking about.? One of the prettiest California missions is in Carmel too, with its beautiful old mission garden.

Day 8: From Carmel we will deliver our new friends, either home, or to their airports and returning flights.

Facebook me!

Physical Level: Moderate

Price includes: All hotels, all meals and house wines, massage treatments, ground transportation, museum and park admissions.

• A New Itinerary , Art and History , California Itinerary , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , price , Trip Advice , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(0)

admin August 16th, 2012

A Perfect Parisian Day, by Maggie Harris, will appear as a five part series.

Maggie Harris is AHA’s research guru, and though much of her work is done staring at a computer screen, gathering information is not enough for AHA. In this series, Maggie puts her feet on the cobblestones and explores a great AHA destination, Paris. Assignment: To make her way to Musee Marmottan Monet, explore the gallery, and find a special place for AHA guests to lunch. To take copious notes to enrich and improve our travel itineraries for AHA guests! Mission accomplished.

I feel really blessed and humbled to be able to apply some of the experience from my travel adventures to the mission and vision of Art History Alive!It is a joy to use travel success )and travel disappointments) to help positively inform the AHA experience. So when Art History Alive asked that I take some time out of my work in Paris to scope some finds for them, what was my response? Oh, fine, twist my arm!

My personal challenge, on this particular day, was to truly explore, to simply take a journey. To have one destination, but to allow

myself to meander my way there and be open to detours along the way. To revisit some favorites and find some new joys as well. To figure it out without my cellphone GPS or scouring the travel books or restaurant reviews in advance. This kind of journey – slower, more aware, unrushed – is just the kind of travel that AHA boasts and often creates the most intense joy and offers the most amazing finds. This was just such a day.

It was not just a day in Paris, it was a gloriously gorgeous day, the kind of day that every person who dreams of going to Paris envisions. It was, afterall, April in Paris.

Lucky me to be in this city and have only one goal in mind ? to visit the Mus?e Marmottan Monet. Somehow, on my visits to Paris, I had not yet managed to explore this gem of a museum. It boasts the largest collection of Monets in the world, as well as numerous works by other artists such as Degas, Sisley, Pisarro, Renoir, and more. I was eager to see some of Monet?s less famous pieces and particularly excited about exploring a part of Paris that I was not very familiar with.

Ready for my day, I left my lovely hotel in the 6^th arr. and set off for the metro station. Craving a caf? cr?me (just as it sounds, coffee with warm cream), I stopped at a storefront that had a serving window on the sidewalk. The pan au chocolat (chocolate croissants, essentially) was calling my name, so in celebration of being in France ? and knowing I would walk it off in no time ? I caved (for just 3 Euros! Take that, Starbucks!) I made a spur of the moment decision to detour up the road to the Jardin du Luxembourg so I could sit and enjoy my morning snack. I have noticed that in France one rarely sees people eating ?on the run? as one does in the States. People aren?t scarfing sandwiches on the metro or gulping coffee as they juggle a briefcase and hail a cab. Any food experience is to be enjoyed. Savored. So off I went to savor!

Once inside The Luxembourg Gardens, in all its leafy, lovely serenity, I love thinking about how Victor Hugo featured the park so heavily in ?Les Miserables?, Hemingway strolling through it, and reading current literature that mentions it. Should I try to grab a green chair around the large fountain area in the bright sunshine, surrounded by tulips and pansies? Should I sit on a bench along one of the shaded paths and watch the joggers and tennis players as they seized the morning in their own way? I opted for my favorite spot of all, right in front of the Medici fountain. It is romantic and mystical to me with great trees filtering lovely green dappled light while their leaves whisper overhead. Today the fountain had actually been drained, but it had no less charm than when it is full of water. I settled into a green lawn chair to enjoy my coffee, croissant, and a little bit of the novel I was reading. Two older Frenchmen played chess to my left. To my right, a quintessential French couple cuddled together on one chair (at 9am!).

After a good 25 minutes of serenity, caffeine, and chocolate, I left the gardens and headed to the metro. I was excited to get to the 16th arr. to explore and witness some great art!

• About AHA , After Trip Report , AHA PR , AHA Team Members , Art and History , Cultural Immersion , Culture , Food, Wine, and Friends , Gardens , How we work , painting , Philosophy , What we do
• Comments(0)

admin July 7th, 2012

What does Art History Alive have to do with the economic crunch in the E.U.? A couple of things:

1. Because the exchange rate is the lowest it has been since 1997, we have chosen to pass that savings on to our clients?you! We have three AHA trips going to Italy this summer and fall, and the prices for these trips have come down significantly.

2.? The E.U. is teetering, tourism is down, and this reminded me of something. After the events of September 11, 2001, I clearly remember Mayor Giuliani on television asking folks to come to New York, and not to give way to fear by staying away.?Well, we listened, and one month after that terrible day, we packed up and headed to NYC for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, wondering if the streets would be a bit empty. Quite the opposite! It was one of the largest crowds on record. Santa Claus is always the huge climax to the parade, riding the last float, but I had to cover my ears when the float that preceded Santa passed by. On that float were Mayor Giuliani, the Fire Commissioner, the Police Commissioner, some fire fighters and police officers, and the flag that flew at the World Trade Center site. We were so glad that we had gone to NYC and supported the city in that terrible time.

I feel a bit the same about the E.U. right now. AHA has so many friends in Italy and France who are suffering as their financial systems struggle. I think that it is safe to say that the E. U. needs our travel dollars more than anytime since post WWII, another terrible time for Europe.

In hopes of stimulating more of you to travel, I am lowering the prices on the upcoming AHA trips and designing personal itineraries for the friends and clients who cannot go with us, but will go on their own and want it to be the AHA style. We will create for you, a dream trip based on your desires and our experience. Infused in each itinerary is my enthusiasm and passion, which I cannot help.

Below are our AHA trips with reduced prices. Each one has been created with every detail considered, every lunch and dinner, every warm evening and cobblestoned alley. And now, we can use these to help our friends out of a very tough time, and see wondrous things at the same time.

MUSICA IN TUSCANY – CLOSED
A Castle Courtyard Concert, Hill Towns, and Rome
JULY 12 ? 18, 2012
Was $3,300. Now $2,900. Savings $400.00

ROME AND TUSCANY
A Colosseum and a Castle
SEPTEMBER 30 ? OCTOBER 8, 2012
Was $3,900. Now $3,400. Savings $500.00

GERMANY, ALONG THE ROMANTIC ROAD
Cathedrals, Castles, and a Concentration Camp
This itinerary is available for purchase. Call for pricing and your copy for travel at your convenience.

ROMA AMOR: ROME IS LOVE SPELLED BACKWARD
Judith Testa brings her book to life as she shares with us her Rome.
OCTOBER 10 ? 17, 2012
Was $4,100. Now $3,600. Savings $500.00

• Art and History
• Comments(0)

admin February 8th, 2012

Yosemite Falls Reflected

Spring is waterfall season in Yosemite, when the snowmelt comes rushing over rock walls and races 3,000 feet straight down in a powerful ribbon to crash on the rocks below. Juxtaposed against the power and strength of water is the delicate wildflower season, a gorgeous time to be in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

AHA’s Gold Rush, Wines, and Yosemite, April 19 ? 26, 2012, is a great 8-day getaway?from San Francisco to Carmel-by-the-Sea, with Yosemite as the ?jewel in the crown.? However, we are offering our guests the choice of an abbreviated version as well. For those who just can’t get away for a full 8 days but long to get up into the hills and stay in Yosemite, AHA is offering a 5-day, 4-night version. This “Sierra” version, April 19 – 23, 2012, will begin in San Francisco, followed by 2 days in Sonora, including a massage and facial, Murphy’s wine tasting, and, of course, Yosemite?and the Ahwahnee.

I love this area, know it quite well, and enjoy sharing it. The links will take you to details and pricing.

Days 1 ? 5: (Sierra) We will begin this trip at sea level in San Francisco, with all its culture and color, and then meander on to?spend two days in the heart of the Gold Rush area in Sonora. While here, our guests will enjoy a European body massage and facial by leading professionals in the area. We will then go wine tasting in the adorable little town of Murphys, and finally make our way into Yosemite National Park, arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth. After checking in to the historic and very majestic Ahwahnee Hotel, we will explore the park and picnic along the way, just soaking in Yosemite.

Days 6 and 7: We will come full circle as the final two days of this itinerary find us back on the California coast in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. Quaint as can be, with its storybook architecture, we will wander the streets, share some delicious meals, the fresh salt air, and prepare to return to life.

To sign up for Gold Rush, Wines, and Yosemite or Sierra, click here.

• A New Itinerary , California Itinerary , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , Gardens , Philosophy , price , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(0)

admin January 31st, 2012

Dinner For AHA, Rome

AHA and I will be in Rome three times in 2012. Links to the trip descriptions are below this post. Enjoy Part 2 of ROMA.

I came to Italy for the art, history, ancient architecture, scenic beauty, food, wine, hill towns, landscapes, and, loving it all, I return for Rome.

Why does one place reach out and hug you, and others simply don?t?? No one really knows, but really, who cares? It just happens. When it does, however, it is very personal and very intimate.?For some, it?s a sandy- beached island, a mountain perch, an almost silent lake, the sidewalks of Paris, Vienna, or strolling the Giant Sequoias.?But when it happens, you know it.

After about 48 hours in Rome,?I felt a sense of sinking into it, a yearning to get lost in it. Not in the great sites necessarily. Suddenly the Colosseum and the Forum jumped into the back seat. I wanted to be on a back street in a nondescript neighborhood. I didn?t want to stand out; in fact, quite the opposite. I wanted to blend in, fit, and melt into Rome.

Frances Mayes feels about Tuscany as I do about Rome.? She describes it this way: ??The place took hold of me and shaped me in its image.?? Exactly.

?I wanted an aperture,? she writes elsewhere, ?an opportunity to merge with something limitless. Something that takes you out of yourself also restores

Dinner With Our Roman Friends

you to yourself with a greater freedom.? And finally, ?I wanted an aperture, an opportunity to merge with something limitless.?

This last quote touches on what many travelers who fall in love with a place often recount: ?I felt like I was home.??I love the way Rome swoops me out of myself, fills me to the brim, and returns a wiser, more humbled me. And often, when wandering its tangled web of streets, I feel very small as the enormity of all that Rome has been, is, and will be, surrounds me. How could I not want a repeat of that thrill ride?

Through the ages, Rome has gathered many, many lovers, of which I am but one. When I arrive, we have such a joyous reunion. Rome is all decked out and gives me her full attention.?Below are some thoughts by a few of her other lovers:

Living History In Rome

Barbara Gruzzuti Harrison (1934-2002) – “I am happy here; when I or others have bruised my life, I close my eyes against the hurt and think of Rome: as possibility and hope. . . The world is lovable when the world is Rome. . . For the rest of my life I will love Rome and think better of my life having known Rome.”

Johann Goethe (1749-1832) – In Rome you learn to. . . . “See with an eye that can feel, feel with a hand that can see.”

Henry James (1843-1916) – At nineteen years old, “I went reeling and moaning thro’ the streets, in a fever of enjoyment.”? Fifty years later – “No one who has ever loved Rome, as Rome could be loved in youth, wants to stop loving her.”

H. V. Morton (1892-1979) – “I looked down with gratitude upon the city where I had learnt many things; but one does not say goodbye to Rome.”

Judith Testa – (During my first visit) . . .”A strange energy surged through me, a passion for the place which has never faded but only increased with each subsequent visit.? Whenever I return to Rome, I experience that same anticipation, energy, and excitement.”

Jim Quist – “I love Rome simply because it’s Italian.”

AHA and I will be in Rome three times in 2012. Funny, even after twenty years, just writing those words, “I will be in Rome”, puts a smile on my face and pulls at my heart.? I would love to share it with you.

Musica in Tuscany: July 12 ? 18, 2012, includes two days in Rome.

Rome and Tuscany: September 30 ? October 8, 2012, includes four full days in Rome.

Roma Amor: Rome Is Love Spelled Backward: October 10 ? 17, 2012, is a full week in Rome guided by Judith Testa, PhD, author of the book by the same name, and myself. A daring duo of like-minded pilgrims are we.

• About AHA , Art and History , Cultural Immersion , Culture , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , Philosophy , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip , What we do
• Comments(0)

admin January 18th, 2012

Ghosts of the Caesars, Evening, Roman Forum

There is an Italian expression, ?Roma, non basta una vita,? which means that for Rome, a lifetime is not enough life to really know her.

Not even close. But knowing Rome would be the destination and getting to know her, the journey. I never want my journey to end. I love this city with all my heart.

Why is it that of all of the wonderful places I have visited in my traveling life, Rome, above all others, gripped me, holds me, and haunts me?

I have wrestled with this question for twenty years. Friends do not understand why I keep returning when there is so much more ?out there? to see. They ask if I will guide a trip to Greece or Hong Kong. I smile, as I think about those amazing places and say, ?Maybe, someday.? But in my head I am saying, ?I don’t want to. I want to go back to Rome.? There is still, after countless visits, so much of Rome that I long to understand, be familiar with, and appreciate.

Maybe it can be explained this way. When I buy a car, I think it through, wrangle, and weigh every aspect and option, and by the time my decision is made, I am in love with it and drive it for years.?I’ve sort of sunk my teeth into it, very unlike the car buyer who enjoys flipping cars every couple of years. That is the kind of traveler that I have become as well. I am determined to catch the spirit of a place and sink my teeth in.? When I am not traveling I am reading, highlighting, margin noting, and learning more deeply about Rome. ? A list of destinations to see in this world and tick off could not be more unappealing to me.

However, it hasn’t always been that way.?In 1989, I was traveling around Europe with my list in hand, happily visiting Switzerland, Paris, Florence, all beautiful and stimulating, tick, tick, tick. Not sinking my teeth into any of them.?But then we arrived in Rome, and everything changed. Only this time, I was blindsided as I felt Rome sink her teeth into me! How?

One thing I am sure of is that there is more than one answer to this question. In Part 2 of ROME: Life Is Not Long Enough To Know All Of Rome, I will

My Happy Place

discuss a few, and maybe you will feel your reaction to a special place being described.

As a guest with Art History Alive, my intense passion for Rome and its living history, will be my gift to you. Travelers will have three opportunities to visit and get to know Rome with AHA in 2012.

Musica in Tuscany: July 12 ? 18, 2012, includes two days in Rome.

Rome and Tuscany: September 30 ? October 8, 2012, includes four full days in Rome.

Roma Amor: Rome Is Love Spelled Backward: October 10 ? 17, 2012, is a full week in Rome guided by Judith Testa, PhD, author of the book by the same name, and myself. A daring duo of like-minded pilgrims are we.

In Part Two of ROMA, I will also share news on a few of the fantastically characteristic boutique hotels that AHA now reserves for its guests?a converted cloister, quiet and tucked away, an 11^th-century tower, with one room on each of its five floors, and a pretty guest house gem on a quiet street near the Tiber River?all unique, pristine, and located in the historic center of this amazing city. I have visited each and every one of these hotels, plus many others that did not make the AHA list of preferred properties. Only the best for AHA guests?that is my promise.

Come experience Rome as part of a small group of other intellectually curious travelers. We would love to have you.

• A New Itinerary , About AHA , architecture , Art and History , Culture , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , How we work , Philosophy , price , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip , What we do
• Comments(0)

admin August 30th, 2011

Chinatown, San Francisco

April 19 – 26, 2012 ~ 8 Days ~ Group Size: 6

Price: $2,700.00??? - OR -

Sierra, April 19 – 23, 2012 ~ 5 Days (day 1 through day 5 below)

Price: $2,100.00

San Francisco, Yosemite, and Carmel, a Strong Dose of Beautiful CA

Some history, some pampering, and regaining of perspective in magnificent Yosemite.? Enrichment, exercise, fresh air, shopping, that is what this trip is designed to do.? I guided this trip in 2011 and loved it so much, that I couldn’t wait to offer it again.? Of course, it certainly helped that my guests were awesome and so we had nothing but fun.? This is a great itinerary!

Day 1 – Following your arrival into San Francisco, we will spend the day exploring this beautiful “City by the Bay”.? The Chinese, arriving into San Francisco by the thousands at the onset of the Gold Rush, have made a tremendous impact on this state and especially San Fransisco and the Gold Rush towns.? Fascinating!? Following Chinatown, a fortune cookie factory and extraordinary views in all directions, we will have a delicious dinner and? enjoy the lights of this pretty city before collapsing for the night.

Day 2 – We will leave the bustling Bay Area and drive to the slower paced heart of the California Gold Rush, Sonora.? Nestled in the foothills of the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains, we will spend two days between relaxing professional spa treatments, and tasting some of the best wines produced in California.?After checking into the Historic Gunn House, we will drive to the adorable town of Murphy?s , CA.? Here the main street is about four blocks long, lined on both sides with fun shops and oodles of tasting rooms.? We know these well and are wine club members of a few, so we will introduce you to some of the winemakers and let you choose your favorites.? The last time I took this trip, my east coast guests? became wine club members as well, and now receive regular shipments from Murphy?s, a nice reminder of their time there.? Early dinner in Murphy’s.

Living History in Sonora, CA

Day 3: ?Leave it to AHA to discover relaxing spa treatments in an historical building built in 1895.? Built after the gold rush, this classic western boomtown style building with its wooden sidewalks, was the very necessary Mundorf Hardware store with the Mundorf family living above. They would probably be shocked to know that within the rooms where they raised their children, today, soft music and candle light beckon clients into the quiet, warm and relaxing treatment rooms. Our spa treatments will be divided between a one hour body massage that is designed by you, and another glorious hour-long European facial. Whether you prefer a Swedish, sports, or lighter aromatherapy massage, it will be tailored to your achieving an all over ?wet noodle? experience. I have spoken at length with, and experienced first hand these professionals, and they understand completely what my goal is for each of you traveling with me on this trip. Pampered excellence and a long lingering memory of travel with Art History Alive.

We will sneak in a very private picnic lunch, at the Gunn House, so you need not feel rushed, but can linger in your newly relaxed state of mind.? The balance of this day can be spent shopping in Sonora, napping, whatever you feel like.

Day 4:? After breakfast we will drive into Yosemite National Park, stopping along the way at scenic views that will take your breath away.? After our picnic lunch, and a walk around Yosemite Village so that you can get your bearings, we will check into our beautiful rooms at the unique Ahwahnee Hotel.?? This historic hotel, built in 1926, and like no other in its massive grandeur, still cannot compete with the drama and majesty of Yosemite Valley. You will feel your life slip into perspective as we quietly walk the pathways of Yosemite with its enormous granite cliffs surrounding us and as its magnificent waterfalls crash; all outside troubles and pressures seem to morph back into perspective where they should be.? Now we are on Yosemite time.? All my life I have been visiting this natural cathedral and always have the same response to it.? It makes me quiet, thoughtful and enormously thankful.? If you have been before, maybe it is time to go again, if this will be your first time, brace yourself for a powerful experience.

?Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.? John Muir

Storybook Architecture, Carmel

Day 5: After breakfast in the Ahwahnee dining room, we will enjoy the park for the better part of the day before driving back to the coast.? This evening will be spent in Santa Cruz overlooking Beach Boardwalk and Municipal Wharf.? Breakfast surrounded by enormous mountains to dinner overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this is California.

Day 6 and 7: This morning we will make the short drive down the coast highway to Carmel, where we will spend the next two days.? This quaint village is so picturesque in every way, you will never want to leave.? Art galleries, shops, jewelery, a style of architecture that can only be described as “Snow Whitesque”.? Those of you who have been there, know exactly what I am talking about.? One of the prettiest California missions is in Carmel too, with its beautiful old mission garden.

Day 8: From Carmel we will drive to San Fransisco and flights home.

Facebook me!

Physical Level: Moderate

Art History Alive will offer these seven destinations in 2012! Great places to visit, more interesting things to learn, and very small groups. Over the next few weeks I will post on each tour individually to include a more detailed description, and a list of recommended reading and movies that will allow you to front load your travel experience.

California Wildflowers

You will notice that we have included one itinerary that includes my absolute favorite places in California.? If Europe is not on your radar screen for this year, consider touring the best that California has to offer.? I am a fifth generation Californian and would love to show you around.? I think that you will agree, this is wonderful line up and I sincerely hope that you will share it with your friends and family.

We are very happy to announce:

• Early booking benefits
• Alumni discounts
• Refundable deposits

The NEW money saving opportunities are on the Specials and Discounts Page. These trips can fill up fast so early booking is important and saves you money.

All trips include: Hotels, all meals and house wines, (well, you don?t have to have wine with breakfast) ground transportation, museum admissions, and travel insurance.

• A New Itinerary , Art and History , California Itinerary , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , price , Trip Advice , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(1)

admin August 30th, 2011

Paris in the Morning

PARIS 201: BEYOND THE EIFFEL TOWER

MAY 30 – JUNE 5, 2012 ~ 7 DAYS ~ GROUP SIZE : 6-8

PRICE PER PERSON: $3,400.00

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, no doubt about it. My guests and I have been visiting for years, and? it is high time that AHA offered a Paris 201. And so, in the late spring, May 30 – June 5, 2012, we will do just that.? As its title describes, this itinerary will be a more under the surface and a farther afield, visit to Paris. While everyone else is standing in line at the Eiffel Tower or the Musee d’Orsay, we will go off the beaten track to the gems that the Parisians themselves enjoy:

• Porte de Clignancourt, the famous Parisian flea market
• Musee Rodin and gardens
• Musee Cluny and courtyard
• Giverny
• Musee Marmottan
• Musee Edith Piaf
• Cinematheque Francaise

This itinerary is for those who have perhaps enjoyed the great sights of Paris before, or are satisfied to see them from a distance, while experiencing some hidden treasures. On this trip, for example, at the Porte de Clignancourt, in the market’s antiques section, you will feel like a time traveler. I have spent many happy hours just wandering around the narrow winding paths, packed with booths selling things of all description. From Louie XVI furniture to second hand french dish towels, it is all here, and it is huge.? I especially love the antique linens and baby clothes.

As mentioned above, this trip will include museums that don’t make the “must see list” carried by weary first-timers.? These museums have gardens, courtyards, and are quietly enjoyed by Parisians. ? For example, Musee Rodin is so beautiful, set in August Rodin’s private home and studio, it houses his most remarkable works, such as “The Kiss”.? In the garden sits “The Thinker”, huge and masterful, along with several other enormous sculptures.

The Musee Cluny displays art and artifacts from the Middle Ages in a very well preserved 15th century abbey, built on top of a Roman Bath. All levels are excavated and quite unbelievable!

Monet's Kitchen Door

We will spend an afternoon at Giverny, Claud Monet’s home and wonderous gardens, and be back in Paris for dinner.

Another treasure trove that is off the track, and thankfully so, is the Musee Marmottan. Located just a metro ride to the outskirts of Paris, housed in a beautiful 19th hunting pavillion, the largest collection in the world of works by Claud Monet, numbers 165. ? Some of Monet’s personal collection is in this museum as well, and include his favorite pieces of art by his friends, Pissaro, Renoir, and Sisley. ? Some of the most famous Monet’s can only be seen here at the out-of-the-way, Musee Marmottan.

We can visit the Musee Edith Piaf, a small apartment packed with memorabilia, intimate letters, photographs and more, lovingly collected by her fans.

We can wander through La Cinematheque Fancaise.? A museum to the history of the cinema and the evolution of film, with an amazing display of movie memorabilia dating back to the birth of cinema.

Having said all that, for me, a first day in Paris will always include an off loading of travel woes, “eau du fuselage”, and a settling down, in the beautiful, majestic and peaceful Notre Dame.? But from there, let’s dig deeper into Paris!

I will provide a suggested reading and viewing list for all travelers that sign up for Paris 201: Beyond the Eiffel Tower.? In this way, you will be knowledgeable and well prepared for your visit.

• A New Itinerary , Art and History , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , painting , sculpture , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(0)

admin August 26th, 2011

Judith Testa At Her Best

October 10 – 17, 2012 ~ 8 Days?

Group Size: 6 – 8

Price was: $4,100.00? Price now: $3,600.00

Savings: $500.00

We are so very fortunate to have Judith Testa, in person, bringing her book to life in her beloved Rome.? I will be among the lucky travelers that will make up this group, as we gather around this fun and funny font of knowledge, and become friends.

Following post by Judith Testa:

There?s a saying, ?Roma, non basta una vita,? which means ?Rome, a lifetime is not enough.? But even if you don?t have a lifetime to devote to exploring the Eternal City, you can see and experience an amazing amount in a well-organized week, and that?s what Art History Alive promises you.
We?ll take in the astounding sweep of Rome?s art and history, from the emperor Augustus in the first century BC to his 20th-century wannabe, Mussolini. But don?t worry– we won?t rush you around the city all day, every day, merely glancing at monuments before hurrying on to yet another site. Instead, by carefully choosing sites near to one another, we can visit some of Rome?s best-known treasures as well as a couple of its lesser-known gems, and still have time for delicious meals and some hours on your own.
On the day of your arrival, you?ll no doubt want some fresh air and something wonderful to look at, so we?ll ascend the Gianicolo–Rome?s Janiculum Hill– to admire the Acqua Paola, a gorgeous Baroque fountain that overlooks a fabulous panorama of the city.
On subsequent days, we?ll visit the Ara Pacis, the altar dedicated to peace by Rome?s first emperor, Augustus, and then walk around a corner to view a piazza designed for Mussolini. We?ll visit the Pantheon, one of the greatest buildings in the world, once a temple to all the Roman gods and now a church, and just a few streets way, the Baroque church of Sant? Ignazio, with ceiling paintings that will truly blow you away.

Prosciutto and Melon - A delicious work of art

We?ll also go inside the Colosseum, the huge arena where gladiators and wild animals once fought for the entertainment of the Roman populace. And rather than tramping through the Roman Forum, the seat of the ancient Roman government, we?ll view it from the summit of the Capitoline Hill– the latter re-designed by Michelangelo, and a superb example of High Renaissance city planning.
A visit to the small but interestingly decorated catacombs of St. Priscilla, a site few tourists succeed in finding, will acquaint you with the world of early Christianity as seen through a subterranean ?city of the dead.? Medieval Rome will be right on our doorstep, in the form of the church of S. Maria in Trastevere, according to some, the earliest Christian site in Rome, and housing marvelous mosaics and other works of art from various periods.
No visit to Rome would be complete without seeing St. Peter?s, the epitome of High Renaissance grandeur and Baroque splendor. A visit to the Vatican Museums will end in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo?s ceiling paintings provide one of the most unforgettable experiences in a city full of peak experiences.

• A New Itinerary , architecture , Art and History , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , painting , price , sculpture , Trip Update , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(0)

admin October 11th, 2010

Chinatown, San Francisco

Love this itinerary, who wouldn’t?

Two of my guests for the upcoming Gold Rush Wines and Yosemite are coming from the east coast and asked if I would be willing to extend that itinerary for a few more days and a bit more of California. Absolutely! Take the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite and add San Francisco, Carmel and Big Sur, and these east coasters are in for a real eye opening experience.

For those of you who have contacted me regarding this trip, the extended day by day itinerary of Gold Rush Wines and Yosemite is as follows:

October 14 – Guests arrive at airport in San Francisco mid-day. I gather them up and whisk them into San Francisco for the balance of the day.
To include: A view of SF, Alcatraz, The Golden Gate Bridge, from Treasure Island. A walking tour of Chinatown, a fortune cooking factory, colorful shopping, and lunch at House of Nanking, the best! Union Square park and shopping, The Carnelian Room, top of the Bank of America building for the breathtaking view and welcome to California libation. Drive to Santa Cruz, check in to ocean side hotel.? Mexican dinner at El Palomar.

October 15 – After breakfast over the ocean we are on our way to the Gold Rush area of California. Lunch enroute.? Check in to the historic Gunn House, Sonora.? A short and pretty drive and some wine tasting in Murphy’s, CA, wandering this very cute little town, dinner Murphy’s.

October 16 – After our breakfast, two hour spa treatments, to include full body massage and European facials. Leisurely lunch and some exploring of downtown Sonora. Dinner at the famously delicious Diamond Back Winebar and Cafe.

October 17 – After a relaxed breakfast, a very scenic drive into Yosemite Valley, check in at the Ahwahnee Hotel. A picnic lunch followed by a walk to

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

lower Yosemite Falls and a visit to the Ansel Adams Gallery. Tea and relaxing in the Grand Lounge, Ahwahnee before dinner at the Mountain Room Grill.

October 18 – Breakfast in the Ahwahnee dining room. Slow paced exploring of, arguably, the queen of the National Parks. Late afternoon departure for the SF Bay Area via a stop at Inspiration Point (Tunnel View) and Bridal Veil Falls. A lasting remembrance.

October 19 – After a restful night back at our ocean side hotel in Santa Cruz, CA, we will drive south on scenic Highway One as it winds its way along the coast. We will lunch at The Restaurant at Ventana, where the views and food are wonderful. Then turning north, we will stop in beautiful Carmel-By-The-Sea. To be sure that we are not rushed, we will spend the night in this quaint coastal town, and have time to visit its Mission Carmel, as well.? Dinner at Casanova, Carmel’s premeir French Country restaurant.

October 20 - Carmel-By-The-Sea and our return to Santa Cruz. Dinner at our home in Capitola.

October 21 – Kisses and goodbyes and flights to the east coast.

What a wonderful taste of California, especially since one of my guests was born here but moved east at a very young age. She is in for such a treat and I get to watch! Love this itinerary!!!

• A New Itinerary , dat to day itineraries , dates , descriptions , Destination Updates , destinations , Food, Wine, and Friends , Upcoming Trip
• Comments(0)