TheCotswolds,Stonehenge&London A CULTURAL WALKING ADVENTURE
Sometimes, Stonehenge steams at dawn.We know because we’ve stood there on Salisbury Plain among the great pillars—no crowds, no ropes to hold us back—and felt the sun touch our faces at the same moment it starts to warm the night-cooled
sandstone. It is an awesome, hold-your-breath moment.And you’ll experi- ence it too on this amazing journey through Southwestern England.We’ll show you our favorite paths that crook throughTechnicolor cottage gardens, across sweeping meadows and into the loveliest honeyed-stone villages in the land.We’ll lunch with friends in their 11th century home, drop in on the neighborhood potters, and time a visit to the tea shop lady when her scones are warm and fresh.This isn’t just the superficially pretty England, it’s the real thing—a rich cultural experience with personal introductions and remarkable access to non-public places.
ITINERARY
We meet in London at our Victorian residence-turned-hotel (1 night). For a unique perspective, we’ll wander the greenswards of Hyde and St. James’s Parks as our guide shares historical anecdotes of the royal family and others. Then we’re off to Chipping Campden, England’s most beautiful village (2 nights). Nearby, we’ll lunch at our friends’ home dating to the Norman conquest, then stroll on the Cotswold Way and witness a falconry display. We’ll also spend time with a local shepherd who practices the art of cheese-making.
A lovely footpath follows the Windrush River to Burford (3 nights), renowned for its antiques shopping. We’ve secured special access to Stonehenge to take breakfast there and wander among the stones before it opens to the public. Later, a traditional creamed tea is the luscious reward after a fine country walk.
On the path to Chedworth we see the remarkably intact mosaics in an ancient Roman villa. Our farewell dinner is in a private manor where we’re hosted by our friends Anne and John—the grandson of Lord Ismay, one of the planners of D-Day. Departing for Oxford, we end our week with a visit to Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of Winston Churchill.
Tour Dates: May 8-14, June 5-11, July 3-9, September 4-10 Trip Length: 7 days/6 nights Price: From $3995 (includes all breakfasts, 2 lunches and 4 dinners) Single Supplement: $685 Begins: London Ends: Oxford
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Chipping Campden
Burford Stonehenge Bath Oxford Bath
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London
2011 FEATURES NEW Edinburgh&the ScottishHighlands A CULTURAL WALKING ADVENTURE
Scotland plays a wonderful trick on you in the late afternoon.You can be standing thigh-deep in heather, surrounded by the loveliest, emptiest terrain. And somehow the sun always seems to find a white manor house to strike, making it gleam against a cradle of blue-green mountains.We don’t know of another civilized place on earth where it’s so easy to feel so far from civiliza- tion. This Classic Journey offers plenty of gentility—in the regal streets of Edinburgh, in gracious hotels and inns, in manicuredVictorian gardens. But that wonderful wild side is always as close as the next lochside walk…an hour of otter-watching…the chance to pace the perimeter of an Iron Age fort… the spectacular island paths that still tell the romantic stories of the Scots’ fierce heroes.Whether you’re sipping the local single-malt, drinking in a solitary sweep of the Highlands or thrilling to the skirl of bagpipers in Edinburgh Castle, you’ll love every moment of the Scotland we’ve prepared for you.
ITINERARY
From Glasgow, we drive to Loch Lomond for an afternoon stroll to a pictur- esque Scottish village. En route to historic Oban (3 nights) we admire the impressive ruins of Kilchurn Castle. You enjoy the most uninhabited lands of your travels on Kerrera Island where a walk past primitive Soay sheep leads to the dramatic ruins of the McDougall's castle and a traditional picnic lunch.
Isle of Mull
Inveraray
On a fine day of nature walks, we spot puffins, seals and porpoises on Staffa Island, and explore a spectacular natural cathedral carved out of volcanic rock on Iona. Nestled in a secluded valley on the Turret River, the Glenturret Distillery lays claim to the much-contested title of “oldest distill- ery in Scotland”. Our scenic walk along the river leads to the distillery for a tasting and lunch. From St. Fillans (3 nights), we venture on foot into the lovely Trossach hills and visit the village of Callander, the land of Rob Roy and Braveheart.
Oban Glasgow Edinburgh
Our arrival in Edinburgh leaves time for an expedition into this compact city. We ascend to Edinburgh Castle, towering over the capital’s heart, and walk The Royal Mile.
Tour Dates: May 22-28, July 3-9, July 31-Aug 6, Sept 4-10 Trip Length: 7 days/6 nights Price: From $4095 (includes all breakfasts, 1 lunch and 4 dinners) Single Supplement: $685 Begins: Glasgow Ends: Edinburgh
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