Paris Nov 2007

“Exclusive Paris Offer” November 1st – 7th, 2007                                           Shopping Spree in Paris                                                    Day 1 (Thursday) November 1st We departed Logan International Airport via Air France for our 6 day “Shopping Spree in Paris”. Arrival into Paris for our 5 night stay at the Intercontinental Grand Paris Hotel located on the right bank. (Right next to the Garnier Opera House)  For the “Batchelor fans”---this hotel was featured on the reality show for one of the recent Batchelor episodes. Day 2 (Friday) November 2nd Arrival into Paris-CDG Airport Today we enjoyed a panoramic orientation city tour of Paris via motor coach.  This tour included an English speaking motor coach tour of the following sights: Tuileries Gardens, Louvre, Champs Elysées, Arch of Triumph, Trocadero, Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Opera, Madeleine Church, Latin Quarter and Saint Germain des prés, Bastille, République, Beaubourg, City Hall, Palais Royal, Ile Saint Louis and Ile de La Cité.  We made a stop en route to enjoy a coffee/dessert break at the famous caterer Ladurée on the Champs Elysées.  The tour was designed to get acquainted with the city and have full an overview of its history so you can enjoy touring around during your stay. This evening we visited the Club Lounge to enjoy the complimentary cocktails and canapés (an exclusive amenity from the Virtuoso Travel Agency) overlooking the Garnier Opera House to unwind after the overnight flight.          Day 3 (Saturday) November 3rd Today we departed for a half-day tour of the magnificent Chateau of Versailles.  This palace was built in the mid 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV (the Sun King), followed by an exclusive 1.5 hour visit to the Private Apartments of the Palace.  The private tour allows visitors to view rooms, which are closed to the individual visitors and to most groups.  The tour offered a view of the sumptuous luxury apartments of Louis XV, Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, the Opera House and the Chapel Royal.  Next we continued the tour with a 1 hour visit to the State Apartments, Grand Apartment, Hall of Mirrors, Queen’s Suite and the Museum of the History of France.  The afternoon was free.  Several group members visited the Louvre for a private tour.  We visited the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Greece and Italian, sculptors and artwork along with a visit to Napolean III, apartment.  Others chose to shop and visit other museums.  This evening the group dined at two restaurants, Le Maupertu located in the Invalides area and Le Cottage Marcadet located in the Montmarte area. Day 4 (Sunday) November 4th. Today we visited the famous St. Ouen Flea market. Covering 7 hectares, it is the world’s largest antique markets. Every weekend, between 120,000 and 150,000 visitors from all over the world come in the hope of finding a rare and treasured object. The market has become one of the highlights of Paris for locals or tourists who wish simply to stroll around to search for a particular object, or just for the pleasure of looking around and is located just outside the city limits of Paris. This tour was followed by a visit to Montmartre and Sacre Couer Basilica. Though it was a sacred hill from the Roman Temples period to the Abbey of Montmartre and the political tone of Henri the IV, Montmartre preserved its cultural and artistic identity by offering a home to the greatest painting movements such as; (Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, Futurism). Today, it looks like a preserved village in the heart of Paris.  We arrived at the top via a funicular ride and others chose to walk up the steps for the steep climb. This is a wonderful artist colony where you can browse the square for an original piece of artwork to bring home or just sip a cup of coffee or a glass a wine at the many bistros.  You can walk through the narrow, winding streets, and discover where Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec lived and worked when they were young and you can visit the famous Sacre Couer Basilica which offers wonderful views of Paris.  During our visit we experienced a full fledge French Holy Day for Saints.  It was a real treat.  This evening we all departed for our Seine River cruise onboard the Parisian Bateaux line for a wonderful evening river cruise.  After the cruise we all departed for various different restaurants for an evening of gourmet fare.  One of which was Le Dauphin located nearby the Louvre.  It was fabulous. Day 5 (Monday) November 5th Today was a full day on our own to explore Paris.  The group chose to venture off to shop, and visit various museums at their leisure.  This evening we had our farewell dinner at a charming and quaint family run restaurant located on the St Louis Isle called “Auberge de la Reine Blanche. Day 6 (Tuesday) November 6th Today we had a free morning to enjoy Paris and finish some last minute shopping at the Gallerie Lafayette and various local shops prior to visiting the Ritz Escoffier School for hands on cooking class.  The class was held the the luxurios Ritz Paris located at  the Place Vendome which is less than a mile from our hotel. During the workshop, a simple dish of Saffron Risotto and Dublin Bay Prawns was demonstrated and prepared by select aspiring chefs from our group. After 30 minutes of practical work, we had the opportunity to appreciate our cooking talents by enjoying the dish we prepared.  We dined in the Ritz kitchen with fine china, espresso, chocolat and Sancere wine. After the cooking class some of the group visited the Musee’ d’Orsay with our private guide (Antoine) and the rest of the group shopped and ventured off to enjoy the remainder of the day.  This evening we all met at the Hotel Bar for a 1 hour hosted reception for our farewell evening prior to departing for our final evening of fine dining in Paris.  This evening the group dined at Soufflé’s and Au Vieux Paris.  The evening was topped off with a planned hotel black out from 2:00am to 5:00pm.  The late owls were seen roaming the halls of this wonderful and luxurious hotel in bathrobes and slippers, dawning flashlights and candles to reach their long awaited and short night’s sleep prior to departing the next a.m. for home.  Day 7 (Wednesday) November 7th Today we departed for home via our motorcoach transfer.  All and all it was a fabulous, whirlwind of a trip to the “City of Lights”.  It was a great way to introduce new and existing clients to the culture, shopping and all that this wonderful city offers.  So for now….”Until we meet again”! Au Revoir…..Patty Shachat your Virtuoso Travel Specialist.  Excursions to any corner of the World!

Portugal June 2007

PORTUGAL Featuring Lisbon and Evora With visits to Sintra and Arraiolo June 22-28, 2007, 2007 Friday, June 22nd: We arrived to the lovely Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, for a three night stay . Upon our arrival we were checked in with our very own in-room concierge.  We were greeted with a welcome Virtuoso amentity of fresh fruit and cold infused scented towels and a note that our "Jet Lag" spa treatments were awaiting us in the expansive spa high atop the hotel.  This evening we met Isabel Lage of our Valesa Tours, our host during our trip.  We ventured off to her dear friend; Lyisa Seisal (a countess) where we enjoyed an apertif of port wine and appetizers in her lovely sun-filled garden.  Her home was filled with years of collectibles and bric-a-brac.  This was truly a treat to be hosted in such a warm and inviting setting our first evening in Lisbon. Saturday, June 23rd: Today we departed for morning orientation drive around the city, with emphasis on the evolution of the city from its beginning to modern times. We continued to the Belem District, the 16th century Manueline Tower of Belem, built to defend the river mouth, and the Jeronimos Monastery, the Church of Santa Maria and its lovely cloister, the Monument to the Discoveries. Finally, visited the Carriage Museum, considered to be the finest in the world. After Lunch at Estufa Real in lovely Ajuda Park, we strolled through the old quarter of Alfama and visited Saint George’s Castle. This evening, we will visted the Clube de Fado for dinner and a enjoyed a performance of Fado Music reflecting the local musical culture.  Upon return to to our hotel we were hosted by the hotel management for a private cocktail reception, dinner and Fado show in the the "Presidential Suite".  The suite was decorated with beautiful flowers for our arrival along with votive candles.  We were told that a special guest would be arriving in a few days.  Yes we were wining in dining in this suite well before the intended famous guest arrived.  Read below to see who checked in to enjoy this lovely suite. Sunday, June 24th: Today we visited the lovely town of Sintra in the Serra da Sintra, a haven of peace and scenery. Enroute, we drove along the coast via Estoril and Casçais. Upon our arrival we visited the Royal Palace. Of special note, on the exterior are the conical chimneys and the paired Moorish-style (alimeces) and Manueline windows. Inside we viewed the remarkable azulejos, the Salas dos Brasôes and the Sala das Pegas, both with very interesting ceilings. We enjoyed free time to visit the craft and antique shops. We then enjoyed a seafood lunch on the coast at the Panorama Restaurant, on the Guincho Beach, before our return to Lisbon. Mid-afternoon we arrived back to our hotel only to be surprised by a famous guest who was anticipated to arrive shortly.  Knowing who it was; I immediately went to my room to collect my camera and return to the lobby for my birds eye view of ....guess who?  Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and his entourage.  As they arrived via their Mercedes caravan with a police escort...I could not believe that I was one of only 6 guests that were the recipient of this celebrity arrival.  What a treat to see them up so close and personal.  The Four Seasons was filled with many surprises, but this one was truly a memorable one. Monday, June 25th: Today we ventured off to the picturesque village of Arraiolos, home of the famous Arraiolos carpets. I found an incredible hand hooked rug for my home and it was well worth this ancient town well known for their rugs.  The Cooperative was one of a few recommended establishments. We enjoyed lunch at a nearby charming Pousada N. Sra. da Assunçâo near Arraiolos. After lunch, we departeded Evora, a lovely walled town since Roman times, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a lovely 2 night stay at the Convento do Espinheiro Hotel. This evening we enjoyed at private cocktail party in their very own wine cellar on property.  Later this evening we toured the incredible chapel with fresco celings.  (This was a former monastery.) Tuesday, June 26th: Today we enjoyed a guided tour of Evora. Where we visited the Roman Temple, the Church of the Convento dos Lóios, the Cathedral, the Church of Sâo Francisco with its macabre Chapel of Bones, and the University. We then departed for the Herdade do Esporâo winery with hectares of vineyards. This was the most amazing winery by far.  The wine tasting lunch commenced with a private tour of the underground wine cellar, tasting of future wines from the oak barrels and followed by a 6 course wine pairing luncheon with the owners son-in-law.  The Herdade has a strong tradition of wine producing that goes back to Roman times. They are known for their excellent wines and olive oil. We then returned to our hotel in Evora, to enjoy a relaxing after noon at the spa and pool amongst their lovely gardens.  This evening we dined at the Jardim do Paço, housed in the ancient kitchens of the palace of the Duchess of Cadaval. Wednesday, June 27th: Today we returned to the old world city of Lisbon. In Lisbon, we continued our incredible journey as we checked in to the Lapa Palace Lisbon for two nights. Today we departed for further Lisbon sightseeing. We visited the National Tile Museum which is housed in the Convent Madre de Deus. The magnificent history of azulejos, from the 15C Hispano-Moorish tiles to those manufactured today, is elegantly presented in these monastic buildings. We drove by the Expo site and then visited the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, which is housed in the 17th century Palace of Theounts of Alvor. The displays of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts from the 12C to the 19C all reflect the history of Portugal. This evening was quite special.  We were invited to a private port wine cocktail and reception with a wine sommelier that put on an amazing display of "uncorking"of a line up of port only to finish with a 20 year old bottle of reserve port accompanied by delectable appetizers and then we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at their gourmet restuarnt with sweeping views of Lisbon. Thursday, June 28th: Today was yet another wonderful day of touring as we departed for Queluz to visit the Palace of Queluz, inspired by the Palace of Versailles with it’s Rococo Façade, and surrounded by French style gardens. We returned to Lisbon and visited the outstanding Gulbenkian Foundation. The oil magnate, Calouste Gulbenkian spent 40 years collecting and has left this extraordinary collection to the State. It contains Ancient art, New Eastern art, Far Eastern art and European art including Modern art.  This afternoon the group enjoyed some long awaited free time to lounge poolside in the beautiful palm tree lined gardens as the waterfalls serenaded us in the backdrop.  In the evening, we enjoyed our farewell dinner at the lovely Eleven Restaurant with full length windows high atop a hill overlooking the city of Lisbon.  What a wonderful way to end an incredible journey! Friday, June 29th: Today we departed the lovely City of Lisbon to return to our homeland.  Filled with memorble and vivd experiences of Portugal.  This is truly a hidden jewel in Europe and well worth a week visit combined with a Spain or nearby country excursion.  I would be pleased to assist future clients with a "Personalized Itinerary" of this historical destintaion!