Cultural Tours & Music Holidays

cultural tours & music holidays SPRING NEWSLETTER 2019 Welcome to our new 2019 Cultural Tours & Music Holidays newsletter. We have included a selection of our favourite tours where we still have some places available, as well as details of a Index number of new holidays due to depart in 2019 and early 2020. Cornwall Music Festival 2 We are delighted to reveal details of a six day itinerary to Istanbul in October, a fascinating nine Villa Medici Giulini Collection 3 night tour to Romania, and a holiday to Finland where we attend the annual Sibelius Festival on Verdi Festival, Parma 4 the shores of Lake Lahti. Further afield we shall head to Oman - the ‘Pearl of Arabia’ in October and the beautiful island of Sri Lanka in early 2020. Handel in Sweden 5 Closer to home, we have a range of itineraries within the British Isles, including a tour of the elegant Cheltenham Music Festival 6 architecture of Georgian Dublin (see below), visits to music festivals in Cheltenham, North Norfolk, Aldeburgh Festival 7 Aldeburgh and Suffolk – and our own exclusive Kirker Music Festival in Cornwall. Sibelius Festival 8 In Italy, we will be travelling to some of the most charming and unspoilt towns including Parma in Glyndebourne 9 Emilia-Romagna for the annual Verdi Festival, Lucca in Tuscany, and the hill towns of North Norfolk Music Festival 10 Le Marche. We shall be marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci with Kirker Music Festivals 11 a tour to Florence and Milan in the autumn and will commemorate 75 years since the D-Day landings with a tour to Normandy in the company of military historian Hill Towns of Le Marche 12 Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan. Leonardo’s Italy 13 We do hope you will join the increasing number of our clients Lucca & The Lucchese Hills 14 who enjoy travelling on our Cultural Tours and Music Istanbul 15 Holidays, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Journey Through Romania 16 Sri Lanka 17 Oman 18 Ted Wake - Joint MD & Director of Sales & Marketing D-Day in Normandy 19 Italian Cultural Tours 20 GEORGIAN DUBLIN A SIX NIGHT HOLIDAY | 10 OCTOBER 2019 Dublin has one of the best preserved and most complete Georgian aspects; gracious squares, stately terraces and splendid public buildings hide sumptuously decorated interiors. This itinerary will not only include the finest examples in Dublin itself, but also takes us out of the city to a number of Georgian mansions, some still in private ownership. The tour will be led by Roger White, an architectural historian specialising in the Georgian period, formerly Secretary of both the Georgian Group and Garden History Society. His recent book on the cottage orné genre has been widely and enthusiastically reviewed. The itinerary We will visit a number of private houses as well as see the Georgian interiors of Trinity College, the King’s Inns and Leinster House, now home to the Irish Parliament. Outside Dublin we will go to Castletown and Carton, two of Ireland’s grandest houses, have lunch at Beaulieu and visit Russborough in the Wicklow Mountains. Sir Alfred Beit amassed a superb art collection here which is now on display in the National Gallery of Ireland. Castletown is Ireland’s largest, and first, Palladian-style mansion, built in 1722 as the residence for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. Neoclassical Rathfarnham Castle, austere Townley Hall, the water garden at Kilruddery Castle and the romantic Shell Cottage at Carton are all included. We have left time for independent exploration – the Book of Kells, the newly revamped National Gallery of Ireland and the National Museum all deserve a visitor’s time. Our base for the duration is the 4* The Green Hotel, ideally located on St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of Dublin. Price £2,219 per person (single supp. £598) for six nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, two lunches, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer.

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E to your independent travel agent L F L O expert advice E R V since 1986 A D R Published January 2019. Terms and conditions apply. I T S C Prices are per person based on 2 sharing. E R N I N G EXCLUSIVE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVALS THE KIRKER CORNWALL MUSIC FESTIVAL A FOUR NIGHT HOLIDAY | 1 OCTOBER 2019

The highlights of our popular Cornwall Festival are the visits we Boconnoc House make to Boconnoc near Lostwithiel. This magnificent house is set in twenty acres of wonderful gardens. We will be welcomed at Boconnoc by Elizabeth Fortescue who lives on the estate and we will visit the house twice – once for a morning concert after which we will stay on for lunch and a talk on Boconnoc, and again for an evening concert followed by dinner in the house. The tour is based in the pretty town of Fowey, ten miles from Boconnoc. Fowey overlooks the glorious River Fowey estuary and is a town of great charm with a lively quayside and narrow, atmospheric streets. There is much to explore here including the parish church, St Fimbarrus, a harbour cruise, or a journey on the ferry across the river to Polruan. This area has close associations with the life and work of Daphne du Maurier, who lived here for many years and who died in Fowey in 1989.

The itinerary THE MUSICIANS

DAY Please make your own way to The Fowey Hotel. Clients travelling by THE SACCONI QUARTET Formed in 2001 the quartet still has 1 train should book to Par and continue their journey by taxi (call us its four original members, and now, in its 18th year, ranks high among if you would like us to arrange taxis for you). Hotel car parking can be pre- the most established British string quartets. They have enjoyed a highly booked for a nominal charge. The Fowey Hotel is a traditional resort hotel successful international career, performing regularly throughout Europe, with magnificent views of the Fowey River. It has comfortable bedrooms, at London’s major venues, in recordings and on radio broadcasts. In 2017 an atmospheric bar and restaurant. they released three new CDs; “In Damascus, music by Jonathan Dove”, was chosen as Gramophone Magazine’s Recording of the Month. 2019 plans include two Wigmore Hall concerts; the Irish premiere of In Damascus We are driven to Boconnoc this morning for our first visit. Coffee DAY with tenor Robin Tritschler; a tour of the rarely heard John Ireland Sextet 2 will be served on arrival before a welcome and introduction by our with Robert Plane and Alec Frank-Gemmill; a new commission by Judith hostess, Elizabeth Fortescue. Having fallen into disrepair, restoration work Bingham, and performances at festivals including Buxton International, began here in 2000 saving the house from demolition, and we will visit Swaledale, Newbury, Salisbury, Halesworth and Gower. 2018 saw the the house and the surrounding outbuildings, including its Georgian bath eleventh year of the Sacconi Chamber Music Festival in Folkestone, with house and church. Our first concert will be followed by lunch and then Graham Fitkin as composer in residence and collaborations with the we will return to Fowey. London Bridge Trio, Moray Welsh and African trio Chesaba.

DAY This afternoon we drive to St. Mawes, a picturesque and fashionable 3 village overlooking the sea. On arrival, we visit Lamorran House for a tour of the evergreen garden. Afterwards, we will go to the old Methodist Chapel for our second concert which has a lovely acoustic and is ideal for chamber music. We will then walk down to the Hotel Tresanton where we will have dinner before returning to Fowey.

DAY We spend today at leisure in Fowey. In the evening we return 4 to Boconnoc for our final concert and then enjoy dinner together afterwards.

DAY The tour ends after breakfast. 5 Music Programme

2 October: Haydn: String Quartet in D Op.64 No.5 “The Lark” Optional excursion: St. Ives, 4 October (9.30am – 4.30pm) Beethoven: String Quartet in F minor Op.95 “Serioso” £55 per person Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E flat Op.12 About 90 minutes from Fowey, our visit to St. Ives starts at the Tate, 3 October: Rachmaninov: Romance, for string quartet which reopened in October 2017 after a four year redevelopment. Korngold: String Quartet No.3 in D, Op.34 The Tate displays a semi-permanent collection in the original building Brahms: String Quintet in F Op.88 including several works by artists with close association to Cornwall as 4 October: Simon Rowland-Jones: String Quintet No.2 “Trouvaille” well as a programme of changing exhibitions in the new wing. We will Schubert: String Quartet in D minor D.810 also visit the nearby Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. “Death and the Maiden”

Price from £1,567 per person (single sup. £248) including four nights’ accommodation with breakfast, one lunch at Boconnoc, four dinners – two in the hotel, one at the Hotel Tresanton and one at Boconnoc, excursions as described, three concerts and the services of the Tour Leader. Supplements for rooms with sea view range from £60 to £168 per person – please speak to your independent travel agent for further details. 2 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent EXCLUSIVE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVALS THE VILLA MEDICI GIULINI COLLECTION A FOUR NIGHT HOLIDAY | 7 MAY 2019 ‘The progress of the piano’ with Melvyn Tan

We were delighted when one of the world’s best known pianists, Melvyn Tan, introduced us to Fernanda Giulini’s matchless collection of historical keyboard instruments at her villa in Lombardy. Staying in the villa you will be able to admire these beautifully decorated instruments and hear them played as Melvyn brings them to life in a series of talks and recitals. We will also visit Monza Cathedral, the elegant Villa Cicogna and take a boat trip on nearby Lake Como.

The itinerary

DAY We fly to Milan Linate airport and transfer to the Villa Medici 1 Giulini in the heart of the Brianza countryside, a journey of 40 minutes. At the welcome drinks party, Melvyn Tan will give a short introduction to Fernanda Giulini’s collection, followed by dinner at the villa. Music Programme DAY This morning we focus on the instruments in the collection that 2 composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Bach would have known, The recitals will be planned chronologically so that Melvyn will take and Melvyn Tan will play a selection of pianos by various makers. After you on a musical journey in which the development of the piano lunch we will drive to nearby Monza to visit one of the most beautiful and comes alive, in a setting of the utmost grandeur and intimacy. He important cathedrals in Italy. We will return to the Villa Medici Giulini for will give musically-illustrated introductions to pianos associated with our first concert, a programme played on the Johann Schanz and Anton Haydn and Mozart, through to Beethoven and Schubert and finally to Walter pianos. Liszt and Chopin. The pianos at Villa Medici Giulini and their makers: We drive to Lake Como and board a private boat to sail to the DAY Johann Schanz (1762 - 1828) opened his own workshop in Vienna 3 Villa Balbianello, romantically sited on its own promontory, before in the 1780’s. Beethoven admired his pianos and recommended them continuing to Lenno where we have lunch at a lakeside hotel. Back at to his patrons. Anton Walter (1752 - 1826) was appointed as Imperial the Villa Medici Giulini we will take a look at the exquisitely decorated Organ Builder and Instrument Maker. Beethoven had a Walter piano harpsichords and virginal in the collection. At this evening’s concert Melvyn in his collection. Conrad Graf (1782 - 1851) was appointed the Royal will play music by Beethoven and Schumann on Conrad Graf’s fortepiano. Court Piano and Keyboard Instrument Maker and became famous throughout the Hapsburg Empire for the quality of his work. This morning there will be a talk on Pierre-Orphée Erard and his DAY Sebastien Erard (1752 - 1831) produced pianos for the French court. 4 pianos. We then drive to the Villa Cicogna, where we will enjoy the He fled to London in 1792 to escaped the revolution and set up his impressive interiors and views across the garden to the mountains. We will business. He was succeeded by his nephew Pierre-Orphée Erard (1796 have lunch here before returning to the Villa Medici Giulini. This evening - 1855) and won many distinguished admirers including Mendelssohn, Melvyn Tan will play his final concert on a piano by Pleyel. Liszt and Queen Victoria. Ignace Pleyel (1757-1831) pianos found favour with the leading composers of the time, notably Chopin who After breakfast we will return to Milan Linate airport. DAY became a close friend of Camille Pleyel, Ignace’s son. Pleyel pianos 5 continued to be popular with later composers such as Debussy, Ravel VILLA MEDICI GIULINI and Stravinsky. Built in the 17th century, Villa Medici Giulini is located in the village of Briosco, 20 miles south of Como. The Marignano branch of the melvyn tan Medici family lived here in the 19th century and it is now the home of One of the world’s best known pianists. Melvyn Tan came to the UK Fernanda Giulini. On the piano nobile we find the main music room from Singapore as a small boy and studied at the Yehudi Menuhin with frescoes by Zuccarelli, and throughout the villa we will see the School and the Royal College of Music. He has played in concert halls unique collection of pianos and harpsichords from different periods. around the globe. Melvyn writes: ‘Although I have been performing from the Adjoining the main villa is a sympathetically designed extension that collection for the best part of 30 years, I am still discovering new musical miracles. houses the well-appointed bedrooms in which we will stay. When With the instruments from Mozart and Haydn’s time we hear a brittle, glass-like capacity is reached additional rooms will be provided in a hotel nearby. sound which was very much the kind the composers heard, and was reflected in the music they wrote. Beethoven of course, when he became the toast of Vienna FLIGHT Information a few decades later, disliked these instruments and encouraged piano-makers to strive for a fuller sound, so the player could achieve a ‘cantabile’, a singing quality Flights with British Airways: Depart London Heathrow 11.55, arrive Milan 15.00 to imitate the singers and string players of the day. The rest, as they say, is history, Depart Milan 14.00, arrive London Heathrow 15.00 and the concept of the piano as we know it today was born.’

Price from £1,947 per person (single supp. £198) including flights, accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, two lunches, talks and concerts as described, a copy of the illustrated souvenir guide to Villa Medici Giulini, all sightseeing, entrances and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader. For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 3 KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS THE VERDI FESTIVAL IN PARMA A SIX NIGHT HOLIDAY | 1 OCTOBER 2019

The annual Verdi Festival takes place in one of Italy’s most beautiful historic cities, Parma. It is here in the countryside around Parma that Verdi was born, grew up and lived for much of his life. The special charm of Parma’s Verdi Festival is that performances take place not just in the Teatro Regio, one of the loveliest theatres in Italy, but also at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto when singers from the Verdi Voci Competition get a chance to perform. The tour will be led by art historian and opera specialist, Patrick Bade.

The itinerary

DAY We fly from London to Bologna and transfer to Parma where we 1 stay at the 4 star Mercure Parma Stendhal in the centre of this vibrant city.

DAY The day is spent in Parma, which was the seat of the all-powerful 2 Farnese family. We visit the important art collection at the Palazzo della Pilotta with many fine works including paintings by Correggio and Parmigianino. We will also see the Teatro Farnese – the first theatre with a proscenium arch – and the great Romanesque cathedral with frescoes by OPERA Programme Correggio. The programme for the 2019 Verdi Festival includes two familiar works, and a rarity based on a play by Lord Byron. What all three DAY Staying again in Parma we will visit the house where Arturo 3 Toscanini was born on 27 March 1867. Later we will go to the operas have in common is the theme so close to the composer’s heart Camera di San Paolo where we will see one of the jewels of Parma – - the complex relationships between father and daughter, and between the frescoed ceilings by Correggio. The rest of the day is free. public and private life. 3 October: Teatro Verdi, Busseto DAY The entire day is devoted to Verdi. We will drive to Busseto to Aida 4 visit Villa Verdi where many of the rooms are arranged just as the First performed at the Khedivial Opera House, Cairo on 24 composer left them. Later we visit the Museo Nazionale Giuseppe Verdi, December 1871. dedicated to the life and works of the composer. We will have lunch at the The first performance in Italy, which Verdi considered to be the real Hotel I due Foscari, once owned by one of the greatest Verdi singers of all première, was given at La Scala, Milan on 8 February 1872. Usually time, Carlo Bergonzi. Today, his son Marco welcomes guests. We end the presented as an opera on the grandest scale imaginable, some of the day with a visit to the humble farm dwelling where Verdi was born in 1813. finest performances of Aida are given in small theatres. Here the intimacy of the story, and the conflicts between the three principal DAY The day is spent in Cremona, a delightful historic town in characters, shine through thanks to the chamber-music style of writing 5 Lombardy. Stradivarius was born here and today the town is full of that Verdi employed on this score. Aida is about so much more than luthiers still producing finely crafted instruments in their ateliers. We also the famous but atypical pomp of the triumphal scene. visit the cathedral and the Museum of the Violin which has an unrivalled collection of historic instruments. 4 October: Teatro Regio, Parma Nabucco First performed at La Scala, Milan on 9 March 1842. DAY The morning is free for further enjoyment of Parma which in 6 addition to its musical heritage, is considered to be the gastronomic Another opera that is well-known for its stirring chorus, Nabucco capital of Italy. We will have lunch at the Antico Corte Pallavicino, a is full of wonderful writing that cemented Verdi’s reputation as the magnificent restaurant on the banks of the River Po. greatest composer of Italian opera of his time. 6 October: Teatro Regio, Parma DAY We return to Bologna today for the flight back to London. I due Foscari 7 First performed at the Teatro Argentina, Rome on 3 November 1844. Price from £2,998 per person (single supp. £398) for The rarest opera in this year’s programme, it is set in Venice in the mid 15th century and tells the tale of the two Foscari – the Doge and his six nights including flights, transfers, accommodation son, Jacopo. The story has one of the cruellest endings in opera, with with breakfast, two dinners, three lunches, tickets for three the Doge witnessing the death of his son and, a few moments later, operas (seats at Busseto may be in boxes), all sightseeing, being told by the Council that due to his age, he must relinquish his role as Doge of Venice. entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker 5 October: Optional Performance, Teatro Farnese, Parma Tour Lecturer, Patrick Bade and a tour escort. Luisa Miller £270 per ticket First performed at Teatro San Carlo, Naples on 8 December 1849. FLIGHT Information Is this a tale of a father’s uncompromising love for his daughter, or of Flights with British Airways: a meddlesome old man unable to face his life without his daughter by Depart London Heathrow 14.50, arrive Bologna 17.55 Depart Bologna 12.05, arrive London Heathrow 13.25 his side? A complex and unsettling insight into this familiar theme.

4 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS HANDEL IN SWEDEN A FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAY | 2 AUGUST 2019

Built across 14 of the 20,000 islands that shelter the city from the Baltic, Stockholm is a revelation and undoubtedly one of the world’s most elegant capitals. The number of Swedish opera singers who enjoy top-level careers and who grace the world’s stages is nothing less than astonishing. Sweden has a population of fewer than ten million and yet there often seems to be a Swedish singer in an opera every night in the world’s most important houses. This has been the case for two hundred years, no doubt due to the enormous number of people who sing in choirs from a very early age. The holiday includes performances of two Handel operas at Stockholm’s historic 18th century theatres. The itinerary

DAY We fly to Stockholm where we stay at the 4* First Reisen Hotel 1 which has a great location overlooking the harbour on the edge of the atmospheric Gamla Stan. OPERA Programme DAY We begin with a guided walking tour through the old town 2 with its mediaeval maze of narrow streets. The morning ends at Theatre Confidencen, Ulriksdal Stockholm’s Royal Palace with its commanding views of the harbour. This The story of how another court theatre was saved from ruin is afternoon we will visit the Nobel Museum which features interactive remarkably similar to that of Drottningholm. The opera singer Kjerstin displays with information on the prize-winners, and recordings of their Dellert made it her personal mission to save the Rococo theatre acceptance speeches. after she first visited it in 1976. The first performance at the Theatre Confidencen took place in 1753. We go to Ulriksdal Palace, located in the leafy environs of the DAY 4 August: Acis and Galatea by Handel 3 National City Park. We will tour the palace and the Orangery, as well Acis and Galatea was first conceived as a one-act masque, performed as the exquisite 18th century rococo theatre, Confidencen. for the first time in the open air in the summer of 1718 on the terraces of the Duke of Chandos’s stately home, Cannons, in Stanmore We sail to Lake Mälaren today to visit the Royal Palace of DAY where Handel was employed as resident musician. Handel revised the 4 Drottningholm, the official residence of King Carl Gustaf and opera in 1739 into a two-act work. Today the work is widely known Queen Silvia. We will have dinner before enjoying a performance in the as a pastoral opera, extolling the delights of the simple bucolic life, an historic theatre. ironic gesture by Handel to his patron who spent, at today’s values, almost £30 million building Cannons. DAY Today we go to Sweden’s largest art museum, the recently 5 reopened National Museum of Fine Art. Next as a complete Drottningholm contrast we go to the wonderful Vasa Museum to learn about the dramatic The first theatre at Drottningholm was destroyed by fire in 1762. It sinking of the Vasa as she sailed out of Stockholm’s harbour on her was rebuilt and given by Queen Lovisa Ulrika to her son, the future maiden voyage in 1628. Raised from the seabed in 1962, the Vasa can now Gustavus III. After the king’s assassination the theatre fell into disuse be enjoyed in a specially-designed museum. and lay forgotten for more than 100 years. It was rediscovered in 1921, and today it remains exactly as it was when first built, with its DAY The final morning is free before leaving for the airport. original colours, papier mâché walls and stucco. The stage machinery 6 is original, including the thunder machine, still used to dramatic effect. 5 August: Ariodante by Handel Forgotten for more than 100 years since its first performance at the Covent Garden Theatre, London on 8 November 1735, Ariodante is now one of the most frequently performed of all Handel’s operas and contains some of his most beautiful and virtuosic composition. The role of Ariodante is sung by the Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg, one of the leading baroque singers of the day. The opera is conducted by Ian Page, the founder of Classical Opera.

FLIGHT Information Flights with British Airways: Depart London Heathrow 11.15, arrive Stockholm 14.50 Depart Stockholm 15.45, arrive London Heathrow 17.25

Price from £2,287 per person (single supp. £356) for five nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, tickets for performances as described, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader, Andrew Taylor. For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 5 KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL A FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAY | 9 JULY 2019 Cheltenham is the perfect place to host a festival, with its elegant streets, parades and squares lined by Regency houses and buildings. The internationally renowned music festival, one of the oldest in the country, is just one of four held throughout the year. Festivals for jazz, science and literature and, of course, music combine to make Cheltenham a true city of festivals. Pittville Pump Room and the imposing Town Hall are the most important venues for the concerts. Our tour is based at the Queen’s Hotel, in the heart of Cheltenham and just across the green from the Town Hall. With so many unmissable concerts in 2019, our tour this year spends more time in Cheltenham but we will still include visits to two of Gloucestershire’s finest houses and gardens, Painswick and Stanway. Painswick Rococo Garden The itinerary

DAY Please make your own way to Cheltenham. Cheltenham Spa train Music Programme 1 station is half a mile away and taxis are available for approximately £7 each way. For those who are driving, the hotel has its own car park 10 July: Pittville Pump Room, 12.30 which is available at a cost of £12 per day to guests. Gabriela Montera, piano Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montera has a DAY This morning we will walk to the house where Gustav Holst was formidable reputation not only as one of the 2 born on 21 September 1871 and spent the first eight years of his world’s foremost pianists but as a composer and life. The museum tells the story of Holst’s family and friends as well as improviser of considerable genius. Her programme providing an insight into middle class life at the end of the 19th century. will show off all these talents to the full. We will attend two concerts today. Town Hall, 19.30 Danielle de Niese, soprano DAY This morning we go to Painswick Rococo Garden, tucked away in Julius Drake, pianist 3 a remote and mysterious valley. It is one of the most complete 18th Danielle is one of the most popular and versatile century gardens in Europe. We will return in time for the afternoon and sopranos of the day, equally at home in opera, evening concerts. music theatre and song. Her pianist is the distinguished Julius Drake. After this morning’s concert we will go to Stanway House, a DAY 11 July: Pittville Pump Room, 15.00 4 mellow Jacobean country house and the seat of the Earl of Wemyss. The water garden here is one of the finest masterpieces of the landscape BBC Radio 3 Young Generation Artists designer, Charles Bridgeman. We attend the second of the day’s concerts Tenor Alessandro Fisher, Thibaut Garcia, classical in the evening. guitar and Quatuor Arod present a versatile programme. Pittville Pump Room, 20.00 DAY Our final concert will be followed by a visit to the Wilson Art 5 Gallery and Museum, where we see an important and varied Viktoria Mullova, violin collection of fine and decorative art. The eponymous Edward Wilson Misha Mullov-Abbado, jazz double bass directed Captain Scott’s expedition to Antarctica. A rare combination of the two instruments is made all the more intriguing by the pairing

DAY The tour ends after breakfast. of one of the most famous violinists of recent 6 time and her son. Misha, the son of Viktoria Mullova and Claudio Abbado, studied at Price £1,547 per person (single supp. £398) including Cambridge and The Royal Academy. Programme accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, tickets for to be announced. concerts as described, all sightseeing, entrance fees and 12 July: Pittville Pump Room 11.00 Angela Hewitt, piano gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader. Bach: Toccatas The reputation of the world famous Canadian Pittville Pump Room pianist’s career was founded on Bach and here she devotes this recital to the composer. Town Hall, 19.30 Academy of Ancient Music Nicola Benedetti, violin Richard Egarr, harpsichord A programme including works by Vivaldi and Telemann. 13 July: Pittville Pump Room 11.00 Heath Quartet Ravel: Quartet in F Beethoven: Quartet in B flat major Op.130 6 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS THE 72ND ALDEBURGH FESTIVAL A FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAY | 16 JUNE 2019 It’s always a challenge to settle on a date for our tour when presented with the Aldeburgh Festival’s programme. So many richly varied concerts taking place every day over a three week period in midsummer make it a difficult task. We try to choose a selection of concerts which will reflect the very spirit and diversity of the seventy one years of The Festival’s legacy and how it has developed, especially under the direction of the Chief Executive of Aldeburgh Music as it is now known, Roger Wright, and his Head of Artistic Planning, Dan Whitfield. The magic formula, begun by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears for the first Festival in 1948, always included performances by the most distinguished musicians of the day, plenty of new music and works by composers regarded so highly by the pair. Our programme tries to include all these things.

The itinerary

DAY Please make your own way to Woodbridge where we stay at the 1 Seckford Hall Hotel, five minutes by taxi from the centre of the Music Programme town. Seckford Hall is a magnificent Tudor building set in more than 30 acres of grounds. Whilst there is no lift, staff are on hand to assist with 17 June: The Maltings, Snape, 19.30 luggage and rooms in the modern annexe are all on the ground floor. A programme based on Schubert’s very last Please let us know if you would like to reserve one of these rooms at the concert, given in March 1828. time of booking. Mark Padmore, tenor Roderick Williams, baritone Richard Watkins, horn DAY This morning we begin our tour with a visit to The Maltings at 2 Snape, the centre of the Festival. There will be time to soak up the Roger Vignoles, piano; Trio Isimiz and others. atmosphere of what is surely one of the most beautifully-sited concert The programme includes songs, his piano trio halls in the world. There will be time for refreshments here before we in E flat D929 and the first movement from move on to The Red House in Aldeburgh where Britten and Pears lived the String Quartet in G major D887. The from 1957 until their deaths. The house is presented as it was during their complete work will be performed in the next time here. We will see the rooms and garden and the library where many day’s concert. of Britten’s works were prepared for performance under the watchful eye 18 June: The Maltings, Snape, 11.00 of the composer. There is a permanent exhibition of memorabilia as well Diotima Quartet as a series of temporary exhibitions. After the visit we will return to the Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 2 in F major Op.56 hotel, leaving again for a pre-concert dinner at Snape. Thomas Larcher: Quartet No 4 ‘Lucid Dreams’ Schubert: String Quartet in G major D887 There will be some free time after our morning concert before DAY The Maltings, Snape, 19.30 3 dinner in the restaurant at The Maltings, followed by the evening Vox Luminis, director concert. Lionel Meunier Vox Luminis is an early music ensemble from DAY We drive to Helmingham Hall where we see the beautiful award- Belgium, founded by Lionel Meunier in 2004. 4 winning gardens, designed by Lady Tollemache. We return to the Works by Henry Purcell written for the hotel for a free afternoon. We will have a pre-concert dinner at Snape coronation of Queen Mary II (1689) and her before driving to Blythburgh Church for this evening’s concert. Holy funeral (1695) along with other pieces by Purcell, Trinity Church towers over the Blyth estuary and its adjoining marshes. Blow and Morley.

DAY We drive to Aldeburgh this morning to explore this quirky seaside 19 June: Blythburgh Church, 19.30 5 town. There will be time to enjoy some of Aldeburgh’s famous fish Alisa Weilerstein, cello and chips and have fun spotting the characters from Peter Grimes, made One of the world’s leading cellists, Alisa will play famous all over the world by Britten’s opera. Dinner at The Maltings will four of Bach’s six Cello Suites - No.1 in G, No. 3 precede the opera this evening. in C, No. 5 in C and No.6 in D in one of East Anglia’s grandest churches. DAY The tour ends after breakfast today. 20 June: The Maltings, Snape, 19.30 6 ‘The Rake’s Progress’ by Stravinsky First performed in Venice in 1951 and a libretto Price from £1,485 per person (single supp. £298) for by WH Auden, this is a perfect choice for five nights including accommodation with breakfast, five this year’s Aldeburgh opera. Acclaimed Canadian conductor and singer Barbara Hannigan dinners, tickets for concerts as described, all sightseeing, takes audiences by storm wherever she goes. entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Here she conducts the Ludwig Orchestra and the Tour Leader. Equilibrium Young Singers, a team mentored by Barbara and founded by her in 2017.

For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 7 KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIBELIUS FESTIVAL A FOUR NIGHT HOLIDAY | 4 SEPTEMBER 2019

The annual Sibelius Festival in Lahti celebrates its twentieth anniversary in 2019. Held every autumn in the magnificent 1,200 seater Sibelius Hall on the shores of Lake Vesijärvi, it is one of the most important cultural events in Finland. The Hall is universally recognised by musicians who have played there as having one of the best acoustics anywhere. The largest wooden building in Finland, it overlooks the lake and is on the site of a sawmill, reminding us that Lahti was once an important manufacturing and industrial centre.

The itinerary

DAY We fly from London Heathrow to Helsinki and on arrival transfer 1 by coach to Lahti, a journey of just over one hour. We stay at the centrally located 4* Sokos Hotel Lahden Seurahuone for the duration of the holiday. Sibelius Hall, Lahti

DAY We begin our tour with a visit to Hameenlinna where Jean Sibelius 2 was born into a Swedish-speaking family on 8 December 1856. The house where he was born is now a museum with an important collection of photographs, letters and documents relating to his life and Music Programme works which has been gathered from family members. He spent his This year’s guest orchestra is the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic childhood and youth in Hämeenlinna before moving to Helsinki. He first Orchestra under the direction of the Danish conductor Thomas studied law at the city’s university before quickly changing direction and Dausgaard. He is well known to British audiences as Chief Conductor studying music at the conservatoire, today The Sibelius Academy. Lunch is of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. included before we travel back to Lahti. 5 September: Lahti Symphony Orchestra Dina Slobodeniouk, conductor The day is spent around the shores of Lake Tuusula, an unspoilt DAY the orchestra’s Principal Conductor. 3 rural area which has always attracted musicians, artists and writers. Kullervo Op.7 An early work for orchestra, In Järvenpää, on the north shore of the lake, we will visit the villa soprano, baritone and male chorus based on the designed by the great Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto, for the composer story of Kullervo from the epic poem, Kalevala. Joonas Kokkonen (1931 - 1996). The Sibelius Academy has a summer school here and we will have lunch there. 6 September: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Thomas Dausgaard, conductor Programme to include Symphonies No.5 and 6 DAY This morning we will take a boat ride on the calm waters of 4 Lake Vesijärvi. The typical Finnish landscapes of open views, deep 7 September: Lahti Symphony Orchestra lakes and forests were the source of inspiration for Sibelius’s entire music Dina Slobodeniouk, conductor collection. The afternoon is free to explore independently. Major works for chorus and orchestra will be performed at this concert including Sibelius’s best DAY We bid farewell to Lahti and drive to Ainola, the lovely house known work, Finlandia. 5 where Sibelius and his wife Aino lived. Members of their extended family (the couple had five daughters) lived on in Ainola until 1972 before they sold it to the Finnish state, at which time it became a monument to the composer. The couple are buried side by side in the FLIGHT Information peaceful garden here. We have lunch in a traditional restaurant close by Flights with Finnair: before continuing to the airport for the flight back to London. Depart London Heathrow 10.20, arrive Helsinki 15.15 Depart Helsinki 17.00, arrive London Heathrow 18.10

Price from £2,497 per person (single supp. £480) for four nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, three lunches, tickets for three concerts, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader and a local guide.

Please speak to your independent travel agent if you would like to extend your stay to include a few nights in Helsinki, a vibrant seaside city of Hämeenlinna beautiful islands, green parks and fine architecture.

8 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS GLYNDEBOURNE IN AUTUMN THREE-NIGHT HOLIDAYS BETWEEN 11 AND 26 OCTOBER 2019

One of our most popular holidays every autumn, a visit to Glyndebourne Glyndebourne is a wonderful way for all opera lovers to end the year. In October 2019, for the first time in several years, the Glyndebourne Tour will present three operas at its Sussex home. There will be a choice of departure dates, based at either The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne or Deans Place in the historic village of Alfriston.

the operas Rigoletto by Verdi. First performed in 1851. Rigoletto has never been performed at Glyndebourne, and this production will be seen first at the Glyndebourne Festival during the summer of 2019. L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti. First performed in 1832. Donizetti’s sparkling romantic comedy is an ideal opera for Glyndebourne, and this production returns for several performances in the autumn. Rinaldo by Handel. First performed in 1711 Handelians have always flocked to Glyndebourne which has a special Speak to your independent travel agent to register affiliation with the composer. Performances of Rinaldo will be for details, which will be available early in 2019. available in late October.

Prices are per person based on two people sharing and include flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, meals as described, a full programme of sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

THE DRESDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL THE PUCCINI OPERA FESTIVAL The annual Dresden Music Festival adds to the rich fabric of musical Giacomo Puccini was born into a musical family in Lucca on 22 life in the Saxon capital, who’s grand Baroque architecture has been December 1858, and each summer his operas are performed in nearby meticulously restored after the destruction wrought in 1945. During Torre del Lago on the peaceful shores of Lake Massaciuccoli. Our our visit we will see the symbolic Frauenkirche, the magnificent rococo holiday includes three performances and the operas this summer are La Zwinger Palace, and the art collections of the Electors of Saxony at the bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. We stay at the 3* Albergo Celide, Albertinum. We shall attend five Festival performances, including the just outside Lucca’s magnificent walls and from here we shall enjoy a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the recently modernised Kulturpalast, walking tour, including a visit to the house where Puccini was born an iconic example of GDR architecture, and two great Tuscan gardens and Verdi’s Nabucco at Gottfried – the Villa Reale in Marlia Semper’s famous opera house. and the Villa Garzoni. Price from £2,249 (single Price from £2,835 (single supp. supp. £389) for five nights £298) for seven nights including including four dinners, two lunches, three dinners and three opera tickets and one tickets for five performances. concert ticket. Departs 22 May 2019 Departs 8 August 2019

NAPLES & LA MORTELLA THE RING CYCLE IN LEIPZIG Our new music holiday to Naples includes a performance at the For Wagner enthusiasts a Ring Cycle is always an important event, distinguished Teatro San Carlo, located next to the Royal Palace. but it could not be more special than when given in the composer’s Founded by the Bourbon monarchs, the opera house opened in birthplace with performances by the world-famous Gewandhaus 1737 making it the world’s oldest opera house in continuous use. We Orchestra. Our holiday to Leipzig will include not only the four opera will have a guided tour of the theatre and also visit two exceptional performances, but also visits to the Wagner Museum in Graupa, the museums, the Capodimonte and the Archaeological Museum. A day houses in Leipzig where Schumann and will be spent on the island of Ischia where we Mendelsohn both lived and worked, and have been presenting our own exclusive the St Thomas Church where JS Bach music festival every year since 2006. was cantor. Here we will visit La Mortella, the garden created by Lady Walton. Price from £2,798 (single supp. £298) for six nights including three Price from £1,698 (single supp. lunches, two dinners, tickets for the £260) for four nights including Ring Cycle and three intermission one lunch, three dinners and one snacks at the Leipzig Opera. opera ticket. Departs 30 April 2019 Departs 30 May & 19 September 2019 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 9 KIRKER MUSIC HOLIDAYS THE NORTH NORFOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL A FOUR NIGHT HOLIDAY | 12 AUGUST 2019

The North Norfolk Music Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2019: it was founded by Kirker’s very own Barry Cheeseman and Music Programme musician Simon Rowland-Jones in 2005. Concerts are held in the beautiful 13th century church of St. Mary in the village of South 12 August: 8pm Castalian String Quartet; Bjorg Lewis, cello Creake, a few miles inland from the North Norfolk coastline. This Janacek: String Quartet No.1 ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ year’s performances will include pianists Melvyn Tan, Sholto Kynoch Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E flat major and Gary Matthewman, the Castalian String Quartet, cellist Bjørg Schubert: String Quintet in C D956 Lewis and soprano Louise Alder. 13 August: 4.30pm The itinerary James Newby, baritone; Gary Matthewman, piano Schubert: Die Schone Mullerin We stay at the 3* Briarfields Hotel, overlooking the wide open marshes at 7pm Titchwell, six miles from South Creake where all the concerts are given. Castalian String Quartet; We visit three of Norfolk’s greatest houses – Holkham Hall, seat of the Simon Rowland-Jones, viola; Melvyn Tan, piano Earl of Leicester; Raynham Hall, the home of Marquess and Marchioness Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 Townshend which is not open to the Rowland-Jones: String Quartet No 8 – world public; and Houghton Hall, seat of premiere, composed for the Castalians. the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Mozart: String Quintet in C K515 The nearest railway station is King’s Lynn, and from there 14 August: 7pm you can continue by Coast Louise Alder, soprano; Stef van Herten, horn; Hopper bus right to the hotel, Sholto Kynoch, piano or by taxi – fare approximately Works by Gounod, Schumann, Debussy, Richard £40 each way. Strauss, Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti 15 August: 4.30pm Jonathan Stone, violin; Sholto Kynoch, piano Price from £1,235 for four nights including accommodation Mozart: Sonata in B flat K454 with breakfast, two dinners at the hotel and two in the Beethoven: Violin Sonata No.9 Op.47 ‘Kreutzer’ Festival Marquee, one lunch, all sightseeing, entrance fees 7pm Melvyn Tan, piano and gratuities, tickets and programmes for six concerts, the Brahms: Sonata Op.2 in F minor services of the Kirker Tour Leader. Clara Schumann: Romances Schumann: Three Fantasiestucke Op.111 NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Brahms: Klavierstucke Op.11

THE GRAFENEGG MUSIC FESTIVAL OPERA & MUSIC IN BERLIN Grafenegg’s celebrated festival in Lower Austria, just one hour from One of Europe’s great opera houses, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Vienna, runs throughout the summer and always closes with a feast reopened recently following a seven year refurbishment programme. of music-making. Concerts are held in the architecturally dramatic, Join us in Berlin for three performances at the Staastoper as well as and acoustically excellent, Wolkenturm, on the Metternich estate. visits to world-class art collections, several excellent museums which For 2019, Austrian pianist and Director of the Festival, Rudolf reveal the turbulent recent history of the city, and excursions to the Buchbinder, has recruited the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the nearby Prussian palaces at Potsdam and Max Lieberman’s villa and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, garden on the lakeshore at Wannsee. The March departure includes the Tonkünstler Orchestra and the performances of Boris Gudunov and Eugene Onegin as well as a concert City of Birmingham Symphony by the Moscow Cathedral Choir with the Berlin Philharmonie; Orchestra. Staying at the 4* the June departure features three operas - Rigoletto, Otello and Steigenberger Hotel, we will also Manon Lescaut. enjoy day trips to picturesque Dürnstein, the Benedictine Abbey at Price from £2,139 (March, Melk, and the artist Egon Schiele’s single supp. £298) or home town of Tulln. £2,224 (June, single supp. £336) for six nights including three dinners Price from £2,767 per person and tickets for three (single supp. £198) for five nights performances. including one lunch, five dinners and tickets for five concerts. Departs 7 March & 4 June 2019 Departs 28 August 2019

10 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent EXCLUSIVE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVALS

Prices shown are per person and include flights & transfers (excluding UK holidays), accommodation with breakfast, meals and guided excursions as described and the services of a Kirker Tour Leader.

THE KIRKER SPRING MUSIC FESTIVAL THE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVAL AT AT THE HOTEL TRESANTON, ST. MAWES THE GRAND, EASTBOURNE Our annual visit to Olga Polizzi’s fabled Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes The Maxwell String Quartet join us in spring 2019 for our Kirker combines a relaxing spring escape in Cornwall, with a series of world- chamber music festival based at the aptly named Grand Hotel. class chamber music recitals. Music has always been a central feature of life at The Grand: Debussy, Performances in 2019 will be given by the Castalian String Quartet Elgar, Dame Nellie Melba and many others stayed at the hotel. As well in the Old Methodist Hall, and include works by Schumann, Haydn as their three concerts, Simon Rowland-Jones, Kirker’s Director of and Beethoven. There will also be a series of musical talks and a visit to Music, will present two musically-illustrated talks during the festival. the private garden at Lamorran, inspired by Lady Walton’s garden on the island of Ischia. Dinner is included each evening at the excellent Price from £996 (single supp. £180) for three nights including three Tresanton restaurant which overlooks the sea private concerts and two talks. and is lit by candles in the evening. Departs 27 April 2019

Price from £1,175 per person (single supp. £265) for three nights including accommodation with breakfast and dinner and three concerts each preceded by a musically illustrated talk. Departs 11 March 2019

THE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVAL THE KIRKER CHAMBER MUSIC IN MALLORCA FESTIVAL IN ALFRISTON The works of Frédéric Chopin are central to our Festival in Mallorca and In 2019 we will be presenting our eighth consecutive season of chamber this year we will be joined by the Phoenix Piano Trio, Marta Fontanals- music concerts here, joined by The Navarra Quartet; Adam Walker, flute Simmons, soprano and Lorena Paz Nieto, mezzo-soprano. and Simon Rowland-Jones, viola Based in the village of Banyalbufar, we will discover the gloriously Alongside the three concerts, Simon Rowland-Jones will give unspoilt north coast of Mallorca. There will be visits to the picturesque two musically illustrated talks at Deans Place Hotel in the heart of artists’ village of Deia, the capital Palma and the villa of San Marroig. this historic and picturesque Sussex village, with superb views of Our series of private concerts includes a recital in the villa of the the South Downs. You can enjoy gentle walks along the banks of Habsburg Archduke Luis Salvador the River Cuckmere, visit the 14th century Clergy House, and in at Son Marroig. nearby Berwick you can see the once controversial church murals by Price from £2,290 per person Duncan Grant. (single supp. £189) for six nights including two lunches, Price from £968 (single six dinners and five concerts. supp. £129) for three nights including three dinners, three concerts and two talks. Departs 29 May 2019 Departs 2 September 2019

THE WEST COAST OF FRANCE: THE KIRKER MUSIC FESTIVAL BORDEAUX, ROUEN & BRITTANY ON LAKE COMO with The Chilingirian String Quartet; Simon Rowland-Jones, viola; The destination for our autumn Music Festival is one of the most Carole Presland, piano and Henry Neill, baritone beautiful corners of Italy. Lined with villas, cypress trees and low-arching We set off from Liverpool on board Black Watch and enjoy river mountains, Lake Como has a peaceful timelessness like no other. cruising, spectacular coastal scenery and two historic cities – as well The lake has inspired many composers, and we will enjoy as a programme of world-class music. Our first port of call will be performances by a renowned group of international soloists, including Lorient, then two days in Bordeaux, renowned as the world’s wine pianists Melvyn Tan and Iain Burnside, tenor Luis Gomes, baritone capital. Sailing around the Brittany peninsula, we will travel almost 70 Sergio Vitaleis, violinist Elisabeth Perry and violist Simon Rowland- miles up the Seine as far as Rouen, before our last stop in picturesque Jones. There will be an optional performance of L’elisir d’amore by Saint-Malo. Donizetti at La Scala in Milan. We stay at the 4* Imperiale in the village of Moltrasio, Prices from £2,635 per person for an the hotel has a lakeside restaurant inside cabin or £3,795 per person and a spa with an indoor pool. for a Terrace Balcony Suite for ten nights including full-board, private Price from £2,947 per person drinks parties, all concerts, plus (single supp. £580) for seven exclusive talks and interviews. nights including five dinners, one lunch and five concerts. Departs 10 September 2019 Departs 23 September 2019

For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 11 KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS THE HILL TOWNS OF LE MARCHE SIX NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 & 20 APRIL 2020

Le Marche is one of the hidden gems of Italy. Settled in the fourth century BC by Greeks from Syracuse, colonised by Emperor Trajan in the first century, part of the Papal States and home to one of the most important Humanist courts during the Renaissance, the region has always played an important role in Italian history. The unspoilt, rolling countryside of vineyards, forests and hill-top villages is breath-taking, with the Sibillini range of the Appenines at its Western borders and the Adriatic Sea to the East. It was also the birthplace of great musicians, poets and composers and offers wonderful local cuisine, from both the sea and the mountains.

Urbino

The itinerary

DAY We fly to Bologna and then transfer to Recanati where we stay at DAY Today we go to Macerata to see Vanvitelli’s church of Madonna 1 the 4* Gallery Hotel, located close to the main square. Originally 5 della Misericordia and the art collection at the Palazzo Buonacorsi a 17th century palace, today the hotel has stunning views across the that houses some of the most gorgeous Baroque paintings in Le Marche. countryside. On our way back we visit the spectacular Baroque Giardini Buonaccorsi.

DAY We start our walking tour of Recanati with a visit to the Villa DAY This is a day to really appreciate the wonderful scenery and 2 Colloredo-Mels, its art collection notable for extraordinary works 6 unspoilt countryside as we visit a couple of the gems of this region. by the Venetian artist, Lorenzo Lotto. Next we visit the opera house We begin in Jesi, a vibrant university town. Visits include the Palazzo and museum dedicated to one of the town’s famous sons, the singer Pianetti that houses the wonderful art collection, and the Teatro Pergolesi, Beniamino Gigli, one of the greatest tenors of the 20th century. We end named for the composer who was born in Jesi in 1710. The day ends at the morning at Palazzo Leopardi, birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, Italy’s Cingoli, whose elevated location gives it the nickname “The Balcony of greatest modern poet and philosopher and one of the most important the Marches.” thinkers of the 19th century. In the afternoon we go to Loreto, to see the

‘Santa Casa’, the sanctuary that houses the remains of the home of the DAY On the return journey to Bologna airport we stop in Rimini to see Blessed Virgin Mary, created by Donato Bramante, first architect of St. 7 the Malatesta Temple, one of the grandest Renaissance buildings in Peter’s in Rome. Italy, dating from 1461, with sculptural reliefs by Duccio.

DAY Today we travel to Ancona, the capital of Le Marche. Founded 3 in the fourth century BC by Greek settlers from Syracuse, it has wonderful Roman and Byzantine architecture, stunning Romanesque FLIGHT Information churches and is a thriving and vibrant port. We will visit the old town, Flights with British Airways: taking in Ancona Cathedral, The Arch of Trajan and the National Depart London Heathrow 08.00, arrive Bologna 11.10 Archaeological Museum. Depart Bologna 18.50, arrive London Heathrow 20.10

DAY We drive to Urbino today, a perfect Renaissance hill town, developed 4 by the mercenary prince Federico III Montefeltro who had a Price from £1,967 per person (single supp. £288) for magnificent Humanistic court established. Here we see the wonderful art six nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, collection in the Palazzo Ducale. Highlights include works by Piero della three dinners, three lunches, all sightseeing, entrance fees Francesca, Barocci, Uccello and Raphael who was born in Urbino in 1483. In the afternoon we see the magnificent frescoes from 1416 depicting the and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer, Crucifixion and scenes from the life of St John the Baptist. Charlie Hall.

SICILY – AN ENIGMATIC ISLAND Discover the four corners of this fascinating island, starting in Syracuse which was once the most important city in Magna Graecia. We will visit a private palace in Catania and spend some time in the beautiful resort of Taormina. Next comes a day in Agrigento to see the spectacular Valley of the Temples before moving on to Palermo, a city of great contrasts. We will visit the great Norman Royal Palace and the Chapel of the Kings, the Martorana with its impressive Norman tower, and visits will also be made to Monreale Cathedral, shimmering with its mosaics dating from 1172, Segesta with its romantic collection of Doric temples and Selinunte.

Price from £2,698 (single supp. £456) for nine nights including flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, seven dinners, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader. Departs 20 October 2019

12 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS LEONARDO’S ITALY A SIX NIGHT HOLIDAY | 20 OCTOBER 2019

To mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, join our new tour following in the footsteps of Leonardo, from the small Tuscan village where he was born, to his magnificent masterpiece ‘The Last Supper’ in Milan. Perhaps the world’s greatest polymath, Leonardo’s legacy includes not only exceptional paintings, but also innovative machines and inventions which were centuries ahead of his era. We will see reconstructions of some of his greatest inventions, and visit galleries which hold some of his most famous works.

The itinerary

DAY Fly to Milan and check in to our hotel, the 4* Superior Hotel 1 Manzoni. This evening we will have dinner together in the hotel’s restaurant.

DAY Our day in Milan will begin with a walking tour of the city centre, 2 including the Duomo and the Castello Sforzesco, where we will DAY Today we will travel by coach to the charming small town of see the Sala delle Asse, which Leonardo decorated while he was painting 5 Vinci, about an hour from Florence, where we will see Leonardo’s his famous Last Supper. In the afternoon we will visit the church of Santa birthplace, the Leonardo Museum and a gallery housing reproductions of Maria della Grazia, where we have a timed entrance ticket to see the Last all his paintings. We will have a private tour and there will be free time for Supper itself. lunch in Vinci before we return to the hotel in the afternoon.

DAY This morning we will visit the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the picture DAY This morning we will travel to the charming Tuscan town of 3 gallery of Milan’s historic library the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, where 6 Arezzo, about 70 minutes’ from Florence. Here we will start with we will see Leonardo’s Portrait of a Musician, alongside masterpieces by a visit to the former home of art historian Giorgio Vasari (Leonardo’s first Caravaggio and Raphael. In the afternoon we will travel to Florence by biographer) and see the famous Piero della Francesca frescoes. After time high speed train, where we will stay for the remainder of the holiday at for an independent lunch in Arezzo, we will visit the thirteenth century the 4* Superior Hotel Santa Maria Novella. Buriano Bridge just outside the town, which is thought to be the one behind the Mona Lisa’s left shoulder. We will return to Florence in the DAY Our first day in Florence begins with a walking tour which will afternoon, and our final dinner is taken in a local restaurant this evening. 4 include Brunelleschi’s magnificent Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno. We will arrive at the Uffizi Gallery for our timed DAY We drive to Pisa airport for our flight home. entrance, to include the new Leonardo room which has brought together 7 the artists’ works in a striking modern display, as well as the adjacent room devoted to Michelangelo and Raphael. There will be free time for lunch FLIGHT Information and in the afternoon we will visit the Leonardo museum where we see Flights with British Airways: reconstructions of some of Leonardo’s inventions. Depart London Heathrow 12.00, arrive Milan Malpensa 15.00 Depart Pisa 11.20, arrive London Heathrow 12.30

Price from £2,798 per person (single supp. £450) for six nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, three lunches, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer.

ART, MUSIC & LITERATURE GARDENS OF THE RIVIERA IN MOSCOW Based at the 4* Hôtel Napoléon in Menton, we visit the Villa Ephrussi The spiritual and political heart of Russia, Moscow is also the city of de Rothschild in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the Villa Kerylos, and the Val Tolstoy, Chekhov and Dostoevsky. Our tour will encompass dazzling Rahmeh garden, as well as Lawrence Johnston’s Serre de la Madonne. Orthodox cathedrals, imposing Soviet era monuments, and the In Monaco we see the collection of succulents at the Jardin Exotique, spectacular treasures at the Kremlin – accumulated by generations of and in Italy we visit the famous Hanbury garden at La Mortola and powerful Tsars. We shall also uncover the legacy of Russia’s greatest the Villa Piacenza Boccanegra. writers and artists at the Pushkin and Tretyakov galleries, the former Price from £1,698 (Apr, single home of Anton Chekhov, and the country dachas where Tolstoy and supp. £268) or £1,878 (Sep, Tchaikovsky created their greatest works. single supp. £268) for five nights Price from £2,598 (single supp. £398) for five nights including two including three dinners. lunches, two dinners and a Russian visa service. Departs 7 April & Departs 2 May & 10 October 2019 15 September 2019 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 13 KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS LUCCA & THE LUCCHESE HILLS A FOUR NIGHT HOLIDAY | 10 NOVEMBER 2019

A perfect example of a beautifully preserved Tuscan town, Lucca has artistic treasures of the first order. A popular destination for day visitors, it rewards those who stay a little longer with secrets which are slowly revealed. A four night stay provides the perfect amount of time to enjoy its charms such as the gourmet shops which line Il Fillungo in the heart of the city, as well as an opportunity to explore the beautiful hills which surround the city itself. An easy way to absorb the Lucchese spirit is to take a walk along the four kilometres of impeccably maintained pathways which have been created on top of the ramparts.

The itinerary

DAY We fly to Pisa and transfer just 30 minutes to Lucca where we stay DAY This morning we drive to Pistoia, a lovely small town whose 1 in the lovely 4 star San Luca Palace, located centrally but quietly in 4 fortunes were eclipsed by its more powerful and wealthier a mediaeval square within the city walls. Dinner is included every evening, neighbours, Lucca and Florence. We will explore the compact historic in carefully selected local restaurants. centre and visit the cathedral of San Zeno Duomo, the Baptistery with its typical Tuscan Gothic green and white striped marble. There will be time DAY Today we will begin our exploration of Lucca with visits to to enjoy a coffee in the historic Café Valiani – Puccini often stopped by 2 its cathedral, San Martino, with important sculptures and San for a macchiato. Returning back to Lucca we will visit the smallest public Michele in Foro with its close associations with the Puccini family. theatre in the world – the Teatro Vetriano, located just outside the city in Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca in 1858 and later today we’ll visit his the Lucchese Hills. Built in 1890 and donated to the community by an birthplace, now a museum dedicated to the composer’s life and music. enlightened farmer, the theatre was saved from ruin by FAI – the Italian equivalent of our own National Trust. DAY The morning is spent visiting the Romanesque church of San 3 Frediano and the Villa Guinigi which houses an important DAY En-route to the airport we will visit Pisa to see the Romanesque collection of local and regional art works. The afternoon is free for 5 Campo dei Miracoli, dominated by the famous Leaning Tower. independent exploration – perhaps a wander through the cobbled streets, around the Renaissance city walls, or a relaxing afternoon enjoying one of the charming alfresco bars and cafés. Price from £1,195 per person (single supp. £146) including flights, accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, a ticket for a recital of arias from popular Italian FLIGHT Information operas at the Basilica of San Giovanni, all sightseeing, Flights with British Airways: Depart London Heathrow 07.45, arrive Pisa 10.55 entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Depart Pisa 15.15, arrive London Heathrow 16.40 Tour Lecturer, Charlie Hall.

VILLAS & GARDENS AROUND ROME MADRID & OLD CASTILLE The countryside surrounding Rome is home to a number of Madrid not only has some of the finest art collections in the world wonderful gardens including the beautiful and romantic gardens of La but it is also a wonderful base from which to explore the surrounding Landriana and Ninfa. A day will be devoted to Tivoli with its two great region. Based at the 4* Hotel Emperador, our tour spends three days gardens: the Villa D’Este and Hadrian’s Villa and another to Rome in the capital where highlights include the Prado, Thyssen and the itself where we will visit the Villa Borghese Gardens and Gallery and a Sorolla Museum. There will also be three visits further afield to private garden. We also visit the Villa Lante - one of the greatest of all Segovia, Toledo – the historic capital Italian Renaissance gardens and the gardens of the Villa Farnese. of Castille – and the monastery complex at El Escorial.

Price from £1,766 (single supp. Price from £1,898 (single supp. £298) for five nights including £378) for six nights including two lunches and three dinners. three dinners. Departs 26 May & Departs 21 March & 6 October 2019 31 October

14 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS BYZANTINE & OTTOMAN ISTANBUL FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 9 OCTOBER 2019 & 25 MARCH 2020

Istanbul is one of the world’s most fascinating cities and has a colourful and complex history, spanning many centuries. Our five night holiday will introduce you to both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods; spanning 1,600 years from 330 AD until the early 20th Century. It was during the long period as capital of the vast and sprawling Ottoman Empire that Istanbul took on much of the appearance visitors today can still enjoy. During our visit, there will be a comprehensive programme of sightseeing as well as some free time to explore the Grand Bazaar.

The itinerary

DAY We fly to Istanbul and transfer to the 4 star Hotel Eresin 1 Sultanahmet where we stay for the duration of the tour.

DAY Today begins with a guided tour of the sprawling city of Istanbul, 2 starting at the Hippodrome, the most important relic from the city’s Roman period and rebuilt by Constantine in 330 AD. Next we visit the Blue Mosque before proceeding to the Islamic Arts Museum where we see unrivalled collections of decorative arts from all periods of Turkish history displayed in the splendid setting of the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha. Our day ends at the Topkapi Palace, the Sultan’s residence and the DAY We start with a visit to the small but beautiful Church of St. nerve centre of the Ottoman Empire. Here we see the dazzling Imperial 5 Saviour in Chora which dates from 1077 and has some of the Treasury and the important collections of ceramics and silver. finest mosaics and frescoes in Istanbul. Then we make our way through the Ottoman districts of Balat and Fener to the spice market before DAY We begin our day at the ancient Serefiye Cistern, built by Roman ending our day at the magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the city’s 3 Emperor Theodosius II. Next we visit the Hagia Sophia, considered landmarks. one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. It became a mosque in 1453 and served as a model for all future Ottoman mosques. This afternoon, DAY This morning is free for independent exploration. We drive to we will wander through Istanbul’s fabled Grand Bazaar, an ideal place to 6 Istanbul airport for the flight back to London. shop for souvenirs including textiles, food, ceramics and spices.

DAY This morning we visit the vast Dolmabahce Palace which served FLIGHT Information 4 as the centre for the Sultan’s extended domestic life. We then board Flights with British Airways: a boat for a journey along the Bosphorus and finish with lunch at a local Depart London Heathrow 10.25, arrive Istanbul 16.40 fish restaurant. Later we visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum with its superb Depart Istanbul 17.35, arrive London Heathrow 19.55 collection of decorative arts before returning to the hotel. Price from £1,515 per person (October, single supp. £270) or £1,668 (March, single supp. £285) including flights, accommodation with breakfast, three dinners, one lunch, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer, Andrew Allen and a local guide.

GARDENS OF MARRAKECH SEVILLE & ANDALUCÍA Marrakech is an intoxicating destination for all the senses, and the city Revealing the fascinating history and the wonderful scenery of and its surroundings are also home to a number of remarkable gardens. Andalucía, our new holiday is based in the beautiful city of Seville We shall explore some of the finest – from the famous Jardin Majorelle – home to elegant architecture and flower-filled patios. As well as created by Yves Saint Laurent, to several private gardens which are not visits to the city’s most important museums and galleries, we will normally open to the public. Our base for the duration is the 5* Palais make excursions to the Moorish city of Cordoba with its imposing Aziza & Spa, which is surrounded by five acres of gardens and patios. Mezquita, Jerez where we will visit one of the famous sherry bodegas, and to several Price from £3,396 (single of the most picturesque ‘pueblos blancos’ supp. £595) for seven nights – the white villages typical of the region. including seven lunches and four dinners. Price from £2,145 (single supp. Departs 2 May 2019 £348) for seven nights including three lunches and four dinners. Departs 12 March 2019

For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 15 KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS A JOURNEY THROUGH ROMANIA NINE NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 20 SEPTEMBER 2019 & 17 MAY 2020

Romania has experienced a colourful and dramatic history over the past 1,000 years. Under the control of Bulgaria, Hungary and then both the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, it was not until the downfall of Ceausescu that Romania was able to forge its own independent path. Saxon villages, painted monasteries and churches, superbly preserved medieval towns and a welcoming people all combine to create one of the most enigmatic countries in Europe.

The itinerary

DAY We fly to Bucharest and transfer to our centrally located hotel, the 1 4* Athénée Palace Hilton, for a three night stay.

DAY Our stay in Bucharest will begin with a walking tour of the Bucharest 2 historic district close to the hotel. Later we will go to the National Museum of Art in the former Royal Palace and see two magnificent collections, one of Romanian and modern art, and the other of European art. We then visit Ceausescu’s ‘Parliament Palace’– a permanent reminder On our journey to Sighisoara we will stop at Târgu Mures to see of the grim years when Romania was ruled by the despised couple. DAY 6 the Art Nouveau Palace of Culture and have lunch at the Golden Crown Inn. We then reach Bukovina and drive though Székely Land. Two We start with a visit to the impressive former synagogue, to DAY nights will be spent in Sighisoara at the 5* Hotel Binderbubi. 3 discover more about the history of the Jewish community in Romania. We then go to the Choral Temple, Bucharest’s main synagogue, There will be a walking tour through the small fortified and then to the church of Stavropoleos. We will have lunch in a DAY 7 mediaeval town of Sighisoara, known for its cobbled streets and traditional tea house and then visit the Rural Museum, a much loved colourful houses. During the afternoon we explore Saxon Land - the institution. Here in a lovely three acre park, over 300 houses from villages area surrounding Sighisoara – with visits to the fortified churches in around the nation can be seen. Malancrav and Biertan. We travel by train to Suceava, in the region of Bukovina. A picnic DAY We drive to Brasov today, passing the UNESCO listed church 4 lunch will be provided. We spend two nights at the 4* Gerald’s DAY 8 in Viscri. This is where the main office of The Prince of Wales’s Hotel in Radauti. Foundation Romania is based. Brasov is the most beautiful town in Romania. Perfectly preserved, it dates back to the12th century. We will see Today is spent discovering some of the famous painted churches DAY the stately town square, the Gothic Black Church and the city art gallery. 5 and monasteries for which Romania is famous. Visits include the We stay for two nights at the 5* Aro Palace Hotel. Arbore Church which is a typical example of the churches built during the reign of Stefan the Great and the Voronet Monastery with its great We drive to the resort of Sinaia to visit Peles Castle, built in fresco of ‘The Last Judgement.’ DAY 9 archetypal fairy tale style and surrounded by glorious scenery and gardens. Returning to Brasov we will stop at Bran Castle, the inspiration FLIGHT Information for Bram Stoker’s castle of Count Dracula. Flights with British Airways: Depart London Heathrow 11.40, arrive Bucharest 17.00 DAY We drive back to Bucharest airport for the flight to London. Depart Bucharest 18.00, arrive London Heathrow 19.25 10

Price £2,184 per person (single supp. £276) for nine nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, nine dinners, two lunches and a picnic lunch on the train, all sightseeing, entrance fees, gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer, Dr Neil Faulkner and a local guide.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ALBANIA Small in size but big on spirit and variety, Albania’s unique character, dramatic topography and gripping history make it seem isolated from the rest of Europe, surrounded by towering mountains and bordered by the Adriatic Sea. The capital Tirana is a dynamic modern city yet steeped in traditions, and we stay here for the first three nights. We drive though the dramatic scenery of the Sari Saltik mountain range to Krujë where, at the Skanderbeg Museum, we learn how the eponymous hero saw off the forces of the Ottomans three times. We will discover ancient Durrës, and Byllis, an important city of ancient Illyria before spending a night in Vlora. Finally, a magnificent coastal drive along the Albanian Riviera will bring us to Butrint, an unspoilt site dating from the 7th century BC, which overlooks the Greek island of Corfu. Price from £1,664 per person (single supp. £235) for seven nights including flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, seven lunches and dinners, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuties and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer and a local guide. Departs 21 June & 6 September 2019

16 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS THE HEART OF SRI LANKA A THIRTEEN NIGHT HOLIDAY | 11 MARCH 2020

Located off the southern tip of India, the island of Sri Lanka combines ancient temples and palaces, ornate Buddhist shrines, and charming colonial architecture, but it is the warm welcome and delicious cuisine – tropical fruits, coconut curries, fiery sambals, and fresh seafood – which linger in the memory. One of the great charms of the country is the ease with which you can travel between diverse landscapes – and this tour of the most important regions will take you through high altitude tea plantations via scenic jungle railways, to verdant national parks and the palm-fringed beaches of the south coast. We shall be accommpanied throughout by art historian and Kirker Tour Leader Dr. Alex Koller who has made many visits to Sri Lanka and has a particular interest in Buddhist art and architecture

The itinerary Nuwara Eliya DAY We depart from London on an overnight flight to Colombo. 1 DAY The day begins at Kandy’s Royal Palace with a visit to the sacred 8 Buddhist shrine, the Temple of the Tooth, followed by a gentle walk DAY On arrival we will transfer to the beach resort of Negombo where 2 we stay at the 4* Heritance Hotel for one night. through the peaceful Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. This afternoon is free to enjoy the city – you may wish to go shopping for some precious gem DAY After breakfast we will have a walking tour of Negombo including stones, for which Kandy is renowned. 3 the Catholic and Anglican churches, Dutch colonial houses and the market square. We depart late-morning for the rock fortress of Yapahuwa DAY Today we take a scenic journey on the historic train to Nuwara before continuing to Anuradhapura where we stay for two nights at the 9 Eliya, a former colonial hill station surrounded by tea plantations 4* Forest Rock Garden. in Sri Lanka’s interior highlands. We shall visit a tea plantation before checking in to our hotel, the 4* Heritance Tea Factory.

DAY We spend the day exploring the ancient capital city of 4 Anuradhapura. Here we will discover imposing dagobas, royal DAY We depart for Udawalawe National Park, breaking our journey at gardens and shimmering pools surrounded by forest. 10 the hill-country village of Ella, where the views are spectacular. After checking in at the 4* Grand Udewalawe Safari Resort, we set out on a game drive to see wild animals, including elephants, in their natural DAY We make an early morning visit to Sigiriya, the towering 5th 5 century palace fortress which stands on a 600 foot vertical rock. habitat. The rest of the day is spent at leisure at our hotel on Lake Kandalama, the 4* Lake Lodge. DAY There will be an early morning elephant safari today, before we 11 leave for the historic city of Galle, where we stay for two nights at the 4* Fort Bazaar. DAY Today is dedicated to Polonnaruwa, the former medieval capital 6 of Sri Lanka. Remains here, including a palace, temples, baths and Originally occupied by the Portuguese and subsequently fortified an audience hall, reveal that this was once an important commercial and DAY religious centre. We will see five magnificent Buddhas, carved from the 12 by the Dutch, Galle has long been Sri Lanka’s most crucial bedrock in the standing, sitting and sleeping positions. trading port. We have a morning tour of the colonial centre and then the afternoon is free to wander around the fort and visit its boutiques and cafes, which were once merchants’ houses. In the early evening there will DAY Our first visit is to the Dambulla rock temple where each of the 7 caves contains a collection of Buddhas carved from the stone. Some be an opportunity to visit the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project are life sized whilst others depict the sleeping Buddha on a giant scale. along the coast. Then we drive south to Kandy stopping en route at a spice garden. We spend two nights at the 4* Cinnamon Citadel hotel in Kandy. DAY We leave Galle and drive to Colombo. After checking in at the 13 4* Galle Face Hotel, we will have a tour of Sri Lanka’s bustling capital city. Price from £4,498 per person (single supp. £889) DAY Today we leave Sri Lanka and fly back to London. including flights, twelve nights’ accommodation with 14 breakfast, twelve dinners, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer, FLIGHT Information Flights with Sri Lankan Airlines: Dr. Alex Koller and a local guide. Depart London Heathrow 20.40, arrive Colombo 12.40 Please speak to your independent travel agent if you the following day Depart Colombo 12.50, arrive London Heathrow 19.10 would like to extend your stay to include one of Supplements for business class flights available on request. Sri Lanka’s excellent beach resorts.

For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 17 KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS OMAN – PEARL OF ARABIA A SIX NIGHT HOLIDAY | 10 OCTOBER 2019

Known as the Pearl of Arabia, Oman simultaneously surprises with its diversity – of landscape, history and culture – and encapsulates the epitome of the Arabian experience. This itinerary combines the best of the country in a leisurely tour: from azure sea to jagged mountains and the vast dunes of the Wahiba Sands. You will learn about the fascinating mediaeval history of the region, see modern Muscat’s astonishing architecture, and absorb the natural environment, including the hustle of traditional souqs, the colour and sounds of local fishing villages, and the unique atmosphere of the desert at night. In a Middle East largely overwhelmed by 21st century tourist resorts, the Omanis are rightfully very proud of the traditional culture that they have carefully nurtured in one of the last remaining authentic destinations in the region.

The itinerary

DAY We will fly out to Muscat on the daytime flight this morning, 1 arriving late afternoon, and will be transferred to our hotel, the Radisson Blu (4*) in the centre of Muscat, where we will stay for the first two nights.

DAY This morning we will begin with a tour of Muscat itself, starting 2 with a visit to the magnificent Grand Mosque built with sandstone DAY We will visit the local Bedouin market this morning before and marble and home to the second largest chandelier, and handmade 5 heading up into the historic interior of Oman. There will be a Persian carpet in the world. After a drive through the Embassy area we brief visit to Bahla Fort, begun in the third millennium BC, followed by will stop to see the Royal Opera House before arriving at Al Alam Palace, the carefully-reconstructed Jibreen Castle, notable for the frescoes that the residence of the Sultan. We shall visit the Mirani and Jalali forts briefly adorn its rooms and ceilings decorated with paintings and Islamic-era and explore the Bait Al Zubair Museum, a privately-owned museum in style inscriptions. We will then stay tonight in the old capital of Oman, the old town of Muscat which provides an insight into old Oman. In Nizwa, at the 4* Golden Tulip Hotel. the afternoon we continue to Muttrah Souq, which is one of the oldest markets in Oman, dating back about two hundred years. DAY This morning we will venture into the Cattle Market of Nizwa, 6 which takes place every Friday, before exploring the famous Nizwa DAY Checking out of our hotel this morning, we will travel along the Fort and the vibrant souq which has remained in use for hundreds of 3 coast, pausing at the picturesque fishermen’s village of Quriyat, years. In the afternoon we will see some of Oman’s most well-preserved known for its stocks of kingfish and tuna, and then at Bimmah Sinkhole, towns and villages, including traditional mud houses with palm frond a deep natural depression filled with water. At Wadi Tiwi, a spectacularly roofs, built on solid rock foundations, as well as the UNESCO-listed narrow gorge carved out of the mountains, we will see traditional villages Omani irrigation channels (known as Falaj) which feed ancient surrounded by lush plantations of date and banana. In the afternoon we will agricultural terraces.We will finish the day at Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest arrive in the coastal city of Sur, where we can still see the traditional dhow point at 3,009m, with panoramic views of the “Grand Canyon”, before manufacturers at work. We stay at the 3* Sur Plaza Hotel this evening. returning to our hotel in Muscat in the early evening.

Leaving Sur in the morning we will visit the enchanting Wadi Bani DAY DAY The final morning will be at leisure before we are transferred to 4 Khalid, where there will be time to cool off in the crystal clear 7 Muscat airport for the flight home. waters for those who wish to swim. We will then continue to the vast dunes of Wahiba sands, a region of sandy desert stretching 200km to the Arabian Sea. This area has been home to the Bedouin for 7000 years and we will spend an unforgettable night watching the sun set over the dunes before a barbecue dinner under the stars. FLIGHT Information Flights with Oman Air: Depart London Heathrow 08.25, arrive Muscat 18.50 Wadi Tiwi Depart Muscat 14.30, arrive London Heathrow 19.10

Price from £2,929 per person (single supp. £398) for six nights including flights, accommodation with breakfast, five lunches, five dinners, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer and a local guide.

18 For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS THE D-DAY LANDING GROUNDS IN NORMANDY A FIVE NIGHT HOLIDAY | 25 AUGUST 2019

This tour is designed to tell the story of the famous D-Day landings Omaha Beach in June 1944 that launched the invasion of France and opened the Battle for Normandy that led directly to the capture of Paris in August. Thereafter, the Allies would advance steadily towards Nazi Germany where the European war would end in May 1945. The beaches are extremely evocative with so much of the original battlefields remaining intact replete with bunkers, gun emplacements and many of the farm buildings and villages that were involved in the fighting. Apart from the WW2 interest, Normandy is a beautiful area to tour with glorious scenery, ancient churches, strong local character and a fascinating history that has for centuries been so closely intertwined with that of the British Isles. Time will be found to explore beyond the battlefields and to take full advantage of the Norman cuisine.

The itinerary

DAY We leave London by coach and travel to Portsmouth where we DAY Our first stop today is Utah beach followed by the town of St 1 visit the Portsmouth D Day Museum. Then we continue to the 4 Mere Eglise which US paratroops defended against furious counter port terminal for the afternoon ferry service to Caen. On arrival we will attacks. The morning ends at the German cemetery at La Cambe. After transfer to the 3* Ferme de la Ranconniere, which is in the village where lunch, we go to Omaha Beach where the American army suffered the the only D-Day Victoria Cross was won. largest casualties of D-Day. We will see the Pointe du Hoc, a promontory overlooking the English Channel which was captured by US Rangers scaling a cliff face, the beach landing ground, The American Cemetery DAY This morning we visit the Longue Sur Mer battery, the Mulberry 2 Harbour at Arromanches, as well as Gold and Juno Beaches. and the Omaha Museum. This afternoon there will be free time to explore Bayeux and visit the Cathedral and the famous Bayeux Tapestry. DAY Today we will explore the battlefields around Caen including The 5 Falaise Pocket where the Allied Armies inflicted vast casualties on DAY We begin at Sword Beach and follow the fighting inland through the retiring German forces but failed to cut them off entirely. We also see 3 the bunker system in front of Caen to Perier Ridge where the the wonderful Norman castle at Falaise where William the Conqueror German Panzers were beaten off. We will view Pegasus Bridge where was born. Lovat, famously accompanied by his piper, relieved Major Howard’s glider force. The day ends with a visit to the heights above Ranville and the DAY We leave on the early ferry from Caen back to Portsmouth and excellent Caen WW2 museum. 6 then travel back to London by coach, arriving late-afternoon.

Price from £1,859 per person (single supp. £288) for five nights including return ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, accommodation with breakfast, four dinners, two lunches, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer, Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan.

Prices are per person based on two people sharing and include flights or Eurostar, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, meals as described, a full programme of sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

THE WESTERN FRONT – THE ROAD THE BATTLES OF MONTE CASSINO TO VICTORY Our new tour to the Amalfi coast includes spectacular scenery, ancient Greek temples, and the infamous battlefields of Monte Cassino. Led by military historian Hugh Macdonald-Buchanan, we will visit Military historian Richard Goldsbrough will take us from Salerno, the principal battlefields of the British Expeditionary Forces, starting at northwards to Monte Cassino, allowing us to follow the landings of the notorious Ypres Salient which saw intense action throughout the the US 36th Infantry Division, visit the Allied headquarters at Caserta war. We follow the progress of the troops until we reach Amiens where and learn about the four battles for Cassino. Ending at Anzio, where in August 1918 the Allies began their journey to victory. In between, the last major Allied landings took place, the tour takes us to the we visit Passchendaele, Arras, the Somme and Cambrai. Visits to some spectacular Amalfi coastline, to Paestum, and through the mountainous exceptional museums help tell the story of how the troops fought both landscapes of Lazio and Campania. underground and above, in the mud and on horseback. Price from £2,160 (single supp. Price from £1,498 (single supp. £290) for seven nights including £358) for five nights including five lunches (some will be picnics) five dinners. and seven dinners. Departs 30 October 2019 Departs 24 October 2019

For reservations please speak to your independent travel agent 19 Prices are per person based on two people sharing and include flights or Eurostar, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, meals as described, a full programme of sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Leader.

THE GRANDEUR OF ROME THE ITALIAN LAKES – GARDENS & We start our holiday with a visit to the Pantheon, before going to the VILLAS OF COMO & MAGGIORE Campo de’Fiori, the Theatre of Marcellus, the Piazza del Campidoglio Our tour is based at the 4* Hotel Terminus, in the lakeside town of and the Capitoline Museum. There is also time for the art collections Como. After a walking tour, we travel by hydrofoil to idyllic Bellagio, at the Doria Pamphilj, the Borghese and the Vatican, as well as known as the ‘Pearl of the Lake’. We shall explore the gardens at the Hadrian’s Villa and the fabled gardens of the Villa d’Este. Crowning Villa Carlotta before taking a private boat to Villa Balbianello. A day is all this is a visit to the Sistine spent at Stresa, and we will also visit the beautiful Borromean Islands. Chapel where the full majesty In Cernobbio we shall enjoy lunch at the of Michelangelo’s sublime renowned Villa D’Este, one of the finest achievement can be enjoyed. hotels in Italy. Price from £2,198 (single supp. Price from £2,288 (April, single supp. £398) for seven nights including £460) or £2,547 (June, single supp. one lunch and four dinners. £470) for six nights including three Departs 19 May & dinners and three lunches. 27 October 2019 Departs 24 April & 5 June 2019

THE BAY OF NAPLES GENOA – CITY OF THE DOGES Naples was once one of the most important and beautiful cities in Staying at the 4* Grand Hotel Savoia we spend two full days in Europe. It is so closely associated with the Romans, that visitors often Genoa visiting magnificent mansions, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo overlook the city’s fascinating later history. We discover many of the and the Museo del Tesoro with its religious art brought back from city’s magnificent treasures and in addition to visiting Pompeii and the Crusades. One day will be spent driving east along the beautiful Herculaneum some days will be spent in Naples itself. The tour is Ligurian coastline towards Santa Margherita Ligure, and on to based at the 4* Hotel Santa Portofino where we have an included lunch at the fabled Hotel Lucia, located on the waterfront. Splendido overlooking the picturesque harbour. We also visit the mediaeval town of Chiavari to meet Price from £1,896 (Apr, single and have lunch with the owner of the supp. £398) or £1,798 (Nov, Palazzo Ravaschieri. single supp. £378) for six nights including three dinners. Price from £1,873 (single supp. £298) for five nights including three dinners Departs 5 April & and two lunches. 8 November 2019 Departs 12 June & 11 September 2019

RAVENNA, URBINO & FERRARA PARMA, CREMONA & MANTUA Our holiday focuses on three historic cities in the western part of Our second tour to this relatively unknown corner of northern Italy Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. Ravenna was the last capital of the is based in Parma, a city synonymous with the very best food and Western Roman Empire, and remains a treasury of some of the world’s produce in Italy. Musically, too, the region has the finest credentials; most dazzling mosaics and Byzantine architecture – memories of the Giuseppe Verdi was born in the small farming village of Roncole and final glowing embers of imperial glory. In Urbino we discover an Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma itself. A number of fine lunches idealised city state created by the Duke of Urbino and in Ferrara we and dinners are included and there will be an opportunity to learn will learn more about the powerful more about the two specialities for which the d’Este family whose court was region is world famous, ‘parmigiano e based here. prosciutto’. Price from £1,684 (single supp. Price from £1,698 (May, single supp. £298) for five nights including £260) or £1,738 (September, single three dinners and one lunch. supp. £278) for five nights including two lunches and two dinners. Departs 1 May & 25 September 2019 Departs 6 May & 30 September 2019

The holidays featured within are just a small selection from the wide range that we offer - to request a Cultural Tours & Music Holidays brochure please speak to your independent travel agent.

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Published January 2019. Terms and conditions apply. Please ensure that you have adequate travel insurance cover before booking your holiday. See www.kirkerholidays.com for full booking conditions.