Budapest, Vienna and Prague May 15-24, 2015
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Budapest, Vienna and Prague May 15-24, 2015 It has been many years since the Lyric Opera Guild took a trip to Eastern Europe. Due to popular demand we are offering the following trip in May 2015. Please note that many people have already expressed an enthusiastic interest in this trip, but our number is limited. This trip is offered strictly on a “first come first served” basis, and is priced based on early bookings which will make it less expensive than it ordinarily would be. Our deadline for a deposit is October 15, which is coming right up. But the final payment is not due until March 15, 2015, so you will have plenty of time to scrape the rest of your travel funds together! Out tour guides on this trip are Rob and Barbara Seaver of Request Italy, who have been such terrific hosts for our European trips the last three summers. Rob Seaver, as you might know, is the son of the late, great Jim Seaver of Lawrence, Kansas, one of the country's leading opera experts and a close friend of the Guild for many years. Here is our plan: Friday, May 15, 2015. Depart Kansas City and fly to Budapest, Hungary. Saturday, May 16. Arrive in Budapest, enjoy high tea and then a welcome dinner at a fine restaurant. Sunday, May 17. Enjoy an Budapest, Hungary orientation tour of Budapest in the morning and a group lunch. Tour the famed National Art Museum in the afternoon, and then enjoy a performance of Gounod’s Faust at the historic Hungarian National Opera that evening. Dario Shmunk sings the title role, with bass-baritone Gabor Bretz as Mephistopheles and famed soprano Andrea Rost as Marguerite. Monday, May 18. In the morning, enjoy a walking tour of the Castle district, including a visit to St. Matthias Church where the kings of Hungary were crowned. This day features a group lunch, then ground transportation to Vienna in the afternoon. In the evening, attend Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte in the city where he composed it, at the Wiener Volksoper (Vienna Folk Opera). Tuesday, May 19. In the morning, we will take a walking tour of historic Vienna, including a visit to Mozart’s house and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the famous cathedral of Vienna. Lunch is on your own, before we tour the world renowned Kunsthistorisches Museum. There will be a group dinner that night at a superb Vienna restaurant. Wednesday, May 20. In the morning, we will visit either the Belvedere Palace and museum or the Schönbrunn Palace. In the late afternoon, we will have a backstage tour of the famous Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), one of the great opera houses of the world. We Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) will offer an optional performance of Wagner’s Siegfried at the Staatsoper that evening. World famous Wagnerian tenor Stephen Gould sings the title role. Thursday, May 21. In the morning we will tour the Hofburg, the imperial palace of the Habsburgs, or the Albertina Museum, housing one of the the finest collection of old masters drawings in the world. After a group lunch, we will travel by private coach to Prague in the Czech Republic, where that evening we will enjoy a performance of perhaps the greatest Czech opera, Dvořák’s magical Rusalka. Wiener Volksoper (Vienna Folk Opera) Friday, May 22. We will have a walking tour of historic central Prague including the famed Wenceslas Square where Communism was overthrown in 1989. You will have time to explore Prague on your own or tour the famous Jewish quarter in the afternoon. Saturday, May 23. This morning will feature a tour of the Prague castle complex where many famous historical events occurred. We will have a farewell lunch at one of Prague’s leading restaurants, and in the evening will attend Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the historic theater where the opera had its 1787 premiere, the Estates Theatre. Sunday, May 24. We will leave from Prague to return to the United Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic States, arriving back home in the evening. Cancellation Policy Your deposit and reservation constitute a con- Note: These opera companies have tract for you to go on this trip. Upon receiving not yet announced most of their their casts your deposit we will expend substantial sums to for the performances next May, but in pay for your costs of this trip. If you must cancel, our experience all of them feature superb you will still owe the balance of the trip charge, but we will return whatever portion of your trip costs international casts, so we feel comfortable we are able to recover. We strongly recommend that you will not be disappointed. Any cast trip cancellation insurance to protect your invest- changes are beyond our control, of course. ment in this trip. Please call your travel agent or check with trip insurance providers online. This trip includes: ♫ Round trip air fare between Kansas City and Budapest (going to) and Prague (returning from). ♫ Bus transpor- If you have any tation to and from all hotels and traveling destinations. ♫ questions please call our Prague for a total of eight nights ♫ Orchestra seats to tour guide, Accommodations at fine hotels in Budapest, Vienna Siegfried and Rob Seaver, at ♫ Entrance tickets to all museums (785) 501-7001 (he andfour other operas, attractions in Budapest, listed Viennain the above and Praguedescription. (the ♫ Eight is seven hours groupin Vienna dinners is optional). or lunches (one each day). ♫ All baggage ahead of us in - Europe, so please be considerate), mustand porterage pay on fees, except for any bag fees the airline charg Tour Cost: or e-mail him at youres, which own. you ♫ Land Arrangements .............................. roberteseaver@ Airfare from and to Kansas City ....... yahoo.com. contribution Total ..........................................................$4,750 Thanks! toTax the deductible Kansas Added single supplement (if you want$1,500 a City Lyric Op- single room at the hotel) .........................$6,250 era Guild. $500 RESERVATIONS - Budapest Vienna Prague 2015 (please print legibly) Full Names (as on driver’s license): ____________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: (____) ________________ E-mail address: _______________________________________ [check one] Single Room Double Room, sharing with _______________________ Any special dietary restrictions? ___________________________________________________ Yes, I would like a ticket to the optional Siegried in Vienna ($280, to be added to your final bill). To reserve your spot on this trip, please send this form and a deposit of $1,000 per person by Oc- tober 15, 2014. Your sending of a check constitutes a contract for you to join this trip. The remainder of your payment will be due on March 15, 2015. Please make your check payable to Lyric Opera Guild Trips and mail it to Don Dagenais, 5401 Brookside Blvd. # 503, Kansas City, MO 64112. If you wish to make your own air arrangements, let us know and we will deduct the air fare from your final payment (see trip cost summary above)..