For the past three years, Nassau NYSCAME, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, has sponsored a Faculty Study Tour during the February Recess. Teachers have travelled to Vienna/Prague/Budapest(2008), Venice/Florence/Rome(2009), and Spain/Morroco(2010) exploring these culturally fascinating areas.
During the 2011 February Break (Feb 18 - 27) we will be exploring Amsterdam and Paris. These cities of art, architecture, music of all genres will provide a cultural feast to fill the artistic appetite. We have really great hotels booked in both cities and we are adding Welcome and Farewell Dinners to the tour for everyone. Also canal and river cruises will be part of the itinerary.
We know both of these cities well and can't wait to share our excitement with you. In Amsterdam there is the Koncertabow, one of the best halls in the world, the Van Gogh Museum, The Rembrandt House and the 57 other major museums; The Anne Frank House, the canals, the exciting night-life!
Paris... What isn't there? Opera, museums, Eiffel Tour, Notre Dame, Left Bank, Arc de Triumph, The Seine, Moulin Rouge, we can go on forever!
The hotels are already booked, as are the airline tickets. Guaranteed space is limited to 30 people. Check out the linked Itinerary and Application.
(Application to be linked here soon)
If you know you want to come, send back the attached application and a $250 deposit. That will guarantee you are on board.
Note - Although this is titled as Faculty Study Tour in the Arts, teachers of other areas are welcome, as are spouses or friends. Check with your supervising administrator to see if you may use this toward your In-Service credits or hours.
Send to
MYO/NYSCAME February Tour
PO Box 197
Glen Head, NY 11545
Day 1 Friday, Feb. 18, 2011
Depart from New York (JFK) at 10:10 pm KLM Airlines Flight 644 overnight to Amsterdam. Enjoy complimentary meals and beverages as you fly transatlantic to Europe.
Day 2 Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 Arrival Amsterdam
Arrive in Amsterdam at 11:20 am. On arrival, clear immigration, collect your luggage and transfer by deluxe motorcoach to the Port van Cleve Hotel where you check-in with time to get settled.
Preview the hotel at: www.dieportvancleve.com Enjoy a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant near the hotel.
Day 3 Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 Amsterdam
Today enjoy the allure of this charming city from a glass-topped launch, cruising along the canals that thread along tree-lined streets and under scores of bridges, where elaborately gabled houses transport you back to another time. See the Tower of Tears, Royal Palace and Dam Square. Enjoy free time this afternoon for personal exploring, shopping or visiting museums. Dinner on your own tonight.
Day 4 Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 Amsterdam
Today is free to explore the city and your own interests. Ride a bicycle through the flowery Vondelpark, where Amsterdammers gather for picnics and open-air concerts. For close-up views of Golden Age merchants' houses, stroll along Amsterdam's storied canals. The Rijksmuseum is a rambling attic of Old Master paint-ings from Vermeer miniatures to Rembrandt's colossal The Night Watch. The curvy Van Gogh Museum houses the world's largest Van Gogh collection, including Sunflowers and earless self-portraits. Spend a reflective moment in Anne Frank's House. Find a nice restaurant for dinner on your own this evening.
Day 5 Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 Amsterdam/Paris
Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and load the coach for a transfer to the central train station where you board your Thalys high-speed train to Paris. The journey takes about 4-hours and you arrive at Gare du Nord Station in the early afternoon. Load the coach and transfer to the Hotel Normandy. Preview the hotel at www.hotel-normandy.com We recommend that you try out the Paris Metro this evening and visit the village of Montmartre for a spectacular sunset over Paris. There are many lovely restau-rants just off the Place du Tertre and you can enjoy the panoramic view from the steps of the Sacre Coeur. Dinner on your own.
Day 6 Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 Paris
Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Paris. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral. No other building is associated so closely with the history of Paris. It is a Gothic masterpiece standing at the very heart of the city. The stunning Ste Chapelle is located on the Ile de la Cité, as is the Conciergerie, which held many prisoners of the Revolution including Marie Antoinette. Cross the Pont St. Louis to see the tiny Ile St. Louis. Walk over the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, to the Latin Quarter. Have time for lunch and souvenir shopping in the bustling Latin Quarter. Spend an evening shopping at Galleries Lafayette or Printemps in the Opera Quarter. Dinner on your own.
Itinerary-continued
Day 7 Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 Paris
Breakfast at the hotel. The entire day is free to explore Paris on your own. Enjoy a visit to the Louvre Museum, inspiration for the famous musical work, “Scenes from the Louvre,” by Norman dello Joio. The museum contains one of the most important art collections in the world, and has a history extending back to medieval times. See Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Raft of the Medusa, Marly Horses by Guillaume Coustou, and The Lacemaker. You may also wish to visit the Musee d’ Orsay, Invalides or take a train to Versailles. Tonight would be a perfect evening to take in an opera or other musical event in Paris. Dinner is on your own this evening.
Day 8 Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 Paris
Set out on a free day in this magnificent city. Enjoy a visit to the beautiful Musée d’Orsay. This monumental art gallery displays France’s national collections of paintings, sculptures, objects d’art and other works produced between 1848 and 1914. They are spectacularly housed in this former train station, built in 1900. Visit the La Conciergerie. Built in the early 14th century, this Gothic structure complete with men-at-arms room, guardroom and kitchen, is located on Ile de la Cité. During the French Revolution, nearly 3,000 condemned spent their last days here. They were then transported to Concorde Square to be guillotined. Travel to the famous Rue Mouffetard, Marché St. Germaine, or Marais Quarter where you can do some souvenir shopping. Dinner on your own tonight.
Day 9 Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011 Paris
Today is the final day of your tour and you may wish to spend part of it on the Boulevard Haussmann. Here you can explore the unique “Passages” with boutiques for nearly every taste. Have lunch in one of the cozy restaurants on the Place des Vosges. Spend the afternoon doing final souvenir shopping with perhaps a visit to the Pompidou Center. Enjoy a Farewell Dinner at Café le Jeanette and Tonight enjoy a scenic Bateaux Mouches cruise on the Seine River taking in all the illuminated monuments.
Day 10 Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 Paris/New York Check out and depart for Charles d’ Gaulle International Airport for the return flight to New York (JFK) via Amsterdam on KLM Airlines. Arrive home at 4:30 pm in the afternoon.
Terms and Conditions
Not Included: Passport fees, meals not listed, entrance admissions, gratuities to guides/drivers,travel insurance. Any air tax/security fee/fuel increases issued by the air-carrier prior to departure will be added to the final invoice. Current air taxes are approximately $115 per person and subject to change.
Tour Pricing: $2695 per person in twin occupancy with a $650
supplement for single occupancy.
A formal registration form, payment schedule and cancellation policy are included with this brochure. If interested in the tour program please complete the registration form and return to:
John McNeur, Executive Director Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York
MYO
PO Box 197
Glen Head, NY 11545
Office: 516-676-MYO1 (6961) E-mail: jmcneur@myo.org www.myo.org
Hope you can join us!
-John McNeur