A Friday brain teazer for all you fans of literary tours of Britain…
“To be or not to be: that is the question, whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of ourageous fortune”
This is an anagram of:
“In one of the bard’s best thought-of-tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten”
Planning a literary tour of Britain is rather more simple than this with Select Travel Service!
The German Emigration Centre brings to life the story of the seven million people who emigrated by boat from Bremerhaven between 1830 and 1974. More than 90% of the emigrants who sailed from here were headed for the USA and Canada. The route across the North Atlantic became the world’s busiest “bridge to overseas”. At one time, Bremerhaven was the largest emigration port in Europe. Many people failed in the New World, but many made it too. Instead of using information boards and photos, the German Emigration Centre offers visitors a chance to truly experience this period through a combination of education, entertainment, recreation and culinary delights. Using real-life examples, the museum gives visitors an insight into what it was like for people to leave their homes behind and start afresh in America. You get a real sense of history, emotions and the pain of parting. 1,000 personal histories are stored in the archives, and the exhibition focuses on the biographies of around 60 selected emigrants. With elaborate reconstructions and spectacular scenes, the museum tells visitors to this historic location about people’s reasons for leaving, how they survived the cross-Atlantic journey and what happened to them afterwards.
If you have a group that are interested in their European ancestry, or would just like to include a visit to the Emigration Centre, to see what it was like to go through this process all those years ago, then just let Select Travel know and we can design your tour accordingly.
The spring and early summer are regarded as the best times to visit Britain and see her multitude of wonderful gardens in full bloom. However, Britain has something to offer all year round, and in September RHS Wisley will be mounting its own flower show in what is promised to be a ‘new look’ show. The event aims to make the most of late summer sunshine and provide visitors with inspiration for their gardens at home with emphasis on late summer blooms. Then in October, the RHS’s flagship gardens present a ‘Taste of Autumn’ featuring fruit and vegetable displays, tastings, live cookery demonstrations and Wisley gardeners on hand to dispense expert advice on all aspects of gardening and growing. Our expertise is designing garden and horticulture programmes is widely recognized and we invite you to take advantage of this when planning your next garden tour or check out our website for some ideas.
A generous donation and endowment from the Heather Trust has allowed the V&A to re-display the Gilbert Collection, one of the most important collections of works of art ever gifted to Britain. The Collection, previously displayed at Somerset House, was formed over four decades in Los Angeles by the late Sir Arthur Gilbert, a Briton by birth, and his wife Rosalinde. The result of their passion for great craftsmanship, it comprises breath-taking objects in the fields of English and Continental gold and silver, gold snuff-boxes, Italian micro-mosaics, pietre dure from Florence and Rome and enamel portrait miniatures. In each of these fields it is pre-eminent. The collection was given to the nation in 1996, an act of outstanding generosity for which Sir Arthur was awarded his Knighthood. Opening this month – June 2009 - the redisplay of this superb collection will provide an exciting and dramatic complement to the existing Whiteley Silver and Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries. The displays will highlight the virtuoso quality of works in different media, emphasizing their technical achievement. A visit to this collection is an absolute must for any group interested in fine arts, and Select Travel can design wonderful art tours across the UK and Europe.
Our Director of US Sales, Judee Kaplan reflects on a visit to Giverny, France. Years ago I had the pleasure of discovering a wonderful museum next door to Monet’s beautiful gardens and home in Giverny, The Museum of American Impressionism. It was upon visiting this outstanding museum that I learned Giverny was an American artist’s colony at the turn of the 20th century. American artists came to learn about and explore the new techniques of impressionism. A long lasting connection developed between French and American artists. In 1992, the Terra Foundation for the Arts opened this jewel of a museum. Exhibiting a fine collection of American Impressionist artists, their purpose was to explore the connection between the artist of France and the United States. I was sorry to learn that in 2006 the Terra Foundation ended the relation with the museum and it closed. Because of the importance of being able to display the variety in the impressionist movement the museum has just reopened. In May, 2009 the museum became the Museum of Impressionism Giverny under the control of local authorities and in partnership with the d’Orsay Museum in Paris the mission continues. I look forward to visiting again soon and to be able to enjoy the special collections.
Be sure not to miss including Giverny in your tour to France. What a wonderful day you will have visiting Monet’s famous gardens and home, and to complete your visit the Museum of Impressionism Giverny.
It is specific museum such as this one that the Select Travel Service design team includes in a custom itinerary. Contact us for more information about unusual places to visit.
A charming Swiss town off the beaten path between Lake Constance and Appenzell lays St. Gallen. This mini metropolis provides a variety interesting sites to visit. The beautiful Old Town known for the colorfully painted oriel windows dates back to 612 when Irish missionary monk Gallus founded a hermitage.
There are two center pieces in the town; the beautiful and impressive Cathedral and the Abbey Library. The renowned library contains a world class collection of around 140,000 documents, some hand-written and over 1,000 years old. However, it is not just the rare book collection that makes the library an important place to visit. The Rocco hall of the library is believed to be one of the most beautiful in all of Switzerland and I am sure you will agree once you see it.
But, there is more to St. Gallen. The town became prosperous and internationally recognized for embroidery and textiles. The Textile Museum displays the importance of this industry to the town and should be included in your itinerary. You will be impressed with the beautiful pieces on display.
St. Gallen is a little treasure. The old town is traffic-free, so you can relax and wander around. It offers excellent Swiss cuisine (some think even better than the French), easy access to other regions in Switzerland, Germany or Austria, friendly people and beautiful scenery.
Select Travel Service can include a visit to St. Gallen in your group’s custom itinerary and provide you with that memorable off the beaten path experience.
The Jane Austen Centre located in the heart of the city of Bath in southwest England, is a permanent exhibition which tells the story of the author’s life experiences in the city, and explores the influence of those experiences on her work. Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath’s many famous residents and visitors.
She paid two long visits here towards the end of the eighteenth century, and from 1801 to 1806 Bath was her home. Visiting groups can enjoy a walking tour of Jane Austen sights in Bath followed by a traditional English tea at the award-winning Regency Tea Rooms. And now, strictly by appointment, Select Travel groups will now be able to take advantage of the Jane Austen Centre’s extensive costume collection and spend time dressed as a Regency lady or gentleman! A great photo opportunity and a fun activity for fans of the period or those with an interest in drama.
Select Travel has wide experience of Literary tours and will tailor your itinerary to visit sights associated with your own favourite authors.
Once a year the Metropolitan Ruhr District (Ruhrgebiet) in Germany celebrates a colourful culture festival: For one night only, the ExtraSchicht festival turns active and former industrial plants into unforgettable stages for performances by international artists. On 27 June 2009, the time has finally come again: More than 160,000 visitors will embark on an exciting journey of discovery and be treated to an impressive taste of what the European Capital of Culture 2010 will offer. The Night of Industrial Culture is characterized by its own special dynamic. Visitors set out on their individual tour through the night, travelling from venue to venue by means of a shuttle bus system that has been specially organized for the event. The ExtraSchicht Ticket entitles guests to admission to all venues as well as free travel with the Metropolitan Ruhr District public transportation system. At the heart of the mobility network and, at the same time, serving as centres of the cultural programme, are the “hubs”. These feature special performances and spectacular final productions after midnight. From 6 pm to 2 am, visitors can explore around 40 venues, enjoy the programme including anything from classic music to hip-hop tunes, street theatre performances or take part in guided tours.
Something that might appeal to groups interested in industrial heritage, the performing arts, or both? This is one way that Select Travel can imaginatively add an extra dimension to your special interest European tour.
Are you as Mad as a Hatter? Whether a “bowler”, a “trilby” or a “boater” hats have long been part of the English tradition. Hatworks in Stockport, near Manchester, a centre dedicated to the history of hats and millinery. Tours are led by expert demonstrators who will share their knowledge and expertise about the history of the hatting industry. Select Travel tours give an insight into the processes involved in producing a hat. Learn about the cottage industry, pay a visit to a typical hatter’s cottage, enjoy demonstrations with our original working Victorian-style machinery, plus much more.
Select Travel carries a broad range of industrial heritage tours of England.
Walking tours of London with a difference. The past decade has seen east London dramatically transformed. Today, it’s one of London’s most vibrant and multi-layered enclaves. Big money projects sit alongside traditional family businesses, while Londoners of a thousand ethnicities share the same neighbourhood with recent migrants. A walking tour of East London is an explosion of scenes and sights. From magnificent 18th century townhouses and Victorian terraces to stand-out art galleries and über-cool spaces. And because this is London’s creative hub, we can introduce you to up-and-coming fashion designers, artists and designer-makers and their work. For food lovers there is plenty to experience too, as we visit stores and markets selling foodstuffs from across the globe. The East End Hip walking tour is an eclectic experience for visitors looking to discover the hidden streets in one of London’s most vibrant areas. This is just one example of how Select Travel Service can tailor your tour to your market – we have the ideas and contacts that make all the difference!