The Grand Tour of Great Cities
May 2006
TENTATIVE ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

[The events, dates, & times in this activities calendar are subject to alteration in case of unforeseen conditions such as museum closings, inclement weather, or changes in the travel schedule.]

Mon, May 8

Be at the Delta check-in at the Charlotte Airport no later than 2:15! [Allow plenty of time for security check-in.] Depart Charlotte 4:57 pm, DL #1875, for Atlanta (arrive 6:09 pm).  Depart Atlanta 7:00 pm, DL #52, for Paris.

Tue, May 9

Arrive Paris, 9:45 am.  Transfer to hotel.  After hotel check-in and lunch, using the metro, walkabout & orientation – Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame, Conciergerie, Saint Chapelle, Latin Quarter, Pantheon, etc.  Wander!  Explore & enjoy Paris!

Wed, May 10

Paris: 9:30 am, leave hotel for visit of Sainte Chapelle, Conciergerie and Notre-Dame.  Afternoon:  Musée de Cluny

Thu, May 11

Paris: 8:30 am, leave hotel for Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, La Madeleine, L’Opéra Garnier.  Afternoon:  Louvre.

Fri, May 12

Paris: 9:15 am, leave hotel for Les Invalides, gardens of Rodin Museum & Musée d’Orsay.   Afternoon: EXPLORE PARIS – ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: Eiffel Tower, Musee Picasso, Musee Rodin, climb the bell tower of Notre-Dame, wander in the Marais district, visit the Sewers, the Pantheon, Sacre-Coeur, Luxembourg Gardens, Cimetière Père-Lachaise, La Défense.  Visit the markets.

Sat, May 13

Paris: 8:20 am, leave hotel for visit to Pompidou Center. Afternoon:  EXPLORE PARIS – ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: see above.

Sun, May 14

Paris: 8:00 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip (Voyages Dislaire) to Bastogne via stopover at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg.   7:30 pm, dinner with group at Hotel Melba.

Mon, May 15

Bastogne: 8:30 am, gather in hotel with Colonel Henri Mignon for brief introduction; then visit to the Bastogne Historical Center and the American Memorial, the forest before Foy (Easy Company’s 60-year-old foxholes), Houffalize, Lanzerath (Lt. Bouck’s heroic stand), Trois-Ponts, Malmedy, the Siegfried Line.

Tue, May 16

Bastogne: 7:45 am, leave hotel with luggage for journey by coach to Cologne (Köln) and by train from Cologne (11:48) to Berlin (4:03 pm).   After hotel check-in, Berlin walkabout & orientation: Ku’damm, Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (the “Hollow Tooth”), Europa Center, the Berlin U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses (bus #100 - Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, Berliner Dom, Alexanderplatz, etc.). [Do not ride without canceling your ticket.]

Wed, May 17

Berlin: 9:15 am, leave hotel for Pergamon Museum. Afternoon: Jewish Museum and EXPLORE BERLIN – ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: Holocaust Memorial, Topographie des Terrors, Reichstag Dome, Potsdamer Platz, KaDeWe, Schloss Charlottenburg, Ägyptisches Museum, Deutsches Technikmuseum, various walking tours, or ride bus #100 or #200.

Thu, May 18

Berlin: 9:00 am, leave hotel for extensive bus tour of Berlin.  Afternoon: Checkpoint Charlie Museum.

Fri, May 19

Berlin: 9:30 am, leave hotel for Gemäldegalerie.  Afternoon: EXPLORE BERLIN – ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: see above.

Sat, May 20

Berlin: early breakfast; at 7:45 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip (Gulliver’s Bus GmbH) to Prague.    Afternoon: after hotel check-in, Prague walkabout & orientation: Wenceslaus Square, Mala Strana (Lesser Town), New Town, Old Town (the Astronomical Clock), & Charles Bridge.

Sun, May 21

Prague:  9:00 am, leave for Jewish Quarter.  Afternoon: EXPLORE PRAGUE - ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: Old Town Hall Tower, chamber music concert, Sternberk Palace Art Museum of the National Gallery (aka European Art Museum), Museum of the City of Prague, National Gallery, Veletrzni Palace (20th century works), National Technical Museum (awesome displays), Dvorak, Smetana, & Mozart museums, Loreto Palace, various other churches, galleries.

Mon, May 22

Prague: 8:45 am, leave hotel for tour of Prague Castle complex: St. Vitus Cathedral, Royal Palace (for defenestration), St. George’s Basilica, Golden Lane (Kafka at #22).  Afternoon: EXPLORE PRAGUE - ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: see above.

Tue, May 23

Prague: 7:30 am, leave hotel with luggage for Legii Bridge to meet coach (Russegger’s)  journey to Munich with stopover in Salzburg. After hotel check-in, Munich walkabout & orientation.

Wed, May 24

Munich: 9:30 am, leave hotel for Alte OR Neue Pinakotheke.  Afternoon:  Dachau.

Thu, May 25

Munich: 9:20 am, leave hotel for Deutsches Museum.  Afternoon: EXPLORE MUNICH –ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES: Peterskirche, Frauenkirche, Englischergarten, Olympiapark, Pinakothek der Moderne, Lenbachhaus, BMW Museum, etc.

Fri, May 26

Munich: Early Rising!! for 6:45 AM departure, with luggage for Munich Airport.  Depart Munich, 10:05 am, DL #131, for Atlanta (arrive 2:35 pm).  Depart Atlanta, 5:00 pm, DL #590, arriving in Charlotte at 6:09 pm.