23 - 28 December 2010   € 589 

Itinerary (subject to change)

Dec 23rd:
Departure from Wiesbaden, Hainerberg Housing (military bus stop behind
PX), 5:45 am. From Kaiserslautern Daennerplatz P&R (opposite Kleber
Kaserne), 6:00 am. From Heidelberg PHV P&R outside base (near new
commissary), 7:00 am. From Böblingen Panzer PX parking lot 8:45 am.
To begin the journey in the morning makes everything so much more
enjoyable. Every hour brings you further south. The towering peaks of the
alps will offer you some of Europe’s finest scenery. Early evening we will
arrive in Pisa, check into our comfortable
hotel and stay the night.

Dec 24th:
After breakfast and check out we will have a guided tour of the Piazza Dei Miracoli with the leaning tower, the 11th Century Cathedral and the Baptistery.
Afterwards we are heading to Rome. Hotel check-in and time to relax and
refresh before having a festive Christmas dinner (appr. € 35).

Dec 25th:
Merry Christmas! After breakfast, we are off to St Peter’s Basilica for the Christmas
Mass, followed by the official Papal Blessing out on St Peter’s Square. It is
broadcast around the world - and being there is a memory to cherish forever! In the afternoon, our city sightseeing tour will include magnificant sights: the Coliseum, where gladiators fought for their lives; the Forum, once the center of the Roman Empire; the Pantheon, a temple to all gods; and of course the Trevi Fountain (don’t forget to toss a coin).

Dec 26th:
Day free or join us on our optional tour to Pompeii. The 79 AD eruption of
Mount Vesuvius with the enormous rain of ashes brought the city’s live to a
sudden end. Excavations that continue now over 250 years brought back
to light the most precious document of the ancient world. You spend the
morning on a guided tour featuring the highlights of this ancient city. Around
noon we take the Sorrentina, a panoramic drive disclosing spectacular
views over the Bay of Naples. Lunch and shopping time (inlaid wood) at
the Peninsula of Sorrento, a renown spa and a famed resort town located on the
cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Evening return to Rome.

Dec 27th:
This morning you can join our optional tour to the Vatican Museum, the
Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, highlighting a priceless collection of
artworks. After lunch we drive north to Florence. Tonight you may attend a
Tuscan Gala Dinner – a perfect way to top your stay in Italy (appr. €39).

Dec 28th:
Breakfast and hotel check out. Our brief walking tour of Florence highlights
the Ponte Vecchio, the Dome of St. Mary with Brunelleschi’s Cupola, Giotto’s celebrated Bell Tower and the Baptistery with the Porta dell Paradiso. Passing by Signoria Square, we proceed to the Franciscan St. Croce Church, burial ground of many of the geniuses of the Renaissance age. Afterwards free time for shopping
(Florentine leather and gold). Early afternoon, we depart for Germany
where we arrive at midnight.