August 15 - 21
Italy: the Medieval Splendor of Siena and its Palio
We will meet our Buddy Bombard host at Westin Excelsior Hotel in Florence and transfer to Park Hotel, Siena, for an incredible six night experience in golden Tuscany. The festivities begin by joining in the Palio pageantry, Europe's most passionate annual festival dating from the 13th century. This evening we'll be the dinner guests of a contrada competing in tomorrow's highly charged horse race around Siena's town square, for which we have reserved seating. After the events of Palio day, we'll experience four mornings of low-level balloon adventures thorugh the hills and cobbled villages of beautiful Tuscany, including the quaint, 700 year old town of San Gimignano. Enjoy unprecedented lunches each day as the private guests of local nobility in their historic ancestral castles, with guided exploration of their estates. Late afternoons will be at leisure, with evening dinner parties of authentic Tuscan cuisine and fine wines.
August 21 - 24
Italy to Switzerland ~ Medieval Towns & Europe's Highest Mountains
Depart Park Hotel this morning with Buddy Bombard for an entertaining four day drive enroute to our Swiss Summer ballooning program. Today we arrive at Portofino, the gorgeous harbor on the italian Riviera with overnight at 5-star Spendido Mare. The following day we will proceed through the castle-dotted Aosta Valley and over the two highest Alpine passes in Switzerland, arriving at the French mountain town of Chamonix for overnight. While here we will take a memorable trip up the towering Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe for a staggering view from its nine-mile glacier. Later we proceed to Zermatt and Hotel Monte Rosa in the foothills of the majestic Matterhorn. Day four we will continue to Interlaken and the scenic shores of Lake Thun, arriving in Hotel Bellevue Palace, Bern, where we will settle in (five nights) for our Swiss Summer adventure.
August 25 - 29
Switzerland: Swiss Summer in the Emmental & Jungfrau Regions
Morning sightseeing with lunch, and welcome our fellow Swiss Summer guests at 3:00 pm. Depart for the first of our daily late afternoon balloon adventures through the lush dairylands of the Emmental and Swartzenbergland regions of Switzerland. Daily sightseeing by private car includes a walking excursion through UNESCO protected Bern, Old Thun and Oberhofen Castle, Trummelbach Falls and mountain train to the village of Murren, plus a spectacular helicopter ride to the famous north face of the Eiger and its dramatic, cascading ice falls. Daily lunches of fine cuisine are in stunning mountain and lakeside settings, with lovely dinners each evening in Bern, following our balloon adventures.
August 29 - 31
Switzerland to Austria ~ Mad King Ludwig's Castles
Depart after breakfast with Buddy Bombard for a beautiful drive through Bavaria and the foothils of the German Alps to the extravagant castles built by the eccentric King Ludwig. We'll visit romantic Neuschwanstein, exquisite Linderhof Palace and majestic Herrenchiemsee Palace, fashioned to be an exact replica of Versailles. Each night we'll stay in a different and intimate 5-star setting -- Jagerhaus in Schwangau, Residence Heinz Winkler in Aschau then arrive at wonderful 14th century Schloss Fuschl where we will check in for a five night stay and our Austria ballooning experience.
September 1 - 5
Austria: Lakes and Alpine Foothills of Salzburg
Our journey has brought us to the homeland of the Von Trapp family, where our daily late afternoon balloon flights will take us through the magnificent scenery made famous in the Sound of Music. Our morning sightseeing by private car includes exploration of Baroque-era Old Salzburg and the famous Lakes district, and the picturesque villages of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang. We'll visit the UNESCO protected village of Hallstat, arriving in a tiny fleet of electric boats. Exquisite lunches include being hosted by one of Salzburg's most celebrated personalities, Princess Manni Wittgenstein in her lovely Alpine home. Dinners each evening, after balloon flight, will be at our historic 14th century hotel, once the hunting lodge of the Archbishops of Salzburg.
September 5 - 7
Salzburg to Prague ~ Charming Czesky Krumlov & Castle Hulboka
Depart this morning with Buddy Bombard for a delightful drive through the Bohemian countryside, which no doubt has inspired many an artist's magical storybook renderings. Charming and medieval, the castle and town of Czesky Krumlov still appears as an illustration from a fairytale. This is old Europe, and we will enjoy two nights in the setting, at Hotel Ruze and Hotel Stekl, before arriving at the Hotel Intercontinental, Prague, for a six night stay and our Prague balloon adventures.
September 8 - 13
Czech Republic ~ 1,000 years of Cultural & Architectural Brilliance
Spared the bombing of WWII, Prague is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved cities in Europe, where nearly half of its 3,507 buildings now stand on the original medieval ground plan are under UNESCO protection. Our daily afternoon balloon adventures will take us just above the famous red rooftops and through the Bohemian countryside at low altitude. Our excellent, English speaking guide escorts us on foot and by private car thorugh Old Town dating to the 10th century, the medieval streets of the left bank and the medieval Jewish cemetery, as well as Charles Bridge, Konopiste Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. Superb cuisine and Bohemian hospitality are the icing on the cake.
September 14 - 23
Turkey: Istanbul and Remarkable Cappadocia
We will be joined today by our extraordinary guides who will be with us throughout our stay in Istanbul and Cappadocia. They will escort us through all the sites of Istanbul, including the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia's, the underground cisterns, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace with its opulent collection of gems and treasures from the Ottoman era, Dolmabahce Palace and so much more. Dining in Istanbul includes a private Bosphorous luncheon cruise and spectacular evenings on the waterfront. On day four we will fly by plane to Cappadocia and check in to Hotel Dedeman for five nights. We'll explore each day by balloon and private car the hauntingly beautiful region of multi-colored cones and canyons with 7th century rock cave dwellings and 3rd century frescoed churches carved from the rock. Lunches in Cappadocia are fascinating affairs, a privately catered 'moveable cafe' of charcoal grills, Turkish carpets and giant umbrellas for us to enjoy while dining among the white sand valleys and geological monuments. Among our visits are the pottery shops in Avanos, the carpet weaver's house and the Natioanl Park of Zelve, with fantastic evenings and dinners in local villages. On day nine we will return to Ankara for a farewell evening and overnight at 4-star Hilton Hotel, return to Istanbul by plane the next morning.
September 23
Istanbul to Paris
Continue with Buddy via plane from Istanbul to Paris. Enjoy dinner in this romantic city and overnight at 5-star Hotel de Crillon.
September 24 - 28
France: Burgundy's Medieval Castles and World Famous Vineyards
Depart this morning with Buddy Bombard and meet our fellow Burgundy guests for the transfer to Beaune. On arrival, we'll check in to Hotel le Cep for our four night stay. After lunch at the vineyards of Montrachet we'll prepare for our first of four afternoon balloon adventures through Burgundy's parklike landscape of lush vineyards and medieval villages, drifting just-above-the-rooftops of 14th century castles and ancient churches. Daily sightseeing includes 15th century Hospice-de-Beaune with visits to notable wine cellars of the area and the vineyards of Romanee Conti, the most expensive red wine in the world. Lunches are at the private home and wine estate of The Countess de Loisy and include Chez Morrillon, with dinners each evening in the vaulted, candle-lit chambers of a 14th century castle and the flower-filled orangerie of Chateau de LaBorde, Buddy Bombard's home in France.
September 28 - 30
Burgundy to the Loire Valley ~ the Best of the Charming French Countryside
Depart with Buddy Bombard this morning for a leisurely country drive visiting the beautifully preserved basilica town of Vezelay, the Castle of St. Fargeau and the medieval fortress of Sully on the Loire River. Exquisite accommodations at tucked-away Chateau Vault de Lugny with origins to the 13th century, and Auberge de Templier, one of the original Relais & Chateauz, combined with fine French cuisine is the perfect prelude to our Loire ballooning adventure. On day three, we will arrive at Domaine de Beauvois, our lovely country hotel where we will enjoy the final five nights of our trip.
October 1 - 5
France: the Loire Valley & its Royal Chateaux
Today we will meet our fellow Loire Valley guests for lunch and prepare for the first of four balloon adventures through the peaceful Loire Valley. More than 1,000 magnificent chateaux, large country estates and feudal castles are scattered throughout the area's extensive vineyards, meadows and woodlands, and our late afternoon flights in this forrested medieval setting, landing at twilight, adds to the romance of our adventures. Mornings we'll enjoy sightseeing some of the most magnificent chateaux, including 16th century Chenonceau and Clos Luce, the last home of Leonardi da Vinci, along with Villandry an the manyspired Chateau d'Usse which inspired the writing of Sleeping Beauty. Lunches will be in elegant and fine restaurants of the area including Jean Bardet in Tours, with lavish, after-flight dinner parties prepared by our own chefs in fire-warmed, 11th century castles.
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52 Days, 51 Nights
August 15 - October 5, 2006
$81,087 per person, double occupancy Book by March 1, 2006 to receive $10,000 per person Anniversary Savings |
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To check availability or receive additional information on Buddy Bombard Vacations, drop us a note, or call.... 800-777-7739 |
reprinted with permission of the Bombard Society
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