Your Accommodation
HOTEL DESENZANO (4-star) 7 nights (4 nights half board, 3 nights bed and breakfast).
Just a short walk from the historic centre of Desenzano, facilities at the hotel include an outdoor pool, rooftop terrace, solarium, cocktail bar and restaurant. All bedrooms have a balcony, air-conditioning, tv, telephone, minibar and safe.
Your Itinerary
Operas
AIDA
Verdi’s spectacular and dramatic tale of Aida and Radames’ tragic love is a Verona classic, first performed in Cairo in 1871.
TURANDOT
This was Puccini’s last work and remained unfinished when he died in 1924. Based on Gozzi’s fable of the cruel eastern princess who slays all those who love her, it tells the story of Princess Turandot who decrees that she will marry the man who can solve her three riddles.
CARMEN
Carmen revolves around a soldier, Don Jose, and a gypsy woman, Carmen. When she is arrested for attacking another woman, Carmen convinces Don Jose to let her escape. She then takes him as a lover and persuades him to desert, however, she tires of him quickly, and Don Jose is convinced by his childhood love, Micaela, to leave Carmen to see his dying mother. Carmen takes a new lover, the handsome toreador Escamillo, and drives Don Jose crazy with jealousy.
MADAME BUTTERFLY
Perhaps Puccini’s best-known opera, Madame Butterfly is set in Nagasaki and tells the story of geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, as she marries the American Pinkerton. He leaves her, only returning three years later with an American wife to take his and Madame Butterfly’s son back home with him. In the closing scenes of the opera, Madame Butterfly stabs herself rather than live without him.
DAY 1 UK/DESENZANO
We fly to Verona and transfer to Lake Garda and Desenzano, one of the most attractive resorts on the south of the lake. Desenzano is close to Verona for easy access on opera evenings and also home to a beautiful historic centre with excellent designer shops, cafes and restaurants.
DAYS 2 – 7 LAKE GARDA
You are free to enjoy the delightful scenery for which Lake Garda and the surrounding region are so well known. It is just a ten-minute walk down to the lakefront and the village’s stylish little port from where ferries leave for the other resorts on the lake. You may also like to join our range of optional excursions.
One excursion is included during your stay:
MANTUA: THE SETTING FOR VERDI’S RIGOLETTO (¾ DAY)
The beautiful mediaeval town of Mantua is one of Italy’s hidden gems. At the heart of the city is the wonderful old town and the imposing Ducal Palace, the home of the Gonzaga dynasty who ruled the city for nearly four centuries. We enjoy a tour of the town in the company of a local guide followed by free time for you to make your own discoveries.
On opera evenings, your tour manager will take you by coach to Verona, where Roman remains, Gothic churches and Renaissance palaces abound. At the famous ancient arena the atmosphere is always buzzing before the start of a performance.
The amphitheatre was built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago as a site for games and battles between animals or humans. It was an important part of city life, attracting crowds of people, and not much has changed in that sense – it still attracts large numbers of people, but nowadays they come to see the more refined art of opera. The verona opera festival began life in 1913 with both known and not so well known artists flocking from all over the world to perform here. During your visit to this beautiful relic, take a moment to marvel at the architecture. This will be a truly unforgettable experience.
Unfortunately it is not possible to park close to the arena and it will therefore be necessary to walk, which takes approximately 10-15 minutes.
DAY 8 LAKE GARDA/UK
We transfer to Verona for the homeward flight.
Travel Extras
We know that picking your dream destination is the biggest part of making your perfect holiday come true. But there are a number of other decisions that have to be made such as where to park at the airport and who to change your money with, to name but a few. So to really get every aspect of your holiday sorted we have set up a one stop travel shop and useful links section for you to organise all your travel needs, leaving you to concentrate on having a memorable and relaxing holiday with Page & Moy.
Holiday Extras - save up to 60%
You can benefit from access to Holiday Extras, a separate company that can organize a whole range of services from airport hotels and secure airport parking to VIP liunges in airports, and more, at 23 airports across the UK.
To book go to http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/pageandmoy.html.
If you find the same parking facility or hotel for less within seven days of booking, tell Holiday Extras and they will match the price or refund the difference. Conditions apply.
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Airport Lounges from Lounge Pass
Start your holiday off refreshed and relaxed by taking advantage of our VIP airport lounge offer, available at a number of airports, both here and abroad. From as little as £15 each, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and tranquil environment, where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, read the papers, check your email or simply relax and watch TV until your flight is called.
For details, please click here.
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Casual Clothing from Lands’ End
Lands' End offer an extensive range of high quality casual and tailored clothes for men and women. Choose from their selection of jackets, knitted tops, trousers, dresses, skirts and more.
For details, please visit www.landsend.co.uk
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Photography from Jessops
Jessops is the UK's leading specialist photographic retailer. With great on-line savings on hundreds of products, including digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, batteries and much more, plus free delivery on mainland UK orders over £75, Jessops has all your photographic needs covered.
For details, please visit www.jessops.com
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Travel Accessories from Travel with Care
Travel With Care offers a comprehensive range of travel accessories, with everything you need for your holiday. From First Aid, DVT Prevention and Healthcare to money belts, wallets, waterproofs, toiletries, alarm clocks, and much, much more.
For details, please visit www.travelwithcare.com
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Getting you there - European Holidays
Fly direct from your local airport Giving you choice is one of our main priorities, so when it comes to flights, instead of offering just Heathrow or Gatwick as departure airports, whenever possible we offer to fly you direct from your nearest airport to your holiday destination either free or for a supplement of just £29 per person.
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Choice of 20 airports
You have the choice to fly direct to your holiday destination from up to 20 regional airports throughout the UK for a supplement of no more than £29 per person return.
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Regional connecting flights to London from only £69
If you can’t fly direct to your destination from your local airport (see individual holiday details), usually you will have the choice of taking a regional connecting flight to Heathrow or Gatwick from as little as £69 per person return. If your connecting flight and your flight from Gatwick or Heathrow is with British Airways or British Midland, your luggage will automatically be checked through to your final destination, so there’s no need to collect or check your luggage in twice.
Fly from:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay
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Make your own way and save up to £150 per person
You may want more flexibility to make your own travel arrangements to combine your trip with visits to friends and relatives or travel from an airport which we do not offer. If so, why not take advantage of our make your own way option. We offer a reduction of £150 off many of our holidays to allow you to make your own arrangements, if that is what you want. Details of where this option is available are shown on each holiday.
Please remember that these arrangements do not include flights or transfers and you will need to make your own travel arrangements at the beginning and end of your holiday.
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Getting you there - Worldwide Holidays
To get your holiday off to a great start, we offer a range of transfer options with our compliments.
You can choose from the following options:
1. Experience door-to-door travel with Page & Moy (2009 departures only)
If you live within a 250-mile drive of your departure airport, we will arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your door and take you to the airport, and drop you home on your return, with our compliments.
2. FREE Connecting flights
If you live further than 250 miles from the airport, or if you prefer, you can opt to transfer to the main departure airport by a connecting flight from an airport closer to home (subject to availability).
3. FREE National Express coach travel
Alternatively, why not choose coach travel on the extensive national express network, with over 1,200 collection points nationwide. What’s more, we’ll pay for your ticket!
4. FREE airport car parking (2009 departures only)
If you would prefer the flexibility of travelling independently to the airport, we are pleased to offer
the option of free parking at your departure airport.
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