Seattle Ring Cycle :: Florida :: St Petersburg :: Berlin
Moscow :: Bratislava :: Barcelona :: Dresden

SEATTLE RING CYCLE
VANCOUVER AND THE ROCKIES
22 AUGUST 2009
15 DAYS

A rare opportunity to attend the world-renowned Seattle Ring Cycle, presented every four years. Unless you are a subscriber tickets are like gold dust, but we are fortunate to have been able to obtain a limited allocation of top price stalls seats for this prestigious operatic event. This fifteen day holiday, with a combination of guided tours and free time, visits the sights inand aroundSeattle, Vancouver, beautiful Victoria Islandand the Canadian Rocky Mountains. There will be opportunities toattend pre-opera talks and seminars relating to Wagner and the Ring Cycle. Due to the exceptional demand for this event, Seattle Opera has insisted that group bookings be confirmed by mid-February 2008. Friends may extend this holiday to other areas of Canada or the USA, maybe to incorporate an Alaskan cruise.

Day 1 Saturday, August 22 Vancouver Arrival (D)

Our flights are with Thomas Cook Airlines from Gatwick or Manchester, or with Globespan from Glasgow. Seat pitch is in excess of the traditional longhaul airlines. Pre-booked and extra legroom seats are available for a small additional charge. Premium cabins with upgraded service and additional legroom can also be booked. Arriving early afternoon in Vancouver our local representative will assist with transfer to our hotel, where we spend the first three nights of our holiday. The Sheraton Wall Hotel is an excellent modern four-star hotel of innovative glass design, situated in the heart of the city.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure before we enjoy a light evening meal together.

Day 2 Sunday, August 23 Vancouver Sightseeing & at Leisure (B/D)

Discover why Vancouver is one of Canada's most popular destinations. Our city tour encompasses many of the attractions that make Vancouver such a special place, besides the natural beauty of its mountain backdrop and blue Pacific waters. Enter Stanley Park, with 1000 acres of majestic evergreens and 10kms of scenic seawall. Experience the city's kaleidoscope of cultural heritage with visits to West Coast Native Totem Poles, British-flavoured Gastown with its unique steam clock, and colourful Chinatown, second in size only to San Francisco. Also highlighted in the morning's sightseeing will be Lions Gate Bridge, Prospect Point and English Bay. After our tour, we return to our hotel where the afternoon is at leisure.

This evening transfer out for dinner and climb aboard Vancouver's only authentic Paddlewheeler, the luxurious M.P.V. Constitution for a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Take in the sights and sounds of the magnificent Vancouver Harbour while enjoying a deluxe buffet dinner. Enjoy a two-hour leisurely cruise past the downtown skyline, the cruise ship terminal of Canada Place, the Mountains behind the North Shore, the West Vancouver shoreline and more. Take in the sights and sounds of the city while enjoying live music and delicious West Coast-themed cuisine. We'll have the best spot in Vancouver to watch the sun slowly disappear into the Pacific Ocean.

Day 3 Monday, August 24 Vancouver at Leisure (B)

The day is free to explore all that the beautiful west coast city of Vancouver has to offer. The Anthropology Museum presents probably the world's finest collection of Northwest coast native peoples' art. Additional museums include the Art Gallery, the Vancouver Museum and the Maritime Museum. Outdoors, besides admiring the city's stunning modern architecture, visit the Chinese Garden, the first full-sized Ming Dynasty-style classical garden built outside China, and the Van Dusen Botanical Garden, built in the city-centre on land saved from the developers, and displaying over 7,500 families of plants from six continents.

Day 4 Tuesday, August 25 Vancouver to Seattle (B)

After check out this morning, cross the Lions Gate Bridge to Vancouver's North Shore. Visit the famous historic Capilano Suspension Bridge, one of the world's longest suspension bridges - 450 feet across and 230 feet above the Capilano Canyon! Time will be allowed to explore the surrounding Nature Park, which offers meandering trails through an old-growth forest. Early afternoon we transfer by coach from Vancouver to Seattle.

Our accommodation for the next six nights is at the historic Roosevelt Hotel at the heart of Seattle's downtown shopping area and only two blocks from the city's monorail system. Referred to as a boutique hotel it has conserved its 1930s design features whilst offering all modern comforts. We are transferred by coach this evening to and from the modern McCaw Hall, home of Seattle Opera for the first part of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Das Rheingold - Richard Wagner: The prelude to the Ring cycle begins with the swimming Rhinemaidens losing their precious gold to the Nibelung dwarf Alberich. The gods, led by Wotan, in need of treasure to pay off the giants who have built Valhalla, descend into the Nibelung caverns, capture Alberich, and force him to give up the ring. The resulting curse takes effect immediately as blood is shed in an argument over the ring. The opera ends with the gods crossing the rainbow bridge to Valhalla, accompanied by the forlorn calls of the Rhinemaidens and dire predictions about the gods' future.

Day 5 Wednesday, August 26 Seattle Sightseeing & at Leisure (B)

Our tour this morning highlights the history, beauty and architecture of Seattle.Included in today's sightseeing of the "Emerald City" are Pike's Place Market, Chinatown, University of Washington, Queen Anne Hill, Fish ladders, and Government Locks and views of Puget Sound and Olympic Mountain Range. Admission is included to the Space Needle Tower. The 605 foot (184 meters) Space Needle was designed by Edward E. Carlson for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle.

The futuristic structure has become a symbol for the city. Visitors can reach the top via elevators that travel at 16 km/h (10 mph). This trip takes 43 seconds and some tourists wait in hour-long lines in order to ascend to the top of the tower, but our ascent will have been pre-booked.

After our tour, the afternoon is at leisure to commence our own exploration of the city. There will also be pre-opera talks, lectures and seminars throughout the week relating to Wagner and the Ring Cycle. Schedule and costs will be forwarded when known.

We make our own way to the opera house this evening (the monorail stops by the arts complex), but return together by coach to the Roosevelt after the performance.

Die Walküre - Richard Wagner: Part 2 of the Ring cycle, featuring the unforgettable "Ride of the Valkyries", is equal parts heady romance and high-stakes family drama. Deep in the forest, love blossoms between the dashing nomad Siegmund and the unhappily married Sieglinde. Believing that this union holds the key to lifting the ring's curse, Wotan instructs his Valkyrie daughter Brünnhilde to defend Siegmund in the ensuing duel. The adulterous pairing draws the ire of Fricka, goddess of marriage, who demands the interloper be killed. Wotan defers to Fricka, but Brünnhilde, moved by Siegmund's overwhelming love, defies the gods and protects him. The duel ends messily, Sieglinde is spirited away to bear a son, and Wotan and Brünnhilde have a fiery father/daughter showdown on a towering cliff.

Day 6 Thursday, August 27 Mount Rainier Excursion (B)

Of all the mountains that surround Seattle, Mount Rainier stands boldest. On clear days, you can see the mountain from downtown, but to grasp its full beauty, you must see it up close. Breathtaking vistas await on this rocky peak more than 14,000 feet tall. Even when clouds in Seattle obscure the view from the city centre, once you climb in altitude, Mount Rainier's scenery is awe-inspiring. Don't forget the camera - this 10-hour day trip is a feast for the eyes! We begin with a scenic bus ride, stopping at a visitors' centre before we continue into Mount Rainier National Park. Purchase lunch at the world renowned Whittaker School of Mountaineering, where an exclusive 30-minute slide show takes us on a visual journey to the summit, presented by a professional Mount Rainier Guide. On our way to Paradise Visitors' Center, we'll linger at several scenic lookout points and gaze at the natural wonders - crashing waterfalls, diverse plant life, and the snow-capped summit. In the late afternoon, we follow a different route back to Seattle, taking in even more great scenery.

Day 7 Friday, August 28 Seattle at Leisure (B)

A full day at leisure. Perhaps a visit to Seattle's world-famous Pike Place Market, since 1907 the oldest continually-operated farmers market in America. With over 300 shops, and more than 50 street performers, it is a focal point of Seattle's artsy culture and is moreover the site of the world's first Starbucks coffee shop, which opened in 1971. Seattle is also home to several excellent art museums: the Frye, the Henry and the Seattle Art Museum.

This evening coach transfer to the hotel after the opera.

Siegfried - Richard Wagner: Part 3 of the Ring cycle chronicles the heroic coming of age of the naïve yet fearless Siegfried, product of the Siegmund/Sieglinde union. Mime, brother to Alberich, has raised Siegfried ever since he lost his mother at birth, and plans to use the boy to liberate the Nibelung hoard, including the all-powerful ring. A mysterious Wanderer (Wotan in disguise) visits Mime and, after a game of riddles, hints that Siegfried is indeed destined for greatness but also will be Mime's doom. Swords are re-forged, dragons slain, treasures reclaimed, justice dispensed, a forest bird sings, and the power of the gods continues to dwindle as the hero's quest culminates in the discovery and rapturous rescue of Brünnhilde on her rocky ledge.

Day 8 Saturday, August 29 Tacoma Excursion (B/D)

Today's excursion takes us to Tacoma, known as the City of Destiny for more than 100 years. Nestled on the shores of Commencement Bay on the West Coast of the U.S., Tacoma is an international gateway to the Pacific Rim. The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is Tacoma's stunning link to the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum of Glass. The 500 foot pedestrian bridge holds three amazing Chihuly glass installations, open to the public 24 hours a day. Conceived by Dale Chihuly, artist and native of Tacoma, and designed in collaboration with Arthur Andersson of Andersson·Wise Architects, it is a display of color and form soaring seventy feet into the air.

Next we visit Fort Nisqually, the first European settlement on Puget Sound. The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) of London, a vast fur trading enterprise chartered by King Charles of England in 1670, established it in 1833. Today Fort Nisqually, including two of the original buildings, is located inside Tacoma's Point Defiance Park and operated as a Living History Museum by Metro Parks of Tacoma.

A true Pacific Northwest experience awaits us this evening at Tillicum Village.First, enjoy an evening cruise to Black Island, then we take a sumptuous Salmon dinner accompanied by a Native American cultural show in a great Northwest Coast Indian cedar longhouse.

Day 9 Sunday, August 30 Seattle at Leisure (B)

A full day at leisure. Much remains to explore. Maybe take a day trip to one of the islands of Puguet Sound, or visit the artists' republic of Fremont, the vibrant streets of Capitol Hill, elegant Ballard, Discovery Park, or, as this is the home town of Boeing, the Museum of Flight.

Götterdämmerung - Richard Wagner: The final part of the Ring cycle begins with the three Norns reviewing the thread of destiny and recalling Alberich's curse on the ring. Still smitten, Siegfried gives the ring to Brünnhilde as a token of his love before embarking on further heroic quests. He is soon duped by King Günter and his halfbrother Hagen (son of Alberich) into forgetting his love for Brünnhilde and promising her to Günter in exchange for his sister's hand in marriage. A shape-shifting Siegfried visits Brünnhilde, forcibly takes the ring, and brings her down from the ledge to a contentious wedding feast where accusations, miscommunications, and traitorous plotting ensue. Just as Hagen's murderous plan is carried out, Siegfried recalls his true love for Brünnhilde, now fully aware of the truth also. she takes the ring from his finger, orders the construction of a grand funeral pyre, and walks into the flames to be reunited with him in death. The river overflows, the Rhinemaidens recover the ring, Valhalla burns and the kingdom of the gods is destroyed. Brünnhilde's sacrifice has cleansed the ring and restored the natural order.

Coach transfer to the hotel after the performance.

Day 10 Monday, August 31 Seattle to Victoria & Sightseeing (B)

Take the high-speed Victoria Clipper catamaran to Victoria on a two to three hour cruise through beautiful Puget Sound and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Breakfast is included on-board. Our trip ends in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Victoria has been the capital of British Columbia since the late 1800's, and today it still looks every inch the British Empire outpost it once was. Today we enjoy the sights of this charming "Garden City" ... lovely homes, handsome 19th century stone buildings, vibrant gardens and many points of historical interest. We tour the city centre, Chinatown and Antique Row as well as experiencing the truly English flavor of the Rockland area before visiting the world famous Butchart Gardens. With over 50 acres of gardens including the fragrant Rose Garden, the relaxing Japanese Garden, the unique Sunken Garden, the Italian Garden, the Concert Lawn, and Ross Fountain, a visit to Butchart Gardens is a treat for all our senses!

Overnight is at the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour.

Day 11 Tuesday, September 1 Victoria to Kamloops (B/D)

This morning we board a BC Ferries vessel bound for a relaxing voyage through the Gulf Islands - renowned for their picturesque landscapes and seascapes and particularly for their rustic character. Occasionally, killer whales may be seen from the ship's deck. Leaving Vancouver we meet up with the Coquihalla Highway which climbs through the Great Bear Snow Shed, crests the summit of Coquihalla Pass (elevation 1240 m), then crosses the top of the Thompson Plateau, with side roads leading off into rolling countryside speckled with fishing lakes. Travelling through Sagebrush Country we arrive for dinner and overnight at the South Thompson Guest Ranch, a boutique inn set on the riverfront in its own grounds, including a heated-pool.

Day 12 Wednesday, September 2 Kamloops to Banff (B/L)

Traverse some of Western Canada's most diverse and spectacular scenery today. Our exciting journey begins as we leave behind the "high country" of British Columbia and set out into the rugged ranges of the Columbia and Rocky Mountains. En-route we see Shuswap Lake, Rogers Pass, Glacier and Yoho National Parks, the Spiral Tunnels of the Canadian Pacific Railway - and so much more! Lunch is included at the Hillcrest Resort Hotel. Later we cross the Great Divide into Banff National Park to Banff, a charming resort town nestled within the splendour of the Bow Valley.

Our last two nights are spent at Fox Hotel & Suites in Banff. This hotel only opened in July 2007 and has quickly earned a reputation as the 'Jewel of Banff'. Spacious, well-equipped rooms, and a unique 'cave and basin' hotpool contribute to the warm, relaxed atmosphere.

Day 13 Thursday, September 3 Columbia Icefield Excursion (B/D)

Our route today is spectacular as we travel one of the most scenic highways in the world - the Icefield Parkway. Glacier-fed rivers and streams, majestic peaks, peaceful lakes and broad-reaching valleys combine to create not only a harmonious blend of scenic wonders for guests, but also a protected habitat for Canadian Rockies wildlife

The Columbia Icefield, located in Jasper National Park, presents an awesome sight when first viewed from the Icefields Parkway. It is one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle and one of the most interesting and accessible icefields in North America. The Icefield covers an area of nearly 325 square kilometres and reaches a depth of up to 320 metres.

At the Columbia Icefield Centre, join an Ice Explorer excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier for a true Ice Age adventure! A digital group photo will be taken with the magnificent Athabasca Glacier in the background to provide a personal souvenir photo to remember this amazing adventure.

After the Glacier Experience and additional sightseeing we return to Banff. A farewell dinner is included tonight.

Day 14 /15 Friday/Saturday, September 4/5 Departure (B)

After breakfast we transfer by coach to Calgary International Airport for our return flights to Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester airports. Flights land in the UK on the Saturday morning.

Alternatively there is the possibility to extend the stay in the Rockies with extra nights in Banff (or elsewhere), to return to Vancouver, possibly for a seven-night Alaskan cruise, or to fly, or travel by rail, to one of the Eastern Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal or Quebec. Extensions could alternatively be taken at the start of the holiday. (Extension possibilities to be discussed at time of booking).

Pricing information

Holiday price is £3,490pp sharing a twin, including flights from Manchester, Glasgow or London Gatwick, accommodation, transfers, excursions and entertainments, meals (all breakfasts, one lunch and five dinners) and entrance fees as above, four top-price stalls opera tickets and the on-site services of a Grosvenor Travel representative throughout. Single supplement is £790. Upgraded flight seats and pre-booked seats are available on application. Initial deposit required upon booking is £350pp, followed by a second deposit by 30 June 2008 of £950pp. Balance to be paid twelve weeks before departure.

All clients must hold adequate travel insurance. We can provide suitable cover through Blue Insurances at £47pp (certain medical conditions may require a premium.) Age-related premiums are: 66 to 75 when booking x 2, 76 to 79 x 2.5. Excess can be waived at £10pp extra. Annual insurance is also available.