WRA Tour Day 4: Verona in Juliet's Footsteps

Quick update from Venice where the WRA is getting ready to leave by putting their suitcases on the boat to the bus parking lot. "Tutto bene", reported tour manager Stefania this morning and tour blogger Hannah asked her to pass on that she will use the bus time to Verona to send pictures and updates. On today's agenda is a guided tour of Verona, a group luncheon and a special excursion to Valeggio sul Mincio in the evening. Arriverderci!

Fun Facts about Venice

• Venice has been described by the "Times Online" as being one of Europe's most romantic cities.
• Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) is Venice' most famous son.
• The city has an average of 50,000 tourists a day
• The Republic of Venice seized a number of locations on the eastern shores of the Adriatic before 1200, mostly for commercial reasons, because pirates based there were a menace to trade.
• By the late thirteenth century, Venice was the most prosperous city in all of Europe. At the peak of its power and wealth, it had 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating Mediterranean commerce.
• The newly-invented German printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe in the fifteenth century, and Venice was quick to adopt it. By 1482 Venice was the printing capital of the world, and the leading printer was Aldus Manutius, who invented the concept of paperback books that could be carried in a saddlebag.
• The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles, which were imported from the mainland. Under water, in the absence of oxygen, wood does not decay.
• The city has been a setting for numerous films and music videos, such as the James Bond series "From Russia with Love", "Moonraker" and "Casino Royale". Furthermore you might have seen a Venice location in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "The Italian Job", "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", and Madonna's song "Like a Virgin".
• Venetian cuisine is obviously characterized by fish, but not only: the products of the gardens of the islands, the mainland rice, game, fishing in the northern Adriatic and polenta.

First words from Italy: "Venice is beautiful"

As the choir and ensemble is getting ready for the first performance of the WRA 2010 Italy Tour, Mrs. Margaret Karam shared lots of good news over the phone. "The first day was wonderful, and Venice is just beautiful. We saw so much and were exhausted by bedtime. Several kids even went on gondola rides." Incantato Tour Manager Stefania took the group on a special walking tour of Venice (a good 3,5 miles) on their arrival day and helped negotiate special entrance fees to the Doge's Palace - a special treat by WRA. Karam: "The guide was outstanding, we learnt a lot." Since it was less than an hour away from the concert, it was a short phone. Karam: "We sure look forward to the first concert at St. Mark's Basilica, the kids are very very excited. Ciao Ciao!"

WRA first Italy Performance Tour venue: Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Friday, March 19

Incantato Tours proudly presents the first WRA Italy Performance Tour venue: the Basilica di San Marco in Venice will welcome you on Friday, March 19, at 6:45 pm.

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on Piazza San Marco adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. Originally it was the "chapel" of the Venetian rulers, and not the city's cathedral. Since 1807 it has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building was known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).
The first St Mark's was a temporary building in the Doge's Palace, constructed in 828, when Venetian merchants stole the supposed relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria. This was replaced by a new church on its present site in 832; from the same century dates the first St Mark's Campanile (bell tower). The new church was burned in a rebellion in 976, rebuilt in 978 and again to form the basis of the present basilica since 1063.
The spacious interior of the building with its multiple choir lofts was the inspiration for the development of a Venetian polychoral style among the composers appointed maestro di cappella at St Mark's. The style was first developed by a foreigner Adrian Willaert and was continued by Italian organists and composers: Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi.

WRA Tour Day 3: Venice Sightseeing and High Mass at St. Mark's Basilica

Soon tour blogger Hannah will take over, but here a quick update from the Incantato Tour team. After a good night on Venice island, the group just boarded their private boat to start the guided sightseeing tour of the main highlights: St. Mark's Basilica, where the choir and ensemble are the featured guest performers for High Mass in the evening, the Bridge of Sighs and last not least the famous Rialto area. More to come!
p.s. Even the two pieces of lost luggage from the inter-European flight made it to the group's hotel just in time for bed.

Benvenuti in Bella Italia

The WRA group arrived safe and sound in beautiful Italy (with a little missing luggage) and was welcomed at the airport by Incantato Tour Manager Stefania La Rosa. After exploring the magical island also referred to as La Serenissima, the performers and their families checked into the Hotel Belle Epoque (a separate blog post shows you this very Venetian Hotel) and they are currently enjoying their welcome dinner. A first highlight awaits them tomorrow as the choir is singing High Mass at St. Mark's Basilica. We sure hope the kids will upload some pictures for you all soon.

Have a good flight!

Dear Travelers,
Incantato Tours wishes you a safe and relaxed flight to Europe. Enjoy your stay and have a great time! For your first dinner in Venice, you are going to visit the Ristorante Al Brindisi. The menu includes penne with fresh tomato, chicken, cooked vegetables and potatoes, and a chocolate cake.
Bon appetit!

Enjoy the WRA Tour blog? Then become a follower and never miss an update

Dear Singers, Family and Friends of the WRA 2010 touring Choir and Ensemble, we sure hope you enjoy the blog and recommend that you become a follower by clicking on the respective option in the right side bar of this webpage. As a follower, you will never miss an update and once the groups heads over to Italy there should be lots of news coming your way. You can also leave comments which are like virtual greetings. Our Italian tour team will pass those messages on the kids on tour whenever possible. Everyone at Incantato Tours wishes you a most wonderful weekend and lots of Vorfreude for this exciting journey under the leadership of Mrs. Margaret Karam and Mr. Edward Wiles.

Two meals and two movies - Welcome aboard Lufthansa

The WRA Tour is about to take off on Incantato's preferred airline: Lufthansa.
After your short commuter flights, the 39 members of the 2010 Western Reserve Academy Italy Tour, are boarding the German airline for the long-haul and inter-European journey. While we recommend that you do get some sleep on the transatlantic overnight flight, you are in for several treats such as hot towels to refresh yourself shortly after take-off, two warm meals served with salad and dessert plus two or more recent movies. For more information on the on-board experience, visit Lufthansa's website.

Sunny Venice will welcome you on March 18

As the WRA tour to Italy will start in a few days, Incantato Tours had a look at the weather forecast. On Thursday, March 18, Venice will welcome you with a sunny, just partly cloudy sky. The highest temperature will be around 59° F. The nice weather will continue on Friday, March 19, with 58° F. Enjoy the sunny days in the beautiful city of Venice!

Don't forget to look at the travel tips

With your departure just around the corner, we recommend to have one last look at the travel tips where you will find a lot of information about what to pack, which converters to bring etc.
Here is a direct link, but you can also find the travel tips by clicking on the label in the right side navigation.

Fun Facts about Florence

• Florence is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants.
• A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.
• The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.
• It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Roberto Cavalli and Emilio Pucci.
• Florence being historically the first home of Italian fashion is also home to the legendary Italian fashion establishment Salvatore Ferragamo, notable as one of the oldest and most famous Italian fashion houses.
• Florence has been a setting for numerous works of fiction and movies, including the novels and associated films, such as "Hannibal", "A Room with a View", "Tea with Mussolini" and "Virgin Territory".
• The city is one of the great wine-growing regions in the world. The Chianti region is just south of the city, and its Sangiovese grapes figure prominently not only in its Chianti Classico wines but also in many of the more recently developed Supertuscan blends.