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1 New York - Rome Depart from New York’s JFK Airport for your overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served onboard. Day 2 Rome Upon our arrival, we'll meet our local guide and settle into our first class hotel. Free afternoon. Dinner and overnight. Days 3 Rome full day tour to Sorrento After breakfast you will be whisked south to the Almafi Coast, one of the most picturesque coastlines in the world. We will take a high speed boat for a short ride to the island of Capri where the waters of the Blue Grotto mysteriously glow (weather permitting). Go up to the tiny village of Anacapri for an unforgettable view. Return to Rome for dinner and overnight. Day 4 Rome (Papal Audience at the Vatican) After breakfast we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience and Blessing given by His Holiness, John Paul II. Visit St Peter’s Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's Basilica is the grandest of the world's churches. View such historical treasures as a piece of the true cross, the lance that pierced Christ’s side, numerous papal tombs, Michelangelo’s restored mural of the Last Judgment on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, his Pieta, and the four mighty piers supporting the magnificent dome. In the afternoon take time to visit the Vatican Garden, Library and Museum to see awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. In the afternoon we will drive past the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and then explore St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar. We will also visit the Church of St Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo's incomparable statue of Moses. Dinner and overnight in Rome. Days 5 Rome - Assisi This morning we motor north through the Umbria region toward the pilgrimage center of Assisi. After celebrating Mass at the tomb of St Francis, we will explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis which still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period of his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. After stopping at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. Dinner and overnight in Assisi. Day 6 Assisi - Florence Breakfast then drive through the scenic Tuscan countryside to Florence. After Mass, our tour of Florence includes the Academy of Fine Arts containing many treasures, the Ponte Vecchio, and the Duomo, with its magnificent dome created by Brunelleschi. Across the way is the Baptistry with its celebrated bronze doors nicknamed the "gates of paradise." Free afternoon. Dinner and overnight. Day 7 Florence - Nice Today we will motor across the Italian and French Rivieras to the lovely city of Nice. Renowned for its museums and galleries, Nice is also celebrated for its beaches and the beauty of its architecture. Dinner and overnight. Day 8 Nice - Lourdes After breakfast we leave the glamorous city of Nice and motor to the beloved French pilgrimage city of Lourdes. You will arrive this afternoon in time to relax, explore or participate in one of the nightly candlelight processions before retiring for the evening. Dinner and overnight. Days 9 & 10 Lourdes During your stay in Lourdes you will have a chance to celebrate daily Mass at the Grotto, enjoy a video presentation telling the story of Lourdes, and walk in the footsteps of St Bernadette. See Boly Mill where St Bernadette was born and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. Join your prayers with those of pilgrims from around the world as you pray for the sick, drink water from the miraculous spring or submerge yourself in the healing baths. Experience Christ’s love as you walk the life-sized Stations of the Cross overlooking the holy Grotto and kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto. Evenings are free for optional Blessed Sacrament Procession before dinner. Your role in the universal church will have new meaning as you join the candlelight procession and group rosary. Time permitting you may take advantage of some of the optional tours (Biarritz, Val D'Aran or Betherram) available through our local agent at a minimal additional cost. Days 11 Lourdes - Paris After breakfast we fly to Paris, transfer to our hotel and then take a guided tour of this beautiful city. You will be awed by such landmarks as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs Elysees, L’Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Church of the Sacre Coeur, and the Church of St Vincent De Paul. Dinner and overnight Days 12 Paris - New York Breakfast, then travel to the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal to celebrate Mass. View the incorrupt body of St Catherine Labouret whose guardian angel led her to the chapel where the Blessed Virgin displayed a vision of the miraculous medal and later the green scapular. Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the United States Your Trip Includes: 
Round-trip flights: New York / Rome / Lourdes / Paris / New
York
10 nights at 4-star hotels:3 nights: Hotel Michelangelo, Rome 1 night: Hotel Giotto, Assisi 1 night: Hotel Baglioni, Florence 1 night: Hotel Atlantic, Nice 3 nights: Hotel La Solitude, Lourdes 1 night: Hotel Mercure, Paris
Breakfast and dinner daily
Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach
Guided tours by professional Catholic guides
Admission fees
Hotel taxes and service charges
Mass daily
All baggage handling
Flight bag and portfolio of travel documents
Not Included: Lunch. Airport tax of $85. Travel insurance at $99. Tips to guides and drivers ($5 per day). All
Optional trips include airfare, first class hotel accommodations,
breakfast and dinner daily, guided tours, sight-seeing admission,
transfers and luggage handling. |
| Departure
Dates & Prices 2001 |
| Mar
12 - 23 Apr 16 - 27 May 14 - 25 Jun 18 - 29 July 9 - 20 Aug 13 - 24 Sept 10 - 21 Oct 15 - 26 Nov 12 - 23 Single Supplement |
$2,499 2,699 2,699 2,899 2,899 2,899 2,899 2,699 2,499 $599 |
Please see Air Fare From Your Town
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