Another Great Reason to Visit Rome

Napoleon Bonaparte and Pius VII

The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed
An unprecedented cultural event: 100 original documents, preserved for 400 years in the Popes’ Archive, will leave the confines of the Vatican City walls for the first time in history, and will be admired at the Capitoline Museums in Rome, from 1st March till September 2012, for the exhibition Lux in arcana - The Vatican Secret Archives. Conclaves, heresies, popes and emperors. Crusades, excommunications, ciphered letters. Manuscripts, codices, ancient parchments. A unique and once-in-a-lifetime event recounting history through its sources.

Highlights include a parchment roll 60 meters long that documents the trial against the Order of the Templars,  a letter emanating from Henry VIII to Clement VIII asking for the pope’s annulment of the King’s first marriage, Galileo Galilei’s conviction, Luther’s excommunication, and many other historical texts.

Let Sara help you plan your dream trip to Italy. 
nearandfarjourneys@gmail.com /  913-677-6336

Oops! I Am Sure I Have Misused the Mouza!

Very useful!

Via: Travel Insurance

Airline Fare Drop Refund Policies

What happens when you buy an airfare and then discover that sometime before take off the fare has dropped in price?

Here's a handy chart created by airfarewatchdog.com 

Speaking of Provence

We have a wonderful small group tour "The Colors of Provence" for next September, but meanwhile, I found this article and topic very charming.

Delightful figurines both sacred and secular grace Christmas crèches
throughout the south of France.

The Santons of Provence

In Provence the holiday season belongs to the colorful world of santons—santous or santoùos in Provençal, “little saints” to the rest of us. A wrinkle, the shining dot of an eye, a graceful pose, the tilting of a hat, a lace bonnet, a weary back stooped by toil and age, a smile of contentment, an ample fold in a garment—since these clay figurines are often no bigger than Hans Christian Andersen’s Thumbelina, you will not be surprised that 85% of the cost goes to labor, a far cry from the modern mass-production Christmas industry. The making of a santon is a labor of love.

Read the article at FranceToday.com

Luxury Cruising with The Great American Steamboat

The Great American Steamboat Company’s inaugural voyages this spring will be filled with surprise and delight.

There is no better time to reserve space aboard an authentic American icon and to be among the first lucky travelers to make history, as the grand American Queen returns to the waterways of America’s Heartland. 

A few of their scheduled trips:

Roundtrip New Orleans - 6 nights

April 13 - 19, 2012

Visit: New Orleans, Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Houmas House

New Orleans to Memphis - 8 nights

April 19 - 27, 2012

Visit: New Orleans, Oak Alley, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Helena, Memphis

Memphis to Cincinnati - 7 nights

April 27- May 4, 2012

Visit: Memphis, Henderson, Louisville, Madison, Cincinnati, plus leisurely Mississippi River cruising

Contact Sara Jane with Near & Far Journeys today to reserve your spot!
913.677.6336
nearandfarjourneys@gmail.com

Travel advent calendar: 24 Christmas travel ideas

Ice Sculptures in Harbin, China

For the hardcore travel lover in all of us, CNNgo pulls together a full 24 days of globe-trotting holiday fun.

Some of my personal favorites from their list: 

Snowmobile safari, Finland
Great Christmas Pudding Race in London, England
Winter swimming in Berlin, Germany
Watch 'The Nutcracker,' St. Petersburg, Russia
Bobsledding in Lillehammer, Norway
Penguin watching at Isla Magdalena, Chile
Hot smoke sauna in Otepaa, Estonia
Ice sculptures in Harbin, China

View photos and read the entire article here

Airlines Cut Back, Hotels Step In

YOU don’t have to fly first-class to get V.I.P. treatment at the airport — if you stay at the right hotel. As more and more guests show up harried after airline delays, baggage issues and other travel hassles, hotels are stepping in with new services designed to make the airport experience less stressful. From wardrobe storage to airport concierges, here’s a rundown of some of the options being offered.

Read the whole article at the New York Times