Veterans Day in TurkeySpend Veterans Day weekend exploring Izmir, Turkey, and surroundings and resting in the luxury of the five-star Hilton Hotel on a trip organized by Meyer Travel Group. It runs Nov. 7 to 12.
The sightseeing program includes a walking tour of the Agora, the ancient marketplace; guided tour of the House of the Virgin Mary and ruins of Ephesus; archeological museum in Seljuk; burial site of St. John and the 6th- century cathedral. Also on the program is a visit to a carpet factory with lecture and visits to the city’s bazaar.
Land only, the trip costs $625 per person, double occupancy, and includes four nights’ accommodations in the Hilton, all breakfasts, land transportation by motor coach, guided tours, entrance fees and services of a licensed Turkish guide and escort.
For details, contact Katie Meyer at (916) 786-3708. The e-mail address is meyerfr@juno.com. The Web site is www.meyertravelgroup.com.
Egypt at ChristmasSpend Christmas and New Year’s in the sunny weather of North Africa on a first-class trip to Egypt hosted by Tenandone travel agency. It runs Dec. 23 to Jan. 1.
On the program in Cairo are visits to the Alabaster Mosque, Abu Serga Church, Ibn Toulun Mosque, Egyptian Museum (with the gold treasures of King Tut’s tomb), pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Jaggara (largest necropolis in the country), Step Pyramid of Zoser, the statue of Ramses II and an alabaster sphinx.
You then fly to Luxor and visit the Temple of Karnak after which you board a ship for a four-day Nile cruise, stopping along the way at the Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memmon, Temple of Horus, the temple in Kom Ombo, Assuan and Philae. In Assuan you visit the Mausoleum of Agha Khan.
The cost is $2,445 per person, double occupancy, and includes round-trip international flight (from Frankfurt), domestic flight, fees, hotel accommodations, Nile cruise with full board, sight- seeing per itinerary, entrance fees, motor coach transportation, airport transfers and guided service by an Egyptologist.
For those who would like to stay longer, there’s an option of another cruise from Assuan to Abu Simbel until Jan. 6. On this program you visit Ramses II’s Kalabsha Temple, Wadi El Sebau (lioness valley), Dakka, Amada (the sandstone temple), the fortress of Kasr Ibrim and Abu Simbel.
The cost is $1,094 per person, double occupancy, and includes four overnights on board, full board, sightseeing per itinerary, guide services, entrance fees, transfers, sound and sight show and flight from Abu Simbel to Cairo.
For details, contact Graziella Sefcik at telephone (+49) (0) 89 25 54 19 0 or (+49) (0) 8231- 2134. The e-mail address is graziella@tenandone.com. The web site is www.graziella-tours.com.
Send announcements of tours or other special travel deals to travel@estripes.osd.mil.
Best BetsBELGIUM: Held every five years, the Pageant of the Golden Tree re-enacts the wedding of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders, and English Princess Margareth of York. Up to 2,000 actors and 12 floats create the spectacular event in Brugge that begins at 4 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 26. Tickets cost 12 to 15 euros in the grandstands, six to eight euros on the side. Details at www.comitevoorinitiatief.be/activiteiten/2007/goudenboom/indexEN.html.
DENMARK: Travel back in time at the Horsens medieval festival Friday through Saturday. One of the largest in Europe with 5,000 costumed participants, the event takes place in the town’s center in the evening. Its modern trappings are covered with wood so the well-placed candles, oil lamps and bonfires can create a shadowy medieval atmosphere. Among the activities: Eat medieval cuisine and throw back jars of mead, beer or wine; listen to medieval entertainment; watch dueling and a knights tournament; browse through medieval crafts; and play medieval games. For the entire program, visit the Web at www.middelalderfestival.dk.
ENGLAND: Notting Hill Carnival, touted as London’s biggest and most colorful party, hits the streets Sunday and Monday for its annual celebration of all things Caribbean. The first day is geared toward children and families. The second breaks out with contributions from all the Caribbean communities: food, crafts stalls and a splashy parade with colorful costumes and sound from 60 costumed bands and 10 steel bands. Join in the parade if the feeling overcomes you! On Saturday you’ll also find the “Champions of Steel” contest with 12 steel bands and orchestras competing. For details, go to www.thecarnival.tv.
GERMANY: Both sides of the Main River in Frankfurt will be covered Friday through the weekend with cultural flair during this year’s multicultural Museums- ufer festival. You’ll find carnival rides, games, concerts and guided tours in museums. This year’s theme looks at the art of language. The festival is open Friday from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight. The Web site is www.museumsuferfest-frankfurt.de (in German).
HUNGARY: Budapest holds its own colorful street parade Saturday. At 2 p.m., 50 carnival floats will be accompanied by pop, hip-hop and rock music on a route that runs along Andrássy Street from Roosevelt Square to Heroes’ Square. The parade ends with fireworks, followed by parties in clubs throughout the city.
