The first Exhibition of Aerial Locomotion was held at the Grand Palais, Paris in 1909. In 2007 the International Paris Air Show again provided the opportunity to meet all the players in the sector, with over 150,000 trade visitors. In 2009 (held every two years), the Show marked a hundred years of technological innovation in aeronautics and space conquest with an event that continues to look to the future of the industry.

For touring groups wishing to visit Paris, we highly suggest avoiding the city the dates of June 18 - 27, 2011. The official dates of the Show are June 20 - 26, but we need to allow a couple days on either end so hotels can empty out. During this time, the hotels in Paris increase their rates for the thousands of business travelers in the air industry.

Francemag.com

Dijon may be best known for its mustard, but this pocket-size city is one of France’s greatest melting pots of history and culture, as Kate Chappell discovers

The city of Dijon has always been en route to somewhere. In medieval times it was a stopover for Christian pilgrims heading for the huge abbey at Cluny; later, merchants travelling from north to south would stop here for a mid-way sojourn; and, of course, in recent times hordes of British skiers have used Dijon and its pretty environs as a handy stopover on the way to the Alps.

But anyone who thinks of this beautiful city as merely a convenience and never takes the time to explore, is missing out on one of France’s greatest melting pots, a place with so much to see and do that it is a worthy destination in itself. At just 240 acres, the historic city centre is small enough to enjoy on foot, but contains more history, more amazing architecture and more culture than many places twice its size and with twice as many visitors.

Full Article Here

“Voyages of Discovery - Celebrating American Music in France and Italy,” the recently completed tour undertaken by two symphonic choruses from Florida — Key Chorale of Sarasota and the Southwest Florida Symphony Chorus of Fort Myers — and managed by Music Celebrations International, has been pronounced a great success by all those involved.

The trip, which took place from July 6 - 16, began in Geneva, Switzerland with a relaxed city tour before the 118 participants boarded buses to drive to Chamonix, France, at the foot of Mont Blanc, where three days were spent rehearsing the various tour programs and indulging in various activities such as white-water rafting, kayaking and exploring the mountain before giving a well-attended concert in L’Eglise St. Michel. Next stop was Nice, where a visit to the Marc Chagall Museum was a high point. Tours to Monte Carlo and Cannes were followed by a concert for a large and appreciative audience in the Basilique Notre Dame de Nice.

Moving on to Italy, the group toured the Duomo of Milan and had a private visit to the interior of the famous La Scala opera house. In Bresso, a suburb of Milan and the home of one of Key Chorale’s supporters, Piero Rivolta, the group was treated to a lunch in the gardens of Villa Rivolta, next door to the IsoRivolta Automotive Design museum, still under construction, before a “sold out” concert in the San Carlo church, at which the city’s brass band and government officials gave the group a special welcome. The next day saw a move to Treviso, the Sister City of Sarasota, and a concert in the Asolo Duomo, celebrating the “twinning” of the two cities at a special reception and a ceremony with local officials.

The final day was spent in Venice, with tours of the Ducal Palace, gondola excursions and a visit to the Murano glass factory before the grand finale: A sung mass in the magnificent surroundings of the Basilica San Marco, a moving and magical experience and a fitting close to an outstanding tour.

Throughout the trip, guides, drivers, food and accommodations were of very high quality, thanks to meticulous preparation by MCI.

Richard Storm
Executive Director
Key Chorale

The France tour was OUTSTANDING. I don’t know how to put it into words. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was tremendous. Everything was wonderful. What a great tour Music Celebrations put together.

The tour mangers were so great! They went out of their way to take care of the group. They were both excellent. Patrick had all the kids eating out of his hand, and Marie Agnes was great. Christine Vignot (Paris tour guide) has such a love for her country and city, and really brought it to life for the kids.

The concerts were wonderful! We had more people in our audiences at the concerts in France than at our home concerts in Bloomington! Bus drivers were great. The weather was great - everything was “meant to be”. I look forward to planning my next tour with MCI!

Jane Gouker
Artistic Director
Hoosier Youth Philharmonic

Follow their tour on their BLOG.

Go here to see and read all about the Peninsula Youth Orchestra’s recent tour of France, Belgium, and Holland!

The tour to Paris, Normandy, Belgium and Holland was very successful. We were very happy with Mary Agnes and Patrick (tour escorts). They helped us overcome lots of real-time challenges throughout the course of the tour, and were able to optimize our daily schedules and itineraries to fit the groups’ needs. We appreciate their experience, knowledge, professionalism, resourcefulness, and patience. I think our folks had a great time and performed some great concerts. The tour was well organized and went off without any major problems.

Phil & Sara Salsbury
Peninsula Youth Orchestra

With the release of the iPhone 3GS and the instant access we have to information, you may rest assured that when you tour with MCI, we understand your need to connect. I found this article quite interesting and for those of us who have busy lives, a comfort. When you tour with MCI, we want you to know you can still speak with your family, and if you’re one of the touring directors, still email those you were discussing important matters with. Below is a well-informed article that will provide some clarity on how you can connect wirelessly in Europe.

“With my mantra being “pack light,” I used to be against packing electronics of any kind. But now, I bring my laptop, iPod, digital camera and mobile phone to Europe. With hotels retiring their fax machines in favor of email, mobile phones getting cheaper and easier to buy, and Wi-Fi hotspots popping up everywhere, it’s never been simpler to get connected.

If you tote your own laptop, you’ll find that many hotels and cafes offer wireless access — sometimes it’s free, other times, you’ll have to buy a drink or pay a fee — while some towns have Wi-Fi hotspots scattered around highly trafficked areas. Just pay for a password, park yourself on a bench in your favorite idyllic spot — overlooking a sandy beach, on a floodlit piazza or along a bustling people-watching boulevard — then log on and surf away.

It’s handy to travel with a mobile phone, whether you’re calling a hotel for directions or getting in touch with that lost travel buddy who missed the train. If you want to use a mobile phone in Europe, you have two choices: Take your own, or buy one once you’re there. ”
By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Traveling international with MCI? Not only will you be experiencing an educational and life-changing musical tour but you’ll also be given the opportunity to indulge in a few cuisines that you may not find in the States. Not only is MCI dedicated to insuring a quality tour, but we’re also interested in the cultural experiences you’ll engage in. This article shows a glimpse of what you might find in some of these infamous countries.

By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Eating and drinking in Europe is sightseeing for your taste buds. Every country has local specialties that are good, memorable, or both. Here are many of the fun experiences that stick in my mind after 30 years of travel. Seek out any of these on your next trip.

Germany’s wurst is the best anywhere, and kraut is not as “sauer” as the stuff you hate at home. Only a tourist puts the sausage in a bun like a hot dog. Munch alternately between the meat and the bread (”that’s why you have two hands”), and you’ll look like a local. Generally, the darker the wiener, the spicier it is.

The hallowed vineyards of Burgundy surround the French city of Beaune. Its venerable Marche aux Vins (wine market) welcomes serious wine buyers and tourists into a subterranean, candle-lit world, where fine wines sit seductively in bottles atop old oak kegs, just waiting to be tasted. Pick up a “tastevin” (shallow, stainless-steel tasting dish) and a shopping basket, descend into the dimly lit caverns, and work your way through the proud selection. Sampling a world of $100 bottles in the company of people who live for their fine wine can be both inspirational and intoxicating.

In Italy, sip wine with college students at an outdoor bar in Padua’s market square. Pour some fine olive oil on a dish, season with salt and pepper, rip a long strip from your bread, dip it, and bite. The last time I was there, a student explained I was making the “scarpette” — the little shoe. Soaking up the oil along with the conversation, we travelers become human “scarpette,” sopping up culture as we explore Europe.
Wherever you travel, it’s fun to meet people over food and drink. It’s part of understanding the culture of a country. Take the initiative not to just see your destination, but to experience it.

Read the FULL ARTICLE

The Lakeville North High School Chorale was extremely fortunate to tour Paris and Normandy during our spring break (which also happened to be Holy Week.) While I’m going to spare you all the details of the entire trip, I think you need to know about our time singing in Normandy - especially singing at the American Cemetery on Omaha Beach.

We had just enjoyed three fabulous days in Paris, and had traveled to Normandy on our fourth day. We woke up the morning of our fifth day and proceeded to the Peace Museum in Caen. This was a very moving tribute to the events of D-Day, and in particular, a movie that used actual footage to chronicle the minute by minute events leading up to the actual landing at Omaha Beach. This movie footage was also remarkable in that it showed both the American and the German troops going through their preparations (the Germans thinking it was basically another day like any other.)

After viewing this very intense documentary of the D-Day events, we proceeded to the American Cemetery. Now, you need to know that I had prepared the students about the overwhelming scene they were going to witness- row after row after row of white crosses- each representing a young American soldier that had died.

We arrived at the cemetery about thirty minutes before we were to participate in a wreath laying ceremony and then sing. During those thirty minutes, I saw many of our students hugging each other, comforting each other - the significance of the American soldiers’ sacrifices had all of a sudden become very real to them.

A few thoughts that became clear to our students included the fact that these crosses were markers of young men that had died - young men that were virtually the SAME AGE as my high school senior boys. The other fact that became clear was the incredible bravery that those young men had- when you sit on the cliffs at Omaha Beach and look down and see a wide open space of beach- and realize those young men had to cross that stretch of sand knowing that their chances of surviving were not going to be good.

The students walked down to the water and were amazed to see various debris from the landing still in the water. They looked up at the cliffs from the beach, and saw thick underbrush and remnants of a German cement bunker- and realized that was the view that the D-Day soldiers saw.

The wreath laying took place, and it was time to sing. I saw the heart-wrenching looks on my students’ faces, and knew this would be a moment I would never forget. We began to sing…”my country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty”…..and I was completely overcome with emotion, as were the singers. None of us will ever sing that familiar song again without having an immediate flashback to that moment of deep understanding of what our freedom really means.

After we finished our set of songs, the students were comforting each other, crying, hugging, talking, and simply looking out at the rows and rows and rows of white crosses.

If we ‘older’ folks ever start to wonder if our younger people really ‘get it’…in other words, do they understand how lucky they are to live where they do? Have no fear- these students that saw the numbers of young men- the same age as them! - that died for freedom….these students will never take their freedom for granted. And they will have a new understanding of what the word ‘patriotism’ means. I was so proud to see my Lakeville North students being so extremely moved by the American Cemetery experience. The future WILL be in good hands.

Paul Wigley
Choir Director
Lakeville North High School

By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: May 17, 2009

Visitors to France do not usually seek out evidence of Rome’s conquest of what was then called Gaul (now essentially modern-day France and Belgium). Indeed, the French do not dwell on their colonization by ancient Roman imperialists. Instead, they celebrate the “Gallic” part: the stories of proud, strong natives who thrived in that era. (The most popular contemporary portrayals of Roman rule in France are the comic book and film adventures of Astérix and Obélix, the Gallic village heroes who use stealth and cunning against the Roman invaders.)

Over the years, I have discovered traces of Roman civilization throughout the country, from Arras in the north to Dijon in the center and Fréjus in the south. My hunt for Roman Gaul has turned up treasures in the oddest places, including the middle of wheat fields, the foundations of churches and the basements of dusty provincial museums.

Then I asked Patrick Périn, the director of the Musée des Antiquités Nationales just west of Paris, which houses the country’s finest Gallo-Roman collection, the best way to explore Roman France. He said he had two words for me: “Go south.”

Full Article Here

MONIEUX, France - On a road trip through the south of France last summer, I hoped to find the place I’d come to love from reading Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” and his other books. But I worried that the Provence of my dreams might be over-commercialized and overrun by tourists.

Happily I did find what I was looking for, but not always where I expected it. Yes, I went to the popular tourist jaunts — an amphitheater built by the Romans, a farmer’s market, Paul Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, and Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh painted. But what made Provence so enchanting for me was a triple sensory experience for the eyes, nose and palate — the scenery, scents and food — along with a detour off the beaten path to Monieux, a small town surrounded by lavender fields.

Provence is known for beautiful landscapes of cypress and olive trees amid verdant fields, with medieval towns perched seemingly precariously on hills. Lavender scents the air. And fruits, vegetables and olive oil are so fresh you’re convinced farmers picked or produced them that day. The Cavaillon melon, which looks like a softball-sized cantaloupe and costs around $3 each, is the most luscious melon I have ever tasted.

Full Article Here

Our trip to France was amazing!!!! We had the best trip Shakopee has taken. Everything pretty much went as planned, and then exceeded our expectations. We can not think of enough adjectives to explain the pleasure, joy and fun had by the entire group. We can tell you that we were thoroughly impressed with the tour managers’ abilities to meet all our needs. They were both outstanding. The best one’s we’ve had in four tours.

A huge thank you for all you did for Shakopee High School and our tour group. Your experience, expertise and fun will not soon be forgotten by anyone!!! We had a ton of fun!!

Mike Kovic, Choir Director
John Janke, Assistant Choir Director

By Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

(Tribune Media Services) — Smart budget travel isn’t just about saving money — it’s about maximizing your experience. Let me stoke your travel dreams by sharing some of my favorite European experiences from 30 years of crisscrossing the Continent.

In Dublin, be the only tourist among 50,000 cheering fans at a hurling match — that uniquely Irish game that’s as rough and tumble as airborne hockey (with no injury timeouts). Matches are held most Saturday or Sunday afternoons in summer at Dublin’sCroke Park Stadium. Choose a county to support, buy something colorful to wear or wave, scream yourself hoarse, and you’ll be a temporary local.

In Northern England, hike the best-surviving stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. Picture being a soldier posted there back in ancient Roman times to keep out the scary Scots. For a good, craggy three-mile walk along the wall, hike between Housesteads Roman Fort and Steel Rigg. Free maps are available at the Once Brewed National Park Visitor Centre.

Full Article Here

We want to personally thank you and your staff at Music Celebrations for providing a most memorable trip to France for the orchestra and choir at Valley High School. Since our initial contact last winter, the staff at MCI, especially Shari Richards, has worked diligently and with the utmost professionalism during the long months of planning. Shari did an outstanding job of answering all inquiries and working with our parent coordinator. Every question was answered within one day and all of our concerns were addressed. We felt most comfortable with all of the arrangements that Shari, Dan Schwartz and others made on our behalf. Please share our gratitude with them. Without their help, this trip would not have been so successful.

We were also blessed to have outstanding tour managers. Mary Agnes, Patrick & Francoise were so easy to work with. Their combined knowledge and talents made everything easy. They were always very accessible, ready with suggestions, and eager to please all members of our group. This was my third tour with MCI and I must say that the tour managers on this trip were, by far, the very best! I thank you for taking care in selecting them for our group.

The venues for our performances were also remarkable. All of the students and parent chaperones were thrilled to perform in each location. The ambiance of each performing space added a special excitement to all of our performances. The students really played their best to fill such beautiful churches.

Please share our gratitude with all of the staff at MCI. This has truly been an experience that will live on in the hearts and minds of our students and chaperones.

Sincerely Yours,

Phil Peters, Orchestra Director
Linda Vanderpool, Choir Director

New policy to start April 4, will include Paris’ Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay

updated 2:14 p.m. MT, Tues., Jan. 13, 2009

NIMES, France - French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the country’s national museums and monuments will soon stop charging admission to visitors under 25.

Sarkozy says the measure will go into effect April 4. Sarkozy didn’t offer any other details about the measures.

French national museums include Paris’ Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. Adult admission to the Louvre permanent collection is euro9 ($12).

Full article here

By Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

(Tribune Media Services) — Imagine that happy day around 1700 when the monk Dom Perignon, after much fiddling with the double fermentation of his grape juice, stumbled onto a bubbly delight. Having tasted the very first glass of champagne, he ran through the abbey shouting, “Brothers, come quickly … I’m drinking stars!”

The drink he invented ultimately put the region of Champagne in northeastern France on the map. And thanks to a new TGV bullet train that lets you connect nearly hourly from Paris (in 45 minutes), the region and its delightful capital Reims (pronounced “rance”) are more accessible than ever.

Full Article Here

The Chicago Master Singers tour to southern France is over and I think it topped the Poland tour. It was really fantastic. We had hundreds of French people at every concert!! It was amazing. We saw very little advertising but clearly Alison advertised our performances in every town since people arrived 30 min early every time to get a seat. Often it was standing room only. We were totally amazed. We have never experienced such turnouts anywhere in Europe and did not expect it in France for sure.

I need at least 10 hours face-to-face to tell you what was fantastic about this tour. Maries-Agnes, Patrick and Alison all deserve the highest imaginable marks! I hope we will have an opportunity soon to share many great things.

Alan Heatherington
Artistic Director

Everyone came away with wonderful experiences and memories. It is amazing to think that we sang in 10 venues in 12 days. All aspects of the trip were wonderful. The MCI team on this side, the tour managers and guides on the other side, all made this as successful as it was for us.

Having personally traveled with groups quite a bit, I found this to be a remarkable undertaking and was impressed with the organization and resources displayed by Music Celebrations International.

Becky Durham
Executive Director

Follow the Yuma Youth Choir throughout Europe as Darin Fenger, reporter with the Yuma Sun, is traveling with and chronicling their experiences.

Check their blog HERE to see photos and video footage.

FAIRHOPE, Alabama (AP) — Sculptor Stephen Spears is turning history into bronze with the first monument to the Navy’s D-Day heroes at Normandy and a statue of a World War I doughboy at the site of a landmark American victory in Cantigny, France.

His three bronze figures of a Navy captain and two sailors will be installed on a bluff overlooking Utah Beach to remember the naval service’s role in World War II’s pivotal amphibious invasion, adding a new visual element to the landscape at the historic site.

“All the monuments at Normandy are stone pillars, obelisks or plaques,” said retired Navy Capt. Greg Streeter of Jacksonville, Florida, chairman of the Navy D-Day Monument Project. “What we like most about our monument is that it is composed of representations of human figures that represent the officers and enlisted men that participated in the naval aspects of the Normandy invasion.”

Mike Conley, a spokesman for the American Battle Monuments Commission, which approved the Navy monument, said there are three human sculptures in the Normandy cemetery, but Spears’ work will be the first with human figures on Utah Beach.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Les Nouvelles De Paris — dollar be damned, visit now!

With the dollar under the kind of pressure that would make even the crispiest crème brûlée crumble, this may not seem like the ideal time for a Paris fling. But there’s so much to see and do in the City of Light—and so much that’s new—that it almost seems unfair to let the Parisians have all the fun.

Paris is still cheaper than many international cities like London, or even Moscow. In fact, the number of Americans traveling to Paris annually hasn’t dropped off so much as their spending habits. The French Government Tourist Office’s Patrice Doyon says “the depressed dollar” has slowed growth, but Americans are still visiting—they’re just spending less. “They might go to a three-star hotel instead of a four-star hotel,” he says. “Or do less shopping.” But why not go against the grain—after all, the French have made a national sport out of doing just that—and go all out?

Few cities are as well-positioned for an exercise in indulgence as Paris, which is for many still the standard of luxury and culture against which other cities are measured. That said, if you know where to go, you can get more for your inflated euro in the French capital than you might think. Because Parisian luxury is not merely a tale of flamboyance and creature comforts, as in Las Vegas or Dubai, but about quality and authenticity of experience.

Full Article Here

When Erik Torkells told his sister, Molly, he’d take her anywhere in the world as a 40th-birthday present, she picked Las Vegas. Clearly, there was work to be done.

by Erik Torkells

My sister and I spent our formative travel experiences together, most of which involved long family RV trips around the western U.S. But while I got bit by the travel bug, even becoming the lucky editor of this magazine, Molly never traveled much. She found plenty of excitement in getting married, moving across the country (and back), having two kids, and starting a teaching career.

For her 40th birthday, I thought it’d be fun to take her somewhere. After all, the only times she had left the U.S. were on a graduation cruise to Ensenada and a family drive to Vancouver. “Think about where you’d like to go!” I e-mailed her. “London? Iceland? Tokyo?” I was feeling like Brother of the Year. A few days later, she e-mailed her choice. I took a few deep breaths, and pointed out that while, yes, it was her birthday, and yes, I’d said she could choose the destination, the idea was to go somewhere she’d never been–basically, anywhere but Las Vegas.

Molly thought about it some more and realized she was intimidated by the unknown: different languages, passport bureaucracy, foreign currency, and so on. She said she needed to get over her fear, and that we could go to Europe. She’d let me decide exactly where.

I chose Amsterdam because it’s so easy to navigate, making it the perfect place to dip a toe in–besides, it’s where I went on my first trip to Europe. And then we’d go to Paris, because it’s Paris.

If you were to ask her about the experience now, a few months after the trip, she’d probably say that it was discombobulating being the student, not the teacher–let alone having her little brother be the one in charge. For six days, I was a cross between George Patton and Napoleon Bonaparte. We didn’t just see Amsterdam and Paris: We conquered them.

Any little brother worth his salt torments his sister long after he should’ve stopped. In that spirit, here, for her review, are my 11 lessons on how to explore a city.

Click here for full article