As a reminder, we’ve announced two different tours for 2011. MAY (15 – June 1) might be a perfect time for college students and other students who are already finished by mid-month, such as many home schoolers we know. JULY (17- Aug. 1) will suit those who want to get away before gearing up for the new school year.

IMPORTANT: For the MAY tour, your $200 deposit is due March 5 (refundable until April 30). If we have not reached our minimum number of participants by then, we reserve the right to cancel the tour.

Due date for the deposit for the JULY tour is April 1 (refundable only until April 30).

Be sure to sign up (at right) to receive e-mail updates and to indicate your interest.  For information on destinations and costs, click here.

The mission of World to the Wise is to promote cultural intelligence in an ever-shrinking world. What better way to accomplish that goal than to join a life-changing, paradigm-shifting adventure!

Still have questions? E-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

Let the adventure begin!

What is your conception of an ideal stay in a world class city? Does it include visits to museums? Some of you will say, “Of course, that’s a no-brainer,” while others may want to avoid museums altogether. This puts a tour host such as myself in a precarious position: how much time should we spend wandering the halls of great museums such as the Louvre in Paris (pictured), the Victoria and Albert in London, or the Uffizi in Florence? Here’s where we land:

Our approach, as you know by now if you’re a regular reader, is to look at a culture from a holistic perspective. What makes up a culture? History, geography, language, religion, politics, leisure, and yes, art in all its forms. So what do I personally take an interest in? The answer is yes. One cannot fully understand and appreciate a given culture without taking all of the above factors and more into account. And it happens that many of these things are best captured and assembled in museums. What we do want to avoid is going into a museum with no orientation to its contents — believe me, we’ve made that mistake; a museum can indeed be boring if one has no appreciation of the significance of the museum’s treasures. That is why we now make an effort to prepare our travelers so they can take in as fully as possible the reason we’re bothering with a given museum. We also try to take into account the particular interests of our travelers, realizing, of course, that we cannot customize each tour completely for every individual.

There is much to be discovered about culture, however, outside the museums — on the streets, in the churches, the homes, the restaurants, cafes and gathering places — and especially in the people themselves. After all, if culture is about anything, it is about people — their shared values, their past, their present and their future.

For my part, an ideal experience contains as many of the above as possible. We can’t guarantee that you’ll come home with lifelong friendships, but we do promise you’ll be impacted in a way that will cause you to look at life and the world differently. For information on our two tours in 2011, click here.

TOUR #1: Amsterdam, London, Paris

Dates: May 15 – June 1, 2011

We’ll arrive in the Netherlands just in time to witness one of the glories of Holland: the enormous tulip fields of the Keukenhof, called the Garden of Europe, in full bloom. This spectacle can only be seen during a short window of time. You’ll also be moved by our visit to the famed Anne Frank House, as well as the breathtaking sights of Amsterdam’s canals and incredibly charming architecture. We’ll take a short train ride to the picturesque city of Haarlem, home of the ten Boom House, where dozens of Jews were hidden in the infamous Hiding Place during the Nazi occupation. Take in the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings at the only museum named for him in the world. Perhaps a leisurely bike ride through the polders, or land reclaimed from the sea — the trophy of Dutch ingenuity — and we’ll enjoy time with some of our favorite Amsterdammers, who will share insights on life in this unique city.

Then it’s on to the City of the Lights — the pearl of Europe. As many times as we’ve been to Paris, we never tire of being in that vibrant and trend-setting city. Stroll down the broad Avenue des Champs Elysées and appreciate the manicured beauty of Paris’s famed monuments and avenues. We’ll of course be sure to make two of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay; but we’ll break up our museum visits with some little known, off-the-beaten-path surprises. You’ll meet some Parisians who might surprise you with their openness and friendliness, and need I say you’ll eat well?

The last stop on our cultural tour will be the timeless city of London.As many of us Americans are descended from Anglo-Saxons, London touches something very deep in us and makes many of us feel like we’re coming home. Even non-Anglos get caught up in the inescapable richness and depth of London’s history, combined with its progressive character as a truly world class city. The Portobello Market in Notting Hill, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, a musical in the West End theatre district, cream tea, and an unforgettable day trip to Oxford are but a few of the highlights.

Interested? Please make sure to join our mailing list by leaving your e-mail address in the the form at the right! We’ll be sending out updates on a regular basis.

Ground budget includes:

hotel

meals in Europe

ground transportation

sightseeing, museums, attractions

Does not include:

souvenirs

travel insurance

passport application fee

Airport meals enroute

transportation between locations

These prices do NOT include airfare.

Payment timetable:

TOUR #2: Paris and Italy

Dates: July 17 – Aug. 1, 2011

Who hasn’t dreamed of roaming the Tuscan countryside, marveling at Michelangelo’s Davide and the other treasures of Florence, relaxing on a Roman terrazza or gazing up at the Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel ? Or sampling a different gelato flavor every day? Or making such fast friends with the Italians that you won’t want to leave?

We’ll most likely begin in Paris and end up in Rome. We promise you won’t forget this trek through two of the most enchanting countries  in Europe !

Interested? Be sure you’re on our mailing list to receive updates — just leave your e-mail address in the form on the right.

Ground budget includes:

hotel

meals in Europe

ground transportation

sightseeing, museums, attractions

Does not include:

souvenirs

travel insurance

passport application fee

Airport meals enroute

transportation between locations

These prices do NOT include airfare.

Payment timetable:

Let the adventures begin! Cultivate your cultural intelligence.

If you would like to contact Golden Rule directly, just send an e-mail to Justin at justin@goldrule.net or call him at (800) 950.3599. Golden Rule has also calculated airfares for multiple-city itineraries; for example, flying into London, then returning to the US from Paris.

Registrations are coming in as we prepare for our inaugural tour this June. In case you’re joining us for the first time on this site, we are hosting a cultural tour to three of Europe’s greatest cities: London, Paris and Amsterdam. We’ll spend one week in each of the three cities, and participants are able to join us for one, two or all three weeks. See other posts on this site for a full description, then e-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net if you’re interested! The absolute deadline for registration is April 15, but you don’t want to wait till the last minute, as space is limited!

We are pleased to offer an additional family member discount to our participants, as well as a price break for those coming for more than one week. Below is the breakdown of how this will work. NOTE: “1st week, 2nd week,” etc. does not mean London, Paris, etc., but the number of total weeks a person participates. For example, if Sheila Sharpe comes to Paris and Amsterdam, the first week will cost $1500 and the second $1325.

1st week           2nd week         3rd week

One family member                                $1500              $1325               $1125

2nd family member                                   1325                  1125                  1125

3rd family member                                    1125                  1125                  1000

Your refundable deposit* of $200 reserves you a place — and it will be helpful to us to know which city or cities you are most interested in. So please either post a comment on this post or e-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

* Until April 15

As mentioned earlier, all participants will be making their own flight arrangements directly with Golden Rule Travel; so apart from your air travel, the total cost per week will be $1500. This includes all hotels (3 star), all meals, ground transportation, all museums and attractions, and gratuities. You will be responsible for any discretionary spending, such as souvenirs, snacks, and travel insurance, should you so choose.

And don’t forget that contributions toward your trip are tax-deductible — so get those creative juices flowing to come up with your own fundraising ideas. And remember that all participants who sign-up by January 28 will benefit from the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group production of Fiddler on the Roof in Nashville, Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6.

For a tour description, just scroll down two posts.

Questions? E-mail us at worldtothewise.net.

Let the fun (and sign-ups begin!)

Our anticipation is growing daily as we prepare for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour. We’re pleased to announce that we’re now taking registrations! But first, some important news:

All contributions to your costs as a tour participant are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

We have made arrangements for World to the Wise Cultural Tours to be a subsidiary of Crucible International, a nonprofit we started in 2005. The mission of World to the Wise is to feed cultural curiosity and promote cultural intelligence. This dovetails with The Crucible’s mission to equip people with tools to impact and help shape culture. NOTE: Payments will be made directly to World to the Wise Cultural Tours.

This means, for example, that students whose grandparents, other relatives or friends would like to contribute toward the expenses of this life-shaping experience will receive a tax deduction. Hopefully this will make it easier for any and all of our participants to raise the necessary funds. Please note that the tour is open to people of all ages – not just students!

Need a reminder of the dates and destinations? For a tour description, see previous post.

We are partnering with Golden Rule Travel to make travel arrangements. Each participant must contact Golden Rule directly to make his/her flight arrangements. This will allow for anyone desiring to book an alternate itinerary – whether it be going early, staying later, or visiting other European destinations. Through a contract Golden Rule has with United Airlines, we have found some reasonable airfares for that time of year, with no charge for changes made up to a certain date. Golden Rule’s contact info will be included in your registration packet.

So how do you register? Simply send an e-mail to admin@worldtothewise.net stating your name, address, desired destination(s) and the number of travelers. You will then receive a registration packet, including a simple form to fill out and return, along with a deposit of $200. This deposit will be refundable for a limited time.

Some thoughts on fundraising:

You are of course free to raise funds for your trip in any and every way you choose; however, here is one opportunity for all registrants to receive a boost as you consider your own fundraising ideas. Part of the proceeds of the Lifesong Theatre Group’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Nashville Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6, will go towards the travel expenses of all participants who have registered by January 28. Even if you don’t live in the Nashville area, or even if you don’t attend the play (we hope you will!), you will benefit if you have signed up by Jan. 28! Details for the musical can be found on Facebook by typing Fiddler on the Roof into the Facebook search bar.

We look forward to having you on board our very first adventure together as World to the Wise Cultural Tours! Don’t put off signing up – space is limited! Questions? E-mail us at admin@worldtothewise.net.

Yours for the culturally curious,

David Durham

LONDON   June 12 – 19, 2010

Many Americans have the feeling of coming home when they discover this land that is the mother country to  many of our ancestors. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abby, Big  Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, some of the most amazing museums in the world, the Tube, the River  Thames, cream tea, shortbread, meat pies, homes of some of English literature’s greats, and on and on!

PARIS   June 19-26

Often called the Pearl of Europe and the City of Lights, this gem has probably inspired more songs and literature than any other city. Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, the Palace of Versailles, the Latin Quarter with its sidewalk artists, the Arche de Triomphe and Champs Elysées…not to mention the obligatory sidewalk cafés, croissants, pastries, baguettes, cheese. (Oops, got a little side-tracked there.…) One evening will be spent with local Parisian friends over dinner, comparing our impressions of each other’s culture, laughing at ourselves, and learning to appreciate the inherent beauty of every culture.

AMSTERDAM  June 26 – July 3

One of the most charming cities in all of Europe, Amsterdam has a character all its own. Journey back to the  Golden Age of the Netherlands, when Amsterdam was one of the largest and most powerful commercial cities in  the world. Visit the world-famous Rijksmuseum, home of the Dutch Masters, as well as the amazing Van Gogh  Museum. Take a boat ride on the city’s intricate canal system while admiring the charm of the 17th and 18th  century row houses that line the canals. Visit the historic home of Anne Frank, as well as the Ten Boom house in  Haarlem, made famous in Corrie ten Boom’s moving book, The Hiding Place. Experience the world’s largest tulip fields and greenhouses, as well as the home of the famous Delft Blue China. And spend an evening over dinner with local Amsterdammers and learn the meaning of gezelligheid (hint: coziness to the max).

As mentioned above, travelers will have the choice of joining us for one, two, or all three consecutive weeks in three of Europe’s greatest cultural capitals.

It’s time to start planning (and saving) now! To get on our mailing list to receive updates, just fill in your name and e-mail address in the form to the right, and we’ll keep you up to date.

Registration will begin soon, so let us hear from you and we’ll send you the initial information on costs, passport application, etc.