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Dear
Fellow Traveler,
In
the Netherlands, one of Europe's great treasure houses of
art and architecture, spring is heralded by daffodils, tulips
and early blooming bulbs, flowers that appear in the still-life
paintings of the Dutch Golden Age. We invite you to join
us as we cruise the Dutch and Belgian waterways on a journey
that promises to be a rich tapestry of art and gardens.
Traveling
with us is as a guest lecturer will be Anna
Pavord,
a leading British garden authority. Author of the The Tulip and the recently published The Naming of Names, she has led our previous travel programs to rave reviews. Also accompanying us lecturer from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Dr.
Nancy T. Minty, a specialist
in Dutch and Flemish 17th-century painting who will add unique insights into the dazzling art and architecture we will see on this voyage.
Our program begins in The Hague, with its stately townhouses
built by the great merchants, to visit the superb collection
of Dutch masterpieces at the Mauritshuis Museum and the
paintings by Mondrian in the Gemeente Museum. In the charming
town of Haarlem, we will view works by Frans Hals and noted
artists of the 17th century at the museum that bears his
name.
A
visual delight awaits us at the renowned Keukenhof Gardens,
which we explore before embarking our five-star riverboat
M.V. Heidelberg in Amsterdam for a one-week cruise.
Gliding past stepped gabled houses bordering the canals
of Amsterdam, we cruise to Rotterdam and Delft, birthplace
of Vermeer. Our ports of call include 17th-century Antwerp,
where we visit the house of the great Flemish painter Peter
Paul Rubens; Ghent for a visit to the Cathedral of St. Bavo and a special viewing of the Van Eyck brothers' Adoration of the Mystic
Lamb, better known as the Ghent Altarpiece; and Bruges, where the great Flemish Master Hans
Memling lived and worked.
Highlighting
this river voyage will be a private onboard chamber music
concert by one of Europe's exciting new trios. Based in
Belgium, these three virtuosos will delight you with music
from the 18th and 19th centuries.
 An
optional prelude is offered in cosmopolitan Brussels, the
center of the most splendid court in Europe during the 15th
century and justly famous for its handsome square, the Grand Place.
Please
join friends of The Royal Oak Foundation aboard M.V.
Heidelberg in the Netherlands and Belgium, when cities
and villages celebrate with floral displays and festivals.
This voyage is co-sponsored with The Metropolitan Museum
of Art and
administered by our travel partner, Academic Arrangements
Abroad.
Sincerely
yours ,
John Oddy
Executive Director
The Royal Oak Foundation
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