Join us for...the Kingdom of the

two sicilies March 18 to March 31, 2016

You have noticed that the Lyric Opera Guild an-nounced a trip for February and March, 2016, which we call a trip to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Well, that trip sold out in 48 hours flat, and we have had inquiries from some who were disappointed in missing that opportunity.

So...this will announce a second trip that we are taking to Italy, with a very similar itinerary. You have one more chance!

In the first half of the nineteenth century, before the unification of Italy, there existed in Italy the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, refer-ring to the Kingdom of Naples and the island of Sicily, with the principal city of Palermo. These were both known as centers of music and culture, particularly Naples, which was (and is) home to the San Carlo Opera, one of the great opera houses in the world. Rossini and Bellini both spent substantial portions of their career there.

These areas contain some of the most spectacular archeological and architectural treasures in Italy, including the once buried city of Pompeii, the stunning Greek theatre at Taormina, gorgeous medieval churches, and the ancient Greek city of Akragas (now called Agrigento). Plus, Sicily contains sweeping views over the Gulf of Naxos and Mt. Etna,

the mythical home of Vul-can.

In addition, this tour includes three days in Rome, which contains many de-lights including the historic Roman Forum and Colos-seum and St. Peter's includ-ing the famous frescoes of Michelangelo at the Vati-can.

The Lyric Opera Guild plans to take you on a trip to these wonderful locales, and along the way, of course, we

will take in some excellent opera performanc-es. Our tour guides will be Rob and Barbara Seaver of Request Italy, whose sold-out trips for the Lyric Opera Guild have taken us to Lucca, Pesaro, the Aix in Provence Festival, Budapest, Vienna and Prague in recent years. If you have been on one of the Seavers' tours, we need not say more, as you know you are in for a spectacular visit. If you haven't been on one of their tours, just ask those who have, and you will want to join us.

We anticipate that this tour will be sold out, so even though we list a reservation dead-line (see last page) of August 15, we urge you to get in your reservation as soon as possible in order to guarantee yourself a spot.

Here is our plan:

Friday, March 18, 2016. We depart from Kansas City with a destination of Naples, Italy.

San Carlo Opera in Naples.

Saturday, March 19, 2016. After our ar-rival in Naples at our centrally located hotel, we will enjoy some free time to explore this historic city on our own before enjoying a group dinner at an excellent Neapolitan restau-rant.

Sunday, March 20, 2016. We will have an orientation tour of Naples, and then after enjoying a group lunch we will tour the famous San Carlo Opera House in Naples, one of the most historic and important opera houses in the world. Both Rossini and Bellini spent a good portion of their careers here. We will include an optional visit to the famed Capodimonte Museum in Naples, whose vast collection contains many impor-tant works. It is located in a grand palace built by King Charles VII of Naples begin-ning in 1738. The collection includes mas-terpieces by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Bellini, El Greco and others. Tonight we will attend a performance of Verdi's final opera, the comic Falstaff, at San Carlo.

Monday, March 21, 2016. This morning we will visit the city of Pompeii, once buried by the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius, and still pains-takingly being restored by archeologists. In the afternoon we will see Naples' famed National Archeological Museum (Il Museo Archeo-logico Nazionale di Napoli), home to treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the Farnese collection of Greek and Roman

sculpture, the most important collection of its kind in Italy. This evening we will enjoy a group dinner at another of Naples' fine restau-rants.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016. This morning we will transfer to the Eternal City of Rome, and have an introductory tour of this amazing city including St. Peter's and the Sistine Cha-pel with the spectacular frescoes of Michelan-gelo, enjoying a group dinner that evening.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016. This morn-ing we will visit the heart of the ancient city of Rome, including the famous Colosseum and the Forum where so many great events of world history, including the assassination of Julius Caesar, took place. The afternoon will be yours to explore other sights in Rome, but we will also offer an optional tour of the Capitoline Museum complex or Villa Giulia, the famous home of Pope Julius II, which now houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, an

impressive collection of Etruscan art and arti-facts. We will enjoy a group dinner this eve-ning, and possibly enjoy a music performance (we are waiting for schedules to come out).

Thursday, March 24, 2016. This morn-ing we will enjoy another side of this city, Baroque Rome, and have an optional tour of the Villa Borghese, which houses some of the most spectacular paintings and statuary in

The Roman Forum.

Tour Cost:Land Arrangements plus air travel from Naples to Palermo ...........................$6,125Airfare from Kansas City to Italy and back .......................................................$1,500Total ......................................................$7,625

Added single supplement (if you want a single room at the hotels)................$750

Italy, including many works of Bernini, Ra-phael, Titian and Caravaggio. After a group dinner at an excellent Rome restaurant we will enjoy a farewell tour of Rome at night.

Friday, March 25, 2016. Today we will fly to the City of Catania on the island of Sic-ily and then transfer to the gorgeous resort city of Taormina on the eastern coast of Sicily, where we will enjoy a group lunch and visit the famed ancient Graeco Roman theatre. Taormina was founded in the 4th century and was an early Greek and (later) Roman town. It is said to be an "achingly beautiful spot with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre and sweeping views over the Gulf of Naxos and Mt Etna." (Lonely Planet). It was rediscovered by tourists in the 18th and 19th centuries and was a favorite spot of Goethe and D.H. Lawrence, among others.

Saturday, March 26, 2016. This morning we will spend in Siracusa (Syracuse), the sec-ond most important artistic center in the Greek world. It is rich in Greek history and famed as the birthplace of the preeminent math-ematician and engineer Archimedes. After a group lunch we will enjoy a private tour of the Teatro Bellini in nearby Catania and a visit to the Bellini Museum, and we hope to enjoy a performance that evening. The opera schedule has not yet been announced; if that is not pos-sible, then we may enjoy a private recital of bel canto masterpieces in a charming Catanese courtyard.

Sunday, March 27, 2016 (Easter Sunday). Today we will visit the beautifully preserved ancient Greek temples at Agrigento, enjoy a group lunch and journey to Palermo.

Monday, March 28, 2016. Today we enjoy a tour of the major Sicilian city of Pal-ermo, and will have a group lunch at one of Palmero's many excellent restaurants. Palermo is the home of the historic Teatro Massimo, another one of the world's great opera houses.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016. Today we will visit the city of Monreale on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the fertile valley called "La Conca d'oro" (the Golden Shell), famed for its orange, olive and almond trees. The medieval Cathedral at Monreale is one of the great examples of Norman architecture and one of the great churches in the world. We will enjoy a group lunch, have an optional tour that afternoon of the Palazzo Abetellis which houses the best art collection in Palermo, and have a group dinner. We hope to schedule

Temple Valley in Agrigento.

Teatro Massimo in Palmero.

If you have any questions please call our

tour guide, Rob Seaver, at (785) 505-7001

(he is seven hours ahead of us in Europe, so please be

considerate), or e-mail him at

seaver1952@gmail.com. Thanks!

RESERVATIONS - Kingdom of the Two Sicilies March 18-31, 2016 (please print legibly)

Full Names (as on driver’s license): ____________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone: (____) ________________ E-mail address: _______________________________________[check one] Single Room Double Room, sharing with _______________________

Any special dietary restrictions? ___________________________________________________ To reserve your spot on this trip, please send this form and a deposit of $1,000 per person by August

15, 2015. Your sending of a check constitutes a contract for you to join this trip. The remainder of your payment will be due on November 15, 2015. Please make your check payable to Lyric Opera Guild Trips and mail it to Don Dagenais, 5401 Brookside Blvd. # 503, Kansas City, MO 64112. If you wish to make your own air arrangements, let us know and we will deduct the air fare from your final payment (see trip cost summary above).

Cancellation Policy

Your deposit and reservation constitute a contract for you to go on this trip. Upon receiving your deposit we will expend substantial sums to pay for your costs of this trip. If you must cancel, you will still owe the balance of the trip charge, but we will return whatever portion of your trip costs we are able to recover. We strongly recommend trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment in this trip. Please call your travel agent or check with trip insurance providers online.

another performance for that evening.Wednesday, March 30, 2016. This morn-

ing will will enjoy a tour of the Teatro Mas-simo, have a farewell group lunch, enjoy some free time in the afternoon and then attend Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor that eve-ning at the Teatro Massimo.

Thursday, March 31, 2016. We return from Palermo to Kansas City.

Please note that this trip is longer than most of our previous European trips; it is four-teen days including travel days.

We hope you can join us!