FRED PLOTKIN leads popular tours and seminars in North America and Europe and appears frequently as a speaker on cruise ships, especially Crystal Cruises. Attending an opera with Fred was included in the book, “100 Vacations to Enrich Your Life” (by Pam Grout; National Geographic Books, 2007). This article  http://www.everettpotter.com/blog/2010/02/vienna-with-fred-.html gives you a sense of the experience of traveling with Fred

                                                        2012

May 9-21, 2012: Fred will be the destination speaker on the beautiful Crystal Symphony, traveling from Barcelona to Southampton, England. The name of this itinerary is Iberian Journey. In Spain there will be 4 ports (Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Málaga) that combine culture and pleasure. We will visit Tangiers (Morocco) before heading to the beautiful Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Oporto. The last port of call will be Bordeaux, France, where we will stay overnight. All along the route there will be great wine, food, music and art, both on land and on the ship. Crystal has been named the very best cruise line for the past 16 years by readers of the Condé Nast Traveler http://www.crystalcruises.com/VoyageDetail.aspx?CID=221

Sept 5-14: Fred will be the speaker on the beautiful Silversea Sea Cloud,  traveling from Barcelona to Rome with stops at gorgeous ports on the French and Italian Rivieras, plus a day in Corsica and an overnight in Livorno, with access to much of Tuscany. This is a lovely, welcoming ship with delicious food and wine. http://www.silversea.com/destinations/plan-voyage/?voyage=1222&year=2012.

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HERE IS TRAVEL WITH FRED FROM 2010:

1. •July 15-24, 2010: Opera Lover’s Italy with Smithsonian Journeys. We will attend Verdi’s Aïda at the Terme di Caracalla, an all-Schumann concert at the Ravello Festival, and two rare works by Donizetti (Gianna da Parigi) and Nino Rota (Napoli Millionaria) at the Valle d’Itria Festival in Puglia. There will be sublime regional meals, a cooking class, visits to gorgeous towns such as Lecce, Locorotondo, and Matera. Five nights in beguiling Martina Franca, two nights in inimitable Ravello, one night in Rome: http://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/tours/italianoperapugliarome2010?display=description#pageTitle
   

1. •August 14-25, 2010: Speaker on Crystal Symphony, sailing from      Stockholm to London, including calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Copenhagen and Oslo. http://www.crystalcruises.com/VoyageDetail.aspx?CID=0219
   

1. •Sept 20-29, 2010: Music Cruise in the Classical World, with Smithsonian Journeys: Smithsonian Journeys - Music Cruise/Classical World
   

1. •October 11-22, 2010: Speaker on Crystal Symphony, sailing from New York City to Montreal, with calls at Newport, Boston, Portland, St. John, Halifax and Quebec City. http://www.crystalcruises.com/VoyageDetail.aspx?CID=0224&RK=NEC
   

From 2011:

NEW FOR 2011: VIENNA, SALZBURG, MUNICH for Music, Food and Wine

THE PLEASURES OF AUSTRIA: MUSIC, ART, FOOD AND WINE IN VIENNA AND SALZBURG (AND A DAY TRIP TO MUNICH)  

JUNE 4-14, 2011

Join Fred Plotkin, passionate expert on everything relating to the pleasures that Austrians are keen on. Vienna is the music capital of Europe, a title it only occasionally cedes to Salzburg. Both cities resound with the melodies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss and great composers from other nations. These are also centers of literature, science, politics, philosophy and splendid food and wine traditions. Enjoy all of this, as well as splendid natural scenery and a special day trip to Munich for a performance of Der Rosenkavalier. This itinerary includes 4 opera performances, 1 operetta, 3 concerts; visits to homes of Mozart, Beethoven and Lehár; superb meals planned by Fred (including one under the dome of Vienna's top museum); a dedicated wine tasting; lots of outstanding pastries; and fascinating talks by Fred Plotkin. FOR INFORMATION OR BOOKING,  contact Margot Cushing at Frosch Travel: margot.cushing@frosch.com; 212/784-0259

DETAILS:

Sat June 4: Fly US to Vienna

Sun June 5: Land in Vienna, transfer to hotel.

Check in to Hotel Le Meridien Vienna. Opernring 13-15, (43) (1) 588900

Afternoon on own.

6:30 PM depart for the Schreiberhaus Heuriger in the wine district at the edge of Vienna   

7:00 PM-9:00 PM Buffet meal with local Viennese wine.

9:00 PM: depart for hotel

Mon June 6:

Breakfast on your own

10 AM-11 AM: Fred will discuss Vienna--Europe’s capital city of music 

11 AM to 5:30 PM:  A day on your own to explore Vienna

5:30 PM      Dinner at the Rote Bar Restaurant of the Sacher Hotel. Planned menu includes Tafelspitz and Sachertorte

time TBD: attend Richard Strauss's "Salome" at the State Opera starring Catherine Nagelstad. Conductor, Peter Schneider

Tue June 7:

Breakfast on your own

9:15 AM walk to Spanish Riding School

10 AM-12 PM: Attend morning practice at the Spanish Riding School

12 PM: Walk with Fred to the Michaelskirche, where Mozart worshipped. Then continue down the Kohlmarkt to the historic Graben, frequented by Mozart and many Viennese artists in the 18th century.

1 PM-2:30 PM: Lunch at Die Schwarze Kameel, in business since 1618 and known to Mozart.

2:30 PM: Walk to Mozart’s house for a one-hour visit on own, with Fred available for questions.

4 PM: Walk back to hotel or take time on own

time TBD: meet at hotel to walk to the Vienna State Opera

time TBD: Piotr Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" at the State Opera starring Maija Kovalevska and Peter Mattei. Michael Güttler, conductor

Wed June 8:

Breakfast on your own

10 AM-11 AM: Fred will discuss the complex food and wine traditions of the Hapsburg Empire

11:15 AM: Walk to the Vienna Secession building, visit on own 

12:15 PM-1:30 PM: Walk to Naschmarkt, visit the market, purchase snacks at any stand that appeals to you

1:30 PM-4 PM: Time on own

4:30 PM: Transport from hotel to the Cafe Weimar near the Vienna Volksoper

5:00 PM-6:30 PM: dinner at Cafe Weimar

7:00 PM-9:30 PM: Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow" at the Vienna Volksoper

9:45 PM: Transport back to hotel

Thu June 9:

Breakfast on own

An Excursion Devoted to Vienna Residences of Ludwig van Beethoven

11:30 AM: Board coach at hotel and travel to Heiligenstadt

12:00 PM-12:45 PM: Visit Beethoven Wohnung. In this house, Beethoven wrote his 4th Symphony and, in 1802, the "Heiligenstadt Testament" in which he despaired over his deafness. Read copies of the Testament and discuss Beethoven with Fred in the courtyard of the house

12:45 PM Walk a couple of blocks to Mayer am Pfarrplatz, the building where Beethoven lived in 1817. We will have a wine tasting of 1. Gemischte Satz; 2. Cuvée Eroica, a complex and aromatic white wine; 3. Beethoven no.9, (a Traminer). Fred will talk to you about Viennese wine traditions. Have a small snack with your wine before boarding the coach.

1:45 PM: Return to coach and travel to Beethoven Eroicahaus

Visit from 2 PM to 2:30 PM. Beethoven lived here in the summer of 1803 in what was then Vienna Oberdöbling suburb, surrounded by fields, gardens and vineyards. It was here that he worked on the 3rd “Eroica” Symphony

2:30 PM: Board coach and travel to the Pasqualatihaus.   Beethoven lived, here supported by his mentor Johann Baptist Freiherr von Pasqualati, from 1804 to 1808 and then again from 1810 to 1814 in the brickwork house on the old city wall. It was here that several of the most important compositions, including work on"Fidelio,” were created. Visit from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM

3:45 PM  Board coach to return to hotel or stay in this chic part of Vienna and stroll back to the hotel on the elegant Herrengasse.

TIME TBD: Dinner and gallery tour at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Austria’s leading art museum, with an excellent restaurant.

Fri June 10:

Breakfast on own. Check out of hotel.

11 AM: Depart by bus for Salzburg. Fred will talk on the bus about Salzburg

2:30 PM: arrive in Salzburg. Check into Goldener Hirsch Hotel.

5 PM-6:45 PM: Dinner at the Goldener Hirsch restaurant

7:30 PM : attend Saverio Mercadante's "I Due Figari" conducted by Riccardo Muti, at the Haus für Mozart

Sat June 11:

Breakfast on own

9:30 AM-10:15 AM: Fred will talk about Naples and music

11 AM: Pergolesi concert with Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini, conductor, at the Mozarteum (Schwarzstrasse 28)

1:15 (approx) PM-2:45 PM : Traditional all-organic Austrian lunch at Wirtshaus zum Hirschenwirt

3:00 PM-4:45 PM: Visit Mozart Residence on Makartplatz

6:45 PM: Depart for the Haus für Mozart

7:30 PM: attend Handel's "Aci, Galatea and Polifemo" starring Vivica Genaux, conductor René Jacobs at the Haus für Mozart

Sun June 12:

Breakfast on own. Restful Sunday morning in Salzburg

11:30 AM: Gather at hotel, walk to bus

11:45 AM: Travel by bus to Munich

2:00-4:00 PM: arrive in Munich, meal at Seehaus im Englischen Garten

6 PM-10:45 PM: Attend Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" at The Bavarian State Opera. Stars Anja Harteros, Kate Aldrich, Peter Rose. Conductor Leif Segerstam.     

11 PM: Return to Salzburg by bus, reach hotel about 1 AM.

Mon June 13:

Breakfast on own.

10:15 AM: Set out for Felsenreitschule on foot

11 AM: Attend Cherubini Requiem in C-minor, conducted by Riccardo Muti, at the Felsenreitschule.

12:30 PM-6:40 PM: Tour to Bad Ischl and Wolfgangsee.

12:30 PM: Travel by coach on Route 158 to Bad Ischl.

1:45-4:45 PM:   Bad Ischl Visit Kaiser Villa, home of Emperor Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth,  and the home of composer Franz Lehár

      Stop for coffee and strudel.

4:45 PM: depart for St. Gilgen, arrive 5:15 PM

See house where Mozart’s mother, Anna Maria Pertl, was born in 1720. Short walk through town, which is where sister Nannerl also lived.

6 PM: depart for Salzburg. Arrive at hotel approximately 6:40 PM

7:30 PM: Walk from hotel to Stiftskeller St. Peter for farewell dinner and concert

8 PM: Farewell Mozart dinner and concert

Tue June 14: flights back to the US. Auf Wiedersehen!

FOR INFORMATION OR BOOKING,  contact Margot Cushing at Frosch Travel: margot.cushing@frosch.com; 212/784-0259

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Here is travel with Fred from 2011:

CRUISES in 2011:

September 7-19, 2011: Fred will speak on the elegant Silversea Silver Cloud, traveling from Southampton, England to Barcelona. There are three stops in France, including an overnight in Bordeaux, as well as visits to Lisbon, Portugal and Bilbao, Cádiz, and Malaga in Spain. An itinerary full of cultural and culinary riches. http://www.silversea.com/destinations/plan-voyage/?voyage=1124

November 16-27, 2011: Fred will be the destination speaker on the beautiful Crystal Serenity, traveling from Venice to Barcelona. The name of this itinerary is Italian Splendor as it includes 5 ports (Venice, Catania, Naples, Civitavecchia/Rome and Livorno/Florence). We will also visit Koper (Slovenia) and Dubrovnik. This ship has been named the very best on the seas for the past decade by readers of the Condé Nast Traveler:: http://www.crystalcruises.com/VoyageDetail.aspx?CID=1324