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Discover Rome &
Tuscany in October
with the Kelowna
Chamber of
Commerce’s “Travel &
Learn” Program
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St.
Peter’s Basilica
City tours of Rome, Florence & Assisi
Visit an agriturismo farmhouse in the
heart of Tuscany, meet the owners,
and enjoy an authentic Italian meal
Tour San Gimignano, the ‘medieval
Manhattan’
Tour the Leonardiano Museum
See St Francis’s Basilica in Assisi
Build lifetime memories
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PACKAGE INCLUDES
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Airport Transfers; Meet & Greet
Roundtrip Airfare Kelowna – Rome
Eight nights first class hotel
accommodation
Eight hot buffet breakfasts, one lunch
One Regional Meal, four dinners
Land transportation by luxury coach
Services of Trafalgar escort
Local Experts tour guides in Rome,
Florence & Assisi
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All taxes, fees, baggage handling
Maritime Travel Tote Bag
$4,124
Non-Chamber members pay $150 more.
Price is per person, double occupancy,
Canadian dollars. Deferred payment
plans protect against any increase.
Single Supplement is $520. We will
match up travelers when possible if you
request.
Travel now, pay later; or 12 or 24 month
equal payment plans. No interest and no
extra charges. Hudson’s Bay Credit Card
or MasterCard. See Page Six.
The Tuscan Countryside
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Itinerary
October 2 – DEPART KELOWNA OR VANCOUVER
Overnight flight to Rome aboard Air Canada (details follow)
Fly Air Canada Round-trip
October 3 - ARRIVE ROME
Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City.
The city stands on the Tiber River and
enjoys a long and celebrated history.
Relax after your journey. Later, meet
your Travel Director and fellow
travelers for a Welcome Reception.
Then, an orientation drive will show
you the Tiber and St. Peter’s Basilica –
a perfect introduction to the sights
which await you.
Meal: Welcome Reception
Hotel: Executive Style Hotel
Executive Style Hotel, Rome
Sheraton Golf Parco de Medici, Rome
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October 4 - ROME SIGHTSEEING – MONTECATINI
(TUSCAN HILLS) (6 NIGHTS)
Your included Small Group Sightseeing tour with a
local expert begins at the Vatican Museums.
Experience a unique insight in the Vatican when you
ascend the smooth and step-less spiral staircase
designed by famous architect Donato Bramante.
Admire Michelangelo's magnificent frescoed ceiling
in the Sistine Chapel, and then visit St. Peter's
Basilica to see his famous Pietà.
Your tour continues in ancient Rome where you view the enormous
Colosseum and the ancient Forum, once the centre of Roman rule.
Later, enjoy a spectacular scenic drive (about three hours) through
the Tuscan Hills to the spa resort of Montecatini, your home for
the next six nights.
Meals: Buffet Breakfast /Dinner with wine
Hotel: Adua & Regina di Saba Hotel Montecatini Terme
October 5 - SAN GIMIGNANO AND SIENA EXCURSION
Adua & Regina di Saba Hotel
Explore San Gimignano, known as the “medieval
Manhattan”, famed for its ring of towers which can
be seen from several kms away. Shop for locally
produced delicacies and hand-painted Tuscany
pottery.
Later, in Siena, see the Piazza del Campo, scene of the celebrated annual Palio horse race,
and the stunning marble Cathedral which dominates the town.
Meal: Buffet Breakfast
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October 6 - PISA AND VINCI EXCURSION
In the coastal town of Pisa see the famous Leaning Tower, the finely
sculpted marble Cathedral, and the ornate Baptistery of St. John.
Then travel to the scenic Tuscan
town of Vinci where you will enjoy a
unique insight into the life of
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Leonardo da Vinci with an included
visit to the Museo Leonardiano
containing one of the largest and most original collections
of machines and models of Leonardo da Vinci, inventor.
Baptistery of St. John
Join your fellow travelers tonight for a wonderful Be My
Guest dining experience with beautiful views over the Tuscan hills. A local host will prepare
your meal, your wine, and give you an authentic Italian experience.
Meals: Buffet Breakfast/Be My Guest Dining
October 7 - MONTECATINI AT LEISURE
Montecatini Terme is one of Italy’s most
popular thermal spa destinations. You
have the entire day to do exactly as you
please. Your Travel Director will be
available to make suggestions on how to
spend your day. You can visit the Market,
sip a cappuccino on a terrace, watch and
listen to the town’s residents as they go
about their daily work and social lives.
Meal: Buffet Breakfast
Market, Montecatini
Sheraton Golf Parco de Medici, Rome
Montecatini Hillside Town
Sheraton Golf Parco de Medici, Rome
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October 8 - FLORENCE EXCURSION
Your local expert gives you a fascinating account of the history of
Renaissance Florence during your walking tour. See the
magnificent Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. View the Ponte
Vecchio bridge, one of the city's most famous landmarks.
Meal: Buffet Breakfast
Fascinating Florence, Day 7
October 9 - MONTECATINI AT LEISURE
Enjoy a relaxed morning at the hotel before having a delicious regional meal in the Tuscan
countryside for lunch.
Meals: Buffet Breakfast/Regional Meal
Tuscany, agriturismo visit
October 10 - MONTECATINI – ASSISI – ROME
Set on the slopes of Mount Subasio, Assisi is the birthplace of
St. Francis. Visit the Basilica during your walking tour with a
local expert. In Rome tonight, celebrate the end of your
holiday with your companions at a farewell dinner.
Meals: Buffet Breakfast/Farewell Dinner
Hotel: Domus Mariae Palazzo Carpegna Hotel Rome
Basilica of St Francis
Fascinating Florence, Day 7
Fascinating Florence, Day 7
Hotel Domus Mariae Palazzo Carpegna, Rome
October 11 - ROME TO KELOWNA OR VANCOUVER
Say ‘arrivederci Roma’ at the end of an informative, wide-ranging and memorable Italian
vacation. Airport transfers.
Meal(s): Buffet Breakfast
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FLIGHT DETAILS – confirmed at March 1, 2014 [subject to change]
Thursday, October 2, 2014
7:00 am - Depart Kelowna YLW
AC 8313
7:58 am - Arrive Vancouver YVR
9:00 am – Depart Vancouver YVR
AC 34
4:19 pm – Arrive Toronto YYZ
6:50 pm – Depart Toronto YYZ
AC 890
9:20 am Friday October 3 – Arrive
Rome FCO
Saturday, October 11, 2014
12:20 pm – Depart Rome FCO
AC 891
4:00 pm – Arrive Toronto YYZ
7:30 pm – Depart Toronto YYZ
AC 1183
9:37 pm – Arrive Vancouver YVR
10:40 pm – Depart Vancouver YVR
AC 8422
11:40 pm – Arrive Kelowna YLW
Airfare: Airfare cost, which is included in total tour cost is subject to change without notice. Full
payment or Exclusive Payment Option will protect you against any fare increase or fuel surcharge.
Exclusive Payment Options: Pay in 12 or 24 month equal monthly
payments, interest free. Bookings charged on your Hudson’s Bay
MasterCard or your Hudson’s Bay Credit Card are on approved credit.
Program is not combinable with any other discount or offer unless
specified. Payment options and plan details may be changed or
discontinued at any time without notice. Maritime Travel will assist you
with any questions regarding airfare, points redemption, trip extensions,
or Hudson’s Bay payment options.
Lecture Series
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Profiles of Presenters – Spring/Summer 2014
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce introduced its “Travel and Learn Program” in 2014.
The program is aimed at Chamber members and non-members in the Okanagan community. In
partnership with its member travel agencies, and its member educational institutions, the Chamber is
able to provide an enriched travel and educational experience.
Excellent pricing, top-value tours – the world really has no limits for our programs. And with a worldclass university and one of the province’s great business and trades colleges on our doorstep, there is a
huge resource of experience, plus well-traveled and enthusiastic instructors keen to share their insights
with our travelers both before they travel, and in some cases, on return.
2014 sees three trips announced by the Chamber: Italy, including northern Tuscany and Rome in
October of 2014 is the first to be offered. Members and non-members are welcome to attend two
lecture sessions associated with the tour.
The first session is presented by Dr. Robert Belton, Associate Professor of Art History and Visual Culture
at UBC Okanagan. Dr Belton will address travelers, at a date and location to be announced in April, on
the classical and contemporary art of Italy. His lively presentation style, his breadth of knowledge and
experience, and his interactive speaking flair will charm audiences eager to absorb the feel and
substance of this fascinating corner of Europe.
In June, Dr Donna Senese of the University of BC Okanagan, returns from a six-week tour with a study
group in Italy, visiting, and living at, agriturismos. Dr Senese will speak knowledgeably and with current
information to the rural sustainability movement. [The Chamber’s travelers will spend an afternoon at
an agriturismo while on their tour, eating, meeting with the owners/farmers and learning.]
This first “Travel and Learn” trip departs Kelowna October 2 for Rome and Tuscany, returning October
11, 2014. Details are on the Chamber’s website under www.kelownachamber.org
New “Travel and Learn” programs will be announced from time to time by the Kelowna Chamber.
For more travel information, contact Sally or Jan at Maritime Travel: 250-860-0633, or go to
www.maritimetravel/kelowna. For program & lecture details, contact [email protected].
“Classical and Contemporary Art of Italy”
Dr Robert Belton
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Dr. Robert Belton
Associate Professor, Art History
Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
A wide selection of Dr. Belton's music can be found online at www.reverbnation.com/sharpeitomatoes
Credentials PhD, U of Toronto; BFA, U of Western Ontario
Expertise Art theory, criticism, and historiography; modern and contemporary European and North
American art and architecture; cognitive science and art; film and cultural studies; experimental music.
Dr. Robert Belton served as the first Dean of the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies from July 1, 2005
until June 30, 2010. Dr. Belton had earlier served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Okanagan
University College, as well as the first Provost of its College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to these
administrative roles, Dr. Belton taught courses in art history and theory at OUC, Queen's, Western, and
McMaster, where he received the Alma Mater Society Frank Knox Award for Teaching Excellence and
the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society Award for Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Belton's research has focused on Surrealist art and film, Canadian art and architecture, and issues of
art theory. In addition to numerous articles in journals and anthologies, he has published The
Beribboned Bomb: The Image of Woman in Male Surrealist Art; Sights of Resistance: Approaches to
Canadian Visual Culture; The Theatre of the Self: The Life and Art of William Ronald; and Art: The World
of Art, from Aboriginal to American Pop, Renaissance Masters to Postmodernism.
Dr. Belton has served on numerous boards and community organizations. Most recently, he was a
member of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, for which he also chaired the subcommittees
that offer awards for in B.C. aboriginal art and applied art and design.
Courses Taught
19th Century Art
20th Century Art
Aspects of the Art of the Americas
Art Theory and Criticism
Canadian Art
Contemporary Art
Contemporary Canadian Art
Design History, Theory, Criticism
Eighteenth Century French Art
European Baroque Art in the Seventeenth
Century
Experimental Music and Sound Art
Film Studies
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Marxism and Impressionism
Methodological Alternatives to the Study of
Michelangelo
Modern Architecture
Popular Music and Visual Culture
Popular Visual Culture
Renaissance Europe in a Global Context
Romanticism and Realism
Postmodern Architecture Surrealism in
Visual Arts, Film and Literature
The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock
Current Research Interests
Surrealist film; Alfred
Hitchcock's Vertigo; Man Ray' L'Etoile de mer
“The Agriturismo and Rural Sustainability”
Dr Donna Senese
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Dr. Donna Senese
Associate Professor, Geography
H.B.A.; MA Wilfrid Laurier; PhD, Waterloo
Research Interests
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Tourism, Parks and Protected Areas
Landscapes of Wine: Ecumene, Iconography and Cultural Diffusion
Wine, Food and Agriculture: Commodified Conceptions of Rurality
Hazards, Gender and Vulnerability
Research Support
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Parks Canada: The South Okanagan Lower Similkameen National Park Feasibility Study and the
Regional Tourism Industry: The Potential for Strategic Alliances in the South Okanagan and Lower
Similkameen Region of British Columbia.
SSHRC Aid to Small Universities: Terroirism and Winescape Iconography of the Okanagan (with
Bernard Momer)
UBCO Grant in Aid Fund: Terroirism Defined: Wine Ecumene meets a globalized tourism industry in
the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia (with Bernard Momer)
Professional Associations
 Canadian Association of Geographers
 Association of American Geographers
Teaching Portfolio
 GEOG 128 (3) Human Geography: Space, Place, and Community
 GEOG 129 (3) Human Geography: Resources, Development, and Society
 GEOG 265 (3) Tourism and Recreation Geography
 GEOG 365 (3) Parks and Outdoor Recreation
 GEOG 371 (3) Research Strategies in Human Geography
 GEOG 423 (3) Development of Environmental Thought
 GEOG 434 (3) Geography of Tourism Development
 GEOG 498 (3/6) Directed Studies in Geography
 GEOG 491 (3) Selected Topics in Geography: Wine Geographies
 In progress: GEOG 4xx (3) Field Studies in Human Geography
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Trafalgar Tours Insider Experiences
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Be My Guest Visit an Agriturismo farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany for a delicious
Italian meal. After a warm welcome by the family, walk through the olive groves and
lemon trees and taste some of the locally produced wines and olive oils.
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Local Expert in Rome, Florence and Assisi.
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Small Group Sightseeing In Rome, enjoy a guided visit to the Sistine Chapel with a
group size of no more than 25 guests to enhance your experience.
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Unique Insight Stop in Vinci - the town near where Leonardo da Vinci was born and visit
a museum dedicated to the master.
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Unique Insight Follow in the footsteps of Michelangelo and da Vinci when visiting the
Vatican Museums. Ascend the smooth and stepless spiral staircase designed by famous
architect Donato Bramante, in a part of the Vatican not open to the public.
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Hidden Treasure Enjoy at least one surprise Hidden Treasure experience, unique to your
itinerary, courtesy of your expert Travel Director.
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Easy-to-use headsets – hear everything.
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Wi-Fi onboard the buses and in hotel lobbies.
Kelowna Chamber Travel and Learn Partners:
Maritime Travel – Mill Creek Crossing
109-1912 Enterprise Way
Kelowna, BC
(250) 860-0633
Or Toll-free at 1-877-625-2044
Jan Fearn, Sally Heinrick
Education Partner
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
Advertising Partner
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Facts About Italy
Officially called the Italian Republic.
To the north, Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria,
and Slovenia, and is approximately delimited by the Alpine
watershed, enclosing the Po Valley and the Venetian Plain. To the
south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula and the two biggest Mediterranean
islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
Italian territory also includes the islands of Pantelleria, 60 km east of the Tunisian coast
and 100 km southwest of Sicily, and Lampedusa, at about 113 km from Tunisia and at
176 km from Sicily, in addition to many other smaller islands.
The sovereign states of San Marino and the Vatican
City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is
an Italian exclave in Switzerland. Italy covers an area of
301,338 km and has a largely temperate climate. With
60 million inhabitants, it is the 5th most populous
country in Europe. Italy is also the 4th-largest economy
in the European Union, 3rd in the Eurozone and 9th in
the world.
Italy's capital and largest city, Rome, has for centuries
been the leading political and religious centre of western
civilization, serving as the capital of both the Roman
Empire and Christianity. During the Dark Ages, Italy
endured cultural and social decline in the face of
repeated invasions by Germanic tribes, with Roman
heritage being preserved largely by Christian monks.
Beginning around the 11th century, various Italian cities, communes and maritime republics
rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and banking.
Italian culture flourished, especially during the Renaissance, which produced many notable
scholars, artists, and polymaths such as Galileo, Michelangelo, Leonardo da
Vinci and Machiavelli. Meanwhile, Italian explorers such as Polo, Columbus, Vespucci,
and Verrazzano discovered new routes to the Far East and the New World, helping to usher
in the European Age of Discovery.
Nevertheless, Italy would remain fragmented into numerous warring states for the rest of
the Middle Ages, subsequently falling prey to larger European powers such as France,
Spain, and later Austria. Italy would thus enter a long period of decline that lasted until
the beginning of the 18th century.
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After many unsuccessful attempts, the second and the third wars of Italian independence
resulted in the unification of most of present-day Italy between 1859 and 1866. From the
late 19th century to the early 20th century, the new Kingdom of Italy rapidly industrialized
and acquired a colonial empire becoming a Great Power. However, southern and rural Italy
remained largely excluded from industrialization, fueling a large and influential diaspora.
Despite victory in World War I as one of the Big Four with permanent membership in the
security council of the League of Nations, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and
social turmoil, which favoured the establishment of a Fascist dictatorship in 1922.
The subsequent participation in World War II, at the side of Nazi Germany and Japan
forming the Axis Alliance, ended in military defeat, economic destruction and civil war. In
the years that followed, Italy abolished the monarchy, reinstated democracy, and enjoyed a
prolonged economic boom, thus becoming one of the most developed nations in the
world, with the fifth largest economy by nominal GDP by the early 1990s.
Italy was a founding member of NATO in 1949 and one of the Inner Six of the European
Community in 1957, which became the EU in 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area, and
has been a member of the Eurozone since 1999.
Italy is considered to be both a major regional power and a leading middle power, with
membership in prominent institutions such as the UN, the EU, the NATO, the OECD,
the WTO, the Uniting for Consensus, the G6, G7,G8, G10, G20, the Union for the
Mediterranean, the Council of Europe and the Central European Initiative. Italy currently
maintains the world's tenth-largest nominal defence budget and is a participant in
the NATO nuclear sharing policy.
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Driving is on the right.
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Currency is the Euro.
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Time Zone: UTC + 1 (Greenwich Mean Time); Italy observes daylight saving time.
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Calling code: 39
Source: Wikipedia
The views over Assisi
To book your travel, call Sally or Jan at Maritime Travel: 250-860-0633, or go to www.maritimetravel/kelowna.
For more information on the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Travel & Learn Program & Lectures, please contact
Caroline Miller, Business Development: 250-469-7358 or [email protected]