NFMC’s  Europe Tour 

        Come 02 Aug 2019, each Veteran and Veer Nari of the 46 member NFMC Team  is going to echo Nostradamus’s last words, “ Tomorrow at sunrise, I shall not be here.”, even as they head for Rome via Dubai on their Emirates flights past midnight 02/03 Aug from  Mum/Del/Hyd . The morning sun of 03 Aug shall beam on their aircraft as they lift off from Dubai early morning to arrive Rome, half past one local noon time.

     This 10 day tri-nation tour to Europe was conceived even before the success of the 40 member NFMC Trination tour of Singapore-Malaysia and Thailand.  To have a peep into that phenomenal tour of last year, please click the link below.

https://rajdutta26.blogspot.com/2018/09/singapore-malaysia-thailand-tour_13.html   

    So while the Tri-nation return team was still basking in the glory of the tour, the mind of Cdr Vijay Vadhera Secy NFMC and the Tour Leader was racing to plan next years tour to Europe. He contacted Veer Vikram Singh, the proprietor of Travel Edge Tours and Travels to work out a similar tour to 3 European nations. By early Feb Veer put forward the prelim plans for Italy, Switzerland and France. The tour became oversubscribed in no time and the group of 46 have already paid up the tour expenses of 2L per head to the operators. The Euro Rail trip Zurich-Paris and the Cable car ride over mount Titlis shall be about 200 Euros extra.

    The bonhomie among the team members of this exclusive, What's App group is praiseworthy. The members have already created their Birthday/ Anniv list and commenced wishing each other on their auspicious Days.

THE ROMAN HOLIDAY  

DAY-1  The team shall arrive in Rome on the afternoon of 03 Aug and settle down in Hotel ‘Holiday Inn Rome Pisna’. Day 1 is for Relax and Recuperation with Indian Dinner at a Local Restaurant.

 DAY-2 (04Aug) Next morning after a Sumptuous Breakfast the team proceeds for the Vatican City Tour, a visit to Sistine Chapel Museum and St Peter’s Basilica during the forenoon hours. The afternoon is dedicated to Rome attractions Viz, Colosseum, Circa Massimo, Pantheon and the Roman Forum, Spanish Steps and other tourist attractions. The Lunch / Dinner have been opted for a Mixed Cuisine by the entire team. 

LEANING AGAINST THE PISA 

DAY-3 (05Aug) After Breakfast the team checks out from Hotel and proceeds to Pisa (365 km) by Bus for a walking Tour of Piazza Die Miracoli, Piazza Die Cavalieri, the Leaning Tower and some monuments around. After the Pisa visit the team relishes Lunch in a local Restaurant and proceeds by Bus to Florence(90 km) and checks into Hotel ‘Garden Inn Florence Novoli’.

FLORENCE  VISIT 

DAY-4 (06Aug) After a grand breakfast, the team checks out and proceeds to Florence City, hailed as the world’s cultural capital and the Birthplace of the Renaissance movement. Here they shall be treated to its most alluring attractions: Florence Cathedral, Bargello, Complesso di San Firenze, Piazza DellaSignoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Palazzo Pitti, Giardino di Boboli, Piazzale Michelangelo and much more. Post Lunch it shall be a 270 km drive to Venice, the floating ‘City of Love’ (remindful of the Italian song, ‘Amore Mio…’), where the team shall check into Hotel Crown Plaza Padova.

 VENETIAN DELIGHT

DAY-5 (07Aug) : Largely regarded as one of the most romantic places ever built by man, the city of Venice is spread across 118 islands collectively earning it the nicknames of the City of Water and the City of Bridges. Other than the bridges, though, the city abounds in museums, basilicas and other historic sights. For a chance to visit some of these and learn more about Venice. Doge's Palace, Campanile of San Marco, Piazza San Marco, San Marco Clock Tower, Basilica Patriarcale Di S. Marco, Fonda codei Tedeschi, Chiesa Cattolica Parrocchiale S. Salvador, Rialto Bridge, Basilica di Santa Maria GloriosadeiFrari, Campo Santa Margherita and much more. (Don't miss the Venetian Delight song 'Amore Mio' below)

DAY-6 (08Aug) : A long Bus drive from Venice to the largest Swiss City Zurich (540 km, drive time 6:30 hrs) via Lake Como. The team shall arrive Zurich in the evening and check into Hotel Swissotel Zurich.

PANORAMA OF  SWISS  ALPS

DAY-7 (09Aug) : After Breakfast the team proceeds to Mt Titlis by Bus (90km) for an Excursion over the Panoramic Uri Alps by Cable car, located on the border between the cantons of Obwalden and Bern. At 3,238 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit of the range north of the Susten Pass, between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland. 

   After the most scenic delight of Titlis,  the team shall drive to Lucerne for a City tour. Lucerne Railway Station- The Lucerne Railway Station is the main hub of Switzerland's rail network. Chapel Bridge -The Chapel Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne. Jesuit Church (Jesuitenkirche) - This beautiful church is considered to be the first large baroque style church of Switzerland. 

DAY-8 (10Aug) : (Zurich-Jungfrau-Interlaken-Zurich) After a sumptuous Buffet Breakfast the team proceeds to Jungfrau  by Train from Grindelwald Grund- 87 km approx. Drive Time 1. Hrs. Post Lunch proceed to Interlaken visit Roman Catholic Church, Garden of Friendship, Höheweg, Casino Kursaal, Covered Bridge, Stadthausplatz and return to Swissotel Hotel Zurich after a local Dinner. 

AN  EVENING  IN  PARIS

DAY-9 (11Aug) : An early Breakfast shall be the need of the hour, to board the TGL Euro Rail at 0934 hrs from Zurich to Paris, Arr 1337 hrs. Have Lunch enroute to Hotel Suites Paris Velizy. The treat for the evening lined up are Seine River Cruise and  Leisure Time at Eiffel Tower (3^rd Level ) both before and after Sunset. 

DAY-10 (12Aug) : A city tour of Paris is lined up for Day 10 after a relishing Buffet Breakfast at the Velizy Hotel. A visit to Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie, Luxembourg Gardens, Pantheon, Montmartre, Sacred-Heart Basilica, Tuileries Gardens, Louvre from outside, Concorde Square, Champs Elysées, Arch of Triumph are all on the cards. The city tour shall continue after Lunch at a Local Restaurant. Overnight at Hotel Suites Paris Velizy. (The song 'An evening in Paris' from the movie by identical name is posted below)

DAY-11 (13Aug) : Last day of the enriching Trination tour. After a delicious Buffet Breakfast, the team proceeds to Excursion tour of Versailles, followed by an exquisite Lunch at a Local Restaurant prior to Airport transfer for the Emirates Flights at 1800 hrs, back to the respective places of Departures, ie MUM/DEL/HYD via Dubai. Of course, the eyes are bound to moisten after Pappiyan-Jappiyan.

DAY-12 (14Aug) : All flights from Paris arrive at destinations via Dubai as follows.

Arrival Mumbai – 1410 hrs,Arrival Delhi – 1445 hrsArrival Hyd – 2015 hrs.

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P.S.

At Venice a ride on a Gondola is irresistible... Let's sail on one of those from the movie 'The Great Gambler'  singing..."Amore Mio" an Italian Love song.

The Tour culminates in Paris...Reminded of our childhood song by Shammi Kapoor singing from the movie by same name, 'An Evening in Paris' .... Do Enjoy.

About the Author

Commander Rajinder Dutta (Retd) has been a Naval Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor with about 3000 hrs of flying on various fixed wing Aircraft of Indian Navy, viz HT-2, HPT-32, Kirans, Islander, Super Connie, Fokker F-27 and IL-38.

 He is a Master of Ceremonies and a blogger. http://rajdutta26.blogspot.com/