A $500 DISCOUNT TO OUR FLORENCE RENDEZVOUS
Dear Subscriber:
I sent you a "regular" E-Letter last week, so I hope you will permit me the liberty of sending you this "irregular" E-Letter this week.
Instead of my usual commentary on a subject religious or cultural, this E-Letter is an invitation to you to join me at Catholic Answers' Rendezvous in Florence, Italy. The dates are April 10-20, 2008.
To induce a quick decision on your part, I'm offering you a discount of $500 per person if your reservation form is mailed by December 20.
The reservation form is found in the full-color brochure about the Rendezvous. You already may have received the brochure in the mail. If not, you can find a PDF version at http://www.catholic.com/florence.
The last page of the brochure is the reservation form. You can clip it out or print it out and mail it to us, along with your deposit ($1,000 per person). If your envelope is postmarked by December 20, we will reduce your total fee by $500 per person. The reduction will be reflected in our final pre-event billing to you.
The brochure provides most of the information you will need to make a decision, but below is an FAQ that answers common questions that are not covered by the brochure. If, after reading the brochure and the FAQ, you find that you have questions or concerns that have not been addressed, please telephone Sophia Sproule of our staff at 619-387-7200.
I hope to hear from you in the next few days. It would be great to have you with us in Florence!
AN FAQ ON THE FLORENCE RENDEZVOUS
1. Why is the Rendezvous limited to just 45 participants?
First, we want the Rendezvous to be a close-knit event, where everyone gets to know everyone. Second, Hotel Bernini has only one (very nice) meeting room, and 45 people will just about fill it. Third, 45 is the right number for the motor coach we'll be taking to Siena and San Gimignano.
2. Which arrival airport should I use?
On my last visit, I flew into Florence's Amerigo Vespucci Airport. I had to make a connection in Frankfurt, Germany, because no major U.S. airline flies directly from the U.S. to Florence. The airport is too small: only six gates. Many people choose to fly into Pisa, Milan, or Rome instead because those airports have direct flights from the U.S. From those cities you take a train to Florence's main station, Santa Maria Novella.
3. How do I get to the hotel?
From Florence's airport you can take a taxi to the hotel (about 25 euros) or a bus to Santa Maria Novella Station (4 euros). The station is half a mile from the hotel, about a 20-minute walk if pulling a wheeled suitcase. You also can take a taxi from the station to the hotel.
4. Will someone from Catholic Answers meet me at the airport or at the station?
No. Cherie Peacock and I will be the only Catholic Answers staff members at the Rendezvous, and we will be busy at the hotel, greeting participants as they arrive. As I note above, getting to the hotel is easy from either Florence's airport or from Santa Maria Novella Station.
5. How can I learn more about Hotel Bernini?
Go to the Baglioni Hotels web site. You will find photos of the rooms and the public spaces. Pay particular attention to this page. It shows the Sala Parlamento. It's where we'll have our breakfasts and some of our group dinners. The room got its name because it was where Members of Parliament met when Florence served as the capital of Italy (1865-1870). The room has the original frescoed ceiling and decorations.
6. What is nearby the hotel?
Hotel Bernini is located in the small Piazza San Firenze. Just outside the door is a church where some of our daily Masses may be held. At the far end of the piazza is the Badia, an abbey where there is regular Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Across from the Badia is the Bargello sculpture museum. A few hundred feet around the corner from the piazza are the Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio.
7. How difficult will the walking be during our daily tours?
Many of the places we will visit are within five minutes' walk of our hotel. The furthest away is a church that can be reached with a fifteen-minute stroll. We will do more walking within some churches and museums than we will in getting to them! Unlike Rome, which has many ups and downs, the "centro storico" (historic center) of Florence is flat. And, unlike much of Rome, Florence has real sidewalks--no cobblestones to stumble over!
8. Is it hard to find your way around Florence?
It's much easier than in Rome. The streets are mostly rectilinear in layout, and the "centro storico" is small. You can walk across it the long direction in ten minutes. From many places you can get your bearings just by looking up: the gigantic Duomo is hard to miss. Our hotel, which is very near the center of the "centro storico," is a few steps from the Uffizi gallery. If you ever find yourself "misplaced," just walk up to any Florentine, look puzzled, and ask "Uffizi?" You will be pointed in the right direction.
9. What if I don't speak Italian?
Not to worry. Florence survives on tourism, and, since most tourists speak English as a first or second language, most Florentines speak English too. Workers in shops and restaurants often speak excellent English.
10. Do I need to know much about Italian art, history, or culture?
The only requirement is that you arrive with an inquiring mind. For those in a position to do some reading before leaving home, we will provide a suggested reading list, but your Rendezvous experience will not be hampered much if you are unable to hit the books as you might wish.
11. Is the Rendezvous appropriate for young people?
We have geared the program toward intelligent adults. Older teenagers can profit from it, but it probably would not be suitable for children younger than that.
12. What about a dress code?
Don't bother with a coat and tie, guys. The Rendezvous is intended to be informal, comfortable, ease-inducing. On the other hand, no one should bring shorts, even if the weather promises to be warm. (No matter how warm the weather, Italians don't wear shorts except at the beach. Anyone walking around an Italian city in shorts is pegged as an uncouth American.)
13. The Rendezvous isn't exactly cheap. How does its cost compare to similar events?
Quite favorably, I think. The Smithsonian Institution and the Commonwealth Club of California, for example, sponsor annual events in Florence. Our Rendezvous differs in three key ways.
First, it's cheaper. The per-day rates are as follows:
- Smithsonian Institution: $654/day
- Commonwealth Club: $795/day
- Catholic Answers (full rate): $550/day
- Catholic Answers (after early registration discount): $500/day
Second, the Smithsonian and Commonwealth Club use Hotel Brunelleschi--a very nice hotel, but not as nice as our Hotel Bernini and not as conveniently located.
Third, you will learn more at our Rendezvous, and we have a much better roster of speakers. The Smithsonian and Commonwealth Club events have almost identical itineraries. A locally-based guide takes participants around. They spend most of their time just with the guide. There are no more than three lectures by other speakers. We provide about 15 lectures by top Catholic speakers. Those other groups can't boast anyone of the caliber of Ralph McInerny or Joseph Pearce, for example. We also offer a spiritual component that the other groups can't. In short, our Rendezvous fills not just your eyes but also your heart and mind.
14. The single occupancy supplement is $1,500. It sounds a bit steep.
It is, but it's only what the hotel is charging us. The hotel charges a daily single-occupancy supplement of 100 euros, about $150. For ten nights' lodging, that's $1,500. |
[TOP]
C A T H O L I C A N S W E R S :
of
Discuss
Index
Prior issue
Next issue
Sign up