Exceptional EuropeDo ordinary things with extraordinary love…

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Exceptional“Exceptional results arrive only when exceptional people put in an exceptional effort” - Peter Thomas

Keukenhof Gardens – The Netherlands

Second smallest continent

Europe

Home to the largest country in the world (Russia)The Kremlin, Red Square, Moscow

And the smallest country in the world (Vatican City)Vatican city, Rome, Italy

and the smallest town in the world (Hum, Croatia)

Hum, Croatia

Wealthiest continent

GDP per capita

Epic travel opportunities – either by planeFlying from UK

Or by train

Rome to Florence 1h 34m

Florence to Venice 2h 19m

Brief history

• The appearance of humans in Europe—as early as about 38,000 B.C.

• 27th century B.C. – Minoans, Ancient Greece

• 1st century B.C. - The Empire of Rome had risen

• 1,300 Famine and Black Death • 14th century – Renaissance• 18th century – Industrial

revolution• 1993 – EU

Greek influence on Western civilization

Roman influence on Western civilization

1. The Roman numerals2. Aqueduct 3. Modern plumbing and

sanitary management4. Using arches to build

structures5. Air conditioning6. First surgical tools7. Developing concrete8. Roads9. “Modern laws”10.The Julian calendar 11.The use of apartments 12.Postal services

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Megalithic Temples, Malta

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Knossos Palace, Crete

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Roman Forum, Rome

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Roman Baths, Bath, England

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Arena of Nîmes, France

Reminders of Europe’s long history

Windsor Castle, England

Different Cultures, Traditions and Events• 50 countries • 24 official languages• 200 spoken languages in Europe

Religious Traditions

Religious Traditions

Religious Traditions

Festivals•The Carnival Of Venice – Venice, Italy (Mar)•St. Patrick’s Day – Ireland (Mar 17)•Carnava – Southern regions of Netherlands (Mar)•Cannes Film Festival – Cannes, France (May)•Glastonbury Festival – Somerset, England (Jun)•Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Scotland (Aug)•San Fermin – Pamplona, Spain (Jul)•Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany (Sep)•Rock Im Park – Nuremberg, Germany (Jun)•Water Jousting – Sete, France (Aug)•Klapa Music Festival – Omis, Croatia (Jun)•La Tomatina Festival – Buñol, Spain (Aug) •The Carnival Of Ivrea – Ivrea, Italy (Feb)•Lavender Mob – Digne-les Bains in Provence, France (Aug)•Flamenco Fair – Saint Matthew, Spain (Sep) • Dead Good Fun – Galicia, Spain (Jul)

• Noble Grapes – Saint Helen, Sardinia, Italy (Sep)• Mad For Folk – Abruzzo, Italy (Aug)• Pizzafest – Naples, Italy (Jun)• La Tamborrada (Drum Festival) – San Sebastian, Spain (2020)• Creamfields – Daresbury, England (2020)• Up Helly Aa – Shetland’s island, Scotland (2020)• Amsterdam Light Festival – The Netherlands, (Nov–Jan)• Dimensions Festival – Dalmatian coast, Croatia (Aug)• Reading & Leeds Festival – England (Aug) • Bratislava Music Festival – Slovakia, (Sep – Oct)• Tomorrowland – Boom, Belgium (Jul)• Sziget Festival – Budapest, Hungary, (Aug)• Colours Of Ostrava – Ostrava, Czech Republic (Jul) Dates may vary

Architecture

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Architecture

Budapest, Hungary

Architecture Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Familia - interior, Barcelona, Spain Sagrada Familia - exterior, Barcelona, Spain

Architecture

Prague, Czech Republic

Architecture

Prague, Czech Republic Toledo, Spain

Literature Art Homer - Iliad

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – Prometheus

William Shakespeare –Romeo & Juliet

J.R.R Tolkien –Lord of the Rings

Franz Kafka –The Metamorphosis

Dante Alighieri –Inferno

Victor Hugo –Les Miserables

Hans Christian Andersen – The Little Mermade

Fyodor Dostoevsky–Crime and Punishment

Charles Dickens–Oliver Twist

Visual Art The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli – Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci – Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

Visual Art The Night Watch, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn –Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Sunflowers, Vincent Van Gogh, - Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Visual Art Water Lilies, Claude Monet – Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris

The Louvre Museum – Paris, France

The Vatican Museum – Rome, Italy

Performing arts

Epidaurus, Greece

Performing arts

West End, London

Performing arts

La Scala Opera House - Milan, Italy

Performing arts

Vienna State Royal Opera House - Austria

Performing arts

Paris Opera Ballet

7 of the top 10 tourist sites are in Europe• Colosseum, Rome, Italy• Louvre Museum, Paris, France• Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy• Eiffel Tower, Paris, France• Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona,

Spain• Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, Netherlands• Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

Anne Frank House

Others that did not make the cutRialto Bridge, Venice

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

The Houses of Parliament, London

Trevi Fountain, Rome

Acropolis, Athens

Mont Saint-Michel - Normandy, France

Hagia Sophia – Istanbul, Turkey

Over 400 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Alhambra – Granada, Spain

Beautiful National ParksPlitvice Lakes, - Croatia

Beautiful Lakes

Plitvice Lakes, - Croatia Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

Beautiful Beaches

Black Sand Beach, Iceland

Beautiful Views

Cappadocia, Turkey

Beautiful Views

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Home of fashion

Home of the most expensive cars

Bugatti Bentley

Rolls-RoyceAston Martin

Home of the most expensive watches• Patek Philippe• Vacheron Constantin• Audemars Piguet• Blancpain• Ulysse Nardin• Jaeger-LeCoultre• Rolex• Omega• Chopar• IWC Schaffhausen

French cuisine - World Intangible Heritage

Cuisine

Best Culinary Schools Culinary Arts Academy, SwitzerlandLe Cordon Bleu, Paris, FranceApicius, Italy

Most Michelin Star Restaurants (2020)France – 628Italy – 374Germany – 307

Chefs with most Michelin starsAlain Ducasse (19)Pierre Gagnaire (14)Martin Berasategui (12)Yannick Alleno (10)Anne-Sophie Pic (8)Gordon Ramsay (7)

Wine

Wine

Champagne

Cognac, Whisky and Guinness

Chocolate

Best Hospitality and Tourism schools in the world

Exceptional Europe - the very beginning

• 1996 - First luxury USA Tour Operator to sell Europe

• 37 Hotels

Bonty Escallon (right) – Director of PD EuropeTerry Follosco (left) – Creative Director

and today…Over 350 preferred contracted hotels in 20 countries across EuropeOver 1,200 hotels (Classic Preferred and Expedia affiliated hotels) across 27 countries

• Austria• Belgium• Croatia• Cyprus (*E only) • Czech Republic• Denmark• England• Finland (*E only)• France• Germany• Greece• Hungary• Iceland (*E only)

• Ireland• Italy• Monaco• Montenegro• Netherlands• Norway (*E only)• Portugal• Romania (*E only)• Russia (*E only)• Scotland• Spain• Sweden (*E only)• Switzerland• Turkey

*E – Expedia Affiliated Hotels

Europe product team…

Mrs. Bonty Escallon PD Europe Director

Ivana Tudic Sr. PD Manager

Joanie Maro PD Manager

Asimina PloumpiEurope Product Coordinator

Our President…

Our amazing Sales team…

And everyone else at Classic Vacations is here for YOU…

With The Classic Difference

Let’s Chat!

Contact your Strategic Account Manager (SAM) to set up a call with Europe team/partnersSJC-CVBDM@expedia.com

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The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra…

Northern lights, IcelandThe Carpet of Flowers Festival, Brussels, Belgium

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