Contessa’s is in the beginning stages of preparing a tour to the United Kingdom. The highlight of this trip is of course going to be Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey. We did start collecting names of interested parties last summer and fall. We will be in touch with those folks fairly soon by email. For those of you who may have an interest now, we keep a ledger with names and email addresses at the shop. Please ask Contessa if you would like to add your name to the list of possible travelers. You are under no financial obligation or in need to commit, at this early stage, but for the sake of numbers, it will help us plan if we know about how many of you may have a wish to go with us.
This tour, due to the popularity of the series on PBS has been on our drawing board for months. We have run into numerous hurdles and are still working with three group travel companies in the UK that have strong connections to Highclere. We must first secure tickets into the castle and then plan the tour around those very specific dates. We are looking at a time frame sometime between September 1st and September 15th of 2014. The windows of opportunity to actually secure access to the castle are very tight indeed.
Our USA resident tour coordinator is my personal friend of 30+ years and she owns her own tour and travel company. We will be visiting and planning at the shop on January 7th and 8th. Together we will be reviewing dates, prices and destination spots along the tour in Hampshire.
As developments of the tour materialize we will make specific announcements via our blog; http://www.contessas.wordpress.com Please subscribe to the blog on our home page and you will automatically receive up-to-date information as we plan this exciting event.
We want to remind you that once we are able to secure tickets, the window to lock in firm commitments can be short. The tour companies have so many requests that it’s definitely first come, first serve. If we are given dates, we must buy on the spot. So make sure this is a destination you really want to be part of.
This event will be fun and exciting. Prior to departure we will gather as a group at least twice so you will meet those who plan to go along. A 2014 Downton Abbey Calendar with beautiful pictures is available for purchase at Contessa’s now.
