TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION'S 2013 CRUISE
Contact: David O'Neill
Prairie Home Productions
Phone: 651-999-1095
Email: davido@prairiehome.us
December 8, 2012
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION'S 2013 CRUISE
APHC's next sea adventure takes travelers Barcelona to Venice, August 21–31
(St. Paul, Minn.)— Last year's cruise down the Iberian Coast was so much fun that Garrison Keillor and the folks at A Prairie Home Companion are busy planning for next summer's adventure at sea — a 10-day trip that begins where the last one left off: Barcelona.
Those signing up for the 2013 "APHC at Sea" will set sail from Barcelona aboard Holland America's ms Ryndam on Wednesday, August 21. From there, stops include Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Civitavecchia (gateway to Rome), Naples, Kotor (Montenegro), Ravenna, and on to Venice on Saturday, August 31.
Garrison says: With this cruise, you can check off on your lifetime list —
Marseille, France, a seaport city of a million, another place entirely from Paris, the entry point for immigrants, with a large Italian population, Algerians, Turks, and the gateway to Provence where all those Americans wrote books about discovering the secret of life.
Monte Carlo on the Riviera, playground of the rich and famous, home of the Place du Casino, a center for the reckless dispersal of wealth.
Livorno, Tuscany, gateway to Florence, the Duomo, Michelangelo's David, the Uffizi, and the best gelato in Italy.
Civitavecchia, gateway to Rome, birthplace of Western Civilization and also the home of two and a half million good-humored Romans and the cafés and coffee bars that cater to them. Plus the Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, and dozens of other fabulous churches. A great walking city. The ship will dock overnight so you can have an unrushed day and evening in the Eternal City.
Naples, a city of great pizza and great craziness — streets choked with Vespas, noisy markets, corrupt politicians — in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. You can visit nearby Pompeii, a Roman town of 200 B.C. preserved by the volcano's eruption.
Kotor, Montenegro, on a deep natural fjord on the Adriatic Sea, between Croatia and Bosnia and Albania, a handsome town of 23,500, surrounded by steep mountains, with narrow streets and squares in an Old Town well preserved from the 14th century, designed by the founders to be maze-like and confuse invaders.
Ravenna, Italy, a provincial town famous for its Byzantine churches, and nearby the Republic of San Marino, an independent state within Italy, where males enjoy the highest life expectancy (for men) of any nation in the world.
And finally, Venice, the city of canals and gondolas, of mask-makers, ornate (decaying) palaces, narrow mysterious streets, and marble bridges.
In addition to musicians, naturalists, and plenty of other talented experts, Garrison will welcome aboard Prairie Home regulars Tim Russell, Sue Scott, sound-effects man Fred Newman, and The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band with Richard Dworsky. There's never a dull moment — unless you want one.
The cruise is open to the public. Reservations can be made through A Prairie Home Companion's website at www.prairiehome.org. [The cruise is not a fundraiser for any public radio station, and no part of the associated cost is tax deductible.]
This Prairie Home Companion Cruise aboard the ms Ryndam from Holland America Lines is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media Group.
Currently in its 39th season, A Prairie Home Companion has made the fictional small town of Lake Wobegon part of American popular culture. The show is broadcast on some 600 public radio stations nationwide, with a weekly audience that tops 4 million listeners. The program can also be heard on the Armed Forces Network Europe, the Far East Network, and in dozens of European cities via the Astra satellite network.
Garrison Keillor has been the host and writer of A Prairie Home Companion since the program started production in 1974. He is also the author of more than a dozen books, including Lake Wobegon Days, Love Me, Homegrown Democrat, and his latest, Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny (Viking).
WHAT: APHC at Sea — Barcelona to Venice, A Prairie Home Companion's seventh cruise.
WHEN: August 21-31, 2013
WHO: Garrison Keillor and the APHC cast, plus dozens of special guests from the world of music, natural history, and more.
WHERE: The ship, the ms Ryndam from Holland America Lines, departs Barcelona and sails to Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Kotor (Montenegro), Ravenna, and Venice.
RESERVATIONS: Cabins on sale now. To book a reservation, go to www.prairiehome.org.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Go to www.prairiehome.org.