Globus Unveils 2009 Epicurian-Themed Vacations, River Cruises

Globus' Food & Wine vacations offer a new way to travel. The trips, developed in conjunction with Burt Wolf, the award-winning host of numerous food and travel television shows, immerse guests into local cuisine and wine through a new collection of culinary vacations and cruises.

Globus’ 2009 Food & Wine vacations include five domestic and international tours ranging from eight to 12 days and three European river cruises ranging from 12 to 14 days.  Below are a few highlights:

Culinary New England (eight days) – This vacation begins at the oldest restaurant in Boston, opened in 1826, and continues with Faneuil Hall, a 250-year-old marketplace. Travelers will visit a 300-acre apple orchard in Vermont which includes breakfast at the Apple Barn and Country Back Show and cooking demonstration at the New England Culinary Institute.  In Montpelier, travelers will tour the Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks and Cabot Creamery.  (Priced from $2,219; land-only)

Bordeaux Wine Country, Lourdes and Provence (11 days) – Beginning in Paris, travelers attend a welcome dinner with wine, guided sightseeing and a visit to the Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School for a demonstration and tasting.  Next, they’ll travel via high-speed TGV train to the Bordeaux wine region and enjoy lunch and a wine tasting in St. Emillion as well as a tasting at the Museum of Chocolate.  They’ll spend two nights in Lourdes, stop for lunch and a pâté tasting in the medieval walled city of Carcassonne and dinner at a local restaurant in Nîmes.  An included excursion takes them to Pont du Gard and to Avignon.  This tour ends with two nights in Monte Carlo.  (Priced from $3,029; land-only)

Flavors of Burgundy and Provence (11 days) – On this cruise and tour, travelers visit the region’s vineyards and countryside.  The vacation begins in Paris followed by a drive south to Chalon-sur-Saône, where guests will board the new Avalon Scenery.  The cruise is seven nights on the Saône and Rhone rivers to Arles.  As part of this cruise, travelers will visit several wineries and explore the folklore collection of the Burgundy Museum, located in an old family mansion.  (Priced from $2,809; cruise/land-only)

Special wine features of this cruise include:  An on-board wine authority who offers cruisers instruction on how to differentiate different qualities of wine and also describes how various grape varieties are cultivated. Travelers also visit the Chardonnay area and learn about the historic tradition of the Beaujolais Nouveau

The Globus family of brands is now offering $100 off/person the land-only price of ANY 2009 Globus, Cosmos, Monograms or Avalon Waterways vacation when booked between now and March 3, 2009.   And, the offer is even better for those wanting to vacation in Europe - Book a 2009 air-inclusive Europe vacation with Globus, Cosmos, Monograms or Avalon Waterways and receive $200 off/person.

Visit www.globusfamily.com