TRAVEL TOURS

Travel to Portugal with UMRA, Road Scholar

Wed, Oct 28 2020, 12am - Sat, Nov 7 2020, 12pm

Location
Portugal
 

The UMRA Travel Committee is announcing its first Road Scholar Tour: “Discoveries along the Douro: Portugal’s best-kept secrets.” This exclusive learning adventure is scheduled for October 28 to November 7, 2020, and will be preceded by an optional, three-night tour of Lisbon. 

We’ll sail along the winding Douro River, through the fairytale landscapes of Portugal, aboard a riverboat chartered exclusively for Road Scholar. We’ll have full access to top-notch instructors as we explore medieval towns and villages and Baroque architecture. We’ll also get a taste of the local culture, with a bountiful selection of some of the region’s most spectacular wines, and discover some of the best-kept secrets of Portugal from the locals who know it best.

Travel for seven nights aboard the MS Gil Eanes, a premium three-deck ship that accommodates 100 passengers. Before boarding the ship, spend two nights at the Sheraton Porto Hotel and Spa in the cultural district of Porto. A group leader will begin our adventure with an introduction to Portuguese history, and then accompany us throughout the day to explore the city of Porto, one of the most beautiful in Europe. The day will end with a visit to the home of a Portuguese family to learn of their role in 19th-century Porto and taste their family estate-produced wine.   

This is a Road Scholar Adventures Afloat Program. So, in addition to lectures and field trips, you are invited to take advantage of classes and events aboard ship.

A brochure detailing both the river cruise and an optional pre-cruise tour of Lisbon will be sent to UMRA members in January. Questions? Please contact Cherie Hamilton at  [email protected] or 612-929-0233. 

—Cherie Hamilton, chair, UMRA Travel Committee



Upcoming Events

Event Date: July 15, 2024, at 9:30am

Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles!  If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25.  The second hour is free if we rent before noon.  Life jackets are provided with the rental.


Event Date: July 19, 2024, at 2pm

Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.


Event Date: August 5, 2024, at 9:30am

Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park.  This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside.  The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks.  After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park. 


Event Date: August 16, 2024, at 2pm

Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.


Event Date: August 28, 2024, at 5:30pm

Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.


Event Date: August 31, 2024, at 11:59pm

August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates.  Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.


Event Date: September 10, 2024, at 10:30am

Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm


Event Date: September 10, 2024, at 12:30pm

After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves


Event Date: September 16, 2024, at 10am

We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage.  You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.