Princeton Class of 1959

2008 RUSSIA

The early bird pretrip folks took off September 30 and met in Helsinki for two days. Then off by ferry to Tallin, Estonia where we spent three days exploring the city, especially the old city. Then they bused us over to St, Petersburg to join the Russian Odyssey core trip September 4. After four days exploring the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, and the Yusopov Palace where Rasputin was done in, the 62 of us boarded the Rossiya for a week long cruise through canals, lakes, and the Volga 800+ miles down to Moscow.

The group included Jim & Nettie Bennett, Ann and Drew Bitler, Bill & Ellie Buchanan, Tom and Shirley Byrnes, Tony and Twill Cotter, Harvey and Celia Dosik, John & Jean Fishburne, Don & Elizabeth Frazer, John & Jane Gardiner, Ted and Emmy Hessberg, John and Mary Kelsey, Bob & Marilyn Ketchum, John & Susan Lemp, John & Marian MacFarlane, Fred Mosher, Bruce and Fran Nickerson, Dick & Dede Neunherz, Al & Ruth Pogarsky, Jay & Betsy Siegel, Saul and Sue Singer, Aldo & Doris Vandermolen, and John and Sally Wilhelm (and a dozen friends and family).

The 59 Tigers dominated the ship, including several stellar performances during the Talent Show. Stops in old Russia included Kizhi Island, Yaroslav, and Uglich.

In Moscow we toured Moscow City and Subway, Moscow's Central Museum of Armed Forces, the Kremlin, GUM Department Store (actually a mall), and the Armory Museum filled with spectacular Tsarist crowns, gowns, carriages, and jewels.

Most went home September 18, but a dozen went on to a fascinating three day visit to Kiev, capital of Ukraine anda mother city to Moscow.

The trip proved a fascinating insight into Russia today.

2004 THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE CRUISE

From October 3 - 16, a dozen classmates cruised the Adriatic, Aegean, and Black Seas on Holland America Lines’ Prinsendam, stopping in Dubrovnik, Istanbul, Kusadesi (for Ephesus), Nessebur, Odessa, Santorini, Split, Venice, and Yalta. Arvin Anderson, Lew and Diane Barringer, Tony and Twill Cotter, John and Jean Fishburne, Saul and Sue Singer were among the revelers. There were only six of us on the 2003 first cruise to the Baltic Sea countries, so the idea is catching on. China and the Yangtze next year.

2005 CHINA

No description for this trip.

2006 TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE: ROME TO NEW YORK CITY

No description for this trip.

2007 TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE: COPENHAGEN VIA THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

GREENLAND, AND ICELAND TO NEW YORK CITY

No description for this trip.

2009 HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Some 24 '59 Tigers, spouses, and friends, starting September 3, 2009, began a 19 day tour from Johannesburg then traveling into Kroger National Park, and on down the east coast Garden Route through Swaziland, Zululand, Port Elizabeth, and Wilderness to Cape Town. Our special itinerary was arranged by Grand Circle Travel (GCT: www.gct.com. GCT gets absolutely top marks from Conde Nast.

Some of us began with a 4 night "Big Five Bush Safari" pretrip to get up close and personal with buffalo, elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinos via small, open air safari vehicles. A few took a 3 night post trip to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe at the Superior First Class Falls Safari Lodge.

Included tours went to Soweto; Swaziland; Port Elizabeth; Knysna Lagoon & Featherbed Bay; Outshoorn; Mossel Bay; Swellendam; Cape Town; Cape Peninsula; Stellenbosch Winelands. We also took in a glass blowing demonstration; Visit a local chief’s umphakatsi; an evening with a Zulu; South African history lecture; Flavors of Cape Town; and a Home Hosted Dinner.

Some 22 classmates and friends took in all or part of the trip including: Ann and Drew Bitler, Tony and Twill Cotter, John and Jean Fishburne + their neighbors, John and Susan Lemp, Pat Morrison, Bruce and Fran Nickerson, and Saul and Sue Singer.

Look who came to the 60th