Thursday, September 16, 2004

HERESY TOURS: IN DA VINCI'S IMAGINARY FOOTSTEPS

You loved the book. You can't wait for the movie. You can't wait to immerse yourself in the 'real' world of The Da Vinci Code:
As most of the book is set in Paris, at least a dozen tour operators, art historians and self-appointed experts have cashed in, offering insider views of the sites, symbols, legends and lore featured on its pages.

"This is a phenomenon, a spiritual healing that is bringing Americans back to France and is telling the world the truth about the most dramatic cover-up in history," said Olivia Hsu Decker, a high-end California real estate agent who buys into the book's plot line. She also happens to own the 17th-century Château de Villette outside of Paris where the book's eccentric British art historian and evil manservant live and where, she said, the director-producer Ron Howard will film part of the movie for Columbia Pictures.

This week Ms. Decker ran her first "Da Vinci" program, donating the chateau for a four-day inaugural theme tour to a group of acquaintances from Marin County who bought the trip for $15,000 at a school fund-raising auction. A weeklong Da Vinci Code tour with lodging in her 15-bedroom, 240-acre spread costs $55,000. Breakfast is included.

Make your reservations early. Remember to ask for the gullibility special.

UPDATE: It looks like there won't be many on the tour from Lebanon. (Link via WND)

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