Join The Oxford Club's “Grand Tour”
The forgotten tradition of luxury European travel
Paris • Château
de Courtomer • Venice
• Florence • Rome • Pompeii
• Naples • Sicily
April 26 to May 13, 2007
Dear Luxury Traveler:
 You are formally invited to join The Oxford Club in reviving a
350-year-old tradition of luxury European travel, April 26 to May 13, 2007.
This tradition has been relegated to history books for more than a century.
Now you will make history by being among the few to initiate it
as a living tradition of The Oxford Club.
It's called, simply, the “Grand Tour” --
-- yet it is certainly much more than a “tour.”
Yes, you will visit Paris... our Château in Normandy... Venice... Florence...
Rome... Palermo and many other places...
...enjoy fine Italian wines while watching gondolas pass on the canal below
your private terrace... explore ancient Greek temples and Norman castles...
feel the spring breeze and soft sun while you walk barefoot along a Tyrrhenian
beach...
...you will travel in the aristocratic Victorian style of the Rockefellers
and Vanderbilt’s and enjoy every comfort of modern luxury travel...
...you will travel in the company of an elite tier of Oxford Club members,
treading in the footsteps of Henry James, Edith Wharton, Percy Shelley, Lord
Byron, Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and many others...
More than a voyage, the
Grand Tour is your rite of passage
 Let me introduce myself. My name is Bill Bonner. I'm the co-founder of The
Oxford Club, an organization dedicated to increasing your wealth,
personal liberty, prestige and posterity for generations to come.
The Grand Tour can play a key role in your personal development. Not only
will you have exposure to cultural artifacts of antiquity and the Renaissance,
you'll also get an in-depth understanding of the classical roots of our society
today...
With that kind of knowledge, it will be even easier to increase your stature
and potential for profits.
Let me back up a moment and tell you about the original Grand Tour...
The route traditionally known as the “Grand Tour” was popular among young
British upper-class men as early as the 1660s...
...but it wasn't for another 30 years that the Grand Tour became considerably
more meaningful than a long jaunt around Europe by the leisure class.
Consider it a milestone of your current success
–
and your many achievements to come
You see, in 1690 John Locke published a book that shook the foundations
of how the cultured and the wealthy view the world.
In the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke argued that
you absorb knowledge from your immediate environment. In fact, once you spend
too much time in one place, you can “use up” its educational value. In order
to continue becoming smarter, you must change locales.
Travel then became more important than a mark of privilege. A “change of
scenery” was a mandatory part of an elite education.
 Traveling the Grand Tour became the capstone of achievement on a classical
education. It was a rite of passage that marked superior understanding of
the world... thus superiority in all things.
Young aristocratic gentlemen (and later young ladies) set out from the white
cliffs of Dover for the Continent with their personal tutors in tow –
-- To gain knowledge from the worlds of antiquity and the Renaissance.
To understand the cultures and ideas that their own civilization came from...
...and it is no coincidence that many of the men and women who undertook
this rite of passage became the most celebrated, wealthiest and most influential
people of their time.
Though the theory of how we gain knowledge has changed somewhat...
...it still holds true that the people who best understand the roots of
our Western way of thinking tend to be the most successful in modern life.
You don't need to be “high-born”
to enjoy the same
privilege as aristocracy
Back in the age of the “Grand Tour,” such an understanding was reserved
for those born into privilege. Only the young and high-born could access
a classical education.
Not anymore.
No longer must you be born into aristocracy to enjoy wealth and prestige
– you can earn it, and at any age.
In brief, that is exactly what your participation in this rite of passage, The
Oxford Club's revived Grand Tour, represents: a milestone in your
commitment to increased wealth, prestige, freedom, and posterity.
Never again will there be a “first” Oxford Club Grand Tour. Claim your space
now in an elite tier of club membership.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, you should at least know where you're going.
Your first stop is the City of Lights
 Our first stop is Paris, which shares its name with the notorious lover
from Homer's Iliad. (Though, in fact, it takes its name from the
Gaulish Parisii tribe.)
Paris was traditionally the first stop in the Grand Tour. Here young English
aristocrats would learn the sophisticated language and manners of French
high society.
“I never saw anything more beautiful and gay than Paris,” said Queen Victoria
on her visit. “I am delighted, enchanted, amused, and interested…”
You will spend several days visiting Paris too. We can’t guarantee that
you will get the same reception as Queen Victoria, when 60,000 French troops
lined the streets to greet her (and they named a street after her).
But Paris will always be Paris – and is warm and welcoming (if you know
how to approach her) whether you are a queen or a charwoman.
In fact, while in Paris, you'll be treated like royalty – quite literally.
I'm not going to give you the “noble” details just yet, so please keep reading.
You'll see Notre Dame cathedral, the Pantheon, Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides,
the Palais Royal, and pass a few hours at the Louvre.
We will also take the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the famous Restaurant
le Fouquet’s on the Champs Elysees.
After Paris, traditional Grand Tour travelers wandered here and there, some
to northern Europe or south to Spain and Greece...
But for all, Italy was absolutely compulsory.
Before going to Italy, though, you're going to make a detour through Normandy
– first to Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny, then to the Château de Courtomer,
where you'll be our guest for a few days.
Be our guest at Château de Courtomer
 It is at our private Château that you will get your formal introduction
to your “tutors” for the rest of your Grand Tour.
Traditionally, Grand Tour participants traveled for months or even years
with personal tutors (and in the case of young ladies, spinster aunts as
chaperones, too) while visiting the sites of ancient and Renaissance Europe.
Though we haven't provisioned for any spinster aunts, you will have the
benefit of some of the world's foremost minds as your personal tutors.
Your entourage of personal tutors
MarkSkousen is a professional economist,
financial adviser, university professor and best-selling author of over 20
books. He has taught economics and finance at university level and acted
as an analyst for the CIA.
He is the editor-in-chief of Forecasts and Strategies and is president
of Investment U. Make sure you join The Oxford Club's Grand
Tour to find out about what liberty and responsibility meant in the classical
world – and what they mean for your life today.
Alexander Green is the investment director of The Oxford
Club. A Wall Street veteran, he has over 20 years experience as a
research analyst, investment advisor and professional portfolio manager.
He is also one of the greatest financial writers of the new century.
Alexander has appeared on the O'Reilly Factor, profiled by Forbes and CBS
MarketWatch, and has written for Louis Rukeyser and other financial
publications.
While on the Grand Tour, Alexander will brief you on his favorite investment
picks – the kinds of investments that you shouldn't wait to put in your portfolio.
Colin M. Wells received his B.A., M.A. and D.Phil. from
the University of Oxford before teaching at the University of Ottawa and
Trinity University, where he is the T. Frank Murchison Distinguished Professor
of Classical Studies, Emeritus.
Colin directed excavations at Carthage (in modern Tunisia) first as part
of a Canadian team, and later with Trinity University.
His prime interests as a renowned classicist are studies of the Roman frontier,
especially the role of the Roman army along the borderlands of the Empire.
In the Château's salon, you and your Grand Tour colleagues will attend some
very informal and enlightening lectures together…
You'll also savor hearty fare fit for a Norman invader... local apple cider
and the famous Calvados brandy, for which Normandy is known... long walks
through the green countryside blooming with springtime flowers... and, of
course, the camaraderie of your fellow Grand Tour participants.
“In the autumn of 1882,” wrote Henry James of the French countryside near
Courtomer, “the rains perhaps were less short than abundant; but when the
days were fine it was impossible that anything in the way of weather could
be more charming. The vineyards and orchards looked rich in the fresh, gay
light; cultivation was everywhere, but everywhere it seemed to be easy…”
Now, back to your education...
While at Courtomer, you will get a preview of the places you will visit
on the rest of your Grand Tour... how, for instance, the art, architecture,
and ideas of ancient Europe – rediscovered during the Renaissance – continue
to resonate in today's society.
You will gain an understanding of places and events in the classical and
the modern world unavailable to the average tourist.
 For instance, I'd like to speak with you at length about the significance
of Rome.
I'm not talking about the tourist attractions, per se. I'm talking about
Roman civilization and its influence on America...
Why, for instance, we have a Senate... why we have an eagle as a national
emblem... why we invaded Iraq... why we built the Capitol building... why
we are debasing our currency...
...and what happens when Rome falls...
Professor Colin M. Wells will teach you about commerce in the Roman world
and how that affects commerce today. He will also give you a history of Roman
architecture and public buildings, which you will see in person later in The
Oxford Club's Grand Tour...
Alexander Green will share the investment secrets of the French Enlightenment
philosopher Voltaire... as well as three profitable ways to hedge against
a declining dollar...
Mark Skousen will teach you about Aristotles' ethics of the Golden Mean,
and how to find the virtue between excesses in your financial life...
Put Aristotles' gold in your portfolio
“Aristotles' ethics of the 'Golden Mean' are the key to happiness in life,
but here we'll be looking into your financial life in particular.
“The Golden Mean is the virtue between excesses. In religion, for instance,
it is the virtue of modesty, which is between the extremes of prudery and
vulgarity, and self-control, which is between the extremes of abstemiousness
and drunkenness.
“Where your portfolio is concerned, it means courage rather than the extremes
of cowardice and rashness. Only “courage” results in maximizing profits.
Cowardice fails to make you rich; rashness makes you lose your fortune.
“The goal is prosperity, not extravagance or poverty. That is the middle
way, the key to happiness.”
Mark Skousen, President, Investment U
After your stay at Courtomer, you will continue to Venice... a required
stop on any Grand Tour:
Obligatory Italy
“With what delight did I hear the woman, who conducted us to see the triumphal
arch of Augustus at Susa, speak the clear and complete language of Italy,
though half unintelligible to me… a ruined arch of magnificent proportions
in the Greek taste, standing in a kind of road of green lawn, overgrown
with violets and primroses, and in the midst of stupendous mountains and
a blond woman, of light and graceful manners, something in the style of
Fuseli’s Eve, were the first things we met in Italy...”
P.B. Shelley
Inevitably, serious travelers of the Grand Tour would descend upon Italy.
Italy continues to be a required part of the revived Grand Tour tradition,
and we will begin our Italian sojourn in Venice, home of the Doges, the Dukes
of Venice.
You'll be staying right off the Piazza San Marco in this famous city of
canals, old and elegant buildings and bright, graceful gondolas.
You'll visit the Byzantine Basilica di San Marco... explore the intricate
network of squares lined with Renaissance villas and palaces... and explore
the Doge's Palace where the Dukes of Venice lived.
In Venice, you'll enjoy the air of romance unparalleled in the world.
Florence: Height of the Renaissance
From Venice, we'll board a private motor coach and wind through Tuscany
to Florence, where the flower of the Renaissance bloomed.
“It was pleasant to wake up in Florence,” wrote E.M. Forster of his room
with a view, “to open the eyes upon a bright bare room, with a floor of red
tiles which look clean though they are not; with a painted ceiling whereon
pink griffins and blue amorini sport in a forest of yellow violins and bassoons.”
While in Florence, you'll visit the Uffizi Gallery, which contains one of
the most important art collections of all time.
You'll also see Santa Croce, the Piazza della Signoria, the Loggia del Lanzi
with Cellini's “Perseus,” the Palazzo Vecchio, as well as Michelangelo's
famous “David.”
After a couple of days in Florence, we'll leave for Rome.
Rome: A Study in Empire
 Rome hardly needs an introduction. Rome was not only the seat of an empire,
it remains the seat of the Catholic church. Rome is and will remain
a shrine of Western Civilization.
You'll go to the church of St. Peters in Chains, the forum, Roman temples,
the Coliseum, and many other places of historical interest.
You'll also visit the Vatican City, seat of the Holy See and home to the
Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, and the Swiss Guards
The Vatican City is the world's smallest sovereign state and issues its
own coins and postage stamps. Latin remains the official language.
Also in Rome, you'll visit the ancient port of Ostia, important in the ancient
world as Rome's seaport, and important again as an important reminder for
the empire-builder of today....
Terrorism in Rome, 68 B.C.
The port of Ostia was fortified in the 4th century B.C. to guard Rome from
an attack by river.
In 68 B.C., however, Ostia was attacked by pirates, the “terrorists” of
their day. Pirates sank the consular war fleet, razed the city, and kidnapped
two prominent Roman senators.
Roman citizens, who had enjoyed a great amount of freedom everywhere in
the known world, were suddenly insecure in their own villas... looking over
their shoulders as they traveled the Appian Way...
Unfortunately, how Rome reacted to this terrorist attack has important implications
for today.
The very methods the Romans used to protect their Republic from future terrorist
attacks ended up destroying it instead.
You see, the power-hungry took advantage of the pandemonium, canceling the
system of checks and balances that had been the foundations of Roman democracy,
illegally passing laws and bequeathing powers in such a way that undermined
their constitution and restricted personal liberty. They did this in return
for the promise of safety and security.
Instead, they paved the way for dictatorship and despotism.
General Pompey expertly whipped up a panic in the chaos that followed the
attack on Ostia. He convinced the Senate to give him absolute power to deal
with the pirates... power that, incidentally, he never gave back.
Instead, he made himself the richest man in the empire... setting the precedent
for Julius Caesar's power grab in 49 B.C., not two decades later.
Day trip to Naples and Pompeii
 In Naples, you'll visit Posillipo Hill, the ancient fishing district of
Santa Lucia, and enjoy a historical site-seeing tour of Naples.
From Naples, you'll continue to Pompeii, covered in ash by Mt. Vesuvius'
eruption in 79 AD.
You can be comforted to know that the citizens of Pompeii died instantly.
They did not suffer.
Pompeii was buried for 1,700 years before it was rediscovered, offering
a fascinating face-to-face look at everyday life in ancient Roman civilization.
Last stop, the Jewel of the Mediterranean
Sicily is often called the “Jewel of the Mediterranean,” and, lucky for
you, is often passed over by run-of-the-mill tours and tourists.
It is a jewel not only for its natural beauty and villages dating into antiquity,
but also because of its strategic location... it's the largest island in
the Mediterranean, and located roughly at its center.
Sicily was important to Rome. But Sicily had been a key part of the ancient
world long before the Romans came. Sicily was home to Carthaginians... Greeks...
Phoenicians...
Sicily was Rome's breadbasket, the agricultural lifeline of the Empire's
capital.
 And after Rome? Sicily fell first to the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines,
and back to the Ostrogoths. Sicily became a Muslim emirate under the Saracens,
then one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Europe under the Normans (who came
from Alençon, near our Château) and the Crusaders.
It fell again to a German dynasty, was passed between French and Spanish
nobles, became independent, then turned Italian when it came under control
of the Bourbons of Naples in 1734.
Sicily, Palermo especially, played a key role in World War II. Sicily is
autonomous within Italy, and Sicilians speak their own distinct language
in addition to Italian.
Sicily is also home to the mafia, glorified by the Godfather movies.
(Rest assured, you'll find no horse's head in your luxury hotel bed...)
You'll have a very unusual tour of Sicily, starting with the Cappuccini
Catacombs... a cemetery that doubles as a museum.
You'll stop by a 19th century theater, visit Sicilian markets, and enjoy
a seaside resort.
You'll also tour Medieval towns outside of Palermo, visit a Norman castle,
a Roman villa, an ancient Greek city, and last but not least, Agrigento –
the Valley of Temples.
An immodest proposal for elite travel
The Grand Tour will cost $9,895 per person, based on double-occupancy...
and that includes your airfare from New York (but we also have direct flights
from Houston at a discounted price and low air add-ons from other cities.)  (Oxford Chairman Members, Porter Stansberry Alliance Members and Agora Financial
Reserve Members are eligible for a $400 discount. And lifetime subscribers
of any Agora Inc. publication may be eligible for a $200 discount.)
You see, we have made every effort to spare you as much expense as possible.
But frankly... this tour is not inexpensive. Traditionally, people did not
take the Grand Tour in order to save money. They took the grand tour in order
to achieve something more important than money itself – an understanding
of the cultures and ideas that our civilization comes from.
I think you'll agree that although The Oxford Club's revived Grand
Tour tradition is not exactly “cheap”...
...it's actually quite a bargain considering everything you'll experience...
- Enjoy your personal rite of passage to remember your achievements – and
set goals for your future successes...
- Understand the foundations of Western civilization, and how to parlay
your new knowledge for increased profits, prestige, liberty and posterity...
- Explore ancient and Renaissance art and architecture, seen in the perspective
of contemporary history... and what it means for us today...
- Be a part of history and living tradition by joining as a member of The
Oxford Club's first Grand Tour. You will be commemorated for being
one of the initiators of this prestigious new tradition...
- Face-to-face tutelage from some of the greatest minds of Wall Street
and Oxford...
- Walks in the bucolic scenery of northern France... forays into the chic
cafes of Paris... and behind-the-scenes tours of some of Europe's most
important cities...
- Grand Tour participant-only investing tips in the “New Europe”...
- ...and a great deal more...
The truth is, I've been holding out on you.
I've saved the best for last. Aside from our un-rated residence at Château
de Courtomer, you will stay only in the best 4- and 5-star hotels that each
city offers...
For instance, in Paris, you may remember I said you'll literally be getting
the “royal treatment”...
 That's because you'll be staying in the Hotel Westminster near
the Opera, where the Duke of Westminster himself stays when visiting Paris.
The hotel's restaurant, Le Cedonal, offers the exceptional cuisine of Christophe
Moisand.
Now... this is no ordinary hotel restaurant. It's one of the most celebrated
restaurants in Paris, offering plush charm, warm atmosphere and every finery
of an elite dining experience.
Enjoy an aperitif at the Duke's bar beside the monumental fireplace in club
chairs, beside wooden mahogany tables.
In Venice, you'll stay at the Luna Hotel Baglioni, the
oldest hotel in Venice, dating to the 12th century when it served Crusaders
as a shelter for the Knights Templar.
This hotel is in the heart of Venice, just a few steps from the Piazza San
Marco, overlooking San Giorgio Island. Many of the rooms have soaring
fresco ceilings, chandeliers, antique furniture, marble bathrooms, and balconies
overlooking the grand canal.
The hotel's Caffe Baglioni overlooks a small canal and the royal gardens...
a great place for a cocktail.
The Grand Hotel Villa Medici is in the center of Florence.
That means your room will be near the epicenter of the Renaissance.
Each room has original antique furnishings and tapestries. Wide windows
overlook the hill of Florence.
The hotel restaurant is known for its wine list, and the fitness club boasts
a Turkish bath.
 Next is the Regina Hotel Baglioni in Rome, arguably the
city's best. Many rooms here overlook the Via Veneto.
And Hotel Federico II in Palermo is in the old palace of
Prince Granatelli...
It's in the heart of town on a quiet street in the most fashionable area.
There's a roof garden with views of the city.
You'll also love the views in your room, where there is master artwork on
the walls. And to ensure privacy, every room is completely soundproof.
Truly luxurious, even the toilets are decorated in marble.
The old prince's palace is the perfect base of operations to explore the
Sicilian countryside.
You can see that this really is an elite luxury tour. It's certainly
worth the money – if you have it to spend.
And in keeping with old Grand Tour, the greatest benefit of your participation
in The Oxford Club's revived Grand Tour tradition is this:
When ambitious, accomplished people rub elbows – even during the pursuit
of leisure – new projects, new ideas, and new wealth is born.
It is in the company of your fellow Grand Tour travelers that you will likely
find inspiration for your future undertakings... your next step in building
wealth, power, and prestige.
There's only one first Oxford Club Grand Tour. Be a part of this historic
occasion in reviving a century's old tradition.
Due to the extremely elite nature of the Grand Tour caused by the price
and limited availability, we expect to sell out very quickly.
So please call +800.926.6575 now for more details and to reserve your space.
Don’t delay, or you may miss this opportunity forever.
I look forward to meeting you personally at Château de Courtomer.
Kind regards,
Bill Bonner
Co-Founder, The Oxford Club
P.S. Although it's quite likely that you've already traveled to one or more
places that The Oxford Club's Grand Tour will visit, I promise you that
you've never seen them in the elite fashion and style that members of The
Oxford Club's first Grand Tour will experience.
Not only that, but it's not everyday that you can stay with like-minded
travelers and financial luminaries in a private Château, profiting under
the tutelage of some of the greatest minds of Wall Street and Oxford University.
Reserve your space now by calling +800-926-6575.
P.P.S. Because we'll be talking about investment opportunities and financial
markets -- plus you'll inevitably discuss one business idea or another with
your fellow Grand Tour participants -- be sure to talk to your tax advisor
about the possibility of “writing off” the cost of your journey.
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The Chateau de Courtomer is a private retreat center on 356 pristine acres.
Owned by Agora Inc., it is the perfect place for a few days of reflection
and intelligent discussion of the foundations of Western civilization during
the Oxford Club's Grand Tour.