Murder mystery fans and writers, "CSI" TV show devotees, how would you like to get inside an actual forensic lab and meet the experts who solve the crimes? Here is your chance to experience exclusive private visits to two world renowned crime labs in London and Paris! This once-in-a-lifetime trip will be led by Barry Fisher, Director of the Crime Lab of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and Anne Block, of Take My Mother*Please custom-designed tours.

Beginning with four nights in London, the Forensic Sciences Service (formerly a division of Scotland Yard) welcomes us with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of their extensive lab, taking us into the ballistics, fingerprinting, and drug-testing departments where we will meet and talk with the experts in each area.

Hotel accommodations are at The Mad Hatter Hotel. Located on the South Bank of the Thames, a two-minute walk from the river, the hotel is ideally situated for easy excursions to the nearby Tate Modern Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and the Southbank Arts Complex which includes the National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall. The Mad Hatter is one of six boutique hotels owned by the Fuller Ale Brewing company, in what was formerly an Edwardian-era hat factory! You will see some of these fine vintage men's and ladies' hats on display in the hotel's cozy pub, where our traditional English breakfast is served each day.

Some other trip highlights in London are a visit to The Royal Courts and lunch with Elizabeth Woodcraft, an English barrister (perhaps she'll be wearing her traditional robes and white wig), who is also the award-winning author of a series of murder mystery novels; another evening we'll take a private guided "Jack The Ripper Walk" led by expert Donald Rumbelow, one of the world's foremost authorities on these still unsolved crimes.

Then we're off to Paris via the ultra-fast Eurostar train, which will whisk us from London to the "City of Light" in just three hours' time! In Paris our four nights' accommodations will be at Hotel Pulitzer Opera, offering modern comfort on one of the city's oldest streets, the vibrant rue du Faubourg Montmartre. Our neighborhood has a delightful array of places to eat, shop, and stroll, all within steps of the hotel. We can enjoy a classic French brasserie, an Italian wine bar, a Moroccan couscous restaurant, and a fancy chocolate emporium established in 1761. Shopping on our block offers contemporary shoe and clothing boutiques, collectable books and toys, vintage cameras, even a tiny store specializing in antique walking canes - enter and be transported to another time!

Our French crime lab invitation to the National Gendarmerie's Institute of Criminal Research takes us inside the high-security military compound to their state-of-the-art facility, where over 50% of the institute's staff hold Ph.D. degrees. Our guide will introduce us to some of the latest innovations in forensic research including explosives, entomology, and anthropological reconstruction, a kind of advanced "plastic surgery" to recreate the appearance of the victim based only on skeletal remains. It was here that the Mercedes in which Princess Diana was killed underwent intensive examination for four years following the accident.

Other Paris trip highlights are guided visits to the fascinating Catacombs of Paris, a "Da Vinci Code" walking tour to some of the actual locations described in the novel, and marvelous food!

And in each city you'll even have time on your own to relax! In addition to our program of group activities, every day has personal leisure time set aside to explore individual interests. Perhaps you'd like to see a play, visit a museum, enjoy a concert or just sit in a cafe and "people watch." This trip is arranged so you can have the time to do so at your own pace.

We welcome you on this extraordinary, one-of-a-kind adventure , "To Die For!"

Contact Anne about this trip