well worth the four-hour train ride beginning in London. From the rebuilt cavern club where the lads played 292 times between February 1961 to August 1963, to the childhood homes of John, Paul, George and Ringo, the tour introduces you to more than 30 places directly associated with The Beatles.

Board one of the yellow psychedelic Magical Mystery Tour coaches, identical to the bus used in the 1967 BBC film, and a team of Beatles historians will take you on a journey into the life and times of the Fab Four in Liverpool. Spend the night at the Britannia Adelphi, a landmark as famous as the River Mersey. The Beatles once played there, too. Cavern-Liverpool.co.uk/mmt/

Edvard Grieg: Troldhaugen, Bergen, Norway
Despite his diminutive 5-ft frame, Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg was the equivalent of a towering rock star long before the expression existed. Born into a successful Bergen merchant family in 1843, his life changed dramatically when violin virtuoso Ole Bull recognized his talent and introduced him to the treasures of Norwegian folk music. Grieg studied the masters abroad, but dreamed of reprieves to his beloved Norwegian countryside—a pattern that continued after he became a world-renowned composer, forced to perform in major European capitals in order to make a living.

Grieg and his wife eventually built a home on Lake Nordås on the edge of Bergen, which he called his “best opus” so far. Christened Troldhaugen, the Victorian villa featured a tower, flagpole and rooftop vegetable garden. It soon became a centerpiece for Bergen’s artistic community and visiting dignitaries. Grieg enjoyed the attention, but needed