| Day 01
|
CANADA - PARIS
Departure from Canada for Europe.
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| Day 02
|
ARRIVE PARIS
After arrival in Paris transfer to hotel and at leisure
before dinner.
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| Day 03
|
PARIS
Half day orientation tour of the City of Lights including
Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower. Afternoon
at leisure for painting, additional sightseeing or museum
visits. Late afternoon boat trip on the Seine River,
then return to hotel for dinner.
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| Day 04
|
PARIS | CHARTRES | BLOIS
/ LOIRE VALLEY
Morning departure and stop in Chartres for a visit
of the magnificent Cathedral. Time for some sightseeing
and painting, then after lunch we continue on to the
Loire Valley. Check in and dinner in Blois.
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| Day 05
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BLOIS \ LOIRE VALLEY
We start with a visit to the wonderful Chateau of
Blois – you can trace the history of secular French
architecture in this monument. There is time for painting
before we take a short drive to see the Chateau of Chambord,
now a world heritage site, built by Francois I as his
hunting lodge with some architectural assistance from
Leonardo da Vinci.
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| Day 06
|
BLOIS \ LOIRE VALLEY
Today we visit the spectacular Chateau of Chenonceau,
a jewel of Renaissance architecture built on the site
of a fortified mill on the River Cher between 1513 and
1521. Three women put their mark on this Chateau –
Catherine Briconnet, Diane de Poitiers and Catherine
de Medici – and there is much to see within the
castle as well as from the Gardens to the East and the
bridge across the river . We then head for Amboise where
you have time for lunch and painting. We will visit the
grand Chateau which rises above the town, built on an
escarpment already fortified in Gallo-Roman times. In
1516 Leonardo da Vinci came as a guest of Francois I
and spent his last few years here and in nearby Clos
Luce. He was buried in the Chateau’s cloister San
Fiorentino, but was later transferred to the chapel of
St. Hubert. |
| Day 07
|
BLOIS | MONT ST. MICHEL
| HONFLEUR
We leave the Loire Valley, travelling past Le Mans
to the Brittany Coast, where we visit the Abbey of Mont
St.Michel. Hailed as the most splendid of all the abbeys
of France, the abbey replaced the original 8th century
church on the island built by the Bishop of Avranches
with divine inspiration from St. Michael. We have time
to paint and enjoy this breathtaking site and its gardens,
and in the afternoon we will travel across Normandy to
Honfleur.
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| Day 08
|
HONFLEUR
Today we have time to settle in and explore the picturesque
town that is our home base for the next few days. Located
on the Seine estuary, this ancient riverport and seaport
has a notable place in Canadian history. From here Cartier,
Champlain, and De la Salle set sail to explore new lands…
and Cartier named the new region Canada. The old dock
and its narrow winding streets offer spectacular motifs
for painting and invite strolls around town.
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| Day 09
|
HONFLEUR
We take a short drive today to spend the day in Rouen,
where Jean d’Arc burnt at the stake in 1431 after
a notorious trial. She was rehabilitated in 1456 and
made a Patron Saint of France in 1920. Old Rouen was
almost entirely destroyed during WWII but its over 700
half-timbered houses have been wonderfully restored,
bringing back the medieval character of the town. The
Gothic Cathedral, the subject of some of Monet’s
most exquisite studies of light, is set amidst the maze
of flower decorated streets; a source of inspiration
for many successive generations of artists. |
| Day 10
|
HONFLEUR
Spend a leisurely day at the seaside in Honfleur
- or you can take a local bus to the nearby Belle Epoque
resort towns of Trouville and Deauville - enjoy the seaside
scenery and painting. Or join us as we can take a half
day trip to Lisieux, both a charming town with thatched
cottages and old manors and a famous pilgrimage site,
dedictated to St.Teresa of Lisieux. We return to Honfleur
in time for dinner.
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| Day 11
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HONFLEUR | CAEN | PORTSMOUTH
| WINCHESTER
It is "au revoir" Normandy and France today
as we head across the Channel, but first we stop in Caen
to see the magnificent Abbey aux Dammes and Abbey aux
Hommes with a bit of time for painting. In the early
afternoon we head for England and upon arrival drive
to Winchester, our home base for the next four nights. |
| Day 12
|
WINCHESTER
Today we start with an orientation tour of Winchester,
the capital of the kingdom until the 13th century. Our
visit includes the Cathedral, Winchester College, the
town center where Jane Austen worked and died, and the
castle ruins. There is some time at leisure and in the
afternoon we travel to the busy harbor of Southampton,
home of famous vessels like the Queen Mary and the Titanic.
We’ll return to Winchester for dinner. |
| Day 13
|
WINCHESTER
Today we visit the historic dockyard and Royal Naval
Museum of Portsmouth. Three of Britain’s most important
warships are kept here, including Henry VIII’s
Mary Rose and Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory. Explore
this vital harbour’s history and unique vistas.
In the afternoon we take a drive through the marshlands
west of Chichester and stop in the picturesque village
of Bosham, where King Harold set forth in 1064 on an
ill-fated trip to Normandy. |
| Day 14
|
WINCHESTER
Today you might want to use for painting in town
or join us for an excursion to Salisbury with its marvelous
cathedral. There will be time to for painting there before
we pay a visit to the unique site of Stonehenge. Construction
of this enigmatic monument dates back to 3000 BC and
it remains an awe-inspiring achievement. |
| Day 15
|
WINCHESTER | LONDON |
CANADA
This morning it is off to the airport of London for
our flight home. |
