Day 01
|
CANADA - PARIS
Departure from Canada for Europe |
Day 02
|
ARRIVE PARIS
After arrival in Paris we transfer to our hotel –
at leisure before dinner |
Day 03
|
PARIS
Half day city tour including the Rue de Bac – afternoon
visit to Versailles – before returning to city |
Day 04
|
PARIS – CHARTRES –
ROUEN – LISIEUX
Morning departure to see the Cathedral in Chartres –
then we head north to Rouen and visit to the site and
Basilica where Joan d’Arc was burnt at the stake
– time for late lunch as well in this historic
city – then late afternoon on to Lisieux |
Day 05
|
LISIEUX – NORMANDY
– LISIEUX
Morning in Lisieux – then drive to Normandy Beach
area and either visit to the Caen Peace Museum or drive
to Courseulles and visit to Canadian Cemetery and the
Juno Beach Memorial |
Day 06
|
LISIEUX – PONTMAIN
– MONT ST.MICHEL – LISIEUX
All day excursion to Pontmain ( north of Laval ) and
then from there on to Mont-St.-Michel – return
late in the afternoon |
Day 07
|
LISIEUX – LOIRE VALLEY–
LOURDES
Today we have a long day as we drive south through the
Loire Valley past Bordeaux to Lourdes |
Day 08
|
LOURDES
All day in Lourdes |
Day 09
|
LOURDES – ALBI
Departure from Lourdes and visit to Toulouse –
we visit the town located on the Garonne River with its
2 striking Cathedrals and the rose-brick Old Town which
is ‘Pink at dawn, red at noon and mauve at dusk”
– the afternoon will leave time to enjoy the town,
then to Albi |
Day 10
|
ALBI – CORDES –
ALBI
Today we start with a visit to Albi, an art town and
birth place of Toulouse Lautrec and we will visit the
Musee Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and the Saint Cecil Cathedral
– then we take a short drive in the afternoon to
see Cordes, a typical Bastide town – these towns
were built in the 13th century by the British and the
French to encourage settlement of empty areas prior to
the Hundred Years War – they were planned with
their grid of streets and fortified perimeters –
en route back to Albi maybe brief stop at the pilgrimage
church of Notre Dame de la Dreche |
Day 11
|
ALBI – CARCASSONNE
– ARLES
We travel to Carcassonne the best fortified city in all
of France and perfectly restored medieval town –
a guided tour will give us an introduction to the town
with its Citadel, ramparts and towers – afterwards
we continue on to the historic town of Arles, our home
base for the next 3 nights |
Day 12
|
ARLES – LES BAUX –
ARLES
Few other towns in the Provence combine all the region’s
charms as well as Arles – from Roman origins with
its well preserved Arena for 21,000 spectators to the
fact that artists like Van Gogh spent time here –
makes this a special place – after a city tour
including the spectacular Roman Arena there will be time
to explore and then we take a drive to the nearby hilltop
village of Les Baux, a fascinating village – with
its 2 beautiful chapels |
Day 13
|
ARLES – NIMES –
CAMARGUE – STES MARIES DE LA MER
In the morning we head to Nimes where we have an introductory
tour of the town ( with the Arena, the Old Quarters and
the Maison Carre as well as the beautiful park ) –
then you have some time on your own for lunch –
in the afternoon we head for the salt marshes of the
Petite Camargue and stop in Aigues-Mortes, a fortified
town and we see the Fauna and Flora of this unique delta
of the Rhone River en route to the village of Stes Maries
de la Mer, a fortified church which marks the legendary
arrival by boat in AD 18 of Mary Magdalene, St. Martha
and the siter of the Virgin Mary – we then return
to Arles |
Day 14
|
ARLES – AVIGNON –
PONT DU GARD – ARLES
Today we head straight to Avignon, the city of Popes
– a tour of the Palais des Papes is a must and
many of the others sights will also document the Papal
power that brought wealth to this city – in the
afternoon we stop and see the 2000 year old aqueduct
of Pont du Gard which even the Romans themselves considered
one of the testimonies to their engineering greatness
– then we return to Arles |
Day 15
|
ARLES – NEVERS –
PARAY LE MONIAL
We start earlier today and travel north to Nevers –
in the afternoon we head back south and visit also Paray
le Monial before overnighting in the area |
Day
16 |
PARAY LE MONIAL –
LYON – CANADA
This morning it is off to the airport of Lyon for our
flight home |
