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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Paris.
DAY
2 ARRIVE
PARIS - BAYEUX (1 NIGHT)
We will
be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we
will board our own private bus and transfer into Normandy.
We will begin our tour in Bayeux, a city rich in Norman
history and the first French town to be liberated during the
D-Day Invasion, on June 7, 1944. Our afternoon will include
a visit to the Gothic Cathedrale Notre-Dame, and the
Musée
de la Tapisserie de Bayeux,
which houses the spectacular Bayeux Tapestry.
One of the most famous tapestries in the world, it is
actually embroidery on a band of linen, 231 feet long and 20
inches wide. The tapestry depicts some 58 scenes in eight
colors, which tells the story of the conquest of England by
William the Conqueror.
DAY
3 BAYEUX AREA - NORMANDY BEACHES - MONT ST. MICHEL
AREA (1 NIGHT)
Today
will be dedicated to the Allied invasion of Normandy on June
6, 1944, also known as D-Day. Our first stop will be
Sainte-Mere-Eglise, where some 13,000 American
paratroopers dropped from the skies in the early hours of
June 6, 1944 in support of the landings on Utah Beach. An
American flag was unfurled at the town hall at 4:30 am, the
first to be flown on French soil on D-Day. We continue with
a Walk on Utah Beach, where we will view the US
Monument, followed by a visit to the D-Day Museum,
which is housed in an original bunker. Our day continues to
Mulberry Harbor at Arromanches, before visiting the
German Battery at Longues-sur-Mer. Our D-Day
sightseeing concludes with time to explore Pointe du Hoc,
the enemy command post of the entire invasion front, which
is filled with monuments and memorials. We will also visit
the American Military Cemetery, where over 9,000
Americans who died in the Normandy campaign are buried.
Late this afternoon we continue to our hotel on or near Mont
St. Michel. (Hotel on the Mont is subject to
availability)
DAY
4 MONT ST. MICHEL AREA - TOURS AREA (2 NIGHTS)
This
morning we explore Mont St. Michel, one of the most
enchanting sights in France. We will make the steep climb
up the Grande Rue, lined with 15th and 16th century
houses, and explore the Mont before we visit the Abbey,
known as the “Marvel of the West.” Ramparts encircle the
church and a three-tiered ensemble of 13th century buildings
called La Merveille, which rises
dramatically to the pointed spire of the abbey church. We
continue on to the Tours area for the night.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
5 THE LOIRE
VALLEY
This
morning we visit the Loire Valley’s largest residence and
the brainchild of Francois I,
Château
Chambord.
This massive “weekend retreat” for Francois I took over 15
years and 1800 men to complete. Highlights of our visit
will include Leonardo da Vinci’s Double Spiral Staircase and
a walk along the roof, providing wonderful views of the
Loire. We continue to the little village of Chenonceau,
where we will visit the fabulous
Château
-
the
toast of the Loire! This 15th century Renaissance palace is
forever associated with Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de
Medici, who were responsible for much of the current design.
DAY
6 TOURS - CHARTRES - VERSAILLES - PARIS (3 NIGHTS)
This
morning we journey to Chartres, where we will visit
Chartres Cathedral, the jewel in the crown of medieval
churches in Europe and a testimony in stone to the religious
fervor of the Middle Ages. Chartres Cathedral boasts an
unrivaled expanse of sculpture, as well as one of Europe's
most impressive collections of stained glass windows. We
continue with a visit to Versailles, a palace
commissioned by Louis XIV around Louis XIII’s hunting
lodge. Our visit commences as we explore the ornate
State Apartments, highlighted by the magnificent
Hall of Mirrors. After time to explore the
spectacular Gardens and fountains at
Versailles, we continue to Paris, “The City of Lights.”.
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
7 PARIS
Our
morning commences with a stroll along the Champs Elysées,
Paris’ most spectacular thoroughfare, which offers a
beautiful look at Parisian life and architecture. We return
to the Place de la Concorde, before strolling through the
Jardin des Tuileries, the beautiful Neo-Classical
gardens, which lead to the entrance of the Louvre.
We will enjoy a specialist-guided tour through the museum,
which will include: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa,
and many of the finest paintings and sculpture from Western
Civilization. This evening we will dine in and stroll
through the Latin Quarter, a section of the city that
dates back to the Roman times, and which is generally
associated with artists, intellectuals and political
unrest. During our walk we will view the Sorbonne, Paris’
oldest university.
DAY
8 PARIS
Our day will start at the cathedral of Notre Dame and
the energetic can climb the south tower to look for the
hunchback.
This
evening we will ascend to Montmartre, an area of
Paris made famous in the late 19th century as an artist’s
haunt. We will spend time in the Place du Tertre, a
square known for its local artwork, before visiting the
Sacre-Coeur Basilica, a huge white church that dominates
the Parisian skyline.
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 DEPARTURE
FROM PARIS
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your
tour manager/ guide accompanies you to the airport for the
return flight home.
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