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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Nice.
DAY
2 ARRIVE NICE AREA (2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our tour manager/guide,
where we will board own private coach and be transferred to
our hotel in Nice. We will explore Nice with a stroll (or
drive) along the Promenade des Anglais to admire the Bay of
Angels. This afternoon we will ascend Le Chateau
to see the ruins of the earliest settlements in the Nice
area. We take a walk in the park and enjoy an excellent
view over the city before strolling through the Old Town,
nestled at the foot of Castle Hill, with its lively and
utterly Mediterranean character.
DAY
3 DAY TRIP TO MONTE CARLO
Today we will take the spectacular Grande Corniche drive to
La Turbie, with its famous Roman relic, the Treaty of
Augustus. We will continue
to the Principality of Monaco, a sovereign state covering
less than a square mile. Monte Carlo is Europe's gambling
capital and is famed for the luxurious casino, sumptuous
villas and Prince Rainier's Pink Palace. We will visit the
beautiful Cathedral of Monaco, where Princess Grace
is buried, before returning to Nice via the
equally spectacular Moyenne Corniche.
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 NICE AREA - CANNES - AIX-EN-PROVENCE - AVIGNON AREA
(2 NIGHTS)
We will make a leisurely drive through a series of splendid
resorts on the French Riviera as we make our way to Cannes,
the elegant playground of the rich and famous. We will
journey west to Aix-en-Provence, the ancient watering place
for the Roman legions. After a walk along the Cours
Mirabeau we will continue to the walled city of Avignon
to view the 14th century Papal Palace and the picturesque
Pont D'Avignon.
DAY
5 ROMAN PROVENCE
We will spend today visiting the magnificently preserved
collection of Roman temples, arches and amphitheaters in
Provence. We will start at Pont-du-Gard, a superb
2000 year old three-tier aqueduct that is almost intact and
a startling example of Roman engineering. We will continue
to the Roman city of Arles, once the capital of Provence.
The city has conserved some very important monuments and our
Walking Tour will explore many of them, including the
Arena. The lighting and landscape of Arles drew the likes
of Van Gogh who spent several years here, and eventually
went mad and cut off all or part of his left ear
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY 6 AVIGNON AREA - LOIRE VALLEY AREA (1 NIGHT)
We will travel north through the French countryside to the
Loire Valley area. This evening we will visit the
Azay-le-Rideau Chateau.
DAY
7 LOIRE VALLEY AREA - CHARTRES - PARIS (3 NIGHTS)
Our first stop is Chartres cathedral, the
jewel in the crown of medieval churches in Europe. We
will tour the Cathedral, a testimony in stone to the
religious fervor of the Middle Ages, and then continue on to
Paris. After checking into our hotel, we will take a
River Cruise along the Seine, passing under many
graceful bridges as we admire the beauty of Paris on both
banks.
DAY
8 VERSAILLES & PARIS
Our day begins with a journey to the Palace of Versailles,
which stands as a huge monument to the power and glory of
Louis XIV, the Sun King. We will view the splendid State
Apartments and explore the beautiful Gardens
before returning to Paris. Our afternoon concludes at the
cathedral of Notre Dame, scene of Napoleon’s
coronation and where the energetic can climb the south tower
to look for the hunchback! This evening we dine in the
bustling Latin Quarter.
DAY
9 PARIS
Our day begins with a visit to the Louvre, one of the
world's greatest museums, which began as a fortress in the
1200’s and was built up over the centuries into one of
Europe’s largest palaces. Among the most loved of the
Louvre's estimated 400,000 items are the delicate Venus De
Milo and Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic Mona Lisa. Then we
travel to Trocadero and view the fountains below before
ascending the Eiffel Tower for a breathtaking view
over the City of Lights. In the evening time permitting we
will visit the Church of Sacre Coeur.
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
10
DEPARTURE
FROM PARIS
Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our
tour manager/guide accompanies us to the airport for the return
flight home.
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