DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Brussels.

DAY    2            ARRIVE BRUSSELS (1 NIGHT)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and transfer to Brussels, Belgium's modern capital city. We will view the modern symbol of Brussels, the Atomium, a cluster of giant spheres representing the atomic structure of an iron molecule enlarged 165 billion times, before continuing to the heart of the city to explore the Grande Place, the geographical, historical and commercial heart of the city. The bustling cobblestone square remains the civic center of Brussels, and offers the finest surviving example in one area of Belgium's ornate 17th century architecture.

DAY    3            BRUSSELS - LILLE (5 NIGHTS HOMESTAY)
Our morning commences with a Walking Tour of Brussels, highlighted by: the Place du Grand-Sablon, the most elegant square in Brussels, surrounded by old houses, antique shops and numerous cafes; the Place du Petit-Sablon, a square surrounded by columns bearing 48 bronze statuettes representing the trades of Brussels, great 16th century humanists, and the Palais d'Egmont, used only for international receptions. Our morning continues with a visit to the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, with a focus on the Musee d'Art Ancien, famed throughout the world for its outstanding collections of Flemish Primitives, including famous masterpieces by Bruegel the Elder, Rubens, Bosch, and van der Weyden. Our day continues through the Place Royale to the Place des Palais, where we will view the Hotel Bellevue, the Palais des Beaux Arts, the Palais des Academies, and the Palais Royal, before strolling through the Parc de Brussels, the former hunting ground of the dukes of Brabant, with magnificent formal gardens and statues. On the opposite end of the park we will view the Palais de la Nation, Belgium's seat of government, before visiting the Cathedrale des Saints-Michel-et-Gudule. Designed in Brabant Gothic style, this centerpiece of the city is unique for its architectural design, its detailed carvings and the marvelous stained glass windows. This afternoon we travel just across the Belgian border to Lille, where we will meet our Host Families.

DAY    4            LANGUAGE CLASSES & LILLE
This morning we will begin our French Language Classes. This afternoon we explore Lille, the capital of Le Nord, and the most important city in northern France. We will begin our day with a Walking Tour through the historic center of Lille, a vibrant concentration of cobbled squares and narrow streets packed with stylish shops, cafes and restaurants. We will also visit Lille's main square, the Place du General de Gaulle, which is bordered by Lille's most impressive buildings, the Voix du Nord, the Vielle Bourse, the Nouvelle Bourse and the Opera. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to the Musee des Beaux Arts, which features one of the finest art collections outside of Paris. The collection is strong on Flemish works, and includes works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Van Goyen, Goya, Delacroix and the Impressionists. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    5            LANGUAGE CLASSES & AMIENS
This morning we will have our French Language Classes. This afternoon we travel to the city of Amiens, the capital city of Picardy. Upon our arrival, we will visit Amiens Cathedral, France's largest and most spectacular cathedral. Completed in the 13th century, the cathedral was built to house the head of St John the Baptist. Our visit will include the Treasury, where St. John the Baptist's head is displayed. We will conclude our afternoon with a Walking Tour in the picturesque St-Leu Quarter, a pedestrianized area of low houses and flower-lined canals with waterside restaurants, bars and artisans' shops. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    6            LANGUAGE CLASSES & ARRAS
This morning we will have our French Language Classes. This afternoon we journey a short distance south of Lille to Arras, the center of the Artois region. Our Walking Tour will begin in the Grand' Place, the picturesque cobblestone town square. Surrounding Grand' Place, and the smaller Place des Heros, are over 150 17th century Flemish-style houses and shops, some with their original signs. Those who choose to may ascend the belfry of the Hotel de Ville for a superb aerial perspective; seek out the sculptures of the local giants (Colas and Jacqueline) in the foyer of the town hall; or discover the limestone labyrinth of underground passages below ground in Arras. We conclude our afternoon with a visit to the enormous Abbaye St-Vaast with its Neo-Classical cathedral and Musee des Beaux-Arts. Local arras or hanging tapestries (including those once belonging to Maximilien de Robespierre, Arras' most famous son) are on exhibit. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    7            LANGUAGE CLASSES & FLANDRE MARITIME
This morning we will have our French Language Classes. This afternoon we travel first to the coast to take in the sight and sounds of the North Sea. As we weave our way back to Lille, we will enjoy an exploration of the region known as the Flandre Maritime, the Flemish coastal plain, a landscape of agriculture and canals beneath an endless sky. We will visit the Noordmeulen, a windmill built in 1127 and believed to be the oldest in Europe, followed visits to the towns of Bergues, a fortified wool-trading town, and of Cassel, with its cobblestone square and 16th, 17th and 18th century buildings. Perched high on a hill, the views from Cassel include distant glimpses of Flanders and Belgium. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    8            LANGUAGE CLASSES - PARIS (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we say "au revoir" to our host families and enjoy our final morning of Language Classes. After lunch we journey to Paris, "the City of Lights." This evening we will take a Seine River Cruise, which will take us under many of Paris' graceful bridges and past many important landmarks and monuments along both banks - a perfect introduction to the beauty of Paris.

DAY    9            PARIS (THE REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON)
Our morning commences with an ascent of the Arc de Triomphe, a massive triumphal arch commissioned by Napoleon, today a symbol of Paris and home to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We continue with a stroll along the Champs Elysees, 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 leading to the entrance of the Louvre. We will enjoy a specialist-guided tour through the museum that will include Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and many of the finest paintings and sculpture from Western Civilization. This afternoon we visit the cathedral of Notre Dame, begun in 1163 on a spot that had already been a religious shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon. 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 is generally associated with artists, intellectuals and political unrest. During our walk we will view the Sorbonne, Paris' oldest university.

DAY    10          PARIS (PARIS OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS)
This morning we will ascend to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris' most recognizable landmark, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889. We continue with a visit to the Musee d'Orsay, dedicated to the rich diversity of visual arts from 1846 to 1914, featuring masterpieces by Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin and Lautrec. Paris is one of the most important centers of fashion in the world, and this afternoon we will visit the elegant stores of Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette for a first-hand look at the latest trends in fashion. This evening we will ascend to Montmartre, an area of Paris made famous in the late 19th century as an artists' 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.

DAY    11          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.