Pont du Gard, built by the Romans 2000 years ago
Part of a fantastic lunch at
Medieval Carcassonne
View from our hotel in Biarritz 
Draft Itinerary
Monday, April 9, USA to Marseille
Overnight flight from USA to Marseille.
Tuesday, April 10, Arrive Marseille
Upon arrival at Marseille airport, transfer (provided) to the Grand Hotel Beauvau. Use the rest of the day for recovery. Dinner at Bobolivo Restaurant. Overnight in the Grand Hotel Beauvau, Marseille.
Wednesday, April 11, Marseille
Tour of Marseille. First we will walk to the old harbour, right across from the hotel, the remains of the greek harbor. Then by bus to the church Notre Dame de la Garde. Fabulous church and view. We will then visit the Château Pastré - This former bastide was built during the 1860’s in a reinterpretation of the Louis XIII style, subtly mixing Marseille bricks and the blonde stone of Arles. Since 1994 it has been the home of the Earthenware Museum, with more than 12,000 ceramics from Marseille, the region, France and Europe, from Neolithic times to the present-day. Back to the center by bus. Nina will also show us the
best ice cream place in town. Dinner at Le Natique.
Overnight in Grand Hotel Beauvau
Thursday, April 12, Marseille
Today we will take a bus to Cassis and boat-trip to the Calanques (the fjords).
Arrive in Cassis via the panoramic Crêtes road, with beautiful views of the sea and the village. Lunch at La Vieille Auberge. Return to Marseille. Overnight in Grand Hotel Beauvau
Friday, April 13, To Carcassonne
9:00 departure for Carcassone stopping first at the Pont du Gard followed by a fantastic lunch at Frederique Esperandieu's house. Assuming that we will have slept off the effects of the lunch while continuing to Carcassonne, we will have an orientation walking tour of the city upon arrival. Overnight in Best Western Hotel Le Donjon, Carcassonne.
Saturday, April 14, Carcassonne
Today we will take an excursion to Alet-les-Bains then wine and lunch at the Domaine de Castel-Nègre. In the afternoon, visit Rennes le Chateau before returning to Carcassonne and the Western Hotel Le Donjon.
Sunday, April 15, Toulouse
Departure from Carcassonne. En route we will visit Mazamet with luxurious private mansions, strongly inspired by Parisian architecture then “a la mode”, next to huge wool stores, factories or offices. Splendid residences from the 30’s, with colours and shapes from the Argentinean and Uruguayan “estancias”. A 19th century middle-class house is la Maison FUZIER, or Maison des Mémoires, with the Museum de la Mémoire du Catharisme Occitan. The permanent exhibition “Catharisme Occitan, la mémoire retrouvée” on the second floor of the Maison des Memoires, something you will not see anywhere else in Languedoc or even in France. Castres one of the stopover points of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage for those travelling along the Arles route. In 1317 the city was established as an Episcopal See and remained so until 1790. During the Religious Wars, Castres, a Huguenot bastion, became a fortified town; a number of monastic buildings were destroyed. The Goya museum - the second most important collection of Hispanic art in France after the Louvre in Paris. Dinner at the Bistro des Beaux Arts, overnight in the Hotel des Beaux Arts, Toulouse.
Monday, April 16, Toulouse
Walking tour in Toulouse including the Saint-Sernin basilica, the monastery of the Jacobins etc. Cruise on the Garonne, through the St Pierre lock and a trip along the green Canal de Brienne that links the Garonne to the Ponts Jumeaux, where Toulouse's three canals meet. We then go on to view Toulouse's monuments from the Garonne. We then travel past the quays of the Garonne and view the prestigious historic monuments in the old city. Dinner TBA, overnight in Hotel des Beaux Arts.
Tuesday, April 17, Toulouse
Excursion to Albi – UNESCO world heritage site. With the Toulouse-Lautrec museum – the largest public collection in the world devoted to the Albi-born artist Toulouse-Lautrec. A remarkable collection of works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as a modern art collection with works from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. The cathedral Sainte-Cécile - a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style presents a startling contrast between its austere, defensive exterior and its sumptuous interior decoration. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy , this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries: a 78m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515 – 1540). Inside, the frescoes of the vault, full of colour, are the work of Italian Renaissance painters (1509 – 1513). The painting of the Last Judgement(1474-84) provides a "cartoon strip" vision of Heaven, Earth and Hell. Executed using the tempera technique, it originally covered more than 200m2. The albigensians (cathars) – Albi was the first place to offer the Cathars refuge Website: www.albi-tourisme.fr After visiting and lunch at Ambroisie Restuarant in Albi, we will drive to Millau Viaduct to go "ooh-ahh" at the highest viaduct in the world. Return to Toulouse and overnight in the Hotel des Beaux Arts.
Wednesday, April 18, Toulouse to Biarritz
On our way to Biarritz we will stop at Lourdes, a major Christian "miracle" site. Continue on to Biarritz and the Mercure Biarritz Centre Plaza. Dinner TBA.
Thursday, April 19, Biarritz
Excursion to St Jean de Luz and the train ride: 30 km from Biarritz - St Jean de Luz, lunch there at Zoco Moco and then up to the village Sare, from where we’ll have a nice little train ride with beautiful views: La Rhune, Basque Mountain - From the top of its 905 metres, the sacred Basque Country mountain of La Rhune provides one of the best panoramas imaginable (rated *** in the Michelin Guide). As far as the eye can see, it takes in the peaks of the Pyrenees and follows the Basque coast bordering the Atlantic Ocean from San Sebastián to Biarritz and on to the beaches of Les Landes. www.trainprovence.com/pages/en/63/circuits-groupes.html Overnight in the Mercure Biarritz Centre Plaza
Friday, April 20, Biarritz to Bordeaux
Departure from Biarritz with stops at the Dune de Pilat and in Arcachon. Dinner at Chez Jean Restaurant Overnight in the Bordeaux Centre Sainte Catherine Hotel
Saturday, April 21, Bordeaux
City tour of Bordeaux. Dinner at Le Bistrot d'Edouard Overnight in Sainte Catherine Hotel
Sunday, April 22, Bordeaux
It has been rumored that the wine is pretty good in this region. Let's go visit a winery so we can bring some of it home. And while we are there, let's have lunch. Return to Bordeaux and overnight in Sainte Catherine Hotel.
Monday, April 23, Return flight to USA or Paris Option
Those of you returning to the USA will take taxis to the airport. For those of us going to Paris, we will depart Bordeaux at 10:48 by train, arrive Paris at 14:41. We will then take taxis to Hotel Louve-Rivoli for three nights. Included in the package is B&B at the hotel and dinners at some favorite nearby restaurants. You are on your own for transportation or museum entrances, so you can pick and choose what it is you want to do in April in Paris.
John Blue & Gary Behnke |
4/9, 9:45, LH1086 |
Dale & Patsy Meyers |
4/23, 6:00, KLM 1314 |
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Laurence Barker |
4/9, 10:30, AF4329 |
Sharon Budd & Sue Fox |
4/23, 6:55, AF 8321 |
|
Ken & Julie Ortolon |
4/9, 11:00, AF 7662 |
Sara & Charlie Lewis |
4/23, 8:15, AF 7621 |
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Dale Fleishman & Ron Jenkins |
4/9 16:10, BA 2796 |
Jim Ernest & Sue Edwards |
4/23, 10:10, BA2787 |
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Jim Ernest & Sue Edwards |
4/9, 16:10, BA2796 |
Dale Fleishman & Ron Jenkins |
4/23, 10:10, BA 2787 |
|
Dale & Patsy Meyers |
4/9 16:45, KLM 1407 |
Carrol Smith & Mary Ann Griffin |
4/26, 10:30, AF 306 |
|
Sharon Budd & Sue Fox |
4/10, 11:00, AF 8362 |
Ken & Julie Ortolon |
4/26, 10:40, AF 682 |
|
Sara & Charlie Lewis |
4/10, 14:35, AF 7664 |
Laurence Barker |
4/26, 11:00, DL 88 |
|
Carrol Smith & Mary Ann Griffin |
4/10, 14:35, AF 7664 |
John Blue & Gary Behnke |
4/26, 12:25, CO131 |
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