On September 15, we will be leaving on a trip to France. We are going to combine a trip through Normandy and Belgium, layovers in Paris with a river cruise down the Saône and Rhône rivers with Scenic Cruises.
During the river cruise we will be travelling with our good friends Ken and Joan Rockburne from Belleville Ontario, Sue and Dave Fahrner from London Ontario and John and Ellen Kelly from St Georges Basin, Australia. We all connected for the first time during another European river cruise in 2011. Over the years we've stayed in touch and have become close friends. So we are looking forward to seeing each other again and raising a bit of havoc.
Here is our proposed itinerary.
15 Sep : Toronto
• Leave for Paris
16 Sep : Paris
• Arrive in Paris
• Stay at the Hotel Champerret Heliopolis
17 Sep : Paris
• Relax and get acclimatized to French time zone
• Visit Monet Musuem
18 Sep : Paris
• Visit Fontainbleau
19 Sep : Rouen
• Take train to Rouen
• Visit old city
• Stay at Mercure Rouen Centre Cathedrale
20 Sep : Rouen
• Visit Cathedrale Notre-Dame
• Visit Musee des Beaux-Arts
21 Sep : Rouen
• Rent car
• Drive to Giverny
• Visit Claude Monet's House and Gardens
22 Sep : Lille
• Drive to Lille
• Stop at Vimy Ridge memorial
• Dine at Grand Place area
• Stay at Campanile Lille Euralille
23 Sep : Lille
• Visit old city
• Old Stock Exchange market
• Palais des Beaux Arts
• Travel to Ypres for Menin Gate Last Post
24 Sep : Bruges
• Drive to Bruges
• Visit medieval city centre
• Visit Historium
• Visit Dumon’s chocolate shop
• Stay at Hotel Biskajer
25 Sep : Bruges
• Drive to Ghent
• Visit St. Bavo's Cathedral for Mystic Lamb painting
• Take boat tour of canals
26 Sep : Bruges
• Drive to Antwerp
• Take walking tour of old town and diamond factory
• Stay at Hotel Biskajer
27 Sep : Dieppe
• Drive to Dieppe
• Visit Estran Cite de la Mer
• Stay at Inter-Hotel de la Plage
28 Sep : Honfluer
• Drive to Fecamp
• Stop at Benedictine Palace
• Drive to Honfluer
• Visit harbour and relax
• Overnight in Hôtel L'Ecrin
29 Sep : Honfluer
• Visit Juno Beach Memorial
• Visit Bayeux
• Dinner in Trouville
30 Sep : Mont. St. Michel
• Drive to Mont Staint-Michel
• Visit Abbey and old town
• Stay at Hôtel Le Mouton Blanc
01 Oct : Paris
• Drive to Camembert - 2 hrs
• Visit Presidents Cheese Farm
• Drive to Rouen
• Take train to Paris
• Stay at Hôtel des Halles
02 Oct : Paris
• Sightseeing
• Stay at Hôtel des Halles
03 Oct : Paris
• Sightseeing
• Stay at Hôtel des Halles
04 Oct : Paris
• Sightseeing
• Join Scenic Tour at Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel
• Overnight in Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel
05 Oct : French River Cruise
• Take TGV train to Dijon
• Transfer to boat at Chalon-sur-Saône
06 Oct : French River Cruise
• Visit Beaune
• Visit Les Hospices de Beaune
• While in Beaune choose between
1. Visit Burgundy’s historic Marché aux Vins Cellars for a tasting
2. Tasting at one of the regions mustard factories
• Sail to Tournus
07 Oct : French River Cruise
• Tour Château de Cormatin
• Sample French truffles in nearby villages
• Sail to Mâcon
08 Oct : French River Cruise
• While in Mâcon chose between
1. Visit to the fabulous Bresse Museum
2. Wine tasting in the Beaujolais region
3. Visit Cluny, a village built around a Benedictine Abbey
09 Oct : French River Cruise
• Tour Lyon
• While in Lyon choose between
1. Visit a traditional silk factory
2. Visit the medieval village of Pérouges
3. Tour the exclusive culinary school, the Paul Bocuse Institute.
10 Oct : French River Cruise
• Sail to Tournon
• Take a historic steam train journey
• Enjoy afternoon cocktail on the terrace of the historic Castle of Tournon
11 Oct : French River Cruise
• While in Tournon chose between
1. Visit the wine cave within Tournon Castle
2. Tour of the wine centre of Tain l’Hermitage including a tasting at Valrhona Chocolates
• Sail to Viviers
12 Oct : French River Cruise
• Walking tour of Viviers including an organ recital
• Chose between
1. Tour the world’s nougat capital, Montélimar
2. Canoe through one of Europe’s largest natural canyons
3. Take a coach tour of the Ardèche National Park
4. Take a master class in French cuisine
13 Oct : French River Cruise
• Tour Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Cruise to Avignon
• Tour the Palais-des-Papes including gala diner and concert
14 Oct : French River Cruise
• While in Avignon chose between
1. Visit the villages of the Luberon region
2. Take an excursion to Uzès
3. Shop with a Chef
• Afternoon at leisure in Avignon
15 Oct : French River Cruise
• Visit La Camargue National Park and chose betweemn
1. Visit the wild beauty of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and the 60 hectare Parc Ornithologique
2. Tour the Salins of the Petite Camargue before visiting the village of Aigues-Mortes
• Cruise to Tarascon
16 Oct : French River Cruise
• While in Tarascon chose between
1. Tour Arles, a city that has inspired many artists
2. Visit an olive farm and the hilltop village of Les Baux
3. Visit Saint-Rémy including Saint-Paul de Mausole Monastery
17 Oct : Nice
• Disembark from boat and transfer to Nice
• Sightseeing
• Overnight in Ambassador Hotel
18 Oct : Nice
• Sightseeing in Monte Carlo
19 Oct : Paris
• Fly to Paris
• Sightseeing
• Overnight in Hotel Latour Maubourg
20 Oct : Paris
• Sightseeing
• Marg's birthday diner with Ken and Joan
• Overnight in Hotel Latour Maubourg
21 Oct : Paris
• Sightseeing
• Transfer to CDG Airport hotel
• Overnight at Millennium Hotel Paris Charles De Gaulle
22 Oct : Toronto
• Fly to Toronto and drive to Ottawa for Erin Brunet's wedding
