A Unique Visit to France: The Dordogne, Biarritz and the Sea, and Paris

May 16- May 28, 2005

Monday, May 16: Departure for Paris on Delta Airlines

Tuesday, May 17

Morning arrival, meeting and assistance at Charles de Gaulle Airport.  Transfer to Train station. 2nd class train from Paris to Brive La Gaillarde. Transfer from Brive to Montignac by deluxe A/C motor-coach.  Afternoon and evening at leisure. Overnight in Montignac, Relais le Soleil d’Or

Wednesday, May 18

Morning visit to Domme, a charming bastide town. Domme is built high on top of a hill that dominates the region with a view of walnut trees and tobacco fields. It is a French Royal bastide built between the 12th and 13th century. It is also classified - “plus beau village de France”- a classification of the most beautiful French villages. Afternoon visit to Beynac, one of 6 French baronies in the regions. Beynac is an incredible town with a very interesting and mysterious history. Built along the Dordogne River, Beynac has a beautiful castle built on a cliff that dominates the town.  A visit to the castle of Beynac is planned and then finishing the day in Roque Gageac, a fortified and troglodyte town.
Overnight in Montignac, Relais le Soleil d’Or

 

Thursday, May 19

Today is dedicated to Cro-Magnon and Magdalenian cave men. Morning visit to the nearby caves of Lascaux to visit the facsimile known as Lascaux 2.  Afternoon visit to Les Ezies de Tayac, the center for Cro-Magnon sites. Here you will visit the National Prehistory Museum, the greatest Paleolithic collection of France, housed in the Chateau des Ezies dating back to the XVI Century. Return to Montignac. Afternoon at leisure.  

Overnight in Montignac, Relais le Soleil d’Or

 

Friday, May 20

Morning visit to the caves of Les Gouffres de Padirac. Travel through the caves by boat to admire the stalactites and stalagmites. Then continue to Rocamadour for a visit to a major pilgrimage site. Visit the town and religious city clinging to the lime stone cliffs where the body of St. Amadour was found near the town’s chapel in 1166. The black virgin of solid silver is not to be missed as well as its 10th Century crypt .Then climb up to the castle built on the top of the cliff from where one can see an exceptional view of the Dordogne from the 14^th Century ramparts. Afternoon return to Montignac.

 

 

Saturday, May 21

Morning departure to St. Emilion and nearby winery of Figeac. Figeac is a very ancient estate, going back at least as far as the 2nd century AD, during the Gallo-Roman period, when a certain Figeacus gave his name to a villa he built on this location. The site has been continually inhabited ever since then. St- Emilion is a medieval town standing proudly atop a hill overlooking the Dordogne valley, and was built in the form of an amphitheatre. Saint-Émilion can be likened to an amazing open-air museum. It also has more than 70 hectares of underground galleries dug out of solid limestone as well as a remarkable monolithic church. There are Romanesque monuments and vestiges tucked away in the back streets which seem to defy the passage of time; including The Hermitage and the Ossuary. Overnight in St. Jean du Luz, Hotel la Reserve

Sunday, May 22

Morning departure to Biarritz, a grandiose centre.  The resort began as a whaling port but was transformed into a playground for the European rich in the 19th century. We will see its famous beaches and visit the Musée de la Mer. Afternoon visit to Bayonne, capital of the French Basque country.  An important town since Roman times because of its command of one of the easily passable roads to Spain.  Visit the 13th century Cathedral Sainte Marie, 15th century cloister, the arcaded street du Pont Neuf. The Bayonne specialty is hot chocolate. A stop at the Musée Basque gives an excellent introduction to customs and traditions of the Basque nation. Then to Hendaye, the furthest point in the South West of France.  This medieval Basque Town is situated on a hill top and commands good views of the Bay of Chingoudy and the river Bidassoa estuary below to the North & West, with the impressive scenery of the foot hills of the Pyrenees Mountains to the West, South & East. Overnight in St. Jean du Luz, Hotel la Reserve

Monday, May 23

Today is a full day in the beautiful Basque Country. We discover the quaint fishing village of St Jean de Luz and the St Jean Baptiste Church. A visit to Maison Louis XIV, with its contemporary furnishings, where the King stayed in 1660.  Then on to Socoa where the lighthouse on the cliff top offers a fine view of the coast all the way to Biarritz and then to Espelette, famous for its Basque Church.

Overnight in St. Jean du Luz, Hotel la Reserve

 

 

 

Tuesday, May 24

Returning to Bordeaux, we will visit Arcachon, on the gulf of Atlantic. We will visit the harbor and enjoy a city tour of the town including visit at an Oysters Ostreiculteur, and s stop on the famous Sand dune of Pilat, 107 meters tall. Then to the train station in Bordeaux and where we take the 2nd class TGV trains from Bordeaux to Paris Montparnasse. Late afternoon arrival in Paris.  Private Transfer from train station to hotel. Overnight in Paris, Hotel des Gobelins

 

 

Wednesday, May 25

A morning guided visit of the Cluny. This little gem of a museum is set in part in an early third century Roman bath and in the 15th century Parisian residence of the Abbot of Cluny. The Cluny Museum is a stunning example of flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance architecture with a stellar collection of medieval art and artifacts in a building with a fascinating history. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Paris, Hotel des Gobelins

Thursday, May 26

A morning walking tour of the Marais district. In the 13th century, the citizenry began to settle in Le Marais, a marsh that used to be flooded by the Seine. By the 17th century, the Marais had become the center of aristocratic Paris and some of its great mansions (hôtels particuliers). Many are now restored and were built by the finest craftsmen in France. Abandoned In the 18th and 19th centuries, in 1962 the community banded together and saved this lovely and historic district. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Paris, Hotel des Gobelins

Friday, May 27

A morning walking tour of Ile de la Cité and Notre Dame. We will visit Notre Dame and also the Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette and others were held captive before they were beheaded.  In addition the stunning stained glass of St Chapelle in the Palais de Justice.  Afterward, walk along the Seine, where vendors sell books and souvenir prints and enjoy the charm of Paris. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Paris, Hotel des Gobelins

Saturday, May 28

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from the hotel to Charles de Gaulle airport. Return flight to Atlanta. Afternoon arrival in Atlanta.

QUOTATION

Cost of trip per person (on 2 person share basis with 15-20 people in the group)                $3275 .00****  

Supplement for single room                                                                                               $585.00

These rates include the following services:

*         11 nights accommodation at hotels

*         Round-trip International Air transportation from Atlanta to Paris

*         International arrival and departure meeting and assistance

*         Meals: 11 breakfasts

*         All transfers for included itinerary

*         Entrance fees for included itinerary

*         Air-conditioned private coach for all sightseeing and tours as specified in itinerary

*         Paris metro pass 5 day 3 zone

Tour costs do not include:

*         Meals and Beverages not specified                                 

*         Gratuities for guides and drivers

*          Personal expenses

**** Additional government and airline taxes may come into effect between December 2004 and May 2005.  Should additional taxes come into effect we reserve the right to requote.

These prices are subject to availability of lodging and air space and your acceptance in a timely manner.

To be certain of confirmed air space to Paris please reply by February 11th. This trip is limited to 20 people.

Payment schedule:

Deposits of $750.00 will be received on a first come, first served basis until 20 places are filled or until February 11^th. Deposits are refundable until February 11^th. Places may be available after February 11 but are not assured. The balance is due March 16^th and is non refundable; cancellation insurance is suggested.

Make check payable to:­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY and mail to:

Institute for Global Initiatives

Kennesaw State University

1000 Chastain Road,  MB# 2702

Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591

For further information call Dan Paracka at 770-423-6732.

These accommodations will be confirmed with final payment.

In  the Dordogne in the village of Montignac: The Relais le Soleil d’Or, was originally a coaching inn from the Middle Ages, it is a  unique  hotel located along the Vezere river, in the center of Montignac village (known worldwide as the site of the extraordinary Lascaux grottos). Set in a large park with rare plants and  trees, it enjoys a perfectly quiet and relaxing setting. At the hotel's restaurant you taste a delicious and authentic Perigord cuisine. Meals can be served on the sunny terrace near the swimming pool or in one of the 3 dining rooms.

In the Southwest close to Spain, in St Jean de Luz, is Hotel la Réserve . Surrounded by 12 acres of park area seated on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, this quiet, charming hotel has an exceptional location for the traveler looking for tranquility and authenticity. Close to the center of Saint Jean de Luz, La Reserve is a perfect point from which to discover the beautiful Basque Country. At the Hotel's restaurant, you can enjoy delicious Basque cuisine featuring fresh local seafood caught daily.

In Paris a stone’s throw from the Latin Quarter, near the Lyon and Austerlitz stations, the Grand Hôtel des Gobelins enjoys pleasant surroundings in a lively neighborhood.