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Day 1: (Hotel in Paris)
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Arrive in Paris,
check into hotel
Welcome apéritif
and orientation.
Boat ride on the Seine or walking tour of your
neighborhood.
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Day 2: (Hotel in Honfleur)
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Morning
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From Paris,
follow the Seine River through
landscapes that inspired impressionist artists. Stop
at La Fournaise in Chatou,
a site often painted by Renoir, and at Giverny
to visit the beautiful home and gardens created by
Claude Monet.
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Afternoon
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Explore the countryside surrounding
Les Andelys, with its ruins
of Château Gaillard, built
by Richard the Lionheart in 1197.
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Visit Rouen,
known not only for its rôle in the saga of Joan of
Arc, but also for its cathedral, made famous by Monet's
many paintings studying the effects of changing light.
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Day 3: (Hotel in Honfleur)
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Morning
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Guided tour of Honfleur,
picturesque port, treasure to the artists of the 19th
century, native town of Eugène Boudin, Monet's inspiration
and teacher, and of the composer Eric Satie. Walk
through favorite landscapes of the impressionists
and discover their outdoor atelier.
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Afternoon
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Drive and walk in the rolling
hills of the Pays d'Auge,
famous for its apple orchards, fine cider and the
powerful apple brandy known as "calvados."
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Visit the charming village of
Beuvron-en-Auge and the
seaside resorts of Trouville,
Deauville and Cabourg.
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Final stop, Dives-sur-Mer,
picturesque village of half-timbered houses, where
William the Conqueror set sail for England in 1066.
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Day 4:(Hotel in Bayeux)
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Morning
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Visit William the Conqueror's
native town of Falaise and
its impressive château-fortress with its magnificent
view over the Dives Valley.
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Picnic near Clécy
in the hills of "Swiss Normandy."
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Afternoon
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Guided tour of historic Bayeux;
visit to the 11th-century tapestry depicting the decisive
Battle of Hastings, where William became "The Conqueror"
of England. Free time to explore Bayeux.
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Day 5: (Hotel in Bayeux)
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Morning
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Guided tour of Caen,
with a visit to the spectacular Abbaye
aux Hommes and the Abbaye
aux Dames.
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Afternoon
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Tour of the Mémorial
Museum in Caen.
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Day 6: (Hotel in Bayeux)
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A Long Day
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Explore the D-Day Landing Beaches,
starting at Sainte-Mère-Eglise
and heading east. Visit Barfleur,
St-Vaast-la-Hougue and
Utah Beach. Continue to
the rugged cliffs near Port-en-Bessin
for spectacular views of the beaches. Walk the path
to Omaha Beach and St-Laurent-sur-Mer,
site of the American cemetery featured in "Saving
Private Ryan," and Pointe du
Hoc, one of the most telling memorials to
the fighting, with its bomb craters and intact battery
bunkers. See the steep cliffs stormed by Rangers
in their struggle to destroy the six-gun battery.
Final stop will be Arromanches-les-Bains,
site of the famous WWII artificial port that was
towed across the Channel as part of the invasion
force.
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Day 7: (Hotel near the Mont-Saint-Michel)
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Morning
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Our destination is the Mont-Saint-Michel,
but we'll stop en route to visit Saint-Lô,
vital communications center in the Battle of Normandy,
and Villedieu-les-Poêles,
for 400 years a center for copper and brass ware.
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Stop in Avranches
to enjoy breathtaking views of the Mont-Saint-Michel,
since the 11th century a significant site of religious
meditation and hermitage.
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Late afternoon
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Arrive at Mont-Saint-Michel.
Explore the island, then tour the abbey.
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Day 8:
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Morning
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After breakfast drive to Rennes
for a brief visit of the town.
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Tour ends after breakfast.
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