TRIP ITINERARY TO PARIS, NORMANDY, THE LOIRE VALLEY, AND PERIGORD

                                                 Day 1-2
Transatlantic flight to Paris, France. When you arrive in Paris, you will be greeted at the airport by a bilingual representative for a transfer to your hotel and a guided city tour of Paris. Have dinner in the Latin Quarter this evening. B/D

                                        Day 3
You will be picked up at your hotel for a Bateaux Mouches ride on the Seine. After lunch, you will have a guided tour of the Louvre with its "Venus", Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", and "Winged Victory". Visit the Ile St. Louis, and Ile de la Cite with the Notre Dame Cathedral. Enjoy dinner on your own. B

                                                  Day 4
This morning, take a short train ride for a guided tour of the Versailles Chateau, home of Louis XIV, the "Sun King". Enjoy a walk through the gardens to the Apollo Basin and to the Grand Trianon. Return to Paris for a free afternoon and dinner in the young and trendy Les Halles district. B/D

                                                  Day 5
In the morning, view the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero, then climb or take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Then, on your own, visit the impressionist d'Orsay Museum. This evening, explore the artistic Montmartre area and see the Sacre Coeur Basilica. Have dinner on your own. B

                                                                                              Day 6
You will be picked up at your hotel, by bus for a seven-day excursion to the Normandy coast, via Monet's Giverny garden. Have dinner this evening and overnight in Bayeux. B/D

                              Day 7
Drive along the beaches to Mont St. Michel for a guided tour. Continue on to your hotel, in Dinard, for dinner and the night. B/D

                                                      Day 8
Today, explore the Normandy/Brittany area of France and visit a beach on the English Channel. In the afternoon, walk around Dinard before dinner on your own. Overnight in Dinard. B

                                                     Day 9
Board your bus for Angers. View the Chateau, rebuilt on the Roman foundations by Louis IX. Also, see the "Tenture de l'Apocalypse", a tapestry that was originally 550 feet long, with scenes based on the Apocolypse of St. John. Then, go to Poitiers where you may walk around and visit the Notre-Dame-la-Grande Church, specifically the "west front". Enjoy dinner and overnight in Poitiers. B/D

                                                 Day 10
Depart early in the morning for the town of Rocamadour, a typical medieval French town. In the afternoon, go to Perigueux and walk around the town before dinner this evening. Overnight at Hotel le St. Laurent in St. Laurent sur Manoir.B/D

                                                 Day 11
Today, you will visit the prehistoric sites of this region, including Sarlat, the Grottoes or Rouffinac, and the caves of Lascaux. Return to Perigueux for dinner on your own and the night. B

                                                Day 12
Depart for the Loire Valley. Drive by the Chateau Chinon before stopping at Azay-le-Rideau for your guided tour. This pretty chateau, surrounded by park lands, is on the Indre River which acts as a reflecting pool. Then go to the Chenonceau Chateau for a guided tour. Built on the River Cher, by Thomas Bohier, this is as fine an example of Renaissance architecture that you will ever see. It was constructed from an old fortified mill from 1513-1521. If time permits, visit Amboise. In 1470, Charles VIII was born in this Gothic chateau that overlooks the town of Amboise. Leonardo de Vinci is said to be buried in the Chapel of St. Hubert. Enjoy dinner and spend the night at your hotel in Blois. B/D

                                             Day 13
Return to Paris, via Chartres, with its Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral. See the stained glass that contains 5,000 figures. Arrive later in the evening for dinner and overnight at your hotel, near the airport. B/D

                       Day 14
Depart for your transatlantic flight home. B