Deluxe tours



Video - What we did in 2009

Provence & Beyond

Discovering Aix en
Provence and the Riviera
12-19 september 2010


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Cézanne : Montagne St-Victoire








Day 1: Sunday 12 September 2010

After you’ve arrived and settled in to your well situated hotel in the center of town, come join us for our champagne reception in your new surroundings before we experience our welcome dinner on the delightful terrace of a restaurant bien Aixois.

Apéritif + Dinner

Day 2: Monday 13 September 2010

The history and the architecture of this vital Provençal town comes alive during our privately guided walk around town, as does the life two of its most famous citizens—Emile Zola and Paul Cézanne—who wrote about and painted this town their entire lives. Lunch in the shade of les platanes will be followed by a walk in the steps of Cézanne and end with a private visit of the well preserved atelier Cézanne for an immersion into the artist's vision while he created his innovative/disconcerting still life paintings. We’ll end the day with a visit his family home Jas de Bouffan.
Lunch

Pablo Picasso Day 3: Tuesday 14 September 2010

Tuesday is market day in Aix and the town comes alive with cheese, vegetables, flowers, spices, bread, pottery,jewelry and art. Spend your morning at leisure, andering the market on the Place de Verdun or roaming the town, visiting the various art galleries and boutiques. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the villages of

the Lubéron. This evening, we are invited for an apéritif in the home of a renowned Aixoise artist.
 Apéritif, dinner

Day 4: Wednesday 15 September 2010
Cézanne’s fascination with light and color led him to a series of innovative artistic endeavors which greatly influenced subsequent painters. We'll travel in his footsteps today and explore the quarries at Bibemus, walk the paths to the Saint Victoire mountain before lunch in a picturesque restaurant a stone’s throw from the site. Afternoon in the charming coastal town of Cassis, with a visit to a private vineyard.
Lunch.

La montagne Ste-Victoire seen from Le Thonoret *Day 5: Thursday 16 2010

The charming town of St-Rémy, where Van Gogh painted Starry Night while interred in the St-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, is renowned for its art galleries, the plethora of restaurants, chocolate shops and specialty boutiques. After lunch on your own, we’ll take a leisurely hike on a beautiful hiking trail down to Les Baux de Provence, a remarkable village on the craggy knoll of a mountain, ending with a dégustation de vin at a nearby vineyard. [You’re always welcome to ride in our chauffured car if you prefer. ]

*No group meal; wine tasting

Day 6: Friday 17, 2010
We’ll travel east to the Riviera today to the quaint town of Antibes, which boasts the recently renovated Picasso museum. The Château Grimaldi became “Picasso Museum” in December 1966. Picasso stayed there from mid-September to mid-November 1946 where he produced a great deal of work and donated 23 paintings and 44 drawings to the town of Antibes. After lunch in the best restaurant in Antibes, we’ll visit the home and gardens of Pierre-August Renoir, another of the early 20th century impressionist painters. The house in which he spent the last eleven years of his life has been lovingly preserved and is filled with artifacts from the painter’s life; you can admire the other artists’ work as well as relax in the beautiful garden.
Lunch

Interior of Renoir's home Day 7: Saturday 18, 2010

Spend a leisurely morning on your own today, perhaps at the neighboring Roman spa or visiting those wonderful boutiques in Aix before we experience another side of the arts this evening: les arts de la cuisine. We’ll travel to a small village north of Aix where Chef Marc will enlighten us with the secrets of la cuisine provençale in the kitchen of the Château Arnajon; afterwards, the very dinner he has so diligently prepared will be shared at sunset under the linden tree in his garden.


Dinner

Day 8: Sunday 19 September 2010

Leave Provence today unless you have more time to spend with us in the area. We’re offering a 4-day add-on to the French Riviera: Nice & the Backcountry Riviera. See details below. Perhaps you’d like to consider returning to the US via the Queen Mary II on their October 1st transatlantic sailing…6 days of elegance, fine dining, a multitude of activities, and relaxation. Details with our travel agent


COST AND DETAILS of PROVENCE & BEYOND

$3250

September 12-19, 2010 Based on 8 participants minimum


INCLUDED

NOT INCLUDED

REGISTRATION DEADLINES & CONDITIONS


PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY

If you are undecided about whether to come on this trip, we will gladly discuss details with you. We expect that you read the pre-departure information and be in sufficient good health to undertake the trip. If you have certain dietary or other restrictions, please ascertain beforehand that we are able to accommodate you. Vegetarian diets can usually be adapted, but we regret that our chefs cannot accommodate a vegan diet.

RESPONSIBILITY OF ORGANIZER

The French Traveler has exercised careful consideration with regard to the safety and well being of participants. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any airplane, automobile, train, cable car, motor coach, metro or other conveyance, or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying passengers in carrying out the arrangements of these programs. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, force majeure, or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will be borne by the passenger, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as deemed necessary. The French Traveler reserves the right to cancel this program prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline any person deemed inappropriate for the program. The French Traveler reserves the right to change or substitute any activities described above for reasons of inclement weather, unforeseen circumstances, natural acts or inconveniences or reasons beyond our control. No refund will be made for any unused portion of this program. Baggage is entirely the owner’s risk. It is understood that any airfare, rail, or automobile arrangements made by the participant is solely a matter between those companies and the individual. The French Traveler accepts no liability for any carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket connected with the program. Program price is based on exchange rate in December 2009; if the euro/dollar rate reaches or exceeds 1 E = $1.50 by August 25, 2010, a $385 surcharge for the main tour will be required of all participants, regardless of registration date, and $100 for the extension tour.


OPTIONAL 4-DAY EXTENSION TOUR $1550 (4 people mininim)


Optional 4-day extension tour $1999 (4 people minimum) Day 1: Sunday 20 September 2010

We’ll say goodbye to Provence this morning as we wend our

way to Nice, the capital of the alluring French Riviera. On the way,

we’ll stop in breathtaking St. Tropez where you can wander to your

heart’s desire, climb the mountain above the sea, scour the port for

art treasures, and understand why Brigitte Bardot fell in love with this

town which hasn’t changed very much since she discovered it in the

1960s. This afternoon in Nice: the Cours Saleya and the Old Town.
Dinner.

Day 2: Monday 21 September

The Baron de Rothchild’s breathtaking villa will be our morning excursion, with lunch on the patio overlooking the sea. Then on to Eze, the stunning village high above the coast.
 Lunch

Typical village of backcountry Riviera Day 3: Tuesday 22 September

The backcountry Riviera is the best kept secret in travel: the

perfume factories, a hand-made chocolate factory, elegant

French gardens and charming villages. Lunch at the exquisite,

one-star Michelin restaurant of Jacques Chibois. A farewell

apéritif in a private home in the village of Le Bar sur Loup.

Lunch

Day 4: Wednesday 23 September

You’ll simply hate to leave but what wonderful photos

you’ll have to proudly display!





COST AND DETAILS 4-DAY RIVIERA EXTENSION TOUR

$1550

September 19-22, 2009 Based on 4 participants minimum


INCLUDED

NOT INCLUDED

The French Traveler, Inc.

has been offering small group tours to FRANCE for discerning travelers seeking unique experiences for the past twelve years. Our mission is to turn every trip you take with us into a journey of excitement, learning, joy and passion. We are honored to design itineraries in a country full of wonder and history, and feel privileged to bring inquisitive travelers of all ages who share a love for cross-cultural learning to our favorite destination. Our guests' curiosity, spirit, and passion continually inspire us to reach for the highest standards possible. And since it takes only about 10 minutes to fall in love with Provence—the exceptional light, the plethora of art, the bounty of fruits and olive oil, the sing-song accents, the luscious cuisine….we are sure you will come home invigorated and satisfied, ready to plan your next trip to la belle France.

We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, our dedication to each traveler’s needs, our attention to detail and our ability to help you get the most from this cross-cultural experience. We speak fluent French, know the countryside like the backs of our hands; we arrange meals with the local hosts and introduce you to people whom you would never be able to meet on your own. We don’t race through the European countryside to see several cities in as many days; rather, we spend our time only in France, savoring one city at a time and fan out from there. We take pains to discover the local fauna and flora, seeking opportunities to converse and interact with the locals, experiencing what the region has to offer in the way of culture, cuisine, and sights. You’ll unpack only once. We extend our network of personal friends to include you and make the trip a highly personal one; in fact, many of our travelers form friendships during the trip which continue long afterwards and often involve future travel together.

Call us. Or visit our website where all the details of the itinerary are posted for you: www.frenchtraveler.com. We love questions and we’d be happy to help you sort out your travel arrangements. Come and have fun with us. Challenge yourself to revive your rusty French, revisit a favorite haunt or simply take a fresh look at art and at the painters who have so influenced our current world.

Your France Travel Specialist
We love France and you will too!