I am organizing and leading my 17th Art and Textile Tour to France. I'm planning a travel adventure for a small group of people who love to explore and are eager to learn about French culture, art and textiles. We'll be on the go, absorbing the textures of sunny southern France.

One can't help falling in love with the hill towns of Provence and the blue seas of the Mediterranean. Nice and Avignon will be our headquarters as we visit the regions loved by Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh and Cezanne. There is an abundance of sights to visit, enjoy and photograph. Just imagine walking in the footsteps of Van Gogh, looking at the view from Renoir's home, sitting in a French café watching the world go by or strolling along the Mediterranean on a clear blue day.

I have lived in France and speak the language. I've traveled in the south of France many times and know many special places to visit, sights to see and things to do. I'm a long-time quilter and quilt teacher as well as a Francophile, who just can't stop visiting France.

As always, there will be lots of meandering in small towns and villages, allowing us time to make our own discoveries at our own pace. If there is enough interest, we can add a few extra days for Paris.

The tour dates are approximately May 7 to May 18, 2009.

Approximate cost will be $4000 and will include hotels and all breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners, land transportation including train tickets and buses, admissions to all museums and momuments on the itinerary, and local English-speaking guides and guide tips. Air fare and shuttle to and from the airport are not included.

Details and specifics, including the itinerary and exact cost, will be available on my web site when I hear from 10-12 people, who are genuinely interested in and able to participate in the spring 2009 tour.

Do you have a specific focus or interest, a cooking class or an emphasis on visiting gardens, for example? Would you like to gather a group for a special "friend's getaway"? Let me know. I can include these ideas in the program or add them as optional activities.

Maximum group size is twenty people.

Please contact me by email or phone as soon as possible. I will respond to everyone, noting your specific wishes and requests and keeping you apprised of the interest in a 2009 tour to southern France. It's never too early to start the planning, set aside the dates and book the hotels. So let me hear from you by September 1, 2008, the cutoff date for trip planning.

You can reach me by email or by phone at 831-647-8973.

 

Interested in the 2008 tour details?