Daily Itinerary for May 2009 Tour to France

Thursday, May 7 
From the airport closest to your home, this is the day to take your overnight flight to Nice.

Friday, May 8 - Day 1 
Our group meets at our hotel on May 8th. You'll love our four-star hotel which is furnished with Provençal fabrics. We will take time to stretch our legs, check out the "neighborhood", walk to the Mediterranean, and get a bite to eat and a good night's sleep.

Saturday, May 9 - Day 2 
What better way to be introduced to the cultural and artistic heritage of Nice, the fifth largest city in France, than with a guided visit of this city, which was founded, circa 350BC, by the Greeks. The visit will end at the Cours Saleya, Nice's famous flower market. After lunch we'll be off to the Matisse Museum in the Cimiez area of Nice, for a guided visit of the collection of works he and his heirs left to the city.

Sunday, May 10 - Day 3 

The towns of Villefranche-sur-Mer and Beaulieu-sur-Mer are situated on the Mediterranean to the east of Nice. We'll visit the two. In Villefranche our guide will show us the Citadel, the 16th century defensive system of fortifications, and the old city with its "rue obscure", a covered street dating from the 14th century. After lunch we'll visit the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. This beautiful French Riviera Palazzo and its nine gardens will delight you.

Monday, May 11 - Day 4 

Today we hop on a train for the short ride to the Principality of Monaco, where we'll spend the day with our guide. We'll visit the old town of Monaco, including the church where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are buried and the Palace Square to watch the changing of the guard. In Monte Carlo we'll visit the National Museum and Collection of Dolls and Automats of Yesteryear, as well as the exterior of the astonishing Grand Casino, with its rococo turrets and green copper cupolas. If you are feeling lucky you may want to play a game or two of chance, or more certain, sit in a nearby cafe enjoying an ice cream or cold drink.

Tuesday, May 12 - Day 5 

We head west of Nice to Antibes, yet another ancient town with a naturally protected port on the Mediterranean. The town has retained much of its ancient charm. It is also the site of the Picasso Museum, recently reopened after a period of renovation. Our guide will take us through the museum, helping us understand the paintings of this 20th century Spanish-born painter. On the city square is a wonderful little shop with the delightful name of Mandarine. Inside we've found such treasures as bolts of Provencal fabric, quilted mats and table runners, tablecloths and napkins. After lunch we travel to the picturesque and popular medieval village of Biot, which is approximately 2500 years old. It's known for its pottery and glass. We'll watch the glass blowers at work at the Verrerie de Biot, one of the glass factories, which produces hand-blown bubble glass. And you just might want to shop!

Wednesday, May 13 - Day 6 

Today is a day to relax; a day of leisure to pursue your own agenda. You might choose to shop and visit the city on your own, walk along the waterfront on the Promenade des Anglais, take photos and people watch as you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in a nearby café.

Thursday, May 14 - Day 7 

We have three destinations - first the Matisse Chapel in Vence, designed and decorated by Henri Matisse. Our second stop is the medieval hill town of Saint-Paul de Vence. You'll love wandering around the narrow streets, looking in galleries and gift shops and taking photos to savor the essence of this special place. Lastly we visit the Domaine des Collettes, near Cagnes-Mer, Pierre-Auguste Renoir's last home, which is furnished with his original furniture, 11 original paintings and his studio.

Friday, May 15 - Day 8 

It's time to move from the Riviera inland to Provence. We'll take the TGV (high speed train) and arrive in Avignon 3 hours later. We have the afternoon to walk around Avignon, a walled city, getting our bearings and sizing up the magnitude of the Palace of the Popes.

Saturday, May 16 - Day 9 

It's another day of adventure! The morning will be spent at the unique village of Les Baux-de-Provence, which was built on a bare rock spur with vertical ravines on each side. Its once fortified castle lies in ruins and the old houses are desolate. Though it has a history going back to antiquity, the castle, dating back to the 10th century, was destroyed in 1632. Today Les Baux is a tourist town; its buildings have become shops filled with marvelous temptations. It's also a place of Kodak moments. Later we head for Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a town with Roman antiquities (the arena and the theater) and, for 14 months, the home of Vincent Van Gogh.

Sunday, May 17 - Day 10 

We are heading east of Avignon today to the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a charming island-town encircled by canals of the Sorgue River, which runs through the town. It's well-known for its Sunday markets - antiques, produce and Provençal products. The market stands crowd both the center of town and the edges of the canals. Little pedestrian bridges cross over the waterways. Whether you are looking for color inspiration or antiques, you'll find them here. In the afternoon we'll stop in the medieval village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the source of the Sorgue River. And lastly, we stop at another photogenic village, Roussillon, where the buildings reflect the ochre-red color of the surrounding hillsides and rocks.

Monday, May 18 - Day 11 

Monday is a day devoted to Provençal textiles. We'll begin at the Museum Soulieado in the village of Tarascon. Soulieado is the oldest producer of printed fabrics in the region. We'll visit its Museum of Provençal clothing, quilts and artifacts as well as the reconstructed dyeing and printing workshop. Later in the day we'll visit nearby Les Olivades, where we'll tour the factory watching the printing process as solid white cloth becomes meters and meters of beautiful and colorful printed Provençal fabric. Both these two have retail outlets full of tempting fabric by the meter, clothing, scarves and other delights.

Tuesday, May 19 - Day 12 

Our destination today is another UNESCO World Heritage site, the Pont du Gard, an almost 2000 year old Roman aqueduct, built in the 1st century AD, to bring water 30 miles to the Roman city of Nimes. We will spend the afternoon in the charming town of Uzès, enjoying its old buildings, market square and browsing in its shops.

Wednesday, May 20 - Day 13 

We travel by train to Paris this morning. After checking into our hotel, we will take the Metro to the district of Montmartre. From the "hill" of Montmartre, you have a fine view over the city of Paris. The white-domed Basilica Sacre Coeur is Montmartre's outstanding landmark. You'll also enjoy the Place du Tertre, the square filled with artists and their work. Touristy, but fun and a nice place to purchase a little souvenir of Paris. Back at the base of Montmartre is the "fabric district", known as Marché-Saint-Pierre, where we'll find dozens of shops selling fabric and trims.

Thursday, May 21 - Departure or Three Day Extension: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 21, 22 & 23 

Some of you may be ending the tour today. For those staying for the extension, there is much we can do, from interesting walks and window shopping ("leche vitrines" in French), to visits of monuments and museums. 

I propose we spend these three days exploring the city as we enjoy a variety of visits. These can be tailored to the interests of the participants once we have your input and ideas. What activities interest you? Are they:

  • museum-related?
  • textile-related?
  • food-related?
  • monuments?
  • parks and gardens?

Depending upon the group's interest and energy, here is a short list: 

--Button, ribbon and trim shops for our future creations and a 1930's era "mercerie" for antique trims.
--La Droguerie, the bead and button shop installed in Le Bon Marché department store.
--Passage Jouffroy, a glass-covered passageway, built in 1847. A variety of interesting shops exist under its glass roof.
--The Rue Montorgueil market, one of Paris' oldest market streets.
--Fauchon, a hyper-upscale delicatessen.
--Dehillerin, the last word in kitchen tools.
--The Marché aux Puce (Flea Market) at the Porte de Vanves on the edge of Paris.
--The costume museums, the Musée de la Textile et la Mode in the Decorative Arts wing of the Louvre Museum or the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris in the Palais Galliera (depending upon the current exhibits).

Sunday, May 24 - Day 3 of 3-day extension 

It's time to say a final goodbye, as you head for your flight home.