Chenonceau
Hiram College & France Custom Tours
Invites You to Join Us for
The Best of Paris
Normandy & Loire
May 17th-26th 2011
Map of Hiram College 2011 Alumni Tour of France
You are invited to join us on a ten-day journey through some of the most beautiful and historic regions of France.
We will explore magnificent Gothic Cathedrals in northwest France, Loire Valley châteaux occupied by the French Kings, the famous Sancerre, Vouvray and Chinon wine regions, Mont Saint-Michel, the Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches and the museums and monuments of Paris.
>> Download Itinerary: Hiram 2011 Alumni Tour of France
Basilique Saint-Denis
Day 1 - Paris
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
We will begin our tour at our hotel in Paris.
We will meet at our hotel at 2 pm and learn to navigate the Paris Metro as we travel together to the Basilica Saint-Denis in the suburbs of Paris. Nearly all the French kings were buried here. It is also the first cathedral built in the Gothic style. We will learn about the cathedral's history and architecture.
We will head to a Brasserie for an early dinner, so everyone can get a good night’s sleep before leaving for the French countryside in the morning.
One of Ernest Hemingway's favorite Brasseries
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
Day 2 – Chartres, Sancerre and Bourges
Wednesday May 18, 2011 After breakfast, we will board our van for a short tour of some of the notable Paris landmarks as we leave town.
Our first stop will be the beautiful Gothic cathedral at Chartres the site of one of the most complete collections of medieval stained glass in the world. We will buy a quick lunch before visiting the famous Sancerre wine region for a winery tour.
We spend the night in Bourges, a less traveled town where you can visit the beautiful Gothic cathedral, the Palace of Jacques Cœur. We will dine together at a local restaurant.
Day 3 – Loire Valley Châteaux, Amboise
Thursday May 19, 2011 Today we will begin our tour of the Loire Valley – known as the “Playground of the Kings of France.” We will see three castles today: Château Blois, which illustrates the evolution of French architecture from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, Château Chambord, the largest Loire château with its double helix staircase – possibly designed by Leonardo da Vinci and considered a work of genius, and Château Amboise, with its beautiful views of the town of Amboise and the site of Leonardo da Vinci’s grave.
Chambord Château
Amboise Château
The Town of Amboise
For lunch, we will dine on French baguettes as we travel so we have more time to spend at the châteaux. We will spend the next two nights near Amboise, a great town for dining, exploring and shopping. Tonight is a free evening to dine and explore on your own.
Day 4 -Loire Valley Châteaux, Vouvray Winery
Friday May 20, 2011 Today, we will continue our visit of the beautiful Loire châteaux with a trip to Château Chenonceau, the most beautiful château. It is built across the River Cher and stands on graceful pylons as it spans the river. During WWII it served as a military hospital and curiously, the division between Free France and occupied France ran through the middle of the château - providing a perfect escape into Free France.
We will visit Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s final home – it is quite inviting by modern standards, but the best part is the museum in the lower level which has an extensive display of models of Leonardo's inventions.
Chenonceau Château spanning the River Cher
Model of da Vinci Helicopter at Clos Lucé
We will visit a Vouvray winery for a tour and a tasting in the afternoon. Again, we will dine on baguettes as we travel. We will eat together tonight at one of the wonderful restaurants in town.
Chenonceau Château on the 2010 Hiram Alumni Tour
Château Villandry Vegetable Gardens
Day 5 - – Loire Valley Châteaux, Chinon Winery, Brittany
Saturday May 21, 2011 Today we finish our tour of the Loire. Our first stop will be a tour of the formal gardens at Château Villandry. Much of the formal landscape is patterned arrangements of colorful vegetables and miniature fruit trees. It is an unbelievable site. We will pause for a photo stop at Château Usse, Sleeping Beauty’s castle on the way to the newly restored Château Chinon. This is the site of the Christmas Court from Lion in Winter, the story of Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine and their distinguished sons. We will visit a winery from the Chinon wine region, the famous Loire Valley red wine. We will feast on baguettes again today, as we have a long journey into Brittany where we will stay on the Rance estuary. We will have dinner together in Dinan.
Château Chinon
Day 6 - Mont Saint-Michel, Bayeux Tapestry, Picnic on Omaha Beach
Mont Saint-Michel
Sunday May 22, 2011 This will be an unforgettable day. After breakfast we will leave for a tour of Mont Saint-Michel, the stunning abbey built on a small rock island. Originally built in the Romanesque style during the twelfth century, the church of the abbey was daringly placed with the transept crossing at the top of the mount. After the 1204 seige of the mount by the Breton Guy de Thouars, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. It is an awe inspiring site.
The Bayeux Tapestry
We will drive to the Norman town of Bayeux for lunch together in one of the traditional Creperies. We will visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry commemorating William the Conqueror’s 1066 Norman conquest of Britain. The audio tour is fascinating. The tapestry was completed by 1077 for display in the Bayeux Cathedral.
Weather permitting, the highlight of today will be a picnic together on Omaha Beach, one of the most pivotal Allied battles during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. D-Day was the turning point in the Second World War in Europe. The American landing beach at Omaha Beach is the perfect place to celebrate the freedom brought to the European Continent after one of the darkest times in history.
Omaha Beach
Day 7 - Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches, American Cemetary
Monday May 23, 2011 We will spend the day exploring the American sector of the D-Day Landing Beaches and the American Cemetary and Memorial at Omaha Beach. We will visit Pointe du Hoc where the American Second Rangers scaled the 100 foot cliffs to take the German gun positions there. We will see Omaha Beach and the American Cemetary portrayed so poignantly in the movie Saving Private Ryan. The Visitor’s Center opened in May 2007 to tell the story of the 9,387 Americans buried at Omaha Beach and the D-Day landings and subsequent battle in Europe as one of the greatest military achievements of all time. It is one of the best presentations of the momentous times.
Normandy American Cemetary at Omaha Beach
We will have dinner together at a seafood restaurant in Port en Bessin, a Normandy fishing port.
Eiffel Tower at Night
Day 8 – Rouen, Paris: Eiffel Tower, Evening Cruise
Tuesday May 24, 2011 After breakfast at our hotel, we will drive to Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy, and the site of the beautiful cathedral painted some 28 times by the Impressionist painter, Claude Monet. We will do a walking tour of the historic town center.
We will then return to Paris where we will have a chance to see more of the city before traveling to the Eiffel Tower for dinner from the à la carte menu (on your own). With reservations in hand, we skip the line and ride the elevator up the Tower for a beautiful view of Paris as we dine. After dinner we take an evening cruise on the Seine to see the “City of Lights”.
Evening Cruise in Paris
La Sainte-Chapelle
Day 9 - Paris: Cathedrals, Museums or Shopping, Farewell Dinner
Wednesday May 25, 2011. Right after breakfast, we will go to Sainte-Chapelle, the high point of rayonnante Gothic architecture to miss the tourist lines at this beautiful chapel. We will walk to Notre Dame de Paris, the most famous Gothic cathedral in Paris. These sites are part of the Paris Museum Pass for free admission to more than 60 monuments and museums in Paris.
Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
These passes will be provided to everyone who wishes to explore on their own, or you can have the cost in euros if you wish to “shop ‘til you drop” today. Now that everyone is familiar with the public transportation, you can travel where you want.
We will meet back at the hotel in the evening and go to our final gourmet feast and farewell dinner together at one of the great restaurants of Paris.
Day 10 - Paris and Bon Voyage
Thursday May 26, 2011 After breakfast we will say goodbye. If you have an evening departure or wish to stay an extra day, we will help you plan. For those who are leaving, we will help those with early departures transfer to the airport. We hope your trip will have been a dream come true and that you will want to return to France, again and again and again. Bon Voyage à-Dieu.
Cost $3,599 - Hiram College 2011 Alumni Tour of Paris, Normandy & Loire
Deposit $1,000 - Payable to Hiram College - Due January 1, 2011
Balance $2,599 - Payable to Hiram College - Due April 1, 2011
Tour includes: Admission and ground transportation to all travel destinations, Lodging for 9 nights double occupancy (single supplement available on request), 9 breakfasts 4 lunches 7 dinners and more.
Tour is limited to 14 travelers.
Contact the Hiram College Office of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving 800-705-5050 for more information or to register for the trip.
Your Tour Directors
