FRANCE & ITALY

E U R O P E A N T O U R S

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ParisIt has been said by many who visit and understood by all, Paris is the city of romance. With all its glitz and glamour it will remain the most Romantic City of them all.

Not a café, bar, couturier or museum ever disappoints … and the Parisians seemingly awash in all this passion are as interesting as the city itself. When you leave Paris, you’ll leave behind your heart..

The Land of ProvenceUnder the burning sun of Provence heat never seemed so hot and you will welcome the escape to the shade of the huge plein trees that line the streets of all the towns in this bleached and sundrenched land.

Provence is a region famous for its abundant wineries, olive trees and vast forests. Once ruled by the Italian dynasties and in time regained by the French. It became the domain of artists like Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, and Picasso, and as it was in their day, it remains an Artist’s Paradise and a sun lovers dream.

The Cote d’AzurThe pure splendour of this region from the cute hilltop villages to the sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean below is an instant tonic when leaving the hectic life behind. The water of the Mediterranean almost laps to the doorstep of your hotel in Old Bandol … like a hidden treasure the town has changed little in decades. The coast is dotted with little beaches, coves and villages that literally have their foundations in the Mediterranean. There are boat trips around the coast, visits to cafes in abundance and dinners at exotic restaurants. By day simply relax under the umbrellas on the hotels’ terrace and ponder the beautiful views, or bathe in one of the many sandy inlets along the coast.. On leaving here you’ll be imbued with a sense of passion for this area that will remain with you for life.

Italian Riviera When travellers arrive in this gorgeous part of Italy there are no illusions about the abundance of natural beauty that greets them. From every direction the verdant green forests, the prettiest villages, exotic villas, castles overlooking a blue ocean. One imagines they have stumbled upon a film setting at every turn. At night the villages erupt with music, vespas and the patrons fill the cafes and bars … it’s time to enjoy and indulge yourself again, just as the Italians do.

Cinque TerreThe Cinque Terre or 5 lands are a wonderful world away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It is a land of beautiful coastline broken only by five small but romantically perched villages, each on a rocky promontory overlooking the ocean at their doorstep.

The traveller can either walk this area (known as the Cinque Terre) from village to village along the rocky ocean path or visit each village by train, or do a bit of both. Either way, there’ll be no disappointment. It is all amazing and rewards you with a memory, so unforgettable.

May 2011

Sun 22 Dep. Auckland 12.25pmArr. Singapore 1 night stopover

Mon 23 Dep. Singapore

Tues 24 AM. - Arr. Paris 7.30am Morning check in & rest at hotel...midday stroll to the Palais Royal & the Louvre. lunch back at the Hotel. PM - By metro to visit Notre dame and onto the left bank area of St Germain du Pres.

Wed 25 AM - After breakfast walk through the Tuilleries gardens to the

Musee l’Orangerie. Lunch back at the Hotel. PM - By Metro to the Trocadero & the Eiffel tower

Thu 26 AM - Visit the beautiful Place de Vosges, lunch enroute.PM - Visit & climb the Arc de Triomphe and walk the Champs des’ Elysees. Evening visit to Montmartre district & dinner.

Fri 27 AM - Free morning in Paris.Dep. 12.15 Gare de Lyon to Avignon on TGV. PM - ARR St Remy in Provence (Land of Van Gogh) Dinner at Lucy’s house.

Sat 28 AM - Fabulous Uzes marketPM - visit the Pont du Gard (Roman Aquaduct)

Sun 29 AM - Avignon fortified town visit & the Palace of the Popes.

Mon 30 AM - The beautiful Luberon Region.. visit the remarkable towns of Fontaine de Vaucluse, Gordes (the stone village) & Rousillon (the red village).

Tue 31AM - Visit the mountain village of Les Baux & the Cathedral of Images.

Wed 1 AM - St Remy market dayPM - Dep. Provence Arr. Bandol village on the cote d’Azur. After settling in at the Hotel we will take a short tour of the village.

Thu 2 AM - Enjoy the morning in the sun on the beach next to the hotel.PM - Journey to La Ciotat over the mountains to Cassis village (where Matisse spent his summers painting)

Fri 3 AM - Visit to Aix en Provence Land of Cezzane.

Sat 4 AM - Sanary port town Market & morning tea. PM - Dep. Bandol Arr. St Jean cap ferrat/ Beaulieu.

Sun 5 AM - Visit to Renoirs House & gardens enroute to Antibes/lunch & the Picasso museum. PM - Old Nice tour.

Mon 6 AM - Grasse village - Fragonard perfume museum. lunch at Grasse.PM - St Paul de Vence village visit & afternoon tea.

Tues 7 AM - Visit St Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula/morning tea & Baron de Rothschild house & Gardens. PM - Visit Monaco Palace & Monte Carlo Visit Eze Village.

Wed 8 AM - Dep. Beaulieu, France for Italy & the beautiful towns of Santa Margherita & Portofino on the Italian Riviera. Short stop enroute for lunch.

Thu 9 AM - Spectacular Cinque Terre walk & train to the 5 villages on the Italian Riviera. Morning tea & lunch. Evening laze in hotel gardens for

Aperitifs - Dinner at the hotel.

Fri 10 AM - Visit quaint Portofino village / morning tea & castle walk.PM - Free afternoon to enjoy swimming at the beach or shopping. Afternoon tea at the hotel.

Sat 11 AM - Dep. Santa Margherita for Milan. Visit Milan

Sun 12 Dep. Milan at 12.15pm to Singapore, 1 night stopover.

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