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PARIS TO PARIS EXCURSIONS
Excursion 01 A drive across the countryside takes you from Le Havre to the seaside town of Fécamp dominated by the former abbey, one of the largest houses of God in France. First you visit the remnants of the fortress emplacements of the Atlanticwall. From there you have an imposingly view over Fécamp, Channel and the Alabaster Coast. It was here in 1510 in the cloister at Fécamp that the first “Benedictine”, a liqueur or elixir of 27 plants and spices, was made. King Francois I. declared Benedictine his favorite drink. You can visit the distillery where the drink is originally made, and of course, try some of the product. In the “Palais Benedictine” museum you find numerous paintings and sculptures from the late middle ages. Possibly the most attractive town of this so-called “Alabaster Coast” is the much visited seaside resort “Etretat”, which is picturesquely set atop the chalk cliffs, flanked by powerful rocky crags. After a short walking tour you have some free time to explore the area. If the excursion starts in Caudebec-en-Caux, the order will be the following: Etretat, Palais Benedictine, cliffs. (approx. 5 hours.) Approx. 4.5 hours.
The bus will take you to beautiful Chateau du Breuil, where one of the most famous Calvados distilleries is situated. After an English-speaking guide has explained the process of making Calvados, you are welcome to sample the noble beverage. From here the bus will take you to Honfleur. After a short walk you reach the historic city centre of Honfleur, a place with a rich seafaring tradition. The picturesque harbour, labyrinthine lanes and traditional half-timbered houses make Honfleurs the epitome of the Normandy town. From the old fishing harbour the tour takes you inside St. Catherine church close by, a wood building in late gothic style with a separate belfry. Before returning to the ship by bus, there is still some time at your disposal. Approx. 5 hours. Excursion 03 The Normandy is known for its wealth of churches, monasteries, and culinary highlights. At first you drive by bus to the town of Villequier, where a stroll takes you along the banks of the Seine River past picturesque half-timbered houses. Sadly, the town will always be associated with the drowning of poet Victor Hugo's young daughter and her husband during the Seine flood in 1843. A section of the Victor-Hugo-Museum commemorates the couple. Afterwards, you drive to the 7th century Benedictine Abbey St. Wandrille which suffered great damage from attack by the Vikings in 841 and was rebuilt in the 11th century. To this day monks live in this monastery. You visit the parvis and the 14th-15th century cloister before you have some leisure time to independently explore the area. Before you return to the ship, you visit the church Notre Dame of Caudebec-en-Caux, a masterpiece of intricate Late Gothic architecture. Approx. 3.5 hours.
A 30 minutes´ bus ride past historical farm buildings will take you to St. Opportune-la-Mare where your bicycles are already waiting for you. The cycling tour (ca. 25 km) will take you through the area surrounding the town Marais Vernier, past lakes and alder groves into regions whose micro-climate offers a habitat to many rare plants and animals. This is also where you’ll discover an impressive natural amphitheatre. During a short interval in the village of Marais Vernier you can admire the outside of the 12th century church St. Laurent. From here the route will take you back to St. Opportune, passing a swamp area which was created in the 19th century when the Seine was deepened. From St. Opportune you return to the Cezanne by bus. Please note: The route contains noticeable gradients before the arrival in Marais Vernier. Airy sports clothing required. Approx. 3.5 hours. Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Excursion 05 The art colony Auvers-sur-Oise close to Paris is one of the most important artistic centers in Europe: painters like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Camille Pissarro or the French landscape and open air painter Charles Francois Daubigny, who worked in Barbizon as well and who is seen as the forefather of impressionism, stayed here at some point during their lives. Van Gogh lived under very Spartan conditions in the Auberge Ravoux where he died in 1980. You visit the gravesite of the painter and the museum, see the church of the town and stroll through the city.
A drive across the countryside takes you from Le Havre to the seaside town of Fécamp dominated by the former abbey, one of the largest houses of God in France. First you visit the remnants of the fortress emplacements of the Atlanticwall. From there you have an imposingly view over Fécamp, Channel and the Alabaster Coast. It was here in 1510 in the cloister at Fécamp that the first “Benedictine”, a liqueur or elixir of 27 plants and spices, was made. King Francois I. declared Benedictine his favorite drink. You can visit the distillery where the drink is originally made, and of course, try some of the product. In the “Palais Benedictine” museum you find numerous paintings and sculptures from the late middle ages. Possibly the most attractive town of this so-called “Alabaster Coast” is the much visited seaside resort “Etretat”, which is picturesquely set atop the chalk cliffs, flanked by powerful rocky crags. After a short walking tour you have some free time to explore the area. Approx. 4,5 hours.
The bus will take you to beautiful Chateau du Breuil, where one of the most famous Calvados distilleries is situated. After an English-speaking guide has explained the process of making Calvados, you are welcome to sample the noble beverage. From here the bus will take you to Honfleur. After a short walk you reach the historic city centre of Honfleur, a place with a rich seafaring tradition. The picturesque harbour, labyrinthine lanes and traditional half-timbered houses make Honfleurs the epitome of the Normandy town. From the old fishing harbour the tour takes you inside St. Catherine church close by, a wood building in late gothic style with a separate belfry. Before returning to the ship by bus, there is still some time at your disposal. Approx. 4.5 hours.
After a 45 minutes´ bus ride you will reach Vaucottes-sur-Mer where exquisite villas are monuments to a grand past. From here a guided tour will take you along the steep coast with its many cliffs reaching into the sea. From a height of about 100 metres the vantage points La Pucelle and Pointe du Chicart offer an unmatched view over the rock formations of the alabaster coast. After a walk of around 5.5 km you reach the little cove of Yport, nestled between the towering rocks of the coast. After some little refreshment the bus will take you back to the Cezanne. Please note: Comfortable and sturdy shoes as well as windbreaker required. The tour is rated as average and has well-made paths with some gradations. Approx. 4.5 hours.
Excursion 10 During the 90 minutes’ sight-seeing tour through Paris you pass the Montrouge cemetery, the last resting place of many citizens of Paris who perished in the great plague epidemics. You will see the famous church of Perthes which was chosen by Millet as a model for his painting L’Angelus and also the enchanting artists’ village Barbizon, famous for plain landscape painting. Fontainebleau Castle was built in 998 as a hunting lodge for the Capetian Robert the Pious. After extensions built under Francis I it later became the ancestral seat of the French kings. Henry IV had further extensions carried out and Napoleon I after extensive refurbishment made it the first imperial residence. Each epoch has added its characteristic features to the architecture of Fontainebleau, each ruler saw his ideas and wishes implemented. This resulted in the unusual ground plan of today. The most important French architects of their time, Gilles Le Breton, Pierre Chambiges and Pierre Girard, collaborated with the Italian artists Le Rosso, Le Primatice and Nicolo Dell’Abate on creating one of the most beautiful renaissance castles in France. Approx. 4 hours.
Excursion 11 A 30 minutes’ bus ride will take you to Montmartre. In the old days this place yielded an abundance of what was to become known as plaster of Paris and therefore counted among the richest quarters of the city. After a short walk you take the Promotrain which, climbing through narrow lanes, reaches the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur at the top of Montmartre (inside visit without comments), the highest point in Paris, second only to the top of the Eiffel tower. The architecture of this Roman-Catholic pilgrimage church was inspired by Roman and Byzantine models like the Hagia Sophia or St. Marc’s cathedral in Venice. Leaving Sacré-Coeur behind, you take a stroll to the Place du Tertre at the heart of Montmartre, one of Paris’s most famous sights. The Promotrain will take you back to the departure point, where you board the bus to the Cezanne. Approx. 4 hours.
This is a round trip via boulevards, avenues and squares, taking you past gardens and famous buildings through the centre of the metropolis with the distinctive flair. You will see the gothic Notre Dame cathedral on the Île-de-la-Cité, the old and the new opera house (Opéra de la Bastille), the ministry of justice, the cathedral Les Invalides, the Place de la Concorde with the Egyptian obelisk which had its original place in front of the temple at Luxor, the baroque Place des Vosges in the architecturally most beautiful part of Paris, the magnificent Champs-Elysées boulevard, the triumphal arch and the Eiffel tower. Please note that the order of sights may vary due to high traffic volume in the city center. If individual sights cannot be accessed, they will be substituted for other sights. Approx.3 hours.
A 30-minute bus ride (traffic dependent) takes you to beautiful Versailles located on the outskirts of Paris. In the 17th century this famous Baroque palace with its vast landscaped gardens was to be copied numerous times all over Europe. As a reflexion of Absolutism, Versailles stood for power, monarchs, mistresses, pomp, opulence, art, and courtesans. Your visit starts with a 75-minute walking tour through the “Grands Appartements” including the unique Hall of Mirrors (is restored at the moment) and Coronation Hall. Afterwards, you have some free time to stroll through the gardens. Please note: The walkway from the bus across the palace’s courtyard is a 300m (984 ft) cobblestone path. You may encounter a waiting time at the entrance gate. It is not possible to return to the entrance gate during the walking tour through the “Grands Appartements”. Approx. 3.5 hours.
Giverny is a small town in the vicinity of Vernon and well known to art lovers. Here you find the house and gardens where the great French Impressionist Claude Monet lived (1840-1926). To inspire him year round the artist, who grew up in Le Havre, planted a sea of flowers around his house, now home to the Claude Monet Foundation. It was here that Monet painted the famous water lilies. During a walk through the gardens you can assure yourself of the authenticity of the original. The land of painters, especially Impressionists, Normandy has over decades attracted many artists eager to capture the region’s hazy light that hangs like a veil on canvas. Approx. 3.5 hours.
Vernon is situated on the borders of Normandy, high above the Seine valley. Visited by the famous and praised by poets, Vernon offers picturesque ruins, intact monuments, shadowy walks and ancient residences, but also modern buildings can be found. As you will see during your tour of the city, Vernon has a unique blend of past and present which creates its charming individuality and makes it a visitors’ magnet. You visit the church Collegiale Notre Dame (built from the 12th to 16th century) with its elaborate frescoes. From the church square you make your way through narrow lanes with beautiful historical houses to the city museum. The museum is dedicated to fine arts, but nevertheless does not neglect local history and archaeological findings from the region. It also contains numerous impressionist works, among them two original Monets. Approx. 3 hours. |
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