The Club is now planning for our trips in 2011.  We have had many requests for the Riverboat Trip in France from the Normandy Beaches to Paris.

The date for the trip is April 5, 2011.  The trip in April is $500.00 less per person than it is in May, 2011.

The price of this 13-day trip is $2695.00 with no air.  It is $3195.00 with air from New York with add-ons for other cities.

Below is a description and detailed itinerary of the trip.  We hope all volcanos will be quiet during this time and will not disturb our trip as it did on our ATC Africa trip.

If you think you would like to join us on the Normandy Beaches to Paris trip, please e-mail me (suzannemiller@juno.com) or call (253) 853-6379.

This trip (as all ATC trips) is open to everyone - members and friends.

Happy Travels,
Suzanne and John

For centuries, artists like Cezanne and Monet have immortalized the sparkling waters of the Seine River in their works and today, this legendary waterway continues to inspire artisans and travelers alike.  Come and experience the grandeur of the Seine on one of Grand Circle’s riverboats.  You will arrive in Paris staying one night.  You will then transfer to the riverboat.  Your tour begins with a tour of the Peace Memorial Museum and with the famous  Normandy Beaches of WWII.  Relax on the sun deck of your riverboat and admire scenery of dense forests, fertile pastures, and apple orchards.  Stop along the way for included tours of villages and landscapes that so enchanted Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and Cezanne.  While journeying on Grand Circle’s private, award winning M/S Bizet, this impressive itinerary has so many discoveries in store—from exclusive Discovery Series events that spotlight local culture to sightseeing tours.  Unpack once, spend 10 nights onboard and relax, knowing that all your meals and wine with dinne are included.  Enjoy delicious cuisine and onboard camaraderie as you cruise toward Paris.
 

Day 1   Depart U.S.  Depart today on your flight to Paris, France.

Day 2   Arrive Paris, France/Welcome Drink
Arrive this morning or afternoon in Paris.  You are met at the airport and transferred to your airport hotel.  You have the balance of the day to relax after your overseas flight. Later, celebrate your arrival in France with a Welcome Drink.

Day 3   Paris/Visit Peace Memorial Museum/Honfleur/Embark ship
From Paris you will transfer to the well-preserved port town of Honfleur, founded in the eleventh century.  En route, visit the Peace Memorial Museum in Caen, a state-of-the-art facility that does an outstanding job of presenting the events of World War II, including D-Day, very vividly. It’s an excellent way to put into context what you’re going to see at the Normandy beaches the next day. You’ll have time here to have lunch on your own.  You’ll arrive at the ship in the mid-afternoon and enjoy time to settle into your outside cabin, your private retreat for the next ten nights.  Gather with your shipmates to toast new friends and an enriching journey over a Welcome Drink and Captain’s Welcome Dinner. The ship remains in port tonight.

Day 4    Honfleur/Tour Normandy Beaches
Today is sure to be a moving experience as you set out to explore the beaches that turned the tide of war, and honor those who fell. Begin your D-Day beach tour with a visit to the Battery at Longues Sur Mer. One of the most formidable gun emplacements the Allies faced, the four guns here could fire on either Gold or Omaha Beaches, and at 215 feet above sea level, were ideally placed to confront the D-Day forces. Heavily bombed before the invasion began, these guns were only silenced by the combined firepower of the attacking ships.

After a box lunch at the village of Arromanche, continue to the American Military Cemetery. You’ll see the monument that honors the fallen, and visit the cemetery of Colleville sur Mer, where 9,386 American soldiers rest.

The D-Day landings, code-named “Operation Overlord,” were the largest military operation in recorded history. The beaches of Normandy bore the brunt of the invasion. Beginning at 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944, nearly 7,000 boats hit the beaches along the coast of Normandy. Those vessels carried tens of thousands of soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and many other Allied nations, all of whom arrived determined to carry out Gen. Eisenhower’s order, “Full victory—nothing else.”   When they arrived on the beaches that day, the Allies were met with a deafening barrage of German gunfire. As the Nazis fired from secure pillboxes dug in high above the open beach, Allied soldiers were mowed down while exiting the boats and wading to shore. In time, some doggedly made it to the ridge overlooking the beach, finding shelter from the hail of enemy bullets. More than a thousand Allied troops died on Omaha Beach alone. You’ll have the opportunity to stand on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach and see the sand and breakers where the first Allied footing was achieved in German-occupied France. Then continue on to Pointe du Hoc—a place all Normandy veterans know well—where Allied forces scaled 328-foot cliffs as they sought to silence German artillery.

Your evening is at leisure onboard the ship.

Day 5   Honfleur tour/Optional Bayeux Tour
After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of Honfleur. Situated on a Seine estuary opposite Le Havre, the town was once one of the most important ports in France. It was from here that many voyages of discovery were launched, including the journey of native son Samuel de Champlain—founder of Port Royal in Nova Scotia and the settlement of Quebec in Canada.  The port changed hands frequently between France and England during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) and was finally won back by France in 1450.  In the 1800s, Le Havre displaced Honfleur as a major port.

After lunch on the ship, you are at leisure to explore Honfleur on your own.
OR
Join an optional visit to the Tapestry Museum of nearby Bayeux, which showcases a remarkable piece of embroidered fabric—230 feet in length—depicting events of the 1066 Normandy invasion of England. Study the elaborate scenes created with wool yarn of russet and gold, and learn the history that inspired such a fascinating work of art.  The ship remains in port tonight.

Day 6   Honfleur/Caudebec/Optional Cliffs of Etretat & Fecamp Tour
Early this morning (depending on the tide), depart Honfleur and cruise to Caudebec, passing under the Honfleur’s 90-foot tall Tancarville Bridge en route. You’ll enjoy a cheese tasting as you cruise.  After lunch on board, arrive in Caudebec. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure fully discovering this charming town and its historic main square.
OR
Join a half-day optional excursion to Fecamp and the beautiful cliffs on the Normandy coast at Etretat. Enjoy a scenic drive along the coast to take in the Etretat Cliffs. The cliffs, with their needles and natural arches, are sufficiently entrancing to have moved the brushes of Courbet and Monet, and to continue attracting visitors. You’ll also visit the Benedictine Order Castle at Fecamp and savor a taste of the famous Benedictine liqueur—made from 27 different herbs and spices. Finally, enjoy free time in town for your own explorations.

Day 7   Rouen city tour/Optional Abbey St. Wandrille Tour
After breakfast, you disembark in Rouen for a walking tour. Rouen is an important French commercial city with a distinguished history dating to pre-Roman times. But it is more “infamous” as the city where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. Here you’ll see the 14th-century archbishop’s palace where she was sentenced to death, and visit the Market Square where her execution took place in 1431. On your own, you might visit the Joan of Arc Museum, containing a fascinating history of the French heroine of the Hundred Years’ War.

After lunch onboard, return to the city for time at leisure. Perhaps you'll visit Rouen’s wonderful Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, whose facade has graced more than 30 Monet paintings. The great painter had rented rooms across from the cathedral in 1892, and he painted several canvases simultaneously, capturing nuances of light and weather that played across its Gothic facade.
OR
Join an optional tour to Normandy’s Abbey St. Wandrille in the quaint village of the same name. The Romanesque abbey, named after the monk Wandrille who founded it in 649, began as a missionary and spiritual center and has stayed true to that cause over its 13 centuries of history. Learn about the bishops and saints who spent time at the famous abbey, as well as the fascinating background of its founder.

Savor dinner onboard this evening.

Day 8   Rouen/Les Andelys/Vernon
Spend the morning cruising toward Les Andelys. On the way, learn the art of French cuisine during an onboard cooking demonstration, followed by a gourmet tasting.  You'll reach Les Andelys early this afternoon. After lunch onboard, perhaps you'll join us for a watercolor painting class onboard. Or you can spend some time exploring Les Andelys on your own. Later, set sail for Vernon. As you cruise, enjoy the opportunity to learn a few essential French phrases during a language lesson.

Arrive in Vernon and enjoy dinner on board this evening. Your ship remains docked here overnight.

Day 9  Vernon/Giverny/Home-Hosted Visit
This morning, disembark for an excursion into the countryside to see the lovely landscapes that inspired Claude Monet. The unique light of the area’s Seine Valley in Normandy kept Claude Monet in residence for 43 years after he “discovered” the village of Giverny while looking out a train window in 1883. He stayed here until his death in 1926, and you’ll find his grave in the family vault at the town’s Romanesque church.  Explore the artist’s home and gardens, left by his son Michel to the Academie des Beaux-Arts in 1966 and now a museum dedicated to the great painter. The house is furnished as it was when the leader of the Impressionist School lived here, including his precious collection of Japanese engravings.  The gardens have been replanted, and as you stroll through them, you’ll see with your own eyes the landscapes that have graced countless Monet paintings. Here are his familiar Japanese bridge and water garden shaded by weeping willows, with its pond still full of the water lilies that so permeated his work.  “I want to paint like the birds sing,” Monet said. Perhaps you’ll agree that the idyllic setting in Giverny would lend itself to his dream.

(Today’s Giverny tour is available April through October only. A walking tour of Vernon is offered in place of Giverny for other departures.)  Later in the afternoon, make new friends as you visit the home of a local family.   Return to the ship for dinner and a relaxing evening on board.

Day 10  Vernon/Conflans
In the coming days, you’ll be exploring sites where Impressionism thrived. After breakfast this morning, you have a chance to get some background information during this morning’s onboard presentation on The Impressionists.  Alight from your ship for an excursion through Van Gogh Country. The Seine, the Epte, and the Oise are the three French Rivers referred to as the Rivers of Light. It was to the areas around these three rivers (which neighbor each other in this vicinity) that the Impressionist artists flocked to paint the landscapes and scenes that are so recognizable throughout the world.  You’ll have a guided walking tour of Auvers-sur-Oise, the village where Vincent Van Gogh came to live after his release from the asylum in nearby Saint-Remy. He and his brother, Theo, agreed it would be best for him to remain close to his physician, Dr. Gachet, who was the subject of several of his portraits during this time. For three months, Van Gogh remained here until his suicide in 1890, creating some of his most brilliant pieces. Remarkably, he produced almost 80 paintings in this short time, including the turbulent Wheat Field With Crows that was one of his last works. See the house where he lived and visit his grave. This picturesque village also welcomed Corot, Pissarro, and Cezanne, among others.  Later in the evening, your ship arrives in Conflans, where it will remain overnight. Dinner is on board tonight.

Day 11   Conflans/Optional Versailles Tour/Paris
Enjoy the morning at leisure to explore Conflans on your own.
OR
Embark on an optional half-day excursion to the incredible Palace of Versailles—the former home of 3,000 princes, ministers, and servants.  Your guided tour will take you through the palace’s Grand Chambers, the dazzling Hall of Mirrors (where the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, was signed in 1919), and the beautiful Royal Chapel. You’ll marvel at the luminous decor in marble, chased bronze, and gold leaf, as well as rococo-style woodwork and Italian-style painted ceilings. As you explore, you’ll discover how much the palace has been expanded and embellished since Louis XIII first built a modest hunting lodge at Versailles in 1623.

Lunch is onboard ship today, as your captain charts a course toward Paris. Perhaps you’ll decide to find a seat on the Sun Deck this afternoon, so that you can watch the unfolding panorama as your ship glides past legendary landmarks and the skyline of the French capital and cultural heart rises into view. You may well find yourself surrounded by the magic of the city over dinner on board.

Day 12    Paris City Tour/Optional Highlights of the Louvre tour
After breakfast this morning, enjoy a half-day tour introducing you to the city’s classic highlights. You’ll see the Eiffel Tower from different perspectives as you travel along the famed Champs Elysees. View the Arc de Triomphe (commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and completed in 1836) standing at the end of the Champs Elysees at the large central roundabout where twelve elegant, tree-lined avenues converge. You’ll also see the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Place de la Concorde.  Then enjoy time at leisure in Paris.
OR
After lunch onboard, join us for an optional tour to the renowned Louvre Museum.  Your first glimpse of the Louvre will be the I.M. Pei-designed entrance, which created a great deal of controversy when it was built in 1989.  Called the Pyramide du Louvre, the steel rod, cable, and glass pyramids at the three main Louvre entrances are today considered a fine example of the blending of modern with classic architecture. The treasures inside the museum are world-famous, and the collection of sculptures and paintings by the Great Masters unrivaled.  Stroll through gallery after gallery, marveling at works by the likes of Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Matisse.  In the early evening, enjoy a Farewell Drink on deck and then savor a Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

Day 13  Fly Paris/U.S.