THE HISTORY OF FRANCE FROM PARIS TO NORMANDY Between heritage, landscapes, and Impressionist nuances (port-to-port cruise)

Join us on a guided tour of Fontainebleau for a look at its historic château, gorgeous town squares, lavish theater, and magnificent church. This tour reveals the secrets and anecdotes of times gone by. We’ll then visit the castle and its vast estate, the veritable stomping grounds for French sovereigns for over eight centuries. The gardens themselves are a work of art that evokes that glory of royal France. After our tour, we will return on board the ship.

PLEASE NOTE

• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Only on pre-booking.

You will leave the boat by coach to travel to the home of Claude Monet. He lived in his Giverny home between 1830 and 1926. His passion for gardening and colors led him to conceive his flowers garden as a true art piece. He even said: "It took a while for me to understand my waterlilies... I grew them without thinking of painting them... A landscape doesn't sink in in one day... And all of a sudden the enchantments of my pond struck me. I took my palette. Since then, I've never had any other model." You can still feel the atmosphere that once reigned in the master of Impressionnism's house when visiting it. You will discover the pink facade while penetrating the garden. Inside, the artist's particular taste for warm tones will strike you, from the intensity of the blue he chose for his kitchen as well as his small living room, to the the yellow walls and furniture in the dining room, where you will also be able to see his private collection of Japanese prints. We'll be back on board in Vernon late afternoon.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• According to the weather, you may visit the American Museum of Giverny which exhibits Monet's paintings (extra charge of 4€).
• Times are approximate.
• The order of the visits can change.

We'll leave on foot for a guided tour of Rouen. The historic center of the city and its famous cathedral are only a 5-minute walk from the ship. Stretched along the Seine, Rouen is Normandy's cultural, historical, and gastronomical capital. The exceptionally complex Notre-Dame Cathedral is renowned for the juxtaposition of all the Gothic periods - especially on the facade, which Monet painted time and again, reflecting its glory in different lights. Destroyed during the Viking invasions in 841 and, partially, in 1944, by allied bombardments, the cathedral continues to be a perpetually evolving structure. We'll then head to the market place where Joan of Arc was burned alive for heresy in 1431. The Gros-Horloge, or Great Clock, is one of the most emblematic monuments in the city. The Gothic belfry has housed the communal bells and clock of the city since its construction at the end of the 14th century. Finally, we'll visit the Saint Joan of Arc Church. Located on the Old Market Place, this large monument's construction ended in 1979 and was built both in honor of the Saint as well as the heroine celebrated by the French on the second Sunday in May. We'll return to our ship on foot at the end of the afternoon.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• This excursion will occur in the morning or in the afternoon depending on the schedules of the Honfleur port.
• The order of the visits may change.
• Times are approximate.

Set out on foot for an unequaled tour of the magnificent palace gardens. An alternative experience at Versailles will bring you face to face with groves, sculptures, thriving greenery, and abundant water sources. In 1661, King Louis XIV authorized André Le Nôtre to create a French-style garden that would be the envy of all in the great European courts through the 18th century. The Sun King took such great pleasure in exploring his gardens, he wrote a book explaining how to give tours of the immense grounds. This tour will follow the king’s recommendations, and your guides will let you in on the secrets and tales of this unique site—one of the most beautiful open-air museums in the world.

PLEASE NOTE

• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach in the company of your hostess for a visit to the Château de Versailles. Listed as a World Heritage Site for thirty years, the Château de Versailles is considered to be one of the finest achievements of French art from the 17th century. Louis XIII's former hunting lodge was transformed and enlarged by his son Louis XIV, who fixed the Court and government of France here in 1682. Until the French Revolution, one king followed another, each embellishing the Château in his turn. When you arrive, your guide will take you through the King's Grand Apartment. These seven successive rooms were intended to serve as a Parade Apartment, that is to say for the sovereign's official business. This is why it was decorated with the most splendid riches and based on the model of Italian palaces of the time. During daytime, it was open to all, French and foreigners, who came to see the king, and it was reserved for the Court three evenings a week. Afterwards, you'll go through the Hall of Mirrors, known in the 17th century as the "Great Gallery" and which was where courtesans would wait, meet or just pass through every day. This 75m-long, 10m-wide and 12m-high hall was designed by Mansart in. The principal feature of this hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. You tour will end with a visit to the Queen's Apartments, where the Queen would host the ladies of the Court when she rose in the morning and granted private audiences. After visiting the Château, you will still have a little free time to discover the fabulous formal French gardens created by André Le Notre for Louis XIV. Return on board by coach.

PLEASE NOTE

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Pre-booking only. If the minimum of 25 participants isn't met, the excursion will be replaced with a visit to the Château de Malmaison.
• Flash photography is forbidden inside the Château.
• The Versailles Palace is closed on Mondays, visit to the Château de Malmaison instead.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.