Page 186 - Discoveries Await in 2022 & 2023
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Itinerary                                     a Home-Hosted Visit featuring a l’apéro, or a drink   DAY  8 •  Sarlat • Optional Rocamadour Tour
                                                       with appetizers.                                Enjoy a free day in Sarlat. Or, join the optional tour
                                                        B,L —  Hotel de France  or similar           to witness the hilltop village of Rocamadour, a
        DAY  1 •  Depart U.S.                                                                        popular pilgrimage stop.
          Depart on your overnight flight to Nantes, France.   DAY  5 •  Angers • Optional Balloon Ride    B,D —  Hotel Le Renoir  or similar
                                                       over the Loire Valley • Boule de Fort
        DAY  2 •  Nantes • Angers                      demonstration                                 DAY  9 •  Carcassonne • Toulouse
          Arrive in Nantes and transfer overland to Angers,     Enjoy a free day in Angers. Or, join the optional     Transfer overland to Carcassonne, stopping along
        the gateway to the Loire Valley. Meet your Trip   early-morning Balloon Ride over the Loire Valley.   the way in the scenic Parc Naturel Regional Des
        Experience Leader and fellow travelers, including   Later, enjoy a demonstration of Boule de Fort, a type   Causesse du Quercy, an area of outstanding natural
        those who took the optional New! Northern France:   of lawn bowling played in this region of France.   beauty known for its wooded, verdant valleys
        Fontainebleau, Bayeux & the Beaches of Normandy or    B —  Hotel de France  or similar       and ancient caves, which feature prehistoric wall
        New! Untouched Algeria: Algiers & Constantine pre-                                           paintings. Later, enjoy a walking tour of Toulouse.
        trip extensions.                               DAY  6 •  Sarlat • Oradour                     B,L —  Hotel Le Donjon  or similar
           Hotel de France  or similar                   Transfer overland to Sarlat. Make two stops
                                                       along the way: First, lunch in Oradour, and then   DAY  10 •  Carcassonne • Optional Albi tour
        DAY  3 •  Angers                               the village of Oradour-sur-Glane, which was     Spend a day at leisure in picturesque Carcassonne.
          Enjoy a walking tour of Angers with a local guide.   destroyed and its inhabitants massacred during a   Or, join our optional excursion to the historic
        Gather this evening for a Welcome Dinner.      Nazi onslaught in 1944. After this emotional visit,   commune of Albi.
         B,L,D —  Hotel de France  or similar          continue on to Sarlat in the Dordogne.         B,D —  Hotel Le Donjon  or similar
                                                        B,L —  Hotel Le Renoir  or similar
        DAY  4 •  Angers • Home-Hosted Visit •                                                       DAY  11 •  Carcassonne • A Day in the Life of a
        Loire Valley & Chateau de Villandry            DAY  7 •  Sarlat • Dordogne nature activity   French wine domaine
          Explore Chateau de Villandry with a local guide.     Venture into Sarlat for a walking tour of its medieval     Journey to a local wine domaine to spend a NEW
        Then, visit the home of a local family in Angers for   Old Town, followed by some time at leisure and a   A Day in the Life of a local wine producer. Your
                                                       hike in the valley.                           visit to the boutique vineyard includes a special
                                                        B,D —  Hotel Le Renoir  or similar           lunch typical of the harvest season. We’ll also have








                                                                                          Meet the people who
                                                                                        call France home

                                                                                            Locals in cafés :  Throughout our
                                                                                        adventure, we’ll participate in the
                                                                                        time-honored French tradition of
                                                                                        stopping for coffee and a pastry at
                                                                                        cafés, where we’ll engage the locals
                                                                                        in conversation about daily life in
                                                                                        our destinations.
                                                                                          Family in Angers :  On Day 4, during
                                                                                        a Home-Hosted Visit, we’ll meet
                                                                                        a local family in the Loire Valley, where we’ll enjoy an in-depth
                                                                                        conversation with our hosts about daily life.
                                                                                          Winemaker near Carcassonne :  On Day 11, we’ll visit a small village
                                                                                        outside Carcassonne to enjoy our NEW A Day in the Life experience
                                                                                        at a wine domaine. We’ll meet the expert winemaker who will show
                                                                                        us his vineyards, enlighten us on wine-making, and help us to create
                                                                                        our own special blend of wine.
                                                                                          Local activist and doctor :  On Day 13 in Lyon, meet a local doctor
                                                                                        and activist to discuss the Controversial Topic of medically assisted
                                                                                        reproduction (MAR). While the majority of the French support
                                                                                        expanding MAR rights, this talk will be a unique opportunity to hear
                                                                                        from someone who’s concerned about the ethical implications.

                                     Discover the fortified castle walls of Angers on Days 2-5.

        186      French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris                                                                                                                                                                                              www.oattravel.com/ fra




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