 |
|
|
France Through Eyes of Faith
A Spirited Journey to
Paris, Chartres, Angers & Reims
Daily Plan
Day one. Friday. Guests fly to Paris. (Overnight flight. Arrive on Saturday morning.)
Day two. Saturday. Getting to Know St. Germain des Prés
Transfer to hotel by bus, taxi or minivan. Leave bags until room is ready for check in.
Meet Sally and Reverend Dr. Rand Peabody at arranged time for introductions, and a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens and a walk through St. Germain des Prés. We will point out the Cluny Museum and its Roman Baths (we will visit later in the week with medievalist guide Elaine Polley). We will stop at St. Sulpice Church to see Eugene Delacroix's last masterpiece Jacob Wrestling With the Angel. And, we will walk through the vibrant rue de Seine/rue de Buci market street area and stop in at a great patisserie or irresistible chocolate shop. Dinner at a gourmet bistro walkable from the hotel. La Ferrandaise or other.
Day three. Sunday: Breakfast at hotel: Exploring the Marais With Sally and a Guided Tour Through Notre Dame and St. Chapelle With Medievalist Elaine Polley
Morning Marais walk with Sally to visit the animated Sunday Richard Lenoir marché volant, and explore this charming Paris quarter full of medieval and renaissance mansions, small museums, great shopping and vibrant street life.
Afternoon: meet Medievalist Elaine Polley for half-day in-depth exploration of Notre Dame and St. Chapelle. Meet for pre-walk chat at Latin Quarter café.
Notre-Dame (including info on the medieval cult of the Virgin Mary, and on the birth of Gothic) and the Sainte-Chapelle (including information on the cult of holy relics and on the craft of stained-glass making. This will also prepare us for our visit to Chartres Cathedral). Evening dinner at Le Procope or a bistro in or near St. Germain.
Day four. Monday. Breakfast at hotel:
Meet Elaine for our half-day guided walk: Medieval life and society. This morning we will immerse ourselves in the life and society of medieval Paris followed by a walk through the tiny streets between the rue Saint-Jacques and the boulevard Saint-Michel, a visit to Saint-Séverin, Paris' most beautiful flamboyant Gothic Church, information on the Cluny mansion and a visit to the Cluny museum to see the Roman 'Thermes', the kings' heads from Notre-Dame, the stained-glass panels from the Sainte-Chapelle, all the religious art, the beautiful and enigmatic Lady and Unicorn tapestries, the collection of religious artifacts and reliquaries, the pages of illuminated manuscripts and the rooms dedicated to daily life. The Cluny is a gem of a small museum. Relaxed lunch at Le Saotico or similar market-fresh cuisine bistro.
Afternoon walk with Sally and Rand to explore more of the Latin Quarter, including the ruins of the Arennes de Lutece (a roman amphitheater, now integrated into a lovely park) and a visit to the Grand Mosquee de Paris for a mint tea and pastry, and, visit the lovely light-filled Renaissance-era St. Etienne church near the Pantheon. Evening on your own to enjoy Paris as you wish.
Day five. Tuesday: Daytrip to Chartres Cathedral with Elaine Polley. We will be picked up by Jean Pierre, our driver-guide after breakfast. This day will feature an in-depth tour of the incomparable gothic masterpiece Chartres Cathedral, including the magnificent stained glass windows, the crypt, the labyrinth. Lunch at a bistro near the cathedral. Before lunch, we will 'tour' the exterior of the cathedral and learn about the stories embedded in the portal sculptures, the interior and half of the stained glass windows. After lunch: the rest of the windows, the crypt and the labyrinth. After lunch we will visit the charming lower town of Chartres and take a walk along the winding river, enjoying the picturesque houses and river banks.
Evening free back in Paris.
Day six. Wednesday: A Visit to the Basilica of St. Denis. Exploring the Birthplace of French Gothic.
The Basilica of St. Denis is a gem, a Basilica that is the birthplace of the Gothic style, a magnificent church and also a notable crypt containing the tombs of the French Kings and Queens. St. Denis is a working-class small city just to the north of Paris and the Basilica is easily accessible by metro from central Paris. We will visit the Basilica and study the ancient (and beautiful) stained glass, visit the crypt and savor this magnificent structure. Lunch will be in St. Denis or back in Paris. Guests will have a free afternoon to visit the Museum of Patrimony and Architecture to further study French Gothic architecture and style, or, to enjoy Paris as they wish. Dinner, evening on your own to attend a concert, film, other performance, or stroll along the Seine. The Louvre is open until 9 on Wednesdays. Rand Peabody will be happy to lead guests on his personal two-hour treasures of the Louvre tour.
Day seven. Thursday. Day Trip to Angers to Visit the Apocalypse Tapestries.
We will take an early train to Angers, in the Loire Valley, from Paris' Gare Montparnasse. In Angers, we will meet our guide expert in the tapestries. We will walk or take a cab to the 13th century Chateau of Angers to visit the outstanding special exhibition space for the thirty plus panels of the vivid, detailed 14th century tapestries telling the story of the Book of Revelation. After a relaxed bistro lunch we will visit the stunning Jean Lurcat museum of contemporary tapestries housing Lurcat's Chant du Monde series. The creation of these luminous works was inspired by the Apocalypse Tapestries. Train back to Paris in late afternoon. Evening free.
Day eight. Friday. Day Trip to Reims, Capital of Champagne and Home to the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, site of the coronations of the Kings and Queens of France.
After breakfast we meet Jean Pierre for our day trip via minivan to Champagne. We will visit the historic Cathedral of Notre Dame, enjoy a champagne tour and tasting at Mumm or Tattinger, have lunch at the lovely Art-Nouveau market-brasserie Boulingrin. After lunch we will visit the lovely pre-Gothic Basilica of St. Remy and then enjoy a ride through wine-growing villages on our way back towards Paris.
Day nine. Saturday. Tour ends with breakfast at our hotel. Return flights to USA.
|
