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South West France - 14 Day Extended Tour - (Tour No. BORD) |
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DAY ONE - SUNDAY You’ll enjoy visiting the St-Sernin Basilica (built in the 11th
century), and St Stephens Today we’ll spend the morning visiting the amazing Carcassonne, undoubtedly the most impressive walled city in the world. It seems untouched since the middle ages. Here, in the narrow alleys of this fortified town, you’ll learn about medieval siege warfare and, on a much lighter note, enjoy finding interesting shops (it’s famed for its used books), truly ancient churches, and super cafes and restaurants. Carcassonne is naturally a popular destination on the main tourist highway so this afternoon we’ll do what we do best, escape the herd and explore behind the tourist façade. In the surrounding hilly countryside there are a multitude of small, less visited villages accessible only to our minibus. Also on today's schedule, if time permits, will be Rennes le Chateaux
where we'll hear the mysterious story of Abbee Sauniere. It’s a relatively short drive to our next destination but we’ll be taking something of a detour to experience the scenic beauty of the mountainous Languedoc region. Stops in smaller villages to explore local history will be the order of the day. This may be a good day to enjoy a lunchtime picnic, sampling foods and wines of the region. We'll also be visiting the Goya Museum in Castres - a special delight
for art lovers. What if life but full of care if we have no time to stand and stare? And what better place to live this philosophy than the medieval town of Albi where you’ll enjoy a day of leisurely exploration. In the atmospheric old quarter you’ll explore the cathedral-cum-fortress of St-Cecile, the Palace de La Berbie and the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, where you’ll see works of this amazingly talented painter who we’d normally associate with a decadent 19th century Paris. This was his birthplace. There are also some exceptionally interesting smaller museums, one
of the best being the Musée de Cire which honours Albi’s
many historic and heroic citizens, including the great 18th century
explorer Jean-Francois de Gallup de Laperouse. Back-Roaders from Australia
and New Zealand will find this of particular interest. Our first stop of the day will be at Cahors, a town almost completely surrounded by its river. The area was the first to develop canals and thus became an important commercial centre in the middle ages. Two particular points of interest are the Pont Valentre, a six-arched, 14th century, and the Boulevard Gambetta, named after the town’s best known son. This is another day for discovering the hidden charms of rural France. Past participants of Back-Roads Touring Co tours will know that we’re past masters of the surprising find! And no two tours, even over similar itineraries, are completely similar as guide-companions have their own little secrets and favourite places! DAY SEVEN - SATURDAY Sarlat is the capital of the Périgord Noir (Black Perigord). It’s an ideal base for our explorations of the region and three nights here allows us to fully unpack and unwind. Our touring days are of the most relaxed kind with short drives and quality time at sites of interest. We’ll begin with a day in this old town itself, parking the bus up and exploring on foot. It is market day so it’s a fascinating experience. It will be a day of ‘organised independence’, your guide-companion having fully briefed you on the town’s possibilities over dinner on the evening before. He/she will, of course, also be offering a walking tour of his/her own for those who would like such. It’s quite an experience to wander around a town that ‘peaked’ (in terms of prosperity) in the 14th century! Its exceptional townscape reflects the riches of the early landowners and merchants who benefited from the wealth of the surrounding countryside. Highlights of your day will include visits to some of the preserved mediaeval houses. This is the sort of town best explored by simply ‘poking-around’. Photographers will need lots of film! Dinner is not included tonight giving you the opportunity of perhaps
taking a longer lunch and a less formal meal tonight. This will be a day to remember as we explore the Dordogne, placing particular emphasis on the breathtaking array of prehistoric sites. In the region there are over 200 separate sites! Many are concentrated around the vicinity of Les Eyzies so this will inevitably be the focus of our attentions. The principal sites to be visited will be those featuring the astounding
cave paintings like those at Lascaux. We’ll continue our explorations of the Dordogne and it’s prehistory as we travel northwards with a stop in the ancient town of Périgueux. Our destination, and base for three nights, is Angoulême. This is fortified town with the ramparts of the old town dominating the new town below. Angoulême has some interesting and unusual sightseeing possibilities including a wonderful museum of Celtic gold, a museum of the paper trade and a museum dedicated to the art of the strip cartoon! It’s a great place to warm to ‘Asterix’ if you don’t already love this French comic hero! DAY TEN - TUESDAY With the Angoulême region as our base this is an ideal place for a day of discovery. There’s much else to see on our circular tour to the coast including the Roman amphitheatre at Saintes, or perhaps, if time allows, we could touch on the Marais Pontevin, an area of ecological interest called locally ‘Green Venice’ for its many canals. En route we’ll stop at Cognac, visiting one of the famed brandy
distilleries. A city famed for its porcelain, Limoges, is the centre of today’s visit. It’s a grand shopping opportunity, ladies! We’ve also included one of France’s most poignant sights to remind us of the country’s more recent history. In 1944 a contingent of German SS troops, pushed back by the Allies D-Day landings, descended on Oradur sur Glane. They massacred several hundred of the inhabitants and then systematically destroyed the village. The shell of the village has been left as it was, a sad monument both to the dead and as a reminder of Europe’s turbulent past. It’s a deeply effecting visit. DAY TWELVE - THURSDAY We couldn’t come to this region and not explore the famed vineyards in some depth! So, today, the area around St Émillion, and the town itself, are the focus of our attentions. The town will delight and it provides almost a perfect summary to our tour; medieval, narrow, cobbled streets, ancient ramparts, historical buildings, shopping and a chance to taste a local delicacy (in this case macaroons) and absorb life with a glass of fine wine beside you. Lovely! Dinner is not included to night to allow you some flexibility in exploring Bordeaux. DAY THIRTEEN - FRIDAY Alas, our final day but a fitting climax to a tremendous tour. The traditional seat of the Dukes of Aquitainne, Bordeaux’s history stretches back 2000 years, over which time it has seen Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Saracens at its gates. Today’s visitors find a fantastic city boasting both a modern town with tree-lined avenues bordered by elegant buildings, luxury shops and pavement cafes, and an old town (Vieux town) resplendent with a wealth of historical buildings both secular and religious, museums, art galleries and shopping opportunities. There’s plenty of choice here for everyone and following a morning tour with your guide, you’ll be free to spend this afternoon just however it suits you. If you’re considering joining this tour, please do note that it will prove unsuitable if you have mobility problems. While this should not be considered in any way ‘a walking tour’, there are many French cities, and countryside sights, where we cannot take a vehicle. If you have any doubts as to the tour’s suitability, please do contact us to discuss it. Tonight we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner and relive some of the many
memories we’ve experienced over this past two weeks. Transfer to the airport for your return home or perhaps onward to another great holiday experience. |
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Cathedral (12th century) as well as having a general overview of this
very attractive city.
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