Here is your daily schedule with photos and links of some of your
tour sights and experiences. It lists your daily sightseeing plan, where
you'll sleep each night, the amount of free time you'll likely have,
and an estimation of time needed to accomplish the basic sightseeing
plan.
Add On Special:
Start your vacation
with this Tour or add another TERC Tour and
make them your special holiday. If you sign up for another TERC Tour just
before or after this one--TERC WILL THROW IN TRAIN TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN
the two destinations--(a $215-264 value).
--explore the wind-blown ruins of this soaring hill town built
in the clifs for ultimate protection. See many of the instruments of war
used during medeival times.
Late afternoon we'll arrive at our Viens homebase for the next
week.
Our Gite (a moderized medieval 6 bed room house) is just around the
corner--------->
A shop in our very small medeival town
of Viens (20 minutes above Apt)
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue with her internationally known Sunday
Antiques Market. After the market, we'll check out her 12th century
festive Baroque Cathedral.
This babbling village still has it's rotating mossy waterwheels that
once powered a thriving wool and silk industry.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse's spectacular waterfalls are at the
source of the Sorgue River a few miles away from L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
Day 9:Explore Peter Mayle's Lubéron
Villages --Our favorites include Catholic
Bonnieux and Protestant
Menerbesand Lacoste
(also one time home of notorious Count de Sade).
Driving along plane tree line country roads and exploring the landscape
between our hilltowns is as fascinating as the villages.
Bonnieuxspectacular from a distance, the village is
a good jumping off point to the Ancient Cedar Forest. While in town, we can
stop off at the Musée de la Boulangerie (bread
museum) or just enjoy a sidewalk cafe vista over the plains filled with
vineyards, cherry orchards and dotted with tiny medieval
villages.
Day 10:Gordes
and around — Before we enter Gordes, we will
take a small detour to the Abbaye de Sénanque, situated
in a valley of lavender.
This exquisite hill top town, will make
you want to paint and sketch! You will have a few hours of free time in
Gordes for lunch and just meandering through her windy streets, church,
and shops.
Mid afternoon we'll slip out of Gordes to visit the
Village des Borisesand find out what all those huge stone "beehive shaped" structures
are all about!
In the morning we'll slide into a "painter's pallet" as we arrive
in the colorful village of Roussillon! The village houses radiate
with all the shades of the different ochre tints, once quarried here.
After browsing the village and her wonderful pottery,
we will take a footpath into a flaming ampatheatre of
curving walls and pinnacles-- this was once a quarry.
After you buy more film and lunch --we will continue on to the
Lavender Musee and learn about it's manufacture over the
centuries and about its "magic" qualities!
Day 12:Vaison la Romaine and the Côtes
du Rhône — Today begins with a visit of Vaison's Roman
city.
We'll then set out for an afternoon romp along the majestic
Côtes du Rhône wine and truffle road, stopping to sample
the local products and wine soaked villages.
Day 13: Free Day in the Lubéron &
Provence— Spend your day snoozing or catching up on laundry
and letters. Or talk your guide into one of your "must see" sights.
Day 14:Popes & Palaces. —
We check out of our Lubéron homebase and head to
Avignon for our last tour night.
After lunch we'll tour the town and visit the Palace of the Popes.
Did you know the papalcy was split between Rome and France for 108
years (1309-1417) and the other half was in Avignon?.
We will have our Au revoir dinner together tonight.
Day 15:Tour Over —
Your tour is over after breakfast.
From the Avignon Train Station it's a breeze to
reach Paris, Marsalles, or Nice airports. Your guide will help you
with any post-tour planning, leaving you well prepared for the road ahead.
