Provence

•   No more than 22 guests – small group size means sight-doing, not just sightseeing, for hands-on cultural immersion

Day 1: Aix. Art. A mansion hotel.
A transfer is included from Marseille Provence Airport to Le Pigonnet in Aix-en-Provence. Our local guide personally introduces you to “Aix” (as the locals call it) on a guided afternoon stroll along its storied boulevards, following in the footsteps of counts, kings and many a great painter. This evening, join us for cocktails, canapés, and dinner in your 18th-century mansion hotel, the perfect appetizer for your culinary adventure in Provence.
Overnight: Le Pigonnet – Aix-en-Provence, France
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: C'est Cézanne in Aix
Learn about the life of Paul Cézanne and the landscapes that inspired him, including a look in his studio, during a guided walk of Aix. 17th-century Cours Mirabeau, lined with plane-trees, graceful fountains and opulent mansions, invites a leisurely bike ride, a brisk walk, or a cognac in one of its many outdoor cafés. Parlez-vous Français? You will after learning some handy phrases during an interactive lesson in French this afternoon; use them today as you set out on your own to discover why this town has been called a living tableau of history and color!
Overnight: Le Pigonnet – Aix-en-Provence, France
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: A Provençal Picnic
Sample the charms of Gordes today, savoring a visual feast of chalk cliffs, fairy-tale villages, meadows and moorlands. Stroll the town’s arcaded medieval lanes and pick out the ingredients for a traditional picnic lunch. Walk to beautiful Abbaye de Sénanque; your path is a treat for the senses. Depending on the time of year, you can see lavender in full bloom or golden wheat fields surrounding the 900-year-old abbey, still home to Cistercian monks. Picnic in a Provençal meadow, and visit the source of the beautiful Sorgue River and one-time home of the Italian poet, Petrarch. Then continue to your lovely inn in Joucas. Dine at your leisure tonight.
Overnight: Hostellerie Le Phébus – Joucas, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: Enchanting Hilltop Sentinels
Explore the hilltop villages of the Luberon along picturesque, narrow country roads. Pause for a chance to discover the height of daily life in romantic Bonnieux, before visiting the town of Ménerbes, made world famous by author Peter Mayle in A Year in Provence. A tasting and tour of the Maison de la Truffle et du Vin du Luberon offer a memorable taste and “sensorial analysis” of these odd and very expensive fungi. Referred to as the diamonds of the culinary world, truffles are prized all over the world for their pungent aroma and distinct flavor – a short season makes them all the more valuable. Today’s tasting and lunch of typical French fare is followed by an easy hike in the colorful quarries of nearby Roussillon; this town is steeped in ochre – 17 shades to be more precise – which has made it a popular destination since Roman times! Join us for an informal lesson in boules tonight back at the inn; this beloved French sport is traditionally played with metallic balls on a dirt surface, often with a glass of pastis in hand!
Overnight: Hostellerie Le Phébus – Joucas, France
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 5: Market day on the Sorgue
Water wheels announce your arrival in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, nestled on the banks of the River Sorgue. It’s market day today, offering you a chance to take in firsthand the sights and smells of local produce, flowers and fabrics! Have lunch at leisure in medieval Uzès, enchanting with winding streets, a bishop’s tower and an ancient castle. The Romans left their mark in Provence, with the three-level Pont du Gard standing as testimony to their amazing engineering skills and love of baths. Learn more about it as you walk the “pont” – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and go inside the museum. Arrive late afternoon at your Provençal farmhouse hotel for a three-night stay. In addition to its lovely gardens, dining in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant is a real treat; enjoy dinner here tonight.
Overnight: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues – St-Rémy-de-Provence,
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6: Wining and Dining in Avignon
There is no better way to get a real taste of Provençal lifestyles and customs than to experience a trip to the local markets. Accompany our chef on a buying trip in Avignon, where you can see, feel, smell, and taste farm-fresh produce, freshly baked baguettes, fragrant herbs and seasonal specialties; pick out the ingredients for today’s hands-on cooking lesson, then help prepare a traditional meal for lunch. We will be joined by a professional sommelier who guides us through a tasting and pairing of fine Rhône wines for your midday meal – savor the experience!  The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the sights on your own or join us on an insider’s visit to the 14th-century Palais des Papes, dressed in beautiful frescoes and tapestries, and boasting Cistercian and Gothic architectural details. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Avignon has a past full of intrigue and history as the home of the pontiffs who reigned here for almost 70 years. Today, you can stroll along its cobblestone streets and find cultural riches that span the centuries, including medieval ramparts, artists’ studios, and the world’s most serenaded bridge; the Pont d’Avignon, built in the late 1100s, is the place schoolchildren have been singing about for generations. Dinner tonight is on your own. You can choose to return with us to your hotel or you can dine in an Avignon café or restaurant; our shuttle will bring you back from the center of town to the hotel.
Overnight: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues – St-Rémy-de-Provence,
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 7: Art, Olive Oil & Châteauneuf-du-pape
The charming market town of St-Remy-de-Provence is inextricably entwined with the legacy of one of the most famous artists in all of France, whose paintings have immortalized places like Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, the asylum where Vincent van Gogh went to heal and hide out. Get a glimpse of what went on inside his tormented mind from van Gogh scholar Mathilde Duvilliers as she explains the meaning and symbolism behind his art and his letters on a show-and-tell tour of the asylum grounds. After lunch, get a different taste of Provence when you visit a working farm and olive oil mill for a tasting of homemade products, including tapenades, olives and breads. Spend the afternoon indulging in the relaxing amenities of your resort. Tonight, we’ll be celebrating food, friendships and fun at a wine tasting and farewell dinner of Provençal specialties in the world-renowned wine region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Overnight: Hostellerie du Vallon de Valrugues – St-Rémy-de-Provence,
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 8: Au revoir, Provence…
Tour ends: Marseille. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Auberge de Cassagne & Spa to Marseille Provence Airport. Allow three hours for check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included:

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/27/2012 - 6/4/2012	$4,190
6/3/2012 - 6/11/2012	$4,190
6/17/2012 - 6/25/2012	$4,290
6/24/2012 - 7/2/2012	$4,290
8/26/2012 - 9/3/2012	$4,290
9/2/2012 - 9/10/2012	$4,290
9/9/2012 - 9/17/2012	$4,290
9/16/2012 - 9/24/2012	$4,290
9/23/2012 - 10/1/2012	$4,290
9/30/2012 - 10/8/2012	$4,290
10/14/2012 - 10/22/2012	$4,190
10/21/2012 - 10/29/2012	$4,190
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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