Monday, February 04, 2008

Home , Aix Cathedral

Pascale Le Jeune DS, LS, NCS INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATE CERTIFIED ADVENTURE AND LUXURY TRAVEL COUNSELOR 704- 228th Ave NE #632 • Sammamish, WA 98074 425.503.0389 • [email protected] • www.ExperienceActiveTravel.com

Discover France’s Sacred Stories

Join Joy Abbey & Virginie Blackmoor On an 12-Day journey to Southern France

May 19 – May 31, 2015 Group size: 12

Day 1 – Tuesday, May 19, 2015 International flight

DEPART USA / MARSEILLE, FRANCE Board your international flight to Marseille, France

Day 2 – Wednesday, May 20, 2015 Marseille Airport / Marseille

ARRIVE IN MARSEILLE, FRANCE Welcome to Marseille. The city has a spicy character and resolutely independent nature that defies easy definition. Discover a richly substantial and exciting destination utterly different from anything else Provence has to offer. The people of Marseille have long been the most multicultural and ethnically diverse in France, and they are collectively known for their infectious joie de vivre.

A Group transfer is provided from the Marseille airport to the hotel. Marseille will be your home for the next 2 nights.

Lodging Hotel Marseille Bonneveine Prado

Although the metropolis is sprawled over a substantial area the tourist heart of the city can be covered within a day, including time for a dip in the ocean. Marseille demands a sensory engagement from its visitors; take in the view from Notre Dame Basilica, breathe in the smells of the ocean at the Vieux Port fish market and tune into the animated conversation of local people.

This evening, meet your fellow passengers for a casual Welcome Drink.

Day 3 – Thursday, May 21st 2015 Marseille

Breakfast at the hotel (included)

Day at leisure with Joy Abbey and Virginie Blackmoor to explore the city.

Old Marseille and "Panier" district offers 26 centuries of history. From the Hôtel de Ville to the Vieille Charité, a walk throughout the Panier district, the oldest quarter in France : Hôtel Dieu, Maison Diamantée, Saint Laurent church & Docks Romains Museum. Notre-Dame de la Garde is a fortress as well as a sanctuary and an irreplaceable landmark, to local religious devotion. The mosaics were restored in 2008.

The abbey of Saint-Victor : A wonderful example of a church that was formerly built in the 5th century and then fortified in the 14th century.

The petit train is also a fun toy-town choo-choo painted in the Marseille livery of blue and white that leaves from the Old Port and plies two routes: up to Notre Dame de la Garde and through the Panier (Old Town), along whose steep and narrow streets it offers by far the best mode of transport. The train to the Old Town runs every 30 minutes.

Lunch on your own

Marseille's most famous culinary creation is the bouillabaisse, a stew of local fish flavored with tomatoes, saffron and olive oil, and customarily served with a proud flourish. Two establishments, Caruso and

Le Miramar are located on Quai du Port amidst a coterie of seafood restaurants. Another true specialty of Marseille are "navettes", a distinctive boat shaped biscuit flavored with orange blossom and available only at Four des Navettes, where the recipe has been jealously guarded since 1781. Having tasted these fragrant and curiously stodgy biscuits, you may hope that the recipe remains safe forever. They are certainly an acquired taste.

Dinner included at the Hotel (3-courses dinner; drinks not included)

Lodging Hotel Marseille Bonneveine Prado

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Day 4 – Friday, May 22nd 2015 Marseille / Saint Maximin La Sainte Baume

Breakfast at the Hotel and morning at leisure to further explore the town on your own. Please have your luggage ready at the reception before or by 12 noon.

Early in the afternoon we depart by coach and travel to Saint- Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.

We’ll drop off our luggage at the hotel located at the foot of the famous Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Basilica. Set in a former coaching inn, the hotel features a gourmet-style restaurant and an elegant terrace. You can enjoy city view from all the rooms.

After the check-in, proceed by coach with your guide to the

Grotte de la Sainte-Baume for the visit of the sanctuary (you will reach the site after a walk of about 45 minutes/ 1 hour.

Sainte-Baume is primarily a geological curiosity with its rocky ledge, which stretches over 12 km.

The natural cave carved by erosion (Baumo in Provençal) became one of the oldest places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. In the Gospels, Mary Magdalene preached in Marseille together with Lazare, then settled in the rugged mountains. There she could indulge in prayer and contemplation in solitude.

Dinner on your own this evening. Enjoy a dinner at L'Incontournable or La Table de Bruno

Lodging Hotel in Saint-Maximin La Sainte Baume

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Day 4 – Saturday, May 23, 2015 Saint Maximin La Sainte Baume / Aix en Provence

Today travel to Aix-en-Provence and enjoy a leisure day with Joy Abbey and Virginie Blackmoor. The city is often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains. Among the most notable are the 17th-century Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins in the Quartier Mazarin, designed by Jean-Claude Rambot. Explore unique sites such as the Cours Mirabeau, a wide thoroughfare, planted with double rows of plane-trees, bordered by fine houses and decorated by fountains, and follows the line of the old city wall. It divides the town into two sections. Te old town, with its narrow, irregular streets and its old mansions dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, hosts the most famous brasserie in Aix called Les Deux Garçons. Built in 1792, it has been frequented by the likes of Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Ernest Hemingway.

The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour (Aix Cathedral) was built on the site of a former Roman forum and an adjacent basilica, it contains a mixture of all styles from the 5th to the 17th century, including a richly decorated portal in the Gothic style with doors elaborately carved in walnut. The interior contains 16th-century tapestries, a 15th-century triptych, depicting King René and his wife on the side panels, as well as a Merovingian baptistery, its Renaissance dome supported by original Roman columns.

The Hôtel de Ville, a building in the classical style of the middle of the 17th century, looks onto a picturesque square. It contains some fine woodwork and tapestries. At its side rises a handsome clock- tower erected in 1510.Also on the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is the former Corn Exchange (1759–1761) (Halle de Grains). This ornately decorated 18th-century building was designed by the Vallon brothers. Nearby are the remarkable thermal springs, containing lime and carbonic acid, that first drew the Romans to Aix and gave it the name Aquae Sextiae. A spa was built in 1705 near the remains of the ancient Roman baths of Sextius.

This afternoon at leisure you may be interested in visiting on of these sites on your own.

- Le Musée de Tapisseries (Tapestry Museum), housed in the Archbishop's Palace and with a collection of tapestries and

furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries.

- Le Pavillon de Vendôme, a 17th-century mansion housing permanent and touring art exhibitions.

- L'atelier Cézanne, a museum on the northern outskirts of Aix, constructed around the studio of Paul Cézanne, which can be viewed as it was at the painter's death.

Dinner at the Hotel (3-courses dinner; drinks not included)

Lodging Hotel in Aix-en-Provence

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Day 6 – Sunday, May 24, 2015 Aix en Provence / Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer

Early this morning we venture from Aix-en-Provence to Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer for a lovely tour in the Camargue and a stop in the well preserved town of Aigues-Mortes and its medieval city walls.

The ramparts stretch for a distance of 1650 meters. Spectacular in their height and their state of preservation even though they were not restored in the 19th century, as was Carcassonne for example, they remain in a well preserved state. Along with the Tower of Constance, they are a testimony to Western European military architecture in the marshlands during the 13th and 14th centuries.

Breeding of Bulls and of Camargue horses are what make this area famous. These animals are raised almost wild in the surrounding marshes.

The Camargue bull is smaller than the Spanish fighting bulls, stocky, with high horns and head. The Camargue horse is the ultimate companion for herdsmen to move into the marshes and herd bulls. The Camargue horse is not very large, about 1.50 m tall. It has a huge resistance adapted to the terrain. Its color is brown at birth gradually turning white after a few years.

Fougasse was one of the first pastries which could rise. It can be sweet (sometimes called "tarte au sucre" or sugar tart) or salty. Traditionally, making sweet fougasse in Aigues-Mortes was reserved for the Christmas period, as part of the Thirteen desserts. Based on a Brioche dough, sugar, butter, and orange blossom, it was made by the baker with ingredients provided by the client. Now Aigues-Mortes fougasse sells all year.

Lodging Hotel in Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer

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Day 7– Monday, May 25, 2015 Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer / Carcassonne

Today we a blessed to take part in the once a year Gypsies Festival, the Pilgrimage in Saintes Maries de la Mer Sara, patron saint of the gypsies.

Romanies, Manouches, Tziganes and Gitans “Gypsies”, come from all corners of Europe to honor their Saint, the Black Sara. They camp on the streets, on the squares, on the beach. The pilgrimage is also the occasion for reunions of friends and family, and most of the children are baptized in the Church of the Saints. The statue of Sara, Patron Saint of the Gypsies, is found in the Church of Saintes Maries de la Mer, at the back of the crypt to the right, wearing multicolored dresses and jewelry. Today she will be seen all around town.

Spain had been for a long time the Gypsies chosen country: their family names have kept reminders of it, just like their dialect: the "kâlo." The women are very dark haired, the men have dark skin. They call themselves "Catalans", or "Andalusian", according to their principal place of settlement. They number dozens of thousands in the South of France. It was the Gitans who gave Spain the best of Flamenco.

“Saint Sara, set us on the right path, give us your beautiful luck and give us health. et donne-nous la santé. And if someone thinks badly of us, change his heart so that he thinks good of us. -Amen.-“

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. The current Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer was built from the 9th to the 12th century, as a fortress and a refuge. It can be seen from 10 km away. It has a fresh water well inside, for when the villagers had to take shelter from raiders. In the 15th century, someone "discovered" the relics of Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé, who were said to have arrived there by sea.

Note: No coach transfer provided from the Hotel to the city center due to the crowds. We recommend taking a taxi (more or less 10€, not included in the trip cost).

At the end of the afternoon, we will travel by coach to the medieval town of Carcassonne.

Dinner at the Hotel (3-courses dinner; drinks not included)

Lodging Hôtel Le Donjon

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Day 8 – Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Carcassonne

Embark today for a full day tour and follow the steps of the Cathars. From 1208-1244 the Church of Rome savagely attacked the Cathars, the peaceful ‘heretics of the Languedoc’ of Southern France. The Cathars called themselves Pure Ones after the Goddess known as the Pure One, their term for the Virgin Great Creator Mother Mari (meaning ‘love’). The reason the Church resorted to the mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Cathars most certainly had to do with their alternative views about Jesus.

They claimed to possess a secret Book of Love (Mari, TARA). This mysterious manuscript is attributed to Jesus who gave it to John the Divine. It was transmitted through the centuries until the Knights Templar and the Cathars adopted it. The Book of Love was the foundation of the Cathar Church of Love or Amor (the reverse of Roma).

The existence of this lost (or hidden) gospel was revealed when the Catholic Church subjected the Cathars and Templar (in 1308) to torture. Its contents said to grant one the ability to control the forces of nature and to transform ordinary human blood into that of the wise, holy and pure blood of life of the immortal Illi or Illuminati. It is equated with the Holy Grail.

Today we will visit three (3) main villages and castles including • Châteaux de Lastours – Guided visit in English of the 4 Castles – Duration: 2h30 • Lagrasse – Stop in the village for lunch time • Château de Termes - Guided visit in English – Duration: 2h00

The Châteaux de Lastours are 4 Cathar castles and are on a rocky spur above the village of Lastours, isolated by the deep valleys of the Orbeil and Grésilhou rivers. These four castles constitute a single entity, even though they are not a single structure.

The castles at Latours were a centre of Cathar religious activity during the 13th century. The castle village sheltered numerous 'Perfects' homes and the Cathar bishops went to stay in Cabaret. In 1229, the fortress launched the Cathar resistance in the Languedoc. This period was called the Guerre de Cabaret (War of Cabaret).

The site of Termes includes a charming small village, two spectacular gorges, and the remains of one of the best known fortresses of the history of the Crusade against the Cathars.

Lodging Hôtel Le Donjon (B) 8

Day 9 – Wednesday, May 27, 2015 Carcassonne

There is still more to explore today on our full day as we explore more intriguing places following the steps of the Cathars.

• Château d'Aguilar – No Guided visits – Visit on your own with document in English - Duration: 1h00 • Château de Quéribus – Guided visit in English – Duration: 1h15 • Château de Peyrpertuse - No Guided visits – Visit on your own with audioguide English - Duration: 1h30

The strategic location of the Chateau d’Aguilar castle on a hill overhanging the plain of Tuchan allows supervision of the corbières. There is a small underground chapel of Saint-Anne below the keep.

Queribus is one of the "Five Sons of Carcassonne.” Five castles strategically placed to defend the French border against the Spanish, until the border was moved in 1659. It is sometimes regarded as the last Cathar stronghold. After the fall of Montségur in 1244 surviving Cathars gathered together in another mountain-top stronghold on the border of Aragon.

The name Peyrepetuse is derived from Pèirapertusa, Occitan, meaning Pierced Rock. The lower part of the castle was built on a strategic location by the kings of Aragon in the 11th Century and the higher part by the French King Louis IX later on, after the area was annexed to France. The two castles are linked together by a staircase. The castle lost importance as a strategic castle when the border between France and Spain was moved in 1659, causing the castle to be abandoned.

The castle ruins are impressive, set high on a defensive crag. From the approach road it is difficult to see where the rock stops and the castle starts. It houses the church of Sainte-Marie and the governor's residence.

Lodging Hôtel Le Donjon

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Day10 – Thursday, May 28, 2015 Carcassonne

The final set of Cathars castles and villages will share their stories and secrets as we wind down our route of this amazing region in southern France.

Today we visit the following Cathars sites:

• Château de Puilaurens – No guide needed here - Duration: 1h00 • Saint-Paul de Fenouillet – Stop in the village for lunch time •Gorges de Galamus with stop at the sanctuary of The Hermitage of Galamus for a visit on your own (no guide)

The Hermitage of Galamus seems to be glued to the rock. This hermitage is known for its Magdalen cave, rock church and mysterious magical square of Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas.

Dinner at the Hotel (3-courses dinner; drinks not included)

Lodging Hôtel Le Donjon

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Day 11 – Friday, May 29, 2015 Lourdes

This morning walk around at leisure along the fortified and world renowned UNESCO city of Carcassonne.

The city of Carcassonne became strategically identified when Romans fortified it around 100 BC. The history of the city is re-told in the novels Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel by Kate Mosse.

Did you know that portions of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves were shot in and around Carcassonne?

After lunch we journey to Lourdes. Did you know that the former regional language of this area used to be Gascon Occitan?

Meet your English speaking guide at the Hotel for a 2-hour guided visit of Lourdes, the sanctuary with the grotte and churches (open until 7:00 pm). End of the visit at 7:00 pm.

We call “Message of Lourdes” the gestures and words that were exchanged between Virgin Mary and Bernadette Soubirous, at the Grotto of Massabielle, during the time of the eighteen apparitions.

“God is love and he loves us as we are.”

“This grotto has become an astonishing school of prayer, where Mary teaches everyone to contemplate with love the face of the Christ.”. - Jean-Paul II, in Lourdes in 2004

Lodging Mercure Lourdes Imperial

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Day 12 – Saturday, May 30, 2015 Toulouse

Morning at leisure for some additional meditation or time to regroup and find meaning in all we have seen over the last few days.

After lunch we travel by coach to the city of Toulouse, the capital city of the southwestern France. Toulouse is the center of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus and the Galileo positioning system.

A city has a unique architecture made of pinkish terracotta bricks, which earned it the nickname la Ville Rose ("the Pink City"), Toulouse counts two (2) UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Canal du Midi (designated in 1996), and the Basilica of St. Sernin, designated in 1998.

Join us this evening for a Farewell Dinner in a restaurant of Toulouse where you will taste the famous Cassoulet!

Our journey may end this evening in Toulouse but as the beginning to the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, it is just the beginning of our next adventure in which you will join us next year.

Dinner (3-courses dinner)

Lodging Mercure Hotel (B, D)

Day 13 – Sunday, May 31, 2015 Toulouse / Toulouse Airport

Say farwell to your fellow travelers as we travel by coach to the airport of Toulouse and return to the USA. Safe travels!

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Included in your tour : the transportation as per the program accommodation for 11 nights in 3 or 4 star hotels as per the program (in double/twin rooms; breakfast and city tax included) Breakfast daily Dinner on days 3,5 and 10 as per the program (excluding drinks) Cassoulet dinner on day 12 (including drinks) the service of English speaking guide on Day 4 and Day 11 as per the program the entrance fees/visits underlined in the program 2 Tour leaders Joy Abbey and Virginie Blackmoor

Not included in your tour :

Single Supplement: $1,365 for the 11 nights « Evening » or « early morning » extras in case of early or late arrival/departure for the transfers in/out airports (Day 2 and Day 13 – upon request) Porterage service for the transfers and at the Hotel (upon request) All services not mentioned in the program