YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris 2021

Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these:

I love to see how the people live, work, and play in communities like Angers, a city nestled at the edge of the Loire Valley. When you enjoy a Home-Hosted visit to a local family’s home here, you’ll get an intimate view into what daily life is like in the west of France. You’ll also enjoy a l’apéro, a traditional French social gathering over drinks and regional appetizers, with your hosts.

Visiting the village of Oradeur-sur-Glane was a profoundly sobering and saddening experience for me. Four days after the Normandy landings, a German SS company killed all 642 residents of the village and left nothing but devastation in their wake. As I walked the winding lanes of the village with crumbling ruins around me, I felt like I was stuck in time. The atrocities that took place were still on full display so visitors like me can never forget the unthinkable horrors that occured between the Nazis and wartime France.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can.

To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Love and peace,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For more inspiration, you can watch videos and slideshows from travelers like you at www.oattravel. com/traveler-moments. You can also share some of your own favorite moments by uploading your travel videos and slideshows directly onto the trip-specific pages of our website.

USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Grand Circle Foundation...... 6 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 7

FRENCH IMPRESSIONS: FROM THE Suggested Packing Lists ...... 56 LOIRE VALLEY TO LYON & PARIS Electricity Abroad ...... 59 Your Adventure at a Glance: Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 61 Where You’re Going, What it Costs, and What’s Included ...... 8 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 9 CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Optional Tours ...... 28 French Culture ...... 65 Pre-Trip Extension ...... 29 Religion and Religious Observance ...... 66 Post-Trip Extension ...... 37 Language ...... 66 Dates & Prices ...... 42 Spanish Cuisine ...... 70 Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Shipping & More ...... 71 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 43 No Visas Required ...... 43 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 45 France...... 74 Vaccines Required ...... 46 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 74 Money Matters: Local Currency & France: A Brief History ...... 75 Tipping Guidelines...... 48 Spain...... 76 Top Three Tips ...... 48 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 76 How to Exchange Money ...... 48 Spain: A Brief History ...... 77 Tipping Guidelines...... 50 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 52 RESOURCES Optional Tours ...... 52 Suggested Reading ...... 79 Communications ...... 53 Suggested Film & Video ...... 81 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 55 Your Luggage...... 56 Clothing Suggestions ...... 56

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 84 Notes...... 85 Map ...... 87

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in France

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled. SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel or a reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are hospitality. visiting, so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive—the OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES stories, food, customs, hidden treasures With 36 regional offices around the world, and more. we are perfectly poised to leverage our local relationships to deliver an excellent experience AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported Engage with local people through visits to by our team in Lyon. farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

Explore the rolling vineyards of the French countryside Savor the gastronomic delights of France

4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY Enriching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your French Impressions adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) VISIT discuss women’s roles and the challenges they GCF was established in 1992 to help change face in contemporary Moroccan society. people’s lives in the world where we live, A DAY IN THE LIFE work, and travel. To date, we have pledged or Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like donated $200 million worldwide. to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s By investing in the places we explore— find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an including local schools, cooperatives, or arts exclusive, immersive experience that places centers—we hope to give locals the skills and you in the heart of a community where you’ll confidence they need to become leaders of meet various people where they live, work, their generation and preserve their heritage and play; visit the neighborhood school; lend a for many years to come. We’re proud to play hand with daily chores; and break bread with a part in preserving precious locales like the our hosts. Bryggen waterfront district of Bergen, a living Perhaps you’ll join a local resident or example of the glory days of the Hanseatic community leader for a guided walk through League, and supporting villages like Harmi in the town, visit a market, or enjoy a unique Estonia, whose once-struggling school is now opportunity to meet teachers and students at a center of community life. a local school if school is in session. CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES Every culture has its joys and achievements, Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds and we celebrate them all. But every place engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the also has its challenges, and to gloss over them things that can happen across a kitchen table, would not do justice to those whose stories so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who family in their home for a snack or a meal. deserves more than a sugar-coated version of This is a rare opportunity to witness family things. So our Trip Experience Leaders will life, learn local customs, and taste some lead frank discussions on controversial issues, home-cooked fare. and introduce you to people whose stories will expand your understanding. On this adventure, we’ll learn more about the rich culture of France when you visit For example, we’ll speak to an expert in a local French family for a Home-Hosted Russia about free speech and the popularity visit. Here, you’ll learn about what daily life of President Vladimir Putin; in Zambia, we’ll is like in this part of western France and have a candid conversation with a park ranger enjoy a l’apéro. Short for l’apéritif, l’apéro is a in Kafue National Park on trophy hunting, a cherished French social occasion where drinks controversial sport which generates around are accompanied by various appetizers like $200 million in annual revenue across Africa; crackers, pâtés, charcuterie, and/or cheeses. and we’ll meet a local Tangier woman to

5 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

GIVING BACK TO THE WORLD WE TRAVEL Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more than Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family $200 million to projects around the world. Foundation, as a means to give back to the world that had already given us so JOIN OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS much. We’ve pledged or donated more We consider each and every one of our travelers than $200 million worldwide to support to be partners in our worldwide giving. the education of young people and the Some travelers, however, are so inspired by preservation of international treasures the schools and villages they visit, they are and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. compelled to give more. In fact, our travelers have donated more than $1 million in 2019 Of course, none of this would be possible alone. And because we have no administrative without your help. A portion of the costs, 100% of donations are used to help proceeds of every adventure is donated to change people’s lives. Grand Circle Foundation—so just as your life will be enriched by the discoveries BETTER OUR OWN COMMUNITIES— you’ll make on your journey, you’ll also ALL AROUND THE WORLD help to enrich the lives of the people In addition to the destinations where we travel, you’ll meet along the way. we strive to better the communities where Thank you for traveling with us, and for we work—from our headquarters in Boston helping to change people’s lives. to our 36 offices around the world. In Boston, more than 99% of our associates participate Love and peace, in community service each year. Worldwide, nearly all of our offices organize annual

community service events of their own. . Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation How you can help To learn more about ongoing Foundation projects, you can sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, the Inside Scoop, at www.oattravel.com/community/the-inside-scoop. When you do, you’ll not only receive updates on Grand Circle Foundation, but the latest news and discoveries on all things Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

6 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in France—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE … FREE Single Supplements: We don’t The leader in solo-friendly charge a single supplement on this travel for Americans— adventure and optional trip extensions— by the numbers a savings of $900-$1200 per person compared to other travel companies. But single spaces fill quickly, so early More than 50,000 solo travelers reservations are advised. joined us in the past two years—on their own or with a friend or relative Travel Solo, But Never Alone: On average, half of your group will also be traveling independently, so it’s easier to 15,000 single spaces with a forge special bonds as you experience FREE or low-cost Single Supplement unforgettable moments together during in 2021—a 76% increase from 2019 your adventure. Plus, your Trip Experience Leader can help connect you with fellow More than of solo women travelers who share your common 90% travelers rated their adventure interests. excellent

You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your dedicated local Trip Experience Leader (a 51 exclusive women’s departures resident of France]), and the expertise of featured on 25 of our most popular our regional office team in Lyon. adventures—10 of which are single- only departures Increased Single Space: In 2021, we have 260 single spaces, with up to 8 single spaces per departure. See available FREE single space at www.oattravel.com/ fra2021.

Exclusive Women’s Departures: We are thrilled to offer 1 women-only departure of French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris: July 23, 2021. Space is limited so don’t delay. Join our traveling sisterhood today!

Solo doesn’t mean “alone.” Three out of eight O.A.T. travelers join our small groups as solos, so you will be in good company.

7 Lower prices than last year—a value of up to $3000 per couple New! French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris Small Group Adventure France: Angers, Sarlat, Carcassonne, Lyon, Paris

Countries: 1 | Cities: 5

Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 13) • International airfare, airport transfers, • Explore in a small group of 8-16 $ government taxes, fees, and airline fuel travelers (average group size of 13) 17 days from 4695 surcharges unless you choose to make Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • Includes international airfare Experience Leader Travel from only $277 a day All land transportation • • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Accommodations for 16 nights luggage porters $ • 16 days from 3795 • 30 meals—15 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit Without international airfare 8 dinners toward your next adventure—an average of $369 FREE Single Supplement • 22 small group activities

Maximize Your Discoveries & Value To get a richer view of the Included Features on this adventure, Optional extensions : watch our Trip Itinerary video at www.oattravel.com/fra2021 France: Paris, Honfleur & Angers 6 nights pre-trip from $2395 Travel from only $400 per night Spain: Bilbao & Guernica 4 nights post-trip from $1595 Travel from only $399 per night

The fortified city of Carcassonne, France

French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris

8 French Impressions: From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 6 nights in Paris, Honfleur & Normandy’s Historic Beaches

Day 1 Fly to Paris Day 5 Honfleur • Optional Bayeux Tapestry Tour Day 2 Arrive in Paris Day 6 Visit D-Day Beaches • Reflect at the Day 3 Paris • Explore Montmartre Normandy American Cemetery Day 4 Overland to Honfleur • Visit to Day 7 Explore Honfleur • Visit Étretat Caen Memorial Day 8 Overland to Angers • Begin main trip

Day 1 Fly to Nantes, France Here we’ll be joined by travelers who took our optional Paris, Honfleur & Normandy’s Historic Afternoon/Evening: Depart the U.S. on an Beaches pre-trip extension. overnight flight to Nantes, France. Upon arrival in Angers, you will check in and Day 2 Arrive in Nantes • Transfer to Angers receive your room assignments. We stay for the next four nights in a centrally-located hotel. • Destination: Angers Depending on where we stay, your hotel room • Accommodations: Hotel de France or similar will likely offer air conditioning, a minibar, Activity Note: Please be aware that rooms wireless Internet, flat-screen television, and an are often not available before 3pm at hotels en suite bathroom. The hotel typically features throughout France. Travelers arriving on early an on-site restaurant. flights may not be able to receive their room The remainder of your morning is free to relax key until 3pm. and settle in after your overnight flight. Morning: You’ll arrive in Nantes this morning Lunch: On your own—ask your Trip Experience or this afternoon, depending on your specific Leader for suggestions on where to dine. flight arrangements. An O.A.T. representative will meet you at the airport and you will Afternoon: Around 3pm, our small group transfer to your hotel in Angers via minibus—a will gather together for the first time for an drive of about 1.5 hours, depending on traffic. orientation walk around the vicinity of our

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

9 hotel. Your Trip Experience Leader will help • Explore Château d’Angers: Stroll through this you get acclimated to the area, and point out 9th-century fortress, featuring manicured nearby ATMs and local markets. The timing of gardens, seventeen towers, and the oldest our orientation walk may change depending on and largest collection of medieval tapestries your arrival time. in the world, including the 14th-century Apocalypse Tapestry. You’ll then have a few hours of free time to begin getting acquainted with this medieval • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk city. Angers is best known as the gateway to • Hours: 10am-5:30pm, March-April; the Loire Valley, a fertile wine-growing region 9:30am-6:30pm, May-September; 10am- that was once the playground of the French 5:30pm, September-December. nobility. This aristocratic legacy can still be • Cost: About $10 USD. seen today in the sumptuous châteaux that dot • Delight your tastebuds at the Carré Cointreau the landscape and have earned the Loire Valley distillery: This world-renowned citrus-fla- a UNESCO World Heritage designation. But you vored triple sec was first made by Edouard don’t have to leave Angers to glimpse a French Cointreau in 1875. Since then, the recipe has castle—the city itself is home to Château been passed from generation to generation d’Angers, a well-preserved medieval castle that and its rich, unique flavor maintained. Head features thick defensive walls, a moat, and 17 to the distillery for a guided tour followed by a towers meant to ward off attacks. You can visit tasting at the bar. Château d’Angers during your free time while • How to get there: An approximate 15- to we’re in Angers. 20-minute taxi ride from the hotel around Around 6pm, we’ll meet with our Trip $15 USD one way. Experience Leader for a Welcome Drink in • Hours: 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Saturday. the hotel. This is a great opportunity to get to • Cost: About $15 USD per person. know your fellow travelers, and to toast to the • Immerse yourself in the botanical beauty of discoveries to come—with a glass of French Terra Botanica: Admire the 275,000 plant wine, of course. species that live in Europe’s first theme park devoted to plant life, with opportunities to Dinner: On your own, whenever you’d like. stroll through on-site gardens, soar almost Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy to 500 feet in a tethered balloon for unparalleled provide recommendations. viewing, and even enjoy some theatrical Evening: Free for your own discoveries. storytelling. Perhaps you’ll take an evening stroll through • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute taxi the streets of Angers, or stop by a neighborhood ride, about $15 USD one way (also accessi- bistro for a nightcap. ble by tram from the train station near our hotel) Freedom To Explore: During your three days • Hours: Varies by season. in Angers, you have the freedom to explore this • Cost: About $19 USD. historical city on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for independent explorations:

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

10 Day 3 Explore Angers Dinner: At a local restaurant, around 7pm. Our Welcome Dinner will feature an amuse bouche • Destination: Angers (small hors d’œuvre), appetizer, entree, and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner dessert. This will be a great opportunity to • Accommodations: Hotel de France or similar continue getting to know your fellow travelers, Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel and to toast to the journey ahead. beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and Evening: On your own—you are free to return American options. to your room to rest before your explorations Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll gather with our tomorrow. Or you you could have a drink at the fellow travelers and Trip Experience Leader for brasserie located right next to our hotel that is a Welcome Briefing. During this conversation, open late. our Trip Experience Leader will provide insight on the coming days’ adventures, expectations, Day 4 Angers • Home-Hosted visit and safety proceedings, as well as answer any • Explore Loire Valley & Chateau questions you may have. Once the talk wraps de Villandry up, we’ll engage in a short French language • Destination: Angers lesson led by our Trip Experience Leader. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Then, around 10:30am, we’ll set off on a 2-hour • Accommodations: Hotel de France or similar walking tour of Angers in the company of a Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: This afternoon we’ll local guide. Today, Angers is a university town venture into the home of a family in Angers, home to thousands of students, but its history where we’ll enjoy a Home-Hosted visit. This stretches back more than 1,000 years. We’ll is a special opportunity afforded to us by learn about Angers’s luminous past, first as the our small group size and made by possible seat of the Plantagenet dynasty in the twelfth by the regional connections of our local Trip century and later as one of Europe’s leading Experience Leaders. During our visit, you’ll intellectual centers during the Renaissance, as learn more about daily life in France from these we stroll the city’s cobbled streets. This history residents, and take part in the customs and is reflected in the city’s architecture, which culinary traditions of the region. Read more sports everything from medieval cathedrals about this experience below. and half-timbered houses to Art Deco buildings from the 20th century. After our walking tour Activity Note: If scheduling issues arise to finishes up we’ll be ready for lunch. prevent visiting Chateau de Villandry, we’ll visit a similar chateau in the Loire Valley. Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant, featuring dishes typical of the Loire Valley. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 6am, featuring French and Afternoon: After 1:45pm, you’re free to make American options. your own discoveries in Angers. You might choose to delve into the history of Angers by Morning: We’ll depart around 8am for a exploring the city’s chateau. Around 6:45pm, little over an hour’s drive to the 16th-century our small group will reconvene in our hotel Chateau de Villandry, the last great chateaux lobby and walk to a nearby restaurant for our of the Loire Valley. Inhabited since the Welcome Dinner. Renaissance, it was home to notable figures such as Jean Le Breton, minister of Francis I;

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

11 the Marquis de Castellane, ambassador of Louis has brought us to France. This will be a great XV; and Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon opportunity to ask them about life in Angers, I. The grounds are especially famous for the any special customs they practice, and more. intricate gardens, which were only added in We’ll say au revoir to our hosts around 7pm, and the early 20th century. The manicured lawns take another short drive back to our hotel. contain a water garden, ornamental flower gardens, and vegetable gardens, organized in Dinner: On your own. Check with your Trip formal patterns and lined with low box hedges. Experience Leader for suggestions. If you’re From about 9:30am to 12:30pm, we’ll walk the not too hungry after our Home-Hosted Visit, grounds with a local guide to discover the rich you might like to try one of the many cafés history and architectural details of the property. in the old town, most of which offer lighter options. Thanks to the presence of a handful of At about 12:30pm, we’ll drive 15 minutes to a universities, the city is home to around 40,000 local restaurant in Berthenay. students, and you might spot a number of them Lunch: At a local restaurant in Berthenay studying at one of the cozy, atmospheric cafés. around 12:45pm, featuring traditional Evening: Free for your own discoveries. regional cuisine. You may choose to retire early to your Afternoon: Following lunch, we’ll drive back to room, or explore the nightlife in Angers at a Angers, departing around 2pm and arriving at local wine bar. approximately 3:30pm. Enjoy 1.5 hours of free time to rest and relax, or perhaps you’d like to Day 5 Angers • Optional Balloon Ride venture to the old town and continue exploring over the Loire Valley • Boule de Fort the many charms of Angers. demonstration We’ll reconvene at the hotel around 5pm, split • Destination: Angers into smaller groups, and set off by van for a • Included Meals: Breakfast short drive to the home of a local French family • Accommodations: Hotel de France or similar for a Home-Hosted Visit. During your time with your hosts, you’ll learn what daily life is Early Morning: Consider joining our optional like in this part of western France and enjoy an Balloon Ride over the Loire Valley this morning. apéro. Short for apéritif, l’apéro is a cherished At around 5am, we’ll transfer by motorcoach social occasion where drinks are accompanied about an hour to our hot-air balloon. Our ride by various appetizers like crackers, pâtés, apple will start right at sunrise, and we’ll spend about tart, charcuterie, and/or cheeses. Our visit three hours in the air, taking in the dips and will also allow us the opportunity to explore peaks of the verdant valley, the picturesque the home of our family, which will either be castles, and the peaceful flow of the Loire River. a freestanding house or apartment. It may be Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel located in the suburbs or a bit closer to the beginning at 7:30am, featuring French and city center. American options. If you choose to join our Because of our small group size, we’re given optional tour, coffee and pastry will be served the chance to enter local homes and connect on aboard our hot-air balloon. a one-to-one level, and to even share a little with our hosts about who we are and what

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 Morning: Enjoy a morning at leisure in Angers. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Those on the optional tour will arrive back to beginning at 6am, featuring French and our hotel around 9:30am. American options.

Lunch: On your own in Angers, whenever you’d Morning: Around 8am, we’ll check out of like. Or, if you’ve chosen to join the Optional our hotel and board our bus. The next leg of Tour, enjoy an included lunch in the chateau’s our adventure takes us to Sarlat, in France’s on-site restaurant around 12:15pm. Your meal picturesque Dordogne region. We’ll drive for will feature fresh produce from the gardens you about 4.5 hours this morning, taking in views of explored earlier. the sweeping countryside along the way. Then, we’ll pause in Oradour, known in the French Afternoon: Free to continue exploring Angers national consciousness as the setting of a World on your own after lunch. War II tragedy. At around 2pm, our entire small group will take Lunch: At a local restaurant in Oradour around an approximate twenty-minute bus ride to 12:15pm, featuring typical French dishes. learn all about Boule de Fort, a type of bowling played exclusively in this region of France. Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll take a 5-minute We’ll meet with some members of the local walk to the village of Oradour-sur-Glane. It club for a demonstration of the sport. We’ll also was here on June 10, 1944—just four days have a chance to play a practice game and share after Allied troops stormed the beaches in a drink with some club members to learn why Normandy—that a German SS company this sport is so close to French hearts. We’ll be slaughtered all 642 residents of Oradour and back at our hotel by around 5pm. destroyed the village. Today, the winding village lanes are dotted with husks of Dinner: On your own. Your Trip bombed-out buildings and crumbling ruins; Experience Leader will be happy to provide after the war, Charles de Gaulle ordered recommendations for favorite local restaurants. Oradour-sur-Glane to be left in its ruined Evening: Free to do as you’d like, perhaps with state to commemorate the atrocity that took an evening stroll to soak up your final night place here. As a result, the village seems in Angers. stuck in time.

We’ll spend a sobering 2 hours in Day 6 Overland to Sarlat • Visit Oradour Oradour-sur-Glane, learning about the • Destination: Sarlat history of the Nazis in wartime France and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch about the unthinkable horrors humans have inflicted upon one another. You’ll have time • Accommodations: Hotel Le Renoir or similar to visit the exhibition center to listen to a Activity Note: This will be a long transfer commemorative narrative recounting the story day. Our journey by bus from Angers to Sarlat of this French village that became the target will take about 7 hours, with stops along the of Nazi barbarism. You can also walk through way. Additionally, today’s visit to the village the village on our own, where there may be of Oradour-sur-Glane may be an emotional opportunities to interact with the local French experience for some travelers. schoolchildren and teachers who come here to learn about this dark chapter in their history.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

13 Then, we’ll board our bus and drive about Valley for several centuries. As you tour these another 2.5 hours to reach Sarlat, where ruins, you’ll follow in the footsteps of legends we’ll check in to our hotel around 6:30pm. like Alienor d ‘Aquitaine and Richard the Depending on where we stay, our hotel will Lionheart. Nearby is the majestic 12th-centu- likely be in Sarlat’s historic city centre and ry Castelnaud, offering stunning panoramic will feature an on-site restaurant. Each of the views of the valley. hotel’s rooms typically features a telephone, • How to get there: An approximate 25- to flat-screen television, wireless Internet, and en 30-minute taxi ride fro mthe hotel around suite bathroom. We’ll gather for an orientation $25 USD one way. walk around 7pm. • Hours: Vary depending on the time of year, Dinner: On your own. Consult your Trip generally around 10am to around 7pm. Experience Leader for dining options in the • Cost: About $10 USD per person to tour the area. Most menus feature several dishes from Beynac; an additional $12 USD per person duck and goose, which are regional classics in to tour Castelnaud. this part of France. • Immerse yourself in the history of the Dordogne when you kayak on the river: Evening: Free to do as you’d like. Perhaps you As you make your way along the vivid blue will begin exploring Sarlat with a nighttime river, take in the sights of the impressive stroll, or retire early to your room to write Castelnaud Bridge with its ancient castle about the day’s events in your travel journal. perched behind it, the stunning La Roque Freedom To Explore: During your two days in Gageac village, and much more. Sarlat, you have the freedom to explore this • How to get there: Around a 20-minute taxi historical city on your own during your free ride from the hotel, about $20 USD one time. Below are a few recommended options for way. independent explorations: • Hours: By appointment from April-October. • Take a romantic stroll in the Jardin • Cost: Varies depending on group size. Marqueyssac: The best-known garden in the Perigord region, the Jardin Marqueyssac is Day 7 Explore Sarlat • Nature activity in rich with beauty at every turn. Plan to spend the Dordogne at least a couple of hours walking its 54 acres, which include a garden house offering a • Destination: Sarlat panoramic view of the Dordogne and beauti- • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner ful shaded paths dotted with vibrant flora. • Accommodations: Hotel Le Renoir or similar

• How to get there: An approximate 15- to Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 20-minute taxi ride from the hotel, around around 7:30am, featuring French and $20 USD one way. American options. • Hours: All hours, daily. • Cost: About $12 USD per person. Morning: Right after breakfast around 9:30am, we’ll head out of the hotel to meet up with a • Step back in time at the Chateau de Beynac local guide in Sarlat. Then, we’ll set off on a and Castlenaud: Beynac is the best-preserved leisurely 2-hour walking tour through Sarlat’s medieval fortress in the entire Perigord medieval old town. As we wander the narrow, region, serving as a protector of the Dordogne maze-like lanes, our guide will share the

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14 story of the town’s founding, which began Day 8 Sarlat • Optional Rocamadour Tour as a Benedictine abbey in the ninth century. • Destination: Sarlat We’ll stroll the Rue de la Republique, the main • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner thoroughfare; pause outside the cathedral, which blends Roman, Gothic, and more recent • Accommodations: Hotel Le Renoir or similar architectural styles; and venture down the Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the Rue des Consuls, lined with turreted medieval hotel around 7am, featuring French and mansions. American options.

From 11:30am on, you’re free to make your Morning: We’ll start our morning with a own discoveries in Sarlat. Perhaps you’ll step leisurely nature walk on the outskirts of back into medieval times at Chateau de Beynac Sarlat (no more than 3 miles), wrapping up and the nearby Castelnaud, or simply meander around 10:30am. along Sarlat’s winding streets. Then, the rest of the day is free to explore Sarlat Lunch: On your own. Your Trip Experience and the surrounding Dordogne on your own. If Leader would be happy to provide suggestions your visit falls on a Wednesday or Saturday, you for the best local fare. may like to visit Sarlat’s outdoor market.

Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll reconvene with Or, perhaps you will join our optional tour to our Trip Experience Leader for an opportunity Rocamadour. Meet at the bus at 11am for a 1.5 to experience the natural wonders of the hour drive to the historic town of Rocamadour. Dordogne. We’ll drive about 30 minutes outside Built into the side of a cliff, Rocamadour is of town, at which point our Trip Experience an important pilgrimage site: The town was Leader will take us on a nature hike through initially built on the site of a shrine to the the valley. Fill your senses with the sights Madonna known for its healing powers, and and sounds of the outdoors as you take in the is a popular stop for the devout on the way fresh air. to Spain’s Santiago de Compostela. While its religious significance has earned Rocamadour Our discoveries wrap up around 5pm. You’ll UNESCO World Heritage status, its improbable have a couple of hours to rest or further explore cliffside location and picturesque homes have Sarlat before we meet up once more around garnered it the top spot on a national list of 7pm for 15-minute walk to a local restaurant. favorite French villages. Dinner: Around 7:15pm at a local restaurant in Upon arrival, a local resident will lead us Sarlat, featuring regional cuisine. through Rocamadour’s winding and cobbled Evening: Free for your own discoveries lanes during a tour and tell us what it’s like beginning at around 8:15pm—ask your Trip living here. The literal highpoint of your time Experience Leader for recommendations on here will be a climb up the Grand Escalier, a where to best take in Sarlat by night, or retire to series of 216 steps carved into the cliff and your room. leading to a religious plaza where the town’s most famous religious icon, the Black Madonna, is housed. Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Louis IX all paid a visit to the Black Madonna

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15 to seek her blessing before undergoing long Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll board our journeys. Our walking tour concludes at a local bus with our luggage and begin our drive to spot for lunch. Carcassonne, in southern France’s Languedoc region. Our route will take us through the Parc Lunch: On your own, whenever you’d like. Naturel Regional Des Causses du Quercy, an Travelers on the optional tour will have area of outstanding natural beauty known for lunch at a local restaurant in Rocamadour, its wooded, verdant valleys and ancient caves, around 1:30pm. which feature prehistoric wall paintings. About Afternoon: Free for you to continue 30,000 people live within the park’s confines in exploring Sarlat. a series of quaint villages.

If you are taking the optional tour, we’ll meet Upon our arrival in Toulouse, France’s with a local woman who owns a stained glass fourth-largest city and the capital of the craft shop. For about 45 minutes, she’ll give us southwestern Occitanie region, we’ll head to a a glimpse into this intricate craft and we’ll have local restaurant for lunch. the chance to ask her any questions we may Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12pm, have. We’ll then have about an hour to stroll featuring regional cuisine. Rocamadour and its little shops at leisure, after which point we’ll board our bus around 3:45pm Afternoon: Around 1:30pm, we’ll set out and be back at our hotel in Sarlat at about 5pm. on a walking tour. Toulouse is known as Then, shortly before 7pm, our group will gather “La Ville Rose” (“The Pink City”) for the for a quick walk to a nearby bistro to enjoy terracotta-hued bricks used in many of its dinner together. buildings, and as we stroll the lovely Quartier Vieux (Old Quarter) we’ll see many of these rosy Dinner: Around 7pm at a local restaurant in buildings firsthand. Our tour will take us past Sarlat, featuring regional dishes and traditional the imposing eleventh-century Basilica of St. bistro fare. Sernin and to the elegant Place du Capitole, Evening: Free for your own discoveries. lined with Toulouse’s city hall and opera house. Consider stopping at a local bar to try one of the When our walking tour concludes at around many varieties of local Bergerac wine. 3pm, you’ll have about 2 hours of free time to explore more of Toulouse on your own. The Day 9 Discover Toulouse • Overland city is home to a large university and is known transfer to Carcassonne for its friendly, laidback feel, so you are sure to • Destination: Carcassonne encounter welcoming locals wherever you go.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Around 5pm, our small group will reconvene • Accommodations: Hotel Le Donjon or similar at the bus and drive about 1.5 hours south to Activity Note: This will be a long transfer day, Carcassonne. When we arrive, we’ll check including about a 7-hour bus ride to reach into our hotel, which will likely be located Carcassonne, with stops along the way. in the heart of Carcassonne’s medieval Cité and offer on-site amenities like a bar and Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel restaurant. Each of the hotel’s air-conditioned around 6:30am, featuring French and rooms typically includes a satellite TV, a safe, American options. complimentary wireless Internet access, a

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16 minibar, and a private bath with a hair dryer. • Glimpse the dark side of the Middle Ages at After some time to settle into your room, The Museum of Inquisition: Learn about your Trip Experience Leader will lead a brief the prevalence of religious persecution orientation walk around the hotel’s vicinity during this period, and observe the tools and around 7pm. methods in which victims were tortured. The museum exists to denounce intolerance and Dinner: On your own. You may wish to join your fanaticism. Trip Experience Leader at a local restaurant. • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, Evening: Free. Ask your Trip Experience Leader about $5 USD one way. for recommendations, or retire early to your • Hours: 10am-6pm, September-June; room in preparation for tomorrow’s early start. 10am-8pm, July-August. • Cost: About $11 USD. Freedom To Explore: During your two days in Carcassonne, you have the freedom to explore Day 10 Carcassonne • Optional Albi tour this hilltop town on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for • Destination: Carcassonne independent explorations: • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Accommodations: Hotel Le Donjon or similar • Discover the austere beauty of Châteaux de Lastours: Perched at an altitude of almost Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 1,000 feet, the construction of these four beginning at 7am. 11th-century Cathar castles is quite a sight Morning: Enjoy a day at leisure in Carcassonne. to behold. Walk in the footsteps of the lords Perhaps you’ll tour the Museum of the of Cabaret, the former occupants of these Inquisition, or take the morning to peruse local remarkable structures, and take in the same shops and cafés. views they enjoyed a thousand years ago. Or, join our optional excursion to the historic • How to get there: A 30-minute taxi ride, commune of Albi. You’ll board a bus at around about $20 USD one way. 8:30am for the approximate two-hour scenic • Hours: 10am-5pm, March; 10am-6pm, drive through the Tarn countryside. Upon April; 9am-8pm, July-August. arrival around 10:30am, you’ll meet up with a • Cost: About $9 USD. local guide who will lead you on an approximate Travel back in time at the School Museum: • 90-minute walk through the town. Visit the Featuring classroom resources from the 1880s majestic Albi Cathedral, also known as the to the 1960s, the School Museum is composed Cathedral Basilica of St. Cecilia, which was built of five rooms, all containing items such as in the late 1200s. Today, it is considered one of early projectors, antique desks, and dip pens. the largest brick buildings in the entire world. Learn about the French education system, Inside, you’ll find the impressively preserved and see what everyday life is like for French choir structure, which features 150 sculptures students. and elaborate décor depicting iconic scenes of • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, the Catholic faith. about $5 USD one way. Lunch: On your own today in Carcassonne. If • Hours: 10am-6pm, February-October. you choose to join the optional tour, lunch is • Cost: About $3.50 USD. included at a local restaurant around noon.

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17 Afternoon: At leisure in Carcassonne or in Upon arrival around 9am, we’ll be greeted by Albi to explore at your own pace. If you’re our community leader for the day: Bastien on the optional tour, perhaps you’ll visit Perrenoud. Bastien hails from a family of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum dedicated to French wine producers. He grew up in the Albi-born artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. vineyards of Burgundy before traveling to Chile and Argentina as a young man to study new Those travelers on the Albi tour will wrap wine-making techniques. While living and up their discoveries around 3pm and make working in South America, he met his wife, their way back to the hotel, arriving around Polly. Now in his mid-30s, Bastien was hired 4:45pm. Take a couple of hours to relax before by the owners of Chateau Auzias to manage the all travelers reunite for dinner after our day of domaine with a focus on sustainability. He now discoveries. lives there full-time with Polly and their two Dinner: At a local restaurant around 6:45pm, young children. featuring traditional French fare. The domaine spans almost 400 acres; we’ll tour Evening: Free for you to make your own a small portion of it with Bastien as he tells discoveries. You may choose to join your fellow us more about the area and the wines that are travelers for a nightcap in the hotel bar. produced here. Chateau Auzias is located in the heart of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Day 11 Carcassonne • A Day in the Life of a Unlike Burgundy and Bordeaux, which attract thousands of tourists annually with their French wine domaine big-name chateaux and high-dollar vintages, • Destination: Carcassonne Languedoc is a true hidden gem. As the largest • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and most prolific wine producing region in • Accommodations: Hotel Le Donjon or similar France, Languedoc was once better known for its high quantity than its high quality. But in the Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries 1990s, the region’s bulk-bin reputation begin feature A Day in the Life experience with to shift when boutique wine-makers started to a local winemaker, where we’ll immerse focus on capturing Languedoc’s diverse terroir. ourselves in the time-honored traditions of While the region is still responsible for more a French vintners. We’ll also visit a nearby than one-third of France’s wine exports, it farm and learn about the family’s crops of is also a haven for passionate producers like seasonal produce. Read more about this Bastien who are obsessed with authenticity. experience below. When in-the-know locals are thirsty for a glass Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel of something exciting and full of character, beginning at 6:45am. they turn to Languedoc.

Morning: We’ll board a bus around 8:45am A number of varietals are produced in the and begin our 15-minute drive to Pennautier, region, but Chateau Auzias is focused on a village with just 2,500 residents. Our popularizing Cabardès. After learning about the destination is Chateau Auzias, a boutique domaine and Bastien’s specialized techniques, domaine (wine-producing territory) where we’ll put our knowledge to the test in the we’ll enjoy a NEW A Day in the Life experience vineyards. Depending on the season, we may with local winemaker. help cut the grapes from the vines, tend to the soil, or assist with upkeep. If you’re not a

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18 natural-born vintner like Bastien, you might Day 12 Visit Pont du Gard • Overland opt to sip a glass of wine and take in the rustic transfer to Lyon beauty of our surroundings instead. • Destination: Lyon Around noon, we’ll head to a small farm located • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch just a few miles from the domaine. The farm is • Accommodations: Hotel Le Roosevelt owned by Raphaele and his wife—two Parisians or similar who recently bid adieu to the city to begin a Activity Note: This will be a lengthy travel day, simpler life in the country. Using a blend of with about a 7-hour bus ride and a stop in Pont traditional techniques and modern technology, du Gard on our way to Lyon. Raphaele grows a variety of seasonal produce—from apples and lettuce to potatoes Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel and leeks—that he sells to members of the beginning at 7:30am, featuring French and community. We’ll tour Raphaele’s property and American options. collect the ingredients we need for our lunch. Morning: We’ll check out of our hotel and Lunch: With the help of Bastien, Raphaele, and board our bus around 8am to begin our other members of the community, we’ll begin overland transfer to Lyon. To break up our preparing our grillade vigneronne (winemaker’s journey, we will stop in Pont du Gard for lunch grill) around 12:45pm. This convivial meal is and a visit to this ancient Roman aqueduct and typical of the harvest season, when workers UNESCO World Heritage Site. gather to celebrate a successful day in the vineyards. We’ll enjoy a similarly lively Lunch: Boxed lunch around noon featuring atmosphere as we dine on fresh produce and typical French cuisine near Pont du Gard. locally produced meat and indulge in wine from Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll have about 1.5 Chateau Auzias. hours to explore the site. Pont du Gard is an Afternoon: After lunch concludes around ancient Roman bridge and aqueduct that was 2:30pm, we’ll return to the domaine to built in the first century and still stands as complete our education in viticulture. Working a marvel of human engineering. It’s also a as a group, we’ll create our own special wine popular spot for French families who often blend to take home. Our visit to the domaine come here for picnics or just to enjoy a pleasant concludes around 5pm. After returning to the stroll. We can also visit the Museum to view the hotel at approximately 5:15pm, the remainder exhibits that trace the history of the aqueduct’s of the afternoon is yours. construction and its contribution to the way of life during the Roman Era. Dinner: On your own; ask your Trip Experience Leader to recommend options for local fare or a Our small group will reconvene around 2:30pm taste of home. to continue our transfer to Lyon, our home for the next three nights. When we arrive, around Evening: Free for you to make your own 5:30pm, we’ll check into our hotel and receive discoveries. You may choose to join your fellow our room assignments. Our hotel should be travelers for a nightcap in the hotel bar. situated near the Place de la Republique in Lyon’s city center. Each of the hotel’s rooms will typically offer air conditioning, wireless Internet, a minibar, and an en suite bathroom.

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19 We can freshen up before meeting our Trip Monet, and Picasso. Peruse collections rang- Experience Leader around 6:30pm for a brief ing all the way from ancient Egypt antiquities orientation walk around the hotel’s vicinity, to the mid-20th century. during which he or she will point out nearby • How to get there: A 15-minute taxi ride, places of interest like the local market and ATM. about $15 USD one way. Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience • Hours: 10am-6pm, Wednesday-Monday. Leader for the best Lyonnaise fare in the area. • Cost: About $9 USD. Known as a food capital of France (as you’ll see • Delight in the tantalizing aromas and during your tasting tour tomorrow), Lyon is distinctly French flavors of Les Halles de full of gastronomical wonders. Perhaps you’ll Lyon Paul Bocuse: Taste your way through try soupe à l’oignon Lyonnaise, which is known this famed indoor food market, featuring internationally as “French onion soup” but many of Lyon’s regional specialties. Observe was, in fact, first created in Lyon. locals navigating from vendor to vendor while enjoying one of the many fromage varieties Evening: Free for your own discoveries. available. Perhaps you will explore the city during a nighttime stroll, or join fellow travelers in the • How to get there: A 20-minute taxi ride, hotel bar for a nightcap. about $20 USD one way. • Hours: 7am-7pm, Tuesday-Saturday; Freedom To Explore: During your three days 7am-1pm, Sunday. in Lyon, you have the freedom to explore this • Cost: About $11 USD. regional capital on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for Day 13 Lyon • Controversial Topic: The independent explorations: ethics of medically assisted reproduction with activist Tiphaine • Local foods • Find solace in Parc de la Tête d’Or: With an area of 290 acres, this expansive green haven of Lyon tour is the largest urban park in France. Mingle • Destination: Lyon with locals while you explore the on-site zoo, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner lake, and numerous botanical gardens. • Accommodations: Hotel Le Roosevelt • How to get there: A 15-minute taxi ride, or similar about $15 USD one way. Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s activities • Hours: 6:30am-10:30pm, April-October. include a conversation about the Controversial • Cost: Free. Topic of medically assisted reproduction • Delve into the colorful world of Musée des (MAR) with Tiphaine, a doctor who opposes the Beaux-Arts de Lyon: Considered the finest practice. While the majority of French people collections of sculptures and paintings support expanding MAR rights to single women outside of Paris, the museum houses pieces and lesbian couples, this conversation will be by world-renowned artists, such as Rodin, a unique opportunity to hear from someone who’s deeply concerned about the ethical implications of “designer pregnancies.” Read more about this conversation below.

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20 Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 93% of pregancies with a Down Syndrome beginning at 7am, featuring French and baby are terminated. Tiphaine, and many like American options. her, fear that the most recent law could lead to women being able to pick and choose the Morning: Around 9am, we’ll meet in the hotel genetic makeup of their children. Members lobby and set off to the Court of Justice, an of “Marchons, Enfants” worry the law could imposing building near the banks of the Rhone be a slippery slope towards genetic designer built in the classical Greek style and adorned babies and eugenics. Others are concerned with 24 columns. Symbolically, the Court of that additional expansion of the law to include Justice is an important place for the Lyonnais: men in same-sex couples could result in a many protests and public demonstrations begin burgeoning surrogacy market, where women’s and end here. As such, it’s a fitting place for us bodies and their reproductive ability become to discuss the Controversial Topic of medically exploited and commodified for profit. One assisted reproduction (MAR) in France, and French senator even called the expansion of whether procedures like in vitro fertilization MAR the “artificialization of life.” should be available to single women and lesbian couples—two hot-button issues dominating In addition, opponents of the law cite concern French news and politics. for the child. Is it right for a child to be born without a father? What happens to society MAR was established in France in 1994 and when an unborn child can be bought and sold legalized the use of in vitro, embryo transfer, on the surrogacy market? But supporters of and artificial insemination among heterosexual the law—including a French pro-LGBTQ+ couples trying to conceive. Since then, nearly organization called Families—stress that their 400,000 children in France have been born goal is simply to bring equality to gay and trans using in vitro, or about one in thirty children. In families. Don’t these families have a right to July of 2020, an additional law was broadening have children, too? the scope of who is eligible to use MAR to include single, unmarried women and women For now, the nation remains divided on the in same-sex couples. While the majority of issue. Whatever your own personal opinions, French people support the law and agree that you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about same-sex couples should have the same rights Tiphaine’s views during the hour we spend and opportunities as heterosexual couples, a with her. Feel free to ask any questions you small but vocal minority disagree—and have have—and be on the lookout for signs of this taken to the streets to voice their opposition. heated debate as we continue through France.

We’ll hear from one such opponent of MAR After so much discussion, you may have today outside the Court of Justice. Around worked up an appetite. Lyon is known as 9:30am, we’ll meet Tiphaine, a Lyonnais France’s culinary capital, so it is only fitting resident and member of “Marchons, Enfants” that we explore this delightful city through (“Walk on, Children”), a protest group our stomachs. Embark on a 3-hour walking campaigning to overturn the newest MAR tour featuring samples of typical Lyonnaise legislation. A high school science teacher fare with a local guide, beginning around married to a doctor, Tiphaine’s opposition to 10:30am—depending on where you stop on MAR is both personal and ethical. Her brother your tour, you’ll be treated to an array of has Down Syndrome; in France today, about cheese, wine, and dessert samples. Regional

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21 specialties include Saint Marcellin and Day 14 Discover Cluny • Visit the French Saint-Félicien, two popular types of soft National Stud cow’s milk cheeses and many varieties and • Destination: Lyon preparations of saucisson (sausage). The city also has the good fortune of being surrounded • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner by some of France’s best wine-growing regions. • Accommodations: Hotel Le Roosevelt Pair your nibbles with a glass of wine from the or similar nearby Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône regions for Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel a culinary match made in heaven. beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and American options. Lunch: On your own, whenever you’d like. If you still have room after our local food tour, Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll board our you might like to dine in a bouchon, the rustic bus and make a 1.5 hour-drive through the and usually family-owned eateries that are rolling Burgundy countryside to reach Cluny, found only in Lyon. Seeking a lighter meal? You a town that is best known for its ruined Abbey. might like to try salade Lyonnaise, a salad of At the time of its building, in 910, the Cluny frisée lettuce, bacon, and poached egg. Abbey was the largest church in the Western world, a status which reflected the immense Afternoon: Free for you to make your own treasure it held: relics of St. Peter and St. Paul. discoveries. Lyon stretches across two Over the centuries, the Abbey withstood many rivers—the Rhône and the Saône; strolling changes—from architectural additions bringing across the many elegant bridges that connect a mishmash of styles and a waning in power to the city’s banks is a great way to see the sights the papal authority in Rome, to a sacking by the (and walk off the rich food). You might also Huguenots during the Wars of Religions. The like to visit the newly-opened Musée des French Revolution brought further destruction Confluences, which is nestled at the very spot to the Abbey, and today all that remains of its where the two rivers converge. The museum’s former glory is a single transept, which soars futuristic exterior is a worthy attraction on its about the town in Romanesque splendor. own, but the exhibits it houses—thematically organized around the Earth, eternity, The town of Cluny built up around the Abbey, societies, and species—are fantastically which you’ll see firsthand during walking tour thought-provoking. of the town with a local guide from around 10am to 12pm. We’ll also explore the Abbey’s We’ll reconvene with our travelers and Trip cloisters and transept chapel. We’ll conclude Experience Leader just before 7pm for dinner. our walking tour at a nearby restaurant. Dinner: Included at a local restaurant Lunch: A little after noon at a local restaurant around 7pm. overlooking the grounds of the Abbey, featuring Evening: Free. Ask your Trip Experience Leader French cuisine of the region. for suggestions, or take an evening stroll to see Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll take about the city’s many monuments lit up. a 10-minute walk to Haras National, or French National Stud. Here, we’ll see where Napoleon bred his war horses and admire handcrafted saddles and horse carriages that the emperor himself rode in. We’ll also enjoy a

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22 demonstration of the highly skilled riding style and is even said to have inspired the Japanese of dressage by a local rider. The stud continues shinkansen, or bullet train. Relax as you watch to play an important role in breeding purebred the French countryside whiz by through the race horses and keeping the tradition of French window, and perhaps mingle with French equestrian sports alive. locals onboard.

After our visit, we’ll walk back to Cluny for a We should arrive at Paris’s Gare de Lyon station little free time before boarding our bus around by about 12:15pm. Then, we’ll take a short walk 4pm and returning to Lyon. You’ll have time over to meet a bus that will take us to a nearby to freshen up in Lyon before we meet up again restaurant for our lunch. in the lobby shortly before 7pm and walk to a Lunch: At a local restaurant around 1pm, nearby restaurant. featuring classic French fare. Dinner: Around 7pm in a local restaurant, Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll take a 15-minute featuring local specialties. walk over to our hotel where we’ll meet a Evening: Free to do as you’d like for your local guide and then set out on a panoramic last night in Lyon. For an after-dinner treat, tour of the undeniably chic French capital. you might like to seek out a tarte aux pralines We’ll begin with a bus tour that will take us (praline tart), a popular Lyonnaise dessert. down elegant avenues lined with Haussman buildings and past many of the city’s most Day 15 Transfer to Paris via high-speed postcard-worthy sites—the Louvre, the Eiffel train • Discover Paris Tower, the Champs-Élysées and more. Then, we’ll see a more intimate side of the city • Destination: Paris on foot, as we enjoy a 1-hour walking tour • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch through a residential neighborhood. We’ll • Accommodations: Hotel Panache or similar peruse a local market to rub shoulders with Activity Note: Luggage will be transferred chic Parisians doing their daily shopping, and from our hotel in Lyon to our hotel in Paris by get a feel for what it’s really like to live in this special vendor. You will have access to carry-on world-famous city. luggage during the train ride but you will not We’ll return to your hotel around 6pm. You’ll have access to your main luggage until we reach receive your room assignment and have some our Paris hotel. Timing throughout this day time to settle in. Typical rooms include wireless may vary due to train schedule and availability. Internet access, TV, mini fridge, and private Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel bath with hair dryer. The rest of your day is free beginning at 7am, featuring French and to do as you’d like—ask your Trip Experience American options. Leader for recommendations.

Morning: We’ll check out of our hotel around Dinner: On your own. Consider visiting a 9am and drive about 30 minutes by bus to the classic neighborhood bistro complete with Lyon train station. Here, we’ll board a TGV—a red-and-white checkered tablecloths to dine high-speed French train that can travel at on a quintessential Paris meal like steak-frites speeds up to 200 miles per hour—to Paris. (steak and fries). The TGV is the first high-speed train of its kind: It connects all of France’s major arteries,

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23 Evening: Free for to continue exploring Paris on Relax on the surrounding green grounds, or your own. You might like to venture to the Eiffel ascend to the observation deck for a one-of- Tower—go on the hour to see how the “City of a-kind view. Lights” earns its nickname. • How to get there: A 20-minute taxi ride, Freedom To Explore: During your two days about $25 USD one way. in Paris, you have the freedom to explore this • Hours: 9:30am-11:45pm, daily. cosmopolitan capital on your own during • Cost: About $18 USD for second floor your free time. Below are a few recommended access; about $27 USD for top access. options for independent explorations: Day 16 Explore Paris • Controversial • Admire some of the world’s most prized Topic: The Yellow Vest social movement artistic masterpieces at the Louvre Museum: with mother and activist Agnès It doesn’t get much more iconic than the • Destination: Paris Louvre. Art and history lovers alike will • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner delight in perusing the tens of thousands works of art displayed in the world’s largest • Accommodations: Hotel Panache or similar and most visited museum, including the Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries famed portrait of Mona Lisa. feature a Controversial Topic—the Yellow • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, Vest movement that has swept through France about $20 USD one way. since 2018. We’ll meet with a middle-class • Hours: 9am-6pm, Wednesday-Monday. mother-turned-protester to talk about her • Cost: About $10 USD; free first Sunday of firsthand experience in the movement, learn the month. about the social issues that inspired it, the violence that resulted, and how the French • Marvel at the Musée d’Orsay: Featuring government has responded. We’ll also learn the largest collection of impressionist and how the coronavirus pandemic has affected post-impressionist French art, this remark- the protests. Read more about this informative able museum is housed in the former Gare conversation below. d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built around 1900. Examine the historic works of Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and more. beginning at 7am, featuring French and • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, American options. about $20 USD one way. Morning: Around 9am this morning, we’ll Hours: 9:30am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday. • meet our Trip Experience Leader in the lobby Cost: About $16 USD. • of our hotel then we’ll head to Bastille Square, • Gaze up at the cultural icon of the Eiffel arriving around 9:30am. Here we’ll meet Tower: Standing over 1,000 feet tall, this Agnès, a middle-class mother of two and towering, beloved landmark is indisputably member of the Gilets Jaunes, or Yellow Vest, the most recognizable in all of France. social movement to discuss the Controversial Topic of this organization, its protests, and the violent clashes that have ensued.

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24 Named for the yellow safety vests French Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for motorists are required to keep in their cars, the Human Rights at the UN, expressed the need Yellow Vest movement began as a response to for serious investigation into the French law President Macron’s “green” fuel tax hike in enforcement’s use of abusive force and violence 2018, but the issues began back in 1990. Since against Yellow Vest protesters. that time, the evolution of prices at the pump in This widely reported violence was a large part France has increased sharply—diesel by 300% of the reason Agnès felt called to join the Yellow and gasoline by 200%. That is an increase well Vest movement. She also strongly identified above the cost of inflation, which is around with the issues the Yellow Vests were raising. 40%. Initially, the protests began in rural Agnès graduated university with a degree in France, where most people drive long distances literature, speaks several languages, and began as part of their daily routine and felt the sharp her career working in Paris as a salesperson increase in gas prices was a heavy financial in luxury stores like Guerlain. But after a long burden. The Yellow Vests—made up primarily stint with unemployment in 2014, Agnès of working- and middle-class people—argued decided it would be in her family’s best interest that the cost of living in France continued to if they moved to the country—just outside rise while wages stayed the same. Coupled with of Normandy—believing the cost of living Macron’s controversial tax cut for the wealthy, wouldn’t be as expensive as in the city. But the movement evolved into protests about small-town life comes with its own challenges. the government catering to the elite while Agnès’s town has very few public services and leaving middle-class communities behind. there is no public transportation available. The The first demonstrations were organized over closest hospital is a 40-minute drive, which social media and were held outside the city, directly impacted Agnès’s family as one of her the protesters donning yellow safety vests in two sons has a heart condition and required solidarity. The initial protests were peaceful, frequent visits to a specialist. Seeing the but also largely ignored by the government government’s violent push-back towards the at first. However, as the movement grew and Yellow Vest movement, coupled with her own intensified, clashes between protesters and law economic issues, propelled her to don her own enforcement in Paris eventually led to violence. vest and begin marching for the cause. At the peak of the Yellow Vest movement, over At her first protest, Agnès focused on taking a million people gathered to protest. French law pictures and videos of the event, and says enforcement utilized aggressive tactics on the she witnessed the violence being initiated by protesters, including the use of rubber bullets, the police. During this protest, she became a tear gas, and even GLI-F4 grenades, which victim of violence herself, sustaining an injury contain 25 grams of TNT each. Rioting ensued: in the leg from a rubber bullet. She went on to Landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe and file a claim against the police, but nothing has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were defaced come of it yet. Since this traumatic experience, and shops and buildings were looted and Agnès’s personal connection to the movement vandalized. The injuries and death count began became even stronger, and she has attended to climb—as of 2019, there have been 11 deaths, many demonstrations in both Normandy and 4,439 people wounded (1,944 police officers Paris. She and her fellow Yellow Vests do not and 2,495 protesters), 24 protesters have lost feel they are asking for anything more than an eye, and 6 others have needed amputations. equal treatment. France used to be a country The devastation became so great that in 2019,

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25 of villages, but as more people move to the big Afternoon: Continue exploring Paris on your cities, a huge disconnect was created between own. Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy city dwellers and the people who live on the to provide recommendations, or help you periphery. Gas prices don’t affect city people personalize your day’s activities. Shortly before because they can take the metro or bus. Schools 7pm, we’ll gather in the lobby and walk to a and hospitals are nearby. But those living nearby restaurant for dinner. outside the city don’t have these options, and Dinner: At a local restaurant around 7pm. thus feel the pinch of higher gas taxes much Our small group will enjoy a Farewell Dinner more sharply. featuring regional specialties and, of course, Since the coronavirus pandemic shut down French wine to toast to the discoveries we’ve France in early 2020, the protests have nearly made and experiences we’ve shared. come to a halt; however, they seem to be Evening: Spend your last night in Paris as you picking up steam again in response to a new wish. Take an evening stroll to see the city’s law called loi de securité globale, which prohibits monuments lit up, or join your fellow travelers citizens from filming the police—a troubling at the hotel bar for one final nightcap as you development for those who have witnessed or discuss highlights and favorite memories from been victim of police brutality throughout the your adventure. Yellow Vest movement. During our hour-long conversation, we’ll have around 45 minutes to ask Agnès more about these issues and any Day 17 Return to U.S. or begin other questions we may have. post-trip extension • Included Meals: Breakfast We’ll say goodbye to Agnès around 10:30am; the rest of the day is yours to explore Paris Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel on your own. Everyone has their own vision beginning around 8:30am, with French and of a perfect day in Paris—so enjoy a free day American options. in the iconic capital to bring your vision to Morning: Depending on your specific flight life. Maybe you’ll stroll along the Left Bank, arrangements, you will transfer to the airport admiring the architecture and savoring the sometime this morning for your flight home to smell of freshly-baked croissants wafting the U.S. Travelers taking our A Taste of Basque out of boulangeries. Spend the day taking in Country: Bilbao, Guernica & Beyond post-trip masterpieces from the Renaissance to the extension will fly to Bilbao this morning. 20th century and beyond at one of Paris’s many world-class art museums. Or go antique shopping in the Marais, an upscale neighborhood known for its sophisticated denizens and shopping. Today, Paris is your oyster.

Lunch: On your own, whenever you’d like. If the day is nice, you might choose to picnic beneath the Eiffel Tower’s watchful eye on the Champ de Mars.

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26 END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 4 nights in A Taste of Basque Country: Bilbao, Guernica & Beyond

Day 1 Fly to Bilbao, Spain Day 4 Bilbao • Discover Guernica • Txakoli wine tasting Day 2 Discover Bilbao Day 5 Return to U.S. Day 3 Bilbao • Optional Winery & Laguardia tour

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27 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Balloon Ride over the Loire Valley Albi (Day 5 $320 per person) (Day 10 $175 per person)

Set off on a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise to Discover the quaint commune of Albi with a witness the peaks and valleys of the verdant local guide, including a visit to the historic Albi Loire Valley, nestled between the crystalline Cathedral. Then, take some time to explore riverways of the Loire. Enjoy an included the charming city on your own, including its breakfast of coffee and pastry as you ride. museums and shops. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Rocamadour (Day 8 $180 per person)

This optional tour visits Rocamadour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with its religious significance, the improbable cliffside location and picturesque homes of Rocamadour have garnered it the top spot on a national list of favorite French villages. Upon arrival, a local resident will take us on a walking tour of the town. Then, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, well return to our hotel in Sarlat by around 3:30pm.

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28 PRE-TRIP Paris, Honfleur & Normandy’s Historic Beaches

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations: 2 nights in Paris at the » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Hotel Le Mareuil or similar, and 4 nights Experience Leader in Honfleur at the Hotel Le Cheval Blanc à » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Honfleur or similar luggage porters » 11 meals—6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, » All transfers and 3 dinners » 5 small group activities

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Our journey begins with two nights in Paris, France’s capital and cultural epicenter. Then, we venture north to Normandy in search of rugged beauty and rich history. Normandy is much like a classical painting: Not only has it been depicted on canvas by renowned artists such as impressionism founder Claude Monet, but it is alluring, complex, and full of stories to tell. From the painful lessons of World War II to the maritime charm of centuries-old Honfleur, we’ll uncover the many dimensions of this historic corner of Western Europe.

Day 1 Fly to Paris Around 11:30am, our Trip Experience Leader will take us on a 30-minute orientation walk • Destination: Paris around the hotel to get acquainted with Afternoon/Evening: Depart today on your the area, including where to find an ATM overnight flight to Paris, France. Please refer to or anything you might need. During our your individual air itinerary for exact departure explorations, we may have the opportunity to and arrival times. interact with locals going about their typical routines to gain intimate insight into daily Day 2 Arrive in Paris life here.

• Destination: Paris Lunch: On your own starting at around noon. • Accommodations: Hotel Le Mareuil Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy to or similar provide you with restaurant recommendations Morning: Depending on your flight schedule, where you can find traditional cuisine, such as arrive in Paris, France where a representative savory crêpes. will meet you at the airport and assist with your Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries. 1-hour transfer to your hotel. Your hotel may You may set off in search of a bakery where feature a bar and library. Typical rooms may you can watch scenes of daily life while include wireless internet, television, minibar, enjoying decadent pastries like a chocolate and private bath with hair dryer.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

29 souffle. Or you may choose to grab a box of works of art displayed in the world’s largest macaroons and find a place near the Eiffel and most visited museum, including the Tower where you can relax and indulge in famed portrait of Mona Lisa. these treats. Perhaps, you’ll visit one of the • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, world-renowned art museums or cathedrals about $20 USD one way. that the city is renowned for. Then around • Hours: 9am-6pm, Wednesday-Monday. 5:30pm, we’ll gather for a Welcome Briefing • Cost: About $10 USD; free first Sunday of at the hotel. During this briefing, we will the month. introduce ourselves and review our itinerary in • Marvel at the Musée d’Orsay: Featuring more detail (including any changes that may the largest collection of impressionist and need to occur). Our Trip Experience Leader will post-impressionist French art, this remark- also discuss logistics, safety and emergency able museum is housed in the former Gare procedures, and answer questions we may have. d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built After our briefing concludes around 6pm, we’ll around 1900. Examine the historic works of toast to our discoveries to come with a welcome Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and more. drink at the hotel bar. • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride, Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience about $20 USD one way. Leader will be happy to provide dining • Hours: 9:30am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday. recommendations, whether you want to • Cost: About $16 USD. sip wine in a bistro or find the best beef • Gaze up at the cultural icon of the Eiffel bourguignon in the city. Tower: Standing over 1,000 feet tall, this towering, beloved landmark is indisputably Evening: The remainder of your evening is free. the most recognizable in all of France. You may like to take a nighttime stroll through Relax on the surrounding green grounds, or Paris, or retire early to your room after your ascend to the observation deck for a one-of- overnight flight. a-kind view. Freedom To Explore: During your two days • How to get there: A 20-minute taxi ride, in Paris, you have the freedom to explore this about $25 USD one way. cosmopolitan capital on your own during • Hours: 9:30am-11:45pm, daily. your free time. Below are a few recommended • Cost: About $18 USD for second floor options for independent explorations: access; about $27 USD for top access.

• Admire some of the world’s most prized Day 3 Paris • Explore Montmartre artistic masterpieces at the Louvre Museum: It doesn’t get much more iconic than the • Destination: Paris Louvre. Art and history lovers alike will • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner delight in perusing the tens of thousands • Accommodations: Hotel Le Mareuil or similar

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel beginning at 7am, featuring French and American options.

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30 Morning: We’ll depart our hotel around 9:30am and Marie Antoinette. From here, perhaps we’ll for the journey to Montmartre. We’ll have continue past the Museum of Montmartre, as the opportunity to travel as the locals do, via well as the gorgeous vineyard at the corner of public transportation when we hop aboard the rue des Saules and rue Saint Vincent. If weather metro for the approximately 45-minute ride. permits, we’ll enjoy free time discovering this During our Metro ride, we’ll be joined by a local historical quarter of the city before making ecologist who will share the efforts of some our way back down the hill, either by foot or residents to ban vehicles from being driven in train. For those who opt to walk, along the the center of Paris. We’ll get invaluable insight way you’ll pass by a sculpture of the famous into how environmentally conscientious the singer, Dalida, who resided in Montmartre city is, and how it aims to encourage Parisians until her death in 1987. We will also see the to opt for alternative forms of transportation, Le Passe-Murailles, a sculpture known as like the Metro. ‘the passer-through-walls’, as well as the inspiration for Renoir’s famed painting, Bal du Around 10:30am, we’ll arrive in Montmartre moulin de la Galette. where we’ll meet our local guide, walk a short distance, and board a funicular for a Throughout the day, we’ll have the opportunity 5-minute ride. The ride offers a delightful to discuss controversial topics with our guide, visual introduction to the striking beauty of such as national labor laws. Learn how the Montmartre, a quarter of the city known for French people feel about this divided issue by its lofty hilltop location, star-studded artistic speaking with locals in various shops around history, ivy-clad architecture, and trove of Montmartre. Our tour concludes around nightlife. Once at the top, we’ll embark on a 12:30pm, and we’ll board the Metro for the guided tour, stopping briefly at the square of 1-hour journey back to Paris. Place du Tertre to take in what’s considered Lunch: On your own around 1:30pm. the greatest view of the Eiffel Tower, before continuing on to Sacré-Coeur, the spectacular, Afternoon: The afternoon is yours to spend as white-domed centerpiece of this centuries-old you wish. Perhaps you’d like to settle into your district which crowns the summit of the room, continue exploring Paris on your own, or 430-foot hill. Under construction for almost get to know your fellow travelers. This is also forty years, this impressive Roman Catholic a wonderful time to look to your expert Trip Church is a beloved landmark located at the Experience Leader for recommendations. Then highest point in the city. around 6:45pm, we’ll meet back at our hotel and walk for 15 minutes to a local restaurant. After exploring this historical place of worship, this is an excellent point for those who would Dinner: At a local restaurant in Paris around like to meander the historic streets on their 7pm, featuring a group Welcome Dinner of own to do so. Your Trip Experience Leader is French fare. Here, you’ll toast to the many happy to provide suggested activities, should thrilling discoveries that await you on your you be interested. Alternatively, if you care to adventure. continue the small group tour, our next stop will be Basilique de St-Denis, a sacred site built Evening: The rest of the evening is free. upon the tomb of the third-century martyr Perhaps you’d like to continue bonding with and housing the remains of almost all of the your group, or return to your room to rest for nation’s kings and queens, including Louis XVI the next exciting day.

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31 Day 4 Overland to Honfleur • Visit to seaside town nestled on the Normandy coast. Caen Memorial We’ll check in at our hotel around 4:30pm. Depending on where we stay, your hotel may • Destination: Honfleur feature a spa. Typical rooms may include • Included Meals: Breakfast television, minibar, and private bath with • Accommodations: Hotel Le Cheval Blanc à hair dryer. Honfleur or similar Enjoy a couple hours of free time to settle in at Activity Note: This is a lengthy travel day, with the hotel, or you may choose to start exploring one 3.5-hour drive, and another 1-hour drive. the city at your own pace. Around 6:30pm, we’ll Also, the history of conflict we learn about regroup and our Trip Experience Leader will in Caen can be emotional and disturbing for lead a 30-minute neighborhood orientation some travelers walk, highlighting areas of particular interest Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel and answering any questions you may have, beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and before the rest of the evening is yours to make American options. independent discoveries.

Morning: Around 8:30am, your small group Dinner: On your own beginning around 7pm. will depart for a 3.5-hour ride to Caen. Along Evening: You have the freedom to spend the the way, your Trip Experience Leader will rest of the evening as you’d like, whether you facilitate a group discussion to maximize our want to stroll around the beautiful harbor or transfer time. enjoy a drink in one of the many 14th-18th Our destination in Caen is the The Mémorial century cafés. de Caen, a museum and memorial Freedom To Explore: During your four days commemorating World War II and the Battle for in Honfleur, you have the freedom to explore Caen. The museum is dedicated to illustrating this coastal town on your own during your free the fragility of peace by examining 20th century time. Below are a few recommended options for violence, particularly that which stemmed from independent explorations: World War II; however, the history covered spans beyond the Cold War. Upon arrival around • Walk in the footsteps of renowned French noon, you’ll have the chance to interact with composer Erik Satie at Les Maisons Satie: locals who have also come to commemorate Opened to the public in 1998, Maisons Satie and learn about the site’s World War II history. is a museum housed in Erik Satie’s former home. Listen to audio commentary as you Lunch: On your own around 12:15pm. slowly uncover intimate details about the Afternoon: Until about 2pm, you’ll have the artist’s work and life. opportunity to explore the memorial on your • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute taxi own. Peruse the many war artifacts in the ride, about $5 USD one way. museum, stroll through the three on-site • Hours: Varies by season. memorial gardens, or perhaps you’d like to take • Cost: About $7 USD. some time to sit and reflect. Then, you’ll watch • Admire exquisite 19th- and 20th-century two films that expand on today’s theme before paintings of Normandy’s coast at Musée we head back to our bus around 3pm. We’ll Eugène Boudin:Featuring work by a number drive for about 1 hour to Honfleur, a quaint of artists who resided in Honfleur, including

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32 Claude Monet, the museum also devotes in France, 15th-century St. Catherine’s Church. an entire room to Honfleur native Eugène It wouldn’t be a trip to Honfleur without Boudin. Marvel at Boudin’s mastery of learning about the significant art history here, landscapes, as well as his distinct impres- so we’ll visit a number of local galleries, and sionistic style. come to understand why this extraordinary • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute taxi port town has been the subject of many ride, about $5 USD one way. accomplished artists’ work, including Claude • Hours: Varies by season. Monet and Honfleur native, Eugène Boudin. • Cost: About $9 USD. During free time, you may wish to put • Delight in the vibrant, living wonderland of Honfleur’s history further into perspective by Naturospace: Stroll through the man-made visiting the Marine and Ethnography museums, equatorial climate of Naturospace, a green- which are conveniently located very close to house experience featuring an outstanding one another. Each museum takes approximately collection of exotic flora as well as bright- 30 minutes to visit and provides thorough ly-colored bird and butterfly species. Learn background on crucial aspects of local culture. about the foreign landscape, and observe its Throughout the tour, your Trip Experience strikingly beautiful inhabitants. Leader will facilitate a discussion surrounding • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi the creation of Normandy and the role the ride, about $5 USD one way. Vikings played in it. • Hours: 10am-6:30pm, daily. • Cost: About $10 USD. Around 10:30am, you have the opportunity to explore Honfleur on your own. Day 5 Honfleur • Optional Bayeux Lunch: On your own, whenever you’d like. Tapestry Tour • Destination: Honfleur Afternoon: This afternoon you may choose • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner to continue independently discovering the historical delights of Honfleur, or the • Accommodations: Hotel Le Cheval Blanc à history buffs in the group might like to join Honfleur or similar our Optional Tour to Bayeux. Departing Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel the hotel around 1pm, we’ll drive about 1.5 beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and hours to Bayeux. A walking tour of Bayeux American options. will begin at the Tapestry Museum. Here, we’ll get to examine this national treasure, Morning: Around 9am, your Trip Experience which artistically preserves many aspects of Leader will take us on a 1.5-hour walking Anglo-Norman life and culture. Measuring tour of Honfleur, a port town situated on 230-feet long and 20-inches tall, the tapestry the estuary where the Seine River meets the depicts the events leading up to the Norman English Channel. A popular seaside escape for conquest of England, as well as the Battle of Parisians, its maritime allure and 16th-18th Hastings—all told from a Norman viewpoint. century architecture is a draw for those seeking Believed to have been commissioned in the to experience old world France. Beginning with eleventh century, the granularly-detailed the Vieux-Bassin (old harbor), we’ll appreciate embroidery demonstrates great artistry, the preserved slate-covered townhouses, and featuring over 70 different scenes that capture then continue on to the largest wooden church

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33 the political instability of the time. Explore Then, we’ll continue on to Pointe du Hoc, a the tapestry exhibition, before seeing a film 100-foot cliff overlooking the English Channel providing background on this beloved artifact. and the first landing position for the U.S. army Then, we’ll set off on about a 1-hour walking battalions assigned to capture it. Hundreds of tour of the medieval town that concludes at the men attempted to scale the rocky cliff using Bayeux Cathedral, original site of the tapestry. rope ladders and defeat the opposition fighting to secure it. The attack was largely made For those who joined the tour, we’ll arrive back possible by the support of several allied ships in Honfleur around 6:45pm. And then aound firing at the enemy defenders above. Here, you 7:30pm, we’ll all set off on a 15-minute walk to will learn in great detail about the landing and a nearby restaurant. the significant role it played in ending the war. Dinner: At a local restaurant at 7:45pm, with Our next stop will be Omaha Beach, the second regional cuisine. landing position of the U.S. army battalion. Evening: Free for your own discoveries. Your Forces that landed here were initially set to Trip Experience Leader will be happy to share land at Pointe Du Hoc, following the first wave their recommendations, if you’d like. of soldiers, but due to a delay in their landing, they were forced to land at Omaha instead. This Day 6 Visit D-Day Beaches • Reflect at the unintended course change is believed by many to be one of the primary reasons these landings Normandy American Cemetery were successful, as the Allied forces were able • Destination: Honfleur to outflank German defenses. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant, • Accommodations: Hotel Le Cheval Blanc à featuring regional specialties. Honfleur or similar

Activity Note: The visit to D-Day Beaches can Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue on to the be emotional and disturbing for some travelers. Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which honors American troops who perished Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel in Europe during World War II. The cemetery beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and contains almost 10,000 graves. In addition to American options. paying your respects, you have the opportunity to examine maps and details surrounding the Morning: We’ll get an early start this morning, Normandy landings, as well as view a bronze departing by bus at 8am for a 2-hour bus ride statue erected in honor of those who lost their in the direction of Normandy’s D-Day beaches. lives. We’ll arrive back at our hotel in Honfleur The Normandy Landings were a series of World by around 6:30pm, and you’ll have the War II landing operations that occurred along remainder of the day free. the coast on June 6, 1944. It was the largest seaborne invasion in recorded history. A stop Dinner: On your own around 7pm. at the Caen Memorial will allow us to place these crucial events of World War II and the Evening: Free to rest or continue discovering Normandy D-Day Landings in context, and the beauty of France independently. we’ll be joined by a local guide who will speak about her family’s history and experiences during the war.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

34 Day 7 Explore Honfleur • Visit Étretat the magnificent rock formations. Should you want to join the group, you’re welcome to ride • Destination: Honfleur the train down to the beach, or if you prefer to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner walk, it’s approximately 180 rock-carved steps • Accommodations: Hotel Le Cheval Blanc à down to the promenade. Honfleur or similar We’ll enjoy a sampling of regional specialties Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel before departing Ètretat around 5:45pm and beginning at 8am, featuring French and will arrive back at our hotel in Honfleur in time American options. for dinner. Morning: Enjoy free time for sight-seeing or Dinner: Around 7pm at a local restaurant with sipping a café au lait at the harbor. Your Trip your small group. Experience Leader can provide suggested activities, should you need ideas. Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to either retire to your room or get some activity Lunch: On your own around noon. If you enjoy ideas from your Trip Experience Leader. seafood, Honfleur’s coastal location makes it a great spot for indulging in oysters and other local seafood specialties. Day 8 Overland to Angers • Begin main trip • Destination: Angers Afternoon: The group will depart the hotel • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch around 12:45pm for a 1-hour ride to the Cliffs of Ètretat. Ètretat is a farming town best known Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel for its dramatic white cliffs, vast pebble beach, beginning at 6:30am, featuring French and and natural rock arches that line the coast American options. along the English Channel. It was frequently Morning: Around 8am, we’ll depart Honfleur visited by painters such as Camille Corot, and set off on our overland journey to Angers, Gustave Courbet, and Claude Monet. Today, it’s the gateway to the picturesque Loire Valley. a major draw for those seeking sweeping views We can relax and take in the scenic vistas across the channel, fresh sea air, and stunning during our drive of about 3.5 hours that takes geological formations. us through Le Mans, home of the legendary Around 2pm, we’ll board an electric train for 24-hour car race, and past villages and wooded a 45-minute tour showcasing the town and countryside on our way to Angers. We’ll arrive its surrounding beauty, beginning with the at our hotel in Angiers around 12:30pm and Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Garde. The chapel drop off our luggage before a 15-minute walk to is located atop a cliff, providing magnificent a nearby restaurant for lunch. views of the water as well as the town itself. Lunch: Around 1pm at a local restaurant, From there, we’ll position ourselves to view featuring typical French cuisine. the Aval Cliff, a natural rock arch located to the left of the beach. The bright, white arch, Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll walk back to contrasted with the blue waters and green hotel, where we’ll check in and meet the rest of vegetation makes for idyllic viewing and photo the travelers and begin our French Impressions: opportunities. Around 3pm, we’ll either enjoy From the Loire Valley to Lyon & Paris adventure. free time exploring the rugged coastline or join a group walk along the pebble beach between

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 OPTIONAL TOUR

Bayeux Tapestry tour (Day 5 $85 per person) The Norman conquest of England was an eleventh-century invasion and occupation led by the Duke of Normandy, also referred to as William the Conqueror. Following the carnage of a series of battles, a tapestry was commissioned to preserve their story. Almost 1,000 years old, 230-feet long, and 20-inches tall, this treasured historical artifact depicts not only centuries-old combat, but also key components of Norman culture and life. Learn about the significance of the tapestry, as well as its undeniable artistry. This optional tour begins with a visit to the Tapestry Museum followed by a one-hour walking tour of the medieval city that concludes at the Bayeux Cathedral.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

36 POST-TRIP A Taste of Basque Country: Bilbao, Guernica & Beyond

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Airfare from Paris to Bilbao » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip » Accommodations: 4 nights in Bilbao at the Experience Leader Hotel Miró or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 7 meals—4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, luggage porters and 2 dinners » All transfers » 4 small group activities

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Journey to Spain’s northern coast to discover Bilbao, where the traditions of the past sit firmly beside the city’s onward and unabashed advance into the future. Here, you’ll stroll the charming Old Quarter, feast your eyes upon post-modern art and futuristic architecture, and immerse yourself in the culture and cuisine of Basque country. Beyond Bilbao, visit Guernica to behold a Picasso masterpiece firsthand and learn why this small town still looms large in the Spanish national consciousness.

Day 1 Fly to Bilbao, Spain Lunch: On your own. Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy to provide dining • Destination: Bilbao recommendations. • Accommodations: Hotel Miró or similar

Morning: We fly to Bilbao, the heart of Afternoon: When we arrive in Bilbao, we’ll Basque country. The largest city in Basque transfer to our hotel and receive our room Country, with a million citizens, Bilbao is assignments. Depending on where we stay, our one of the five biggest urban areas in Spain. hotel will likely be in Bilbao’s city center and Now famous for its Guggenheim Museum, feature an on-site bar, spa, and fitness center. designed by the architect Frank Gehry, Bilbao Typical rooms offer a flat-screen television, has been an important commercial center minibar, tea kettle, wireless Internet, and en since the 14th century, when it began trading suite bathroom. iron. (Shakespeare references swords made After some free time to settle in, meet your Trip of Basque iron as “bilboes” in Merry Wives Experience Leader in the hotel lobby around of Windsor.) With its locale on the Iberian 6pm for a Welcome Drink and Briefing. We’ll Peninsula, overseeing the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao also set off for short orientation walk near our retains a maritime flavor, as well as a strong hotel. During this walk, your Trip Experience affiliation with Basque identity. leader will point out nearby conveniences, like the ATM and local market.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 Dinner: On your own, after 7pm. Perhaps you’ll you’ll find a number of shops, a cinema, art seek out Basque specialties like lamb or bacalao exhibitions, cafés, as well as a sports complex pil-pil (cod fish with garlic and olive oil). Or, equipped with swimming pools. you might even try kokotxa—typically not found • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi outside of the Basque region, this dish consists ride, about $10 USD one way. of the cheeks of cod or hake in a sauce made • Hours: 9am-5pm, daily. from garlic, white wine, and olive oil. • Cost: Free. Evening: Free for you to relax after our day • Witness the natural beauty and artistic of travels, or take in the Casco Viejo (Old powerhouse of Doña Casilda Park & Bilbao Quarter) by night. Fine Arts Museum: Explore the over 100-years-old English-style garden of Doña Freedom To Explore: During your two days Casilda Park, complete with a duck pond, in Bilbao, you have the freedom to explore fountain and pergola. Then, we’ll continue on this industrial port city on your own during to the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, conveniently your free time. Below are a few recommended located within the park. The museum features options for independent explorations: Basque, Spanish and European art dating • Taste your way through Mercado de la from the middle ages to contemporary pieces. Ribera: As the largest covered market in • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Europe, the culinary adventures to be had ride, about $15 USD one way. here are endless. From fish and meat stands • Hours: 10am-8pm, daily. to local farmers’ products, the huge spectrum • Cost: About $11 USD. of local delicacies will be right at your fin- gertips. Be sure to sample pintxos, a regional Day 2 Discover Bilbao tapas-style dish, as well as local specialty • Destination: Bilbao bacalao al pil pil, cod fish fried in olive oil • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner and garlic. • Accommodations: Hotel Miró or similar • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel ride, about $15 USD one way. beginning at 7:30am, featuring Spanish and • Hours: 10am-2:30pm & 5pm-8pm, American options. Monday-Friday; 10am-2:30pm, Saturday. • Cost: About $11 USD. Morning: Around 10am, we’ll depart the hotel • Explore the impressive, historical structure by bus for a panoramic city tour. The bus will of Azkuna Center: Countless sculptors, drop us off at Old Town to begin a walking tour. painters and architects devoted their efforts In the company of a local guide, we’ll make to revamping what was formerly an old wine our way through Las Siete Calles (the “Seven merchant building, now referred to as Azkuna Streets”) of Bilbao’s picturesque Old Town, Center. Within its uniquely designed walls, witnessing the 19th-century el Arenal bridge, the Saint Nicholas Church, and the Ribera Market, the largest covered market in Europe. Around 12:45pm, travelers can take a local tram back to the hotel or remain in the market area for lunch on your own.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

38 Lunch: On your own around 1pm. Travelers Morning: Your day is free to continue exploring remaining Ribera Market area may wish to have Bilbao on your own. Consider taking a stroll a quick bite at one of the many food stalls. along the Nervión River, or through the Doña Casilda Park. You might also choose to visit the Afternoon: Free for you to continue getting Fine Arts Museum. acquainted with the Basque capital at your own pace. You’d be remiss not to visit the city’s Or, join us on our Optional Tour of Laguardia. star attraction, the Guggenheim Museum. The We will depart around 9:30am for a drive of building is a shimmering, sculptural icon that about 2 hours through the Spanish countryside. captures the imagination before you even step Around 11am, we’ll arrive at a bodega (winery) foot inside to view its contents—one of the in the Rioja wine region. This area produces world’s premier collections of contemporary some of Spain’s most notable vintages, some of art. The museum and its audacious silhouette which are bottled at wineries feature striking made Gehry a household name and put Bilbao architecture. on the map. Keep in mind that the Guggenheim Around 12:15pm, we’ll depart the bodega, is closed Mondays, so if today falls on a continuing on to Laguardia, arriving around Monday, it can be visited during free time on 12:30pm. Occupied roughly since the Bronze another day. Age, Laguardia became a walled village in the The Guggenheim is not the only museum in 13th century. The four original entrance gates town, of course. Travelers can also discover the still stand, and beneath the old streets runs a elegant Museo de Bellas Artes, which houses network of tunnels carved out in the Middle up to 9,000 pieces from modern masters Ages to help defend the locals in times of siege, like El Greco, Goya, Gauguin, and Picasso, but which became re-purposed as wine cellars as well as works that date as far back as the in later years. To this day, cars cannot be driven twelfth century. within the walled city because the tunnels lessen the weight-bearing ability of the road. Dinner: At a local restaurant around 6:30pm for a Welcome Dinner with regional dishes. Lunch: On your own in Bilbao.

Evening: After dinner, we can take a short walk Travelers on the optional tour will have lunch back to our hotel, or we may wish to work off in a local restaurant around 1:30pm, featuring our sumptuous meal during a longer walk with typical dishes of the Rioja region. our Trip Experience Leader. You could also join Afternoon: Those who chose not to join the the locals at a wine bar for a glass of Rioja red. Optional Tour will have free time to continue exploring on their own. Travelers on our Day 3 Bilbao • Optional Winery & optional tour will depart Laguardia around Laguardia tour 3pm by bus and return to the hotel, arriving • Destination: Bilbao around 5pm. • Included Meals: Breakfast Dinner: On your own to continue sampling the • Accommodations: Hotel Miró or similar region’s rich cuisine, whenever you’d like. Ask Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the your Trip Experience Leader where you can hotel beginning at 7am, featuring hot and sample traditional pintxos tapas. cold dishes.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

39 Evening: Free. Perhaps you will choose to brief video before returning to our bus around drift in and out of tapas bars like a local, or 12:45am for a 45-minute drive to a family-run rest and relax before our explorations begin winery on the Bizcayan coast. again tomorrow. Lunch: Around 1:45pm at the winery. We’ll enjoy traditional cuisine with the family who Day 4 Bilbao • Discover Guernica • Txakoli will share insight into their daily lives and the wine tasting local culture. • Destination: Bilbao Afternoon: At the wine cellar, we’ll learn about • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner txakoli wine. This sparkling dry white was once • Accommodations: Hotel Miró or similar just a homemade favorite. Because its shelf life Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel is short—it has to be poured and enjoyed within beginning at 7am, with Spanish and American a year of its bottling—it was treated more like options available. canning or preserves, an annual ritual as part of the harvest season. It wasn’t until the end of Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll set off to the 20th century that several vineyards sought explore the Basque Coast, beginning with a and won Designation of Origin certification, 45-minute bus journey to Guernica. In 1937, the which boosted txakoli’s name recognition and German Luftwaffe bombed Guernica nonstop introduced it to an enthusiastically receptive for more than three hours, laying waste to wider audience. During our visit, we’ll meet almost all of it—a nightmare immortalized the people who make this Basque favorite at by Picasso in the famous painting that bears the wine cellar, and we’ll have a chance to the town’s name. Upon arrival, we’ll view this sample it for ourselves. What’s more, our small painting, ourselves. Our Trip Experience Leader group size gives us the opportunity to enjoy will share some of the history behind the one-on-one time with these winemakers, mural before we continue on to the Assembly with the chance to take a deeper dive into their House, arriving around 9:45am. Established wine-making process. in 1366, Guernica became the seat of the Basque parliament. For centuries, people We’ll depart the winery around 3:45pm for a gathered to conduct business in the shade of 1-hour journey back to Bilbao. Depending on an oak tree—and later in the 16th-century the traveler interest,we may have an opportunity Assembly House was erected by the tree. The for a short photo stop at a Spanish islet where Assembly House itself was rebuilt in 1833, and Game of Thrones was filmed on our way back to whenever time or disease felled the oak, it was our hotel. Around 7pm, we’ll gather together replaced by one of its own offshoots (which the for a 2-minute walk to a restaurant for our Basque government carefully maintains just for Farewell Dinner. this purpose). Dinner: Around 7:15pm, we’ll celebrate our The Assembly House and the oak tree both Basque discoveries during a Farewell Dinner at miraculously survived the bombings in 1937, a local restaurant. entering the realm of folklore as national symbols. Today, we’ll see both, including the fifth descendant of the original oak. We’ll also walk over to a former bomb shelter to watch a

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

40 Evening: Free to spend your final evening in Day 5 Return to U.S. Bilbao as you’d like. Visit a local pasteleria for a • Included Meals: Breakfast sweet after-dinner snack such as pantxineta,the custard tart that is popular throughout the Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Basque region. beginning at 7am, featuring Spanish and American options.

Morning: Depending on your specific flight arrangements, you’ll board a bus with your luggage sometime this morning and transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Winery & Laguardia tour (Day 3 $85 per person) On this Optional Tour, we discover wine culture old and new, beginning at a bodega (winery) in the Rioja wine region. This area produces some of Spain’s most notable vintages, some of them bottled at wineries that feature striking architecture.

Then, we continue on to Laguardia. Occupied roughly since the Bronze age, Laguardia became a walled village in the 13th century. The four original entrance gates still stand, and beneath the old streets runs a network of tunnels carved out in the Middle Ages to help defend the locals in times of siege, but which became re-purposed as wine cellars in later years. Cars cannot be driven within the walled city because the tunnels lessen the weight-bearing ability of the road. This Optional Tour includes lunch at a local restaurant in Laguardia.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

41 French Impressions: RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH From the Loire Valley CONFIDENCE—NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for to Lyon & Paris any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. See details at www.oattravel.com/riskfree-booking. 2021 Dates & Prices

DEPART FROM A P R I L M A Y - J U L Y A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R O C T O B E R N O V E M B E R

New York $ 5695 $6295 $6495 $6195 $5195 $4695

Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Newark, Portland, $ 5795 $ 6395 $ 6595 $ 6295 $ 5295 $ 4795 Washington, DC

Atlanta, Los Angeles, Orlando, $ 5895 $ 6495 $ 6695 $ 6395 $ 5395 $ 4895 Philadelphia, Seattle

Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, $ 5995 $6595 $6795 $6495 $5495 $4995 San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

MAY 4-11; MAY 14-28; A P R I L AUGUST JUNE; JULY SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Without international airfare $4695 $5295 $5095 $5195 $4195 $3795

FRA2021

Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/fra2021 pricing

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL OUR GOOD BUY PLAN We offer FREE Single Supplements on all New travelers you refer will instantly save The earlier you reserve your departure of our adventures and pre- and post-trip $100, and you’ll earn increasing rewards— and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up extensions. up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd available—call today to reserve.

Publication Date 12/16/20

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/fra2021

42 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this vacation.

• Main trip: You’ll need 2 blank passport pages.

• Pre- and/or post-extensions: No additional blank pages needed beyond the 2 for the main trip.

No Visas Required Travelers with a U.S. passport do not need any visas for this adventure, including the optional trip extensions.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

43 Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

44 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

PACING • 5 locations in 16 days

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids

• You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 2-3 hours of physical activities each day

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

CLIMATE • Daytime temperatures range from 40-75°F in northern France and 50-90°F in the south

• July-August are the warmest months

• March and November weather can be unpredictable and change quickly

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Unpaved roads, hilly terrain, and uneven walking surfaces, including slippery cobblestones, stairs, and sand

• Travel by 49-passenger coach, raft, and high-speed train

FLIGHT INFORMATION • Travel time will be 10-15 hours and may involve one connection

ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • We spend 15 nights in hotels, all of which feature private baths

Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

• Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

45 • Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

46 • Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water • The tap water on this trip is safe to drink. We suggest packing a refillable water bottle for this purpose.

• If you prefer bottled water—or if you know your stomach is particularly sensitive to changes in diet/water—you can buy it at grocery stores, cafes, roadside stands, and restaurants.

• Note that if you order water in a restaurant, you will probably get bottled water as a matter of course. This is common throughout Europe. If you want tap water, you should specify.

Food • France and Spain have high food safety standards, meaning it is OK to eat almost anywhere, even from market stalls.The water is safe, so ice, fruits, and salads are OK too.

• That said, use the same commonsense rules that you would in the U.S.—if an establishment looks unclean, or if the food seems to have sat out for too long, avoid it. Also note that there are a few French specialties that are traditionally served raw (oysters; steak tartare), which have a slightly higher risk of causing an upset stomach.

• Your Trip Experience Leader can suggest restaurants for the meal you take on your own.

47 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card. Traveler’s checks are not recommended.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need euros instead.

• The easiest way to get euros on the trip is to use a local ATM. Or if you want to arrive with some cash in hand—which can be useful if you arrive on a Sunday or during a bank holiday—then you can change a small amount through your own bank before you leave.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Euro Countries The euro is the official currency in many member countries of the European Union. Unless otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way to obtain local currency is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You may be able to exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices, however they do not typically offer good exchange rates and can be difficult to find. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

48 ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

France: ATMs can be found throughout large cities and small towns in France.

Spain: ATMs are widely available throughout Spain, especially in larger cities and towns.

Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

France: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in France. For small purchases or markets, you may need cash instead.

Spain: Visa and MasterCard credit cards are fairly common in Spain, but may not be accepted for small purchases or in the markets.

Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing.

This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN.

49 Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

• O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $8-$12 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Housekeeping staff at hotels: $1-2 per room, per night

• Included in Your Trip Price: Gratuities are included for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters on your main trip, extensions, and all optional tours.

Please Note: Tips can be converted and paid in local currency (this is usually preferred). But for your convenience, our staff also accept tips in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips.

Time at Leisure

When you are exploring on your own, it’s useful to know when to tip and how much, because local customs often differ from the U.S. Here are a few helpful guidelines for the most common services a traveler might use:

• Taxis: Tipping is not customary, but many locals will round up the fare and let the driver keep the change. If the driver helps you with heavy luggage, then 10% is a nice gesture.

• Restaurants, cafes, and bars: The tip for the waiter or bartender is usually included in the prices or added on as a service fee. Look for a statement on the menu like service compris which means “service is included”, or for a service charge on the bill. If you would like to leave a tip on top of the service fee (or in the rare case when the service is not included) then 10% would be considered generous.

50 • Public Restrooms: Most public restrooms in Europe have attendants that clean and stock the supplies. It is customary to leave a small tip for them—half a euro—so hold on to those coins! Some restrooms are pay-toilets; you pay the staff at the entrance or drop the appropriate coin into the slot on the stall door. Many restaurants, cafes, and shops offer pay-toilets only or reserve their restrooms for patrons only.

51 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

52 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

Communications

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.).

One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

Internet WiFi is readily available in some restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Some businesses will offer free WiFi, and some will charge for the service; charges vary. Cafes and chain restaurants are good places to look for free WiFi, although it is expected that you’ll buy a drink while you’re in the café. Many hotels will also have a computer in the lobby or in the business center that travelers can use; there may or may not be a fee.

53 How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

France: +33 Spain: +34

54 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person.

Weight restrictions Varies by international airline. The current industry standard is 50 lbs for checked luggage and 15 lbs for carry-ons.

Size Restrictions Standard airline size: checked luggage should not exceed 62 linear inches (length+ width + depth) and carry-on should not exceed 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type Duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Please do not bring a hard-sided (clamshell) suitcase.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

• It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

55 Your Luggage

Checked Luggage One duffel bag or suitcase. Look for one with heavy fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper.

Carry-on Bag You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

Locks For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft- prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions

Functional Tips • As you will experience a range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest that you pack at least a few layers. For example, you’ll want good-quality rain gear and a jacket/ sweater year-round. (Even in summer, the evenings in northern France can be cool or the AC might be on high.) In fall and winter, you’ll need a warm coat, hat, gloves, and a scarf.

• You can often buy clothing designed especially for travel, which may save space in your luggage. For example, clothing in quick-dry fabric that you can wash by hand and re-wear.

• You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip, and walking over some rough and slippery surfaces. The soles of your shoes should offer good traction.

Style Hints & Dress Codes • Dress on our trip is functional and casual. The locals is France and Spain usually go for a “smart casual” look. Even in the fanciest hotels and restaurants men don’t need a jacket and tie—though you won’t feel out of place wearing them.

• Shorts are fine for sightseeing except in some religious buildings, where men and women may be expected to have legs and arms covered.

Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

56 And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts in a breathable fabric, like cotton or cotton-blend. Polo shirts are more versatile than T-shirts.

‰Bottoms: Trousers and/or jeans. Skirts or dresses are also an option. ‰Shoes and socks: We recommend you wear sturdy walking shoes or supportive sports shoes with good traction.

‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Wide-brim sun hat or visor for sun protection ‰Sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket (even in the summer as the AC can be cold) ‰Underwear and sleepwear

Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For late spring or summer departures: ‰Swimsuit, in case your hotel has a pool ‰Shorts are fine in the summer, although they may not be allowed in some religious buildings

For fall and winter departures: ‰A coat and sweaters or sweatshirts to layer

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc. Our hotels will provide the basics like soap and shampoo, but if you are sensitive to fragrances or new products, you may wish to bring your preferred brands. Most hotels do not provide a washcloth, so you may wish to pack one.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses; sunglasses ‰Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger ‰Light folding umbrella

57 ‰Pocket-size tissues ‰Moist towelettes and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser ‰Electrical plug adapters ‰Camera gear with extra batteries or battery charger

Medicines & First Aid Gear ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Travel first aid kit: Band-Aids, headache and pain relief, laxatives and anti-diarrhea tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, antibiotic cream, or allergy medication.

‰Optional: An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

Optional Gear ‰Hand-wash laundry soap and maybe plastic hang-up clothespins ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad and pens ‰Addresses for postcards ‰Photos or postcards from home, small gift for Home-Hosted Visit ‰Phrase book ‰Folding walking staff, sold in most camping stores ‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates

Home-Hosted Visits Many of our adventures feature a visit with a local family, often as part of the A Day in the Life experience. It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the

58 local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim communities because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all O.A.T. adventures include a Home-Hosted Visit; please check your final itinerary before you depart.

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

Voltage Electricity in France and Spain is 230 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Even though you’ll only need types C, F, and E for this trip, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/ converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Note that a C plug will fit in an F socket, so only one type of adapter is needed.

France: C

59 Spain: C and/or F

Type C Type F

Availability Barring the occasional and unpredictable power outage, electricity is as readily available on this adventure as it is in the U.S.

60 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Angers, France (Loire Valley): The Loire River acts like a boundary separating France’s northern and southern climates. Both the river and the Atlantic Ocean have a significant effect on Angers, creating a climate that is mild but rainy all year. (In fact rainfall is so common here that you should expect at least a few gray skies during your trip.) Snow and frosts can occur, but usually are limited to a handful of days throughout the entire winter. Summer temperatures are generally in the 70s or 80s, but can spike up into the 90s during heat waves. Spring and fall are nice during the day, with high temperatures in the mid-50s to mid-60s range, but can drop to 40 degrees or lower at night.

Sarlat-la-Canéda, France (Dordogne): Sarlat enjoys a temperate climate similar to Norfolk, Virginia or southern Oregon. July and August are hot, with highs in the 80s (or even hotter); December, January, and February are cold, especially at night when it can be below freezing. The rest of the year temperatures stay in the 50s to mid-70s range. While rainfall can happen at any time of year, sunshine is far more common than rainy days.

Carcassonne, France (Southwest): Southern France’s climate is similar to Spain’s northern coast. It has an oceanic-maritime climate, with temperate weather year-round and rare major temperature fluctuations or extremes. The warmer months tend to be in July and August. The cooler months tend to be in December, January, and February.

Lyon, France (Rhone region): Lyon as a moderate climate, with at least a few rainy days every month. Spring temperatures are usually in the 40s to 60s range, although nights can be chilly in April. Summer usually brings highs in the 80s, with occasional heat waves getting up into the 100s. The days start to cool off in September and October, and can start to dip below the 40s in late November. Winter usually doesn’t bring much snow—only 3 or 4 days a month, with little accumulation—but temperatures do get below freezing, especially at night.

Paris, France: The City of Light has about the same weather as our Middle Atlantic States, though it’s usually not warmer than 75° F, or colder than 30° F. The main characteristic of the city’s weather is its changeability. Bright skies can abruptly turn cloudy and a chilly drizzle ensue; then just as quickly as the rain begins it will end.

Another volatile aspect of Parisian weather is the blasts of rapidly moving air—probably the result of a wind tunnel effect caused by the city’s long boulevards being bordered by buildings of uniform height. But other than the occasional winds and rain (which add an undeniable drama to many of the city’s panoramas), Paris offers among the most pleasant weather conditions of any capital in Europe, with a highly tolerable average temperature of 53°.

The early spring can still be on the cool side, but later on in the season, temperatures are usually comfortable, often reaching into the low 60s. Summers are rarely overly warm—the upper 70s is the norm—though a spell of hot weather in the 90s can settle in for a few days, or even a week or two in July and August. Early autumn is slightly cooler, with temperatures edging toward the 50s. By November, it may dip into the 40s. Rain is a common occurrence year-round.

61 Bilbao, Spain: Along Spain’s northern coast, there is an oceanic-maritime climate, with temperate weather year-round and rare major temperature fluctuations or extremes. Spring has average temperatures of 57°F in February, and 61°F in March. Spring, however, can be rainy.

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH ANGERS, FRANCE SARLAT-LA-CANEDA, FRANCE

Temp. High- Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (avg) with Rainfall JAN 45 to 38 -- 25 49 to 36 -- 10 FEB 54 to 41 -- 13 52 to 36 -- 8 MAR 56 to 42 -- 21 59 to 40 -- 9 APR 60 to 43 -- 21 64 to 43 -- 10 MAY 68 to 49 -- 14 71 to 50 -- 10 JUN 73 to 57 -- 11 77 to 55 -- 5 JUL 79 to 61 -- 8 82 to 58 -- 5 AUG 78 to 58 -- 8 82 to 58 -- 6 SEP 74 to 53 -- 2 76 to 53 -- 7 OCT 66 to 49 -- 12 67 to 49 -- 9 NOV 54 to 44 -- 19 55 to 41 -- 9 DEC 51 to 45 -- 22 50 to 37 -- 9

62 MONTH CARCASSONNE, FRANCE LYON, FRANCE

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (avg) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 50 to 38 85 2.7 42 to 33 88 to 76 10 FEB 52 to 38 80 2.1 46 to 34 88 to 69 8 MAR 58 to 42 75 2.1 53 to 38 86 to 58 10 APR 63 to 46 75 2.9 58 to 42 84 to 55 12 MAY 70 to 53 75 2.2 67 to 50 85 to 56 10 JUN 78 to 59 70 1.8 73 to 57 83 to 54 9 JUL 84 to 63 65 1.1 80 to 61 81 to 47 7 AUG 83 to 63 65 1.7 79 to 60 85 to 50 8 SEP 76 to 57 75 1.7 72 to 54 90 to 56 8 OCT 67 to 52 85 2.3 61 to 47 91 to 68 11 NOV 56 to 44 85 2.3 50 to 39 90 to 75 12 DEC 50 to 39 85 2.5 44 to 35 88 to 78 11

MONTH PARIS, FRANCE HONFLEUR, FRANCE

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High- Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 45 to 37 89 to 79 20 45 to 40 -- 27 FEB 47 to 37 87 to 71 16 53 to 42 -- 12 MAR 54 to 42 87 to 65 18 54 to 44 -- 25 APR 60 to 45 86 to 58 17 58 to 44 -- 18 MAY 67 to 52 86 to 57 16 62 to 51 -- 9 JUN 73 to 57 86 to 58 17 66 to 56 -- 10 JUL 77 to 60 85 to 54 13 72 to 61 -- 16 AUG 77 to 60 87 to 51 12 70 to 60 -- 10 SEP 70 to 55 91 to 59 14 67 to 55 -- 10 OCT 61 to 49 92 to 69 17 63 to 51 -- 16 NOV 51 to 42 91 to 76 17 52 to 44 -- 18 DEC 46 to 38 89 to 81 19 50 to 45 -- 24

63 MONTH BILBAO, SPAIN

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 56 to 41 80 to 63 5.0 FEB 58 to 41 79 to 58 3.8 MAR 61 to 42 83 to 58 3.7 APR 62 to 45 84 to 61 4.9 MAY 68 to 50 86 to 61 3.5 JUN 73 to 55 89 to 62 2.5 JUL 77 to 59 90 to 60 2.4 AUG 78 to 59 92 to 61 3.2 SEP 76 to 56 88 to 59 2.9 OCT 69 to 51 83 to 60 4.8 NOV 62 to 46 81 to 62 5.5 DEC 57 to 43 79 to 63 4.6

64 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

French Culture It would be hard to find someone who was not familiar with at least some aspects of French culture. Few nations have surpassed France’s legacy when it comes to exporting art, literature, fashion, cuisine, film, and entire schools of intellectual thought. But that doesn’t mean that French culture has not been misunderstood.

For example, the French are justly proud of their cultural heritage, and that pride is often embodied in the nation’s unofficial symbol, the Gallic rooster. But the flip side of Gallic pride is the stereotype of French snobbery. The French very much believe in their national motto of Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity). But in their daily interactions, the French are rather formal with people outside their social circle, and they follow a strict set of manners to avoid social missteps (faux pas). That mannerly approach, combined with the extreme directness of their language, makes many visitors jump to the conclusion that the French are cold or arrogant. Au contraire, when you get to know a French person, that sense of decorum generally takes a back seat to affectionate and loyal friendships.

When you get to that stage, you’ll have to master the art of the French air kiss or faire la bise. This is how French people greet acquaintances, by leaning in and gently brushing their right, then left cheeks together while making a subtle kissing sound with their lips. If someone wishes you hello or goodbye with la bise, consider it a compliment!

Most people in France share a strong appreciation for the arts and intellectual discourse. A lot of that is going on whenever you walk into a café, where people will be engaged in lively conversations for what seems like hours. There’s an historical precedent for this, for during the 18th century, France was the epicenter of the Enlightenment. It was an era that gave us radical new philosophies, science and art based on the sovereignty of reason, and empiricism. The French openness to new ideas is evident in their embrace of innovative artistry— from the Impressionists to Dadaism to Abstract Expressionism and beyond. The French brothers Louis and Auguste Lumière are generally considered the inventors of modern cinema, and their legacy has been expanded by a host of acclaimed filmmakers from Abel Gance to Jean Renoir to Jean-Luc Godard to Francois Truffaut and too many others to list.

65 When it comes to gastronomy, it goes without saying that the French have elevated their cuisine to an art form. The French have always considered dining as something worthy of one’s time as opposed to being a necessity or even a sinful indulgence. They appreciate every morsel of their meal on a sensory level, for the technique of the chef, and for what that dish may represent in terms of national, regional or just family history. They are particular about all these things, and especially, about the freshness and quality of ingredients. But because they also see chefs as artists, they delight in innovative culinary interpretations of classic dishes. So when you sit down to dine in France, you are not just consuming a meal, you are tapping into the French spirit.

Religion and Religious Observance It is estimated that 63–66% of French people identify as Catholics, with another 7–9% identifying as Muslims. The second largest group are those who claim to be unaffiliated with any religion (23–28%), followed by small numbers of Jews, Buddhists, and others. That does not mean that religion has not impacted everyday customs. For example, people do have church weddings, baptisms and religious funeral rites. But most French people consider belief to be a private matter, and do not attend church regularly.

All these figures are estimates because the government has not officially collected any data on religious preferences since 1972. This all has to do with a very important aspect of French culture called laïcité. You could translate it as secularism, but it goes deeper than that. Laïcité is the complete separation of religious spheres from public spheres. Its underlying aim is to ensure religious freedom for all, and it is constitutionally enshrined. But laïcité is not without controversy. The concept has come under fire as France has become less homogeneously Christian. Some critics say it actually impedes religious freedom, and they cite the 2004 ban that made it illegal to display conspicuous religious symbols in public schools or civil workplaces. In addition to banning the wearing of crucifixes, the ruling forbade the wearing of the hijab, the traditional head covering worn by observant Muslim women.

Language The official language spoken throughout France is French. Even in places where people occasionally speak a regional dialect, all official communications are in French. The most widely spoken regional languages in France are the German dialects along the border (such as Alsacien); Megreb (an Arabic-French mix from North Africa); and Occitan, a Gallo-Romance language spoken in some southern areas such as Languedoc, Gascony, and parts of Provence. In Normandy, the Norman language is sometimes used, as are Basque and Catalan in some parts of France that border the Pyrenees. Though some regional words have filtered into common usage, the vast majority of people speak French as a first language.

English is the most common foreign language, spoken by more than 39% of people. You may have heard the stereotype that the French will refuse to speak English with you, even if they understand it. This is not true. However, it is true that the French are very proud of their language (it was once the language of international diplomacy) and they are mindful about preserving it. So if you make even the slightest effort to speak a few words in French, your hosts will be very appreciative.

66 Beyond the basic French you may have learned in school, there are many colorful contemporary idioms. You may be interested to know about verlan. It’s a popular French linguistic trend that creates slang words by spelling them (loosely) backwards. It’s been popular with young people for some time, but now even their parents are catching on and many verlan words have been entered into the dictionary. So in verlan, fou (crazy) becomes ouf. Louche (strange or shady) becomes chelou. Another very common verlan term is vénère. It comes from the word énervé, which means “annoyed” or “irritated.”

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Consent is especially important if you want to take a photo of a child or minor—ask their parent for permission first. To get a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit of social interaction to put them at ease. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK.

Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

Hotel Courtesy in Spain Like in many other European nations, manners are more formal in Spain than the U.S. Hotel staff will likely address you as “señor” or “señora” and may be caught off guard if you ask a question without greeting them with a quick “hello” or “good day” first. Local staff (and other visiting Europeans) will generally make an effort to be quiet in hallways and common rooms, which are normally used for reading, relaxing, or quiet conversation. For this reason, eating and drinking in any common rooms other than the bar or restaurant is frowned on. If you have any laundry to dry, please keep it inside your room (and not on the balcony).

67 Bullfighting Season The season starts the end of March and lasts through October. Ticket prices vary according to the seat’s location: near or farther back from the ring, and in the shade or sun. Good seats in the shade run about $50. You do not need to make reservations in advance, unless the bullfighter of the day is famous.

Getting Around in Spain Taxi: Taxis are widely available in the area.

Bus: Generally less expensive than both taxi and train travel, bus travel in Spain has increased in recent years.

Trains: Spain has an extensive railway network linking all major towns and cities, and rail travel in Spain is generally comfortable, reliable and often cheaper than many other European countries. Trains are modern and many are high-speed.

French Cuisine It would be an understatement to say the French have an appreciation for fine food. They have a reverence for it, and it shows in the quality of French cuisine, which was designated by UNESCO as part of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. You certainly don’t need to dine at a Michelin- starred restaurant to experience the best of French cuisine. A visit to just about any local marché (open-air market), pâtisserie (pastry shop), boulangerie (bakery), café, bistro, or brasserie may well be as memorable an outing as visiting the famed monuments and museums.

Classical French dishes formed the basis of what we once called haute cuisine. But some of these dishes were regional in origin. Fortunately, because there is such widespread regard for gastronomy, regional dishes may appear on menus far from home, especially in large cities.

Few dishes are more universally loved than French onion soup (soupe á l’oignon), a sweet and savory broth of caramelized onions, beef stock, and sherry with a crust of grilled Comté or Gruyère cheese. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, workers at Paris’ famous outdoor food market, Les Halles, would often huddle around steaming cauldrons of onion soup. But then some local restaurateurs added the gratinée of bubbling cheese atop a crouton, and a classic was born.

Coq au vin is a specialty of Burgundy, made with chicken braised with red Burgundy wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic. But there are also delicious regional variations such as coq au Riesling or coq au Champagne. Another Burgundian classic is boeuf bourguignon, mixing succulent beef with red wine, onions, mushrooms, and lardons. In Bordeaux a traditional beef dish is entrecôte á la Bordelaise, a rib eye steak cooked in a red wine sauce with bone marrow.

Charles de Gaulle once quipped “How can you govern a nation that has 246 varieties of cheese?” It was an understatement. There are actually more than 1,000. Try some salty Roquefort, a mild Comté, a pungent raclette (melted cheese dish), a nutty Emmental, or a rich, triple creme

68 Brillat-Savarin with a vein of black truffle through the middle. Some of France’s best cheese comes from dairy-rich Normandy, the home of Camembert, Livarot, Neufchâtel, and Morbier. They all pair famously with other Norman specialties such as cider and calvados, a delicious apple brandy.

While Paris may be a moveable feast, the capital of French gastronomy is Lyon, thanks to its central location amidst some of France’s richest agricultural regions. Try the classic fonds d’artichauts aux foie gras, made by melting foie gras over crisp artichoke hearts. Quenelles are football-shaped dumplings made with pike, served with tomato sauce, béchamel, or the famous Nantua sauce made with crayfish, carrots, celery and cognac. In the Loire Valley, sample Anjou pears, all kinds of freshwater fish, or fouaces—puffy turnovers stuffed with different fillings such as rillettes (a pork paté) or goat’s cheese.

In the south, Provencal cooking relies on intensely flavored, sun-ripened vegetables, fresh seafood, olive oil and herbs. For a starter, try tapenade, a paste of olives, garlic, capers and lemon served with toast points. Pissaladière is a flatbread topped with caramelized onions, garlic, and anchovies. Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup made from fish and shellfish cooked in a broth of onions, tomatoes, saffron, and herbs. For the main course, try cassoulet, a stew of white beans, pork, duck confit, and bacon.

In the French Basque country, try the prized jambon de Bayonne ham; or marmitako, a stew of tuna, potatoes, onions peppers, and tomatoes. For dessert, there’s gâteau Basque, a shortbread filled with either black cherry jam, or an almond or vanilla cream. The icing on the cake is not icing at all, but the fact that no matter what you eat in France, there will be an exquisite wine to pair with it. Bon appetit!

Alsace is where French joie de vivre meets Germany’s cozy gemutlichkeit, and both of these traits are reflected in the Alsatian cuisine that awaits you. Farm-to-table fare was a tradition here long before its current vogue. Look for seasonal, locally grown produce (such as the famous white asparagus, a springtime favorite), farm-raised animals, and wild fish and game.

The signature dish of Alsace is choucroute garni, which means “garnished sour cabbage” but is much more. Here, silvery strands of sauerkraut are braised with herbs and caramelized onions in Riesling. The “garnishes” are cuts of bacon, sausage, and smoked pork. Baeckeoffe is a hearty casserole named for the Alsatian term for “baker’s oven.” Housewives would gather meat and vegetable scraps in an earthenware dish, and bring it to the local baker, who’d seal the lid with a strip of dough and leave it in his oven to be collected the next day. Today, it’s made at home but with the same pork, beef, lamb, and potatoes, simmered for hours in white wine.

Another iconic dish is flammekueche (or in French, tarte flambée), a chewy flatbread smothered with fromage blanc (a tangy fresh cheese), crème fraîche or sour cream, slivered onions, and crispy lardons of bacon. (It is also popular in Germany’s Baden and Palatinate regions.) Once upon a time flammekueche was considered peasant fare. Today it is as ubiquitous as pizza, but it may also grace upscale menus, perhaps topped with shrimp, scallops, lobster, duck, or that Alsatian specialty, foie gras.

69 Coq au Riesling is an intensely flavorful dish of chicken braised in white Riesling wine, accented with lardons of bacon and button mushrooms, and enriched with a silky touch of crème fraîche. Coq au Riesling is typically served with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

Alsatians love cheese and the local favorite may be munster, a small, creamy cheese made with unpasteurized milk, often dusted with cumin. Also popular is bibeleskaes, a cream cheese seasoned with garlic, onion, parsley, and sometimes, bacon. Smear some of this on a fresh-baked bretzel, a chewy Alsatian pretzel. You’ll find them in bakeries, bars and special bretzelleries. They come salted or unsalted, immersed in emmental or munster cheese, flecked with bacon, drizzled with chocolate, or wrapped around a steamy, snappy knack sausage, so-named for the sound it makes when you bite into it. But it can also be enjoyed with a simple dusting of sugar.

More sugary treats will tempt you in Alsace’s many patisseries. When you are done sampling the beautiful éclairs, tartes, and madeleines, upgrade to the king of Alsatian desserts: kougelhopf. This moist cake is made from a brioche-type dough with dried fruits and nuts, and is baked in a special round fluted pan. If you visit around Christmas, you’ll find plenty of bredele, small cakes baked in many shapes and flavors such as anise, lemon, and ginger.

You will have plenty to toast during your journey. Of course you will want to raise a glass of dry Riesling or other white wine. But Alsace is also the main beer-producing region of France, thanks to Strasbourg’s many breweries. Or for something different, try kirsch, an eau-de-vie made from elderberries, cherries, strawberries, or whatever fruit is locally available.

Spanish Cuisine The 21st century’s culinary firmament is lit by a galaxy of superstar chefs from Spain. Among them are the legendary Ferran Adría (whose former restaurant, El Bulli, launched the “molecular gastronomy” trend), Carme Ruscalleda (the only female chef to be awarded five Michelin stars), octogenarian Juan Mari Arzak (the father of the “New Basque” cuisine), and Jose Andrés, (credited with bringing small plate dining to America). Even if you do not dine in one of their restaurants, they have influenced Spanish chefs in even the humblest establishments, where you might find traditional classics like these:

All over Spain, people head to local bars after work for drinks and bite-sized appetizers called tapas, or sometimes, pinchos, a reference to the toothpick that you use to spear it. These bar snacks come in endless varieties, such as patatas bravas (deep-fried potatoes), jeta (roasted, bite-sized pork cheeks served with red peppers and potatoes), gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic and chilies), and savory albondigas, meatballs of pork and beef. They could also be as simple as a plate of olives and some cubes of manchego cheese. Follow with a sip of wine or fino or manzanilla sherry.

Many of Spain’s most popular dishes originated in a specific region, but are widely available. One such is paella, originally from Valencia. Cooked in a wide pan, it is based on saffron-scented rice layered with vegetables and protein: The original used chicken and rabbit, but today you’re more likely to find seafood paella, with plenty of shrimp, langoustines, and mussels. Another popular seafood dish is pulpo a la Gallega. It is traditional to Galicia, and features boiled octopus with sea salt, paprika, and olive oil.

70 Gazpacho is a chilled soup that hails from Andalusia. There are many versions of it, but the traditional recipe calls for cucumber, onion, garlic, pepper, and tomato with salt, olive oil, wine vinegar, and water. A tortilla Espanola is nothing like its Mexican counterpart. It is an omelet starring pre-fried potatoes and eggs, onions, and seasonings

Many bars and restaurants will have hams hanging from the rafters. The best Spanish ham is dry-cured jamón Iberico, made from Iberian black-hoofed pigs raised entirely on acorns. A close second is jamón Serrano, made from white-hoofed pigs. They’ll be presented on a special stand (so you can see the telltale hoof), then deftly carved into wafer-thin slices. The carving is an art, and apprentices may take five years to learn it. Needless to say, the Spanish take their ham seriously.

The Basque region is a standout in a country of culinary superlatives. The city of San Sebastian is one of the world’s great food meccas, and even outside its Michelin star heavy hitters, the average restaurant will blow you away. Basque country is famous for pintxos, which are their version of tapas (but should never called as such!). One specialty is bacalao pil-pil: cod fried with garlic, olive oil, and chili. Txangurro is a baked spider crab stuffed with onions, tomatoes, leeks, brandy, and parsley, topped with bread crumbs. For dessert, try pastel Vasco, a slice of vanilla custard cream heaven with a crunchy crust.

Remember that mealtimes in Spain are later than what you may used to. Breakfast (desayuno) is a light affair of coffee, pastry, and maybe a piece of fruit. Around 10 or 11 am, you can have almuerzo, a mid-morning snack. Places may close after this until lunch (la comida), which is the main meal of the day, a three-course affair eaten between 2 pm and 4 pm. If you’re feeling peckish around 4 pm, the merienda is a traditional time for coffee and cake. But save room for tapas, which usually start around 8 pm. With all that food, no wonder dinner (la cena) is rarely eaten before 9 or 10 pm.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

71 Crafts & Souvenirs

France Perfumes, fashion, jewelry, art, glass, china, and wine—these are just a few of the many goods for which France is famous. Each region has its own specialties, but you can often then for sale in other parts of the country. If time is short, try checking out a big department store, like Galeries Lafayette or Printemps. Or look for the Prisunic and Monoprix chains, which have lower prices and are more for everyday shopping (sort of like the French version of Target).

• Paris: Fashion, art, antiques, perfume, food and wine—really, you can buy just about anything in Paris.

• Normandy: Look for salted caramels, rich cheeses, apple pastries, hard cider, and calvados apple brandy. Items with images of the Bayeux Tapestry are popular, as are anything with Joan of Arc (who spent her last days in Rouen). Lastly, World War II and D-Day are remembered in books, images, slogans, and more throughout the region.

• Provence: Typical products include fragrant lavender sachets and beauty products, olive oil, tapenade spread, rosé wines, and herbes de provence. The region is also known for its rustic pottery and anything with cicadas, as they are the unofficial mascot of Provence. And don’t forget the table linens and handbags in brightly-colored fabrics known as indienne patterns—the most sought-after (and expensive) are by Souleiado.

• The Rivera: Designer names dominate the French Riviera, but there are also plenty of local products too, especially at the colorful open-air markets.

• Bordeaux and the Southwest: The Bordeaux region is so famous for its wines that they are known all over the world just by the name of the region. In addition to wine, France’s southwest is also known for its fine foods, like foie gras, Toulouse sausages, and croquants (similar to biscotti). Lastly, Occitan crosses (also called Languedoc crosses) are symbolic of the region, as are items with artwork by Impressionist painter Toulouse-Lautrec.

Value-Added Tax: The French value-added tax (VAT) is typically 19.6% and can be as high as 33.33% on luxury articles. Depending on how much you spend on certain goods, you may be eligible for a partial refund of this tax. Ask the shopkeeper or salesperson at the time of purchase. Be sure to save all receipts for Customs. (Generally, you have to spend over 175€ at the same shop, on the same day, and have filled out a special form for this process.) Note that our ships do not have VAT forms.

Spain Leather goods, from supple suede gloves and elegant calf handbags to wineskins that require careful curing (botas), are excellent purchases. Other good buys are shoes, from classical calf pumps to provincial cloth espadrilles; porcelain by Lladro and pottery by regional craftsmen; and wool rugs made by tapestry makers or simple cotton-rag throws.

72 Siesta: Throughout Spain, most stores and offices close between 1:30 pm and 5 pm. Then they reopen until 7:30 pm (many close even later). Restaurants generally remain open during siesta. In the larger cities you may find that big department stores will stay open from 10am – 10pm.

Value Added Tax: Known in Spain as the IVA, Value Added Tax is levied on most articles, services, and meals. The IVA ranges from 7% to 21% (luxury items, cars). Depending on how much you spend on certain goods, you may be eligible for a partial refund of this tax. Ask the shopkeeper or salesperson about the VAT at time of purchase. Be sure to save all receipts and forms for Customs.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

73 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

France

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 248,573 square miles

• Capital: Paris

• Language: French

• Location: France is a large country, two and a half times as big as Great Britain, extending for some 600 miles from north to south and from east to west. It has coastlines on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its southern land border is Spain; to the north are Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany; to the east are Switzerland and Italy.

• Geography: Except for extreme northern France, which is part of the Flanders plain, the country may be described as four river basins and a plateau. Three of the streams flow west—the Seine into the English Channel, the Loire into the Atlantic, and the Garonne into the Bay of Biscay. The Rhône flows south into the Mediterranean. For about 100 miles, the Rhine is France’s eastern border. In the Alps, near the Italian and Swiss borders, is Europe’s highest point—Mont Blanc, at 15,781 feet.

• Population: 66,836,154

• Religion: Roman Catholic 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Jewish .5-.75%, Buddhist .5-.75%, other .5-1.0%, none 23-28%

• Time Zone: France is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Paris. Daylight Saving Time begins the last weekend in March and ends the last weekend in October.

74 National Holidays: France

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/08 World War II Victory Day France celebrates a number of national 07/14 Bastille Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Whit Monday. To find out if you 08/15 Assumption of Mary will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 New Year´s Day 11/11 Armistice Day

05/01 Labor Day 12/25 Christmas Day

France: A Brief History That the French do things with flair has been borne out by history. Even their most famous prehistoric treasure, the 17,000-year old cave paintings of Lascaux, are a dazzling work of art. The rest of French history is just as dazzling, colored by events and ideas that have impacted all of humanity, far beyond the borders of this hexagon-shaped crucible of culture.

When the Celts arrived in Gaul in the 5th century BC, it was already occupied by Iberians, Ligurians, and Greeks, who established the oldest city in France, Massilia (Marseille). It was a major port with temples, theaters, an agora, and a flourishing wine trade. The city had forged an alliance with Rome by the time Julius Caesar conquered Gaul in 57-52 B.C. Julius often gets credit for founding Lutetia (Paris), but the Gallic Parisii tribe had already established a settlement there on the banks of the Seine. The Romans erected their own magnificent cities whose ruins still stand in Arles, Nimes, Vienne, Lyon, and beyond.

During the 5th century AD, the Franks invaded and converted to Christianity under Clovis I. A national spirit emerged when Charlemagne, King of the Franks, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. Though his reign left an indelible imprint, French national history is considered to begin in 987, when Hugh Capet centralized the monarchy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, trade prospered, guilds were founded, and cathedrals were built. But the 14th century brought the Hundred Years War with England (1337-1453), whose Norman kings held vast estates in France. The English were expelled and as in the days of Charlemagne, the throne held a powerful mystique, this time with the aid of Joan of Arc, whose divine voices urged her to lead France to victory at Orleans in 1429 and to champion Charles VII as king.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, France moved closer towards absolute monarchy, best exemplified by Louis XIV, whose reign was unequaled for its autocracy—and magnificent style. From Versailles, he presided over a gloriously gilded France—so resplendent that it earned him the title of “the Sun King.” Ironically, the very splendor of the French monarchy precipitated its downfall, for it was exorbitant to maintain. That burden fell to the peasants and middle class, as nobles and the clergy were exempt from the taxes. That ended with the French Revolution in 1789. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined, the monarchy was abolished, and the new (but short-lived) First Republic was established.

75 The ensuing chaos led to the rise of Napoleon, who became emperor in 1804 and built an empire across nearly all of Europe. Though Napoleon was a dictator, his Napoleonic codes brought unprecedented legal rights and civil liberties to his domains, in many places ending feudalism. With his fall in 1814, the monarchy was restored. France’s Third Republic was founded in 1870, during which the groundbreaking Impressionist school of painting emerged, as well as the Modernist movement. From 1914-18, France fought with the Allies in World War I, prevailing but suffering devastating losses. Between wars, France nourished major intellectual movements: Constructivism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Existentialism.

In 1940, France was invaded by Germany who set up a puppet government in Vichy under Marshal Philippe Petain. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy and went on to liberate Paris in August. A provisional government was set up under General Charles de Gaulle. He remained France’s most influential statesman of the 20th (or perhaps any other) century, becoming president in 1958 until his resignation in 1969. Post-war France saw the break-up of its remaining colonial outposts. The country was one of the leaders in the founding of the European Union (1993) and the Eurozone (1999).

More recently France, like its European neighbors, had to contend with the fallout of the 2008 global economic crisis. Unemployment, immigration, structuring the post-Brexit EU, and climate change are some of the issues France must address with its historic resourcefulness—and characteristic flair.

Spain

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: The mainland occupies approximately 195,364.5 square miles. Off Spain’s east coast in the Mediterranean are the Balearic Islands (1,936 square miles), the largest of which is Majorca. Sixty miles west of Africa are the Canary Islands (2,808 square miles).

• Capital: Madrid

• Languages: Spanish, Basque, Catalan, and Galician. In resort areas, many people also speak English, French, and German.

• Geography: Spain’s topography consists of a broad central plateau that slopes to the south and east, crossed by a series of mountain ranges and river valleys. It is a land of both towering peaks and endless beaches, as well as fertile landscapes and high, dry plains. Principal rivers are the Ebro in the northeast, the Tajo in the central region, and the Guadalquivir in the south.

• Population: 48,958,159 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 67.8%, atheist 9.1%, other 2.2%, non-believer 18.4%, unspecified 2.5%

• Time Zone: Spain is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

76 National Holidays: Spain

In addition to the holidays listed below, Spain 05/01 Labor Day celebrates a number of national holidays that 08/15 Assumption of Mary follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling during these 10/12 Hispanic Day holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/ holidays. 11/01 All Saints Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/06 Constitution Day

01/06 Epiphany 12/08 Immaculate Conception

12/25 Christmas

Spain: A Brief History Spain has been continuously inhabited for 1.2 million years, but the bulk of our knowledge about Spain’s earliest people begins around 1100 BC, when Phoenicians established trading colonies along the southern coast. These attracted the Greeks; and around the same time, Celts descended in the north, establishing hill villages known as castros, many of which still stand in Galicia and northern Portugal.

The Romans arrived in Spain around 206 BC, but had to defeat the Carthaginians for it. Afterwards, the Romans still had a fight on their hands: The Iberian tribes resisted for 200 years. Today, in places like Mérida, Córdoba, Segovia, and Tarragona, you can see remnants of Roman roads, bridges, aqueducts, temples, and amphitheaters. Towards the end of their dominion, the Romans also brought Christianity. But Pax Romana crumbled as Visigoths and Franks swept over the Pyrenees.

The civilized heights of Rome were not equaled until the Moors arrived from North Africa around 711 AD. The enlightened Islamic civilization they established was called Al-Andalus, and it lasted for nearly 800 years. Islamic cities such as Córdoba, Seville, and Granada flourished. Throughout Al-Andalus, Christians, and Jews lived under some restrictions, but were free to worship, work, own property, and trade. When the rest of Europe was struggling through the Dark Ages, the city of Córdoba became a beacon of enlightenment with a celebrated university, palaces, gardens, observatories, libraries, street lamps, and running water. Mathematics, astronomy, literature, music, and architecture flourished.

Córdoba’s star began to dim in the 11th century as the caliphate broke into dozens of small kingdoms. Infighting opened a crack for northern Christians to pry open, and the Christian Reconquest pushed south. The last stronghold of the Moors, Granada, fell to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1491. They instituted a 300-year campaign of terror, the Spanish Inquisition, which sought to root out heretics through the confiscation of property, imprisonment, torture, and execution. It required Muslims and Jews to convert to Christianity or leave Spain, thereby ending a source of valuable cultural contributions.

77 But Spain’s fortunes continued to rise. In 1492, Christopher Columbus opened up the New World to Spain’s imperial ambitions. Spain amassed tremendous wealth and a vast empire through Columbus’ conquest of the Caribbean, as well as the conquest of Mexico by Cortes (1519-21) and Peru by Pizarro (1532-33). In 1588, Philip II sent his Armada to invade England, but its defeat cost Spain its supremacy. After centuries of dwindling losses, Spain’s overseas empire ended with Cuban independence in 1898.

Spain remained neutral during In World War I, but was unable to avoid the upheavals that arose in its aftermath. Civil war erupted in 1936, pitting right-wing Nationalists under Francisco Franco against socialist, communist, and centrist Republicans. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy supported Franco with planes, weapons, and 92,000 troops, making Spain a testing ground for WWII. Franco declared the war over in 1939, but there was no peace. In the ensuing years, his regime killed 100,000 intellectuals, teachers, and dissenters. After World War II (which Spain sat out), a UN- sponsored boycott plunged the nation into “years of hunger.” They didn’t wane until the 1950s, when U.S. aid and tourism infused the economy. When Franco died in 1975, Juan Carlos I took the throne and Spain transitioned to democracy.

When the 2008 global economic crisis plunged Spain’s economy, the conservative government enacted harsh austerity measures. Youth unemployment reached 60%, and by 2017 over 87,000 workers left Spain, creating a brain drain. Recently, the government rolled out a “Return Plan” to lure them back. Also in 2017, a referendum in Catalonia backed separation from Spain. Madrid imposed direct rule, though polls show that 68% of Spaniards prefer dialogue with Catalonia. This issue, along with economic recovery, will dominate Spain for the near future.

78 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

Western France All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014, Fiction) This Pulitzer Prize winning, World War II novel traces the live of a blind French girl and a German orphan, until they intersect in the besieged coastal city of St. Malo. The narrative is driven forward by a puzzle box of a mystery, with some passages so beautifully written they will bring tears to your eyes.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015, Fiction) Two sisters in a Loire Valley village take different paths to survival when the Nazi occupation begins. A page-turner about the women of the French Resistance, their resilience, and the choices that define a life.

The Languedoc Trilogy by Kate Mosse (Historical Fiction) These New York Times bestsellers (Labyrinth, 2005; Sepulchre, 2007; and Citadel, 2012) are ingenious mystery novels set in modern and medieval Carcassonne, France, with strong female protagonists. The books are impeccably researched and offer vivid descriptions of the life and times of this most mysterious city.

The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester (1996, Fiction) This wickedly funny book follows an erudite (and sinister) food critic as he travels through France to his house in Provence. Along the way, we get witty observations on French life, regional recipes, and clues about a shocking mystery that is about to unravel.

The Perfect Heresy: The Life and Death of the Cathars by Stephen O’Shea (2003, History) The Languedoc region of southern France was a haven for the Cathars, a heretical Christian sect whose members came from all classes, and whose beliefs inspired the wrath of Popes and monarchs. This book traces their rise and shockingly brutal fall in the Languedoc village of Montaillou in the Pyrenees.

The Summer of Katya by Trevanian (1983, Fiction) From the genre-shifting, bestselling author of The Eiger Sanction, this moody thriller takes place in the French Basque country in 1914, and centers on a young doctor’s obsession with a mysterious young woman, and her possibly murderous family.

France The Seine: The River That Made Paris by Elaine Sciolino (2020, Nonfiction) Sciolino traces the history, route, and impact of the Seine River through the stories of its people—a riverbank bookseller, the Seine police, a houseboat owner, fishermen, and film directors, to name a few. She also includes a touching chapter on the 2019 Notre Dame fire, which was put out with water pumped from the river.

79 Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik (2001, Travel Essays) A self-described “comic-sentimental essayist,” Gopnik spent the years from 1995 to 2000 in Paris writing the “Paris Journals” for the New Yorker. Collected here are his most charming, insightful, heartfelt, and humorous dispatches on the Parisian people, culture, food, economy, and lifestyle.

A Brief History of France by Cecil Jenkins (2017, History) Exactly what the title promises: A compact overview of the history of France. Look for the 2017 edition, which was updated to include more recent events.

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme (2007, Memoir) Memoir of the famous chef’s first, formative stay in France in 1949. Child describes herself as a “rather loud and unserious Californian,” without a word of French. She enrolled at the Cordon Bleu and toiled with increasing zeal and competence. With the bestselling Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she revolutionized the American idea of cooking. This memoir recalls gorgeous meals in bygone Parisian restaurants, and reveals the personality and some of the secret arts of a culinary genius.

The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo by Walter Lord (2017, History) A well-written and comprehensive account of the British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 with the help of the French. The author has been praised for his ability to weave the personal stories of the survivors—who he interviewed in great depth—into the overall narrative of how events unfolded.

Spain A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz (Travel Narrative) Follow the author as he walks the Camino de Santiago—a pilgrimage route in Spain that stretches more than 400 miles—a journey that is both physical and spiritual.

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile by Julia Fox (2011, biography). The daughters of Ferdinand and Isabella each lost positions of power—one to the whims of England’s Henry VIII, and the other to madness.

The Last Jew by Noah Gordon (2000, Historical Fiction) A sweeping tale of survival during the Spanish in Inquisition.

Iberia by James A. Michener (1968, History) The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer offers a panoramic view of his second home, Spain, celebrating its art, customs, landscapes, peasant life, and history up to the early post-Franco era.

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (1940, Fiction). Hemingway wrote this iconic novel about an American volunteer fighting Franco’’s fascists right after his own stint as a correspondent during the Spanish Civil War.

Traveler’s Tales: Spain edited by Lucy McCauley (1995, Anthology) Incisive, lyrical musings on all aspects of Spain, written by luminaries such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Calvin Trillin, and Barbara Kingsolver.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (2005, Fiction) A mix of mystery, romance, and hauntings abound in this international bestseller, set in 1950s Barcelona.

80 Suggested Film & Video

France Midnight in Paris (2011, Comedy) Screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) escapes his romantic troubles by roaming the streets of Paris at night, where he is miraculously (and hilariously) transported back to 1920s Paris, where Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dali, F. Scott Fitzgerald and the entire “Lost Generation” await him.

Summer (also released as The Green Ray, 1986, Comedy) Set in and around Biarritz and Bayonne, this confection from French master Eric Roehmer follows a young woman who is forced to re- evaluate herself when her summer vacation plans go awry.

Loving Vincent (2017, Biography) Van Gogh’s paintings come to life in this remarkable, animated film created by 125 artists, who hand-painted each of the film’s 65,000 frames in the style of Vincent van Gogh. The plot follows the efforts of a postmaster’s son to solve the mystery of van Gogh’s life and death in Auvers-sur-Oise.

Saving Private Ryan (1998, Drama). Probably the best (and most riveting) depiction of the Normandy D-Day landings and their aftermath. It won Steven Spielberg an Oscar for Best Director.

The Return of Martin Guerre (1982, Drama) Set in the Pyrenees, this epic tells the true story of a man who returns to his village after the Hundred Years War, and resumes his family life. But the man who calls himself Martin Guerre (Gerard Depardieu) is not who he seems to be.

Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962, Drama) See why director Agnes Varda deserves her rightful title as the godmother of the French New Wave. This film follows a young singer’s afternoon as she awaits the results of a biopsy. We trail her to cafes and shops, to an assignation with her lover, and across the cityscapes of Paris of the 1960s, which is vividly captured.

Chocolat (2000, Drama/Comedy) In this warm and beautifully filmed romance, a lovely chocolatier (Juliet Binoche) falls in love with a handsome gypsy (Johnny Depp), disrupting life in a prim riverside village. Many scenes were filmed in the Dordogne region.

Au revoir, les enfants (1987, Drama) In this heartbreaking, autobiographical film, director Louis Malle recalls the winter of 1943-44, when the priest of his boarding school introduced three new students who turned out to be Jewish children he was attempting to hide. The main character, Julien, forms a close bond with one of the Jewish boys, until their friendship is cut short by a betrayal.

Amelie (2001, Romantic Comedy) This quirky gem tells the heartwarming story of a shy waitress in Paris who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. The award-winning film is a whimsical depiction of everyday life, sure to capture the hearts of its viewers time and time again.

81 Spain Pain and Glory (2019, Drama) Antonio Banderas earned a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of a legendary director flashing back through his past, and facing a present filled with loss, memory, physical ailments, and imagination. This thinly-veiled autobiographical sketch from director Pedro Almodovar is a rueful reflection on creativity, wrapped up with warmth, humor, and vivid glimpses of life in late 20th-century Spain.

The Way (2010, Drama) A grieving father (Martin Sheen) honors his lost son’s desire to finish the journey of a lifetime by competing the historical pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Along the way, he meets other trekkers with their own stories to tell.

Ocho Apellidos Vascos (released in the U.S. as Spanish Affair, 2014, Comedy) Two of Spain’s most disparate cultures collide as a jilted bride from the Basque Country goes to Seville, where a skillful Andalusian ladies man is frustrated by his inability to woo her. A fun and warm-hearted look at the differences between northern and southern Spain.

Belle Epoque (1992, Comedy/Drama) On the eve of the Spanish Civil War, Fernando, a young soldier, deserts and ends up at the country home of Manolo, a man with four strong-willed but very different daughters. Fernando seduces them all, but then is perplexed when they each reject him. All the characters represent different sides of the coming conflict, but for a moment, enjoy the “beautiful epoch” of joyful sensuality and warmth.

All About My Mother (1999, Comedy) When her 17-year-old son is tragically killed in a car accident, Manuela sets out to reconnect with her son’s father and ends up forging new connections with an outrageous transvestite, a pregnant nun, and her son’s favorite actress. This 1999 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film is another from director Pedro Almodovar, whose other acclaimed works include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Volver.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Fantasy) From director Guillermo del Toro. Following Spain’s bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a brutal military officer. Armed only with her imagination, Ofelia discovers a labyrinth and a faun who offers her a path to saving herself and her mother. The lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she’s at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil.

82 Useful Websites

Overseas Adventure Travel World Weather www.oattravel.com www.intellicast.com www.weather.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.wunderground.com www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) Overseas Adventure Travel Frequently www.travlang.com/languages Asked Questions www.oattravel.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

83 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Small Group Adventures by Land & Small Ship

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a ADVENTURES non-contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully • All meals are served by the dining staff— vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 buffets are no longer available. days prior to departure and provide proof of VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS vaccination upon boarding the ship. AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY To meet this requirement, please bring your PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL GROUP original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card ADVENTURES ON LAND with you on your trip. The white card must • All travelers must be fully display your name, type of vaccine, and the vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also prior to departure. suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for your records as a backup. To meet this requirement, please bring your original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card All local Trip Experience Leaders, • with you on your trip. The white card must ship staff, and crew will be fully display your name, type of vaccine, and the vaccinated against COVID-19. date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also • All coach drivers will be fully suggest taking a picture of this card to keep vaccinated against COVID-19. for your records as a backup. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All local Trip Experience Leaders will all ships are equipped with High Efficiency be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

We will do all we can to ensure our travelers’ safety and health while on our adventures, but we need your help. We expect travelers to follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness as well—from washing your hands regularly, to covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. By working together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

84 Notes

85 Notes

86 87 Visit www.oattravel.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925

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