See the Great of !

Airborne re-enactors with John Powell in drop zone!

Reims The Great Cathedrals of Northern France, Cross off your Bucket List in 2021! Please join us for a journey back in time to the birthplace of was the north of France, particularly the northeast quarter of the country; and it is here that the finest of France's gothic cathedrals are to be found; Notre Dame de , Ami- ens, & . French gothic cathedrals are noted for their fine "chevets", the semi-circular ambulatory and radiating chapels located behind the . Chevets already existed in Romanesque cathedrals, but the architects of the great gothic cathedrals embellished them in new ways.

Famous Cathedrals on the Tour:

Amiens—The largest of the great French gothic cathedrals, with a height under the of over 40 meters. The first stone was laid in 1220. cathedral has some of the finest 13th century gothic of any cathedral in France. A UNESCO world heritage site.

Reims—It was in the Notre Dame cathedral in Reims that the Kings of France used to be crowned. Reims ca- thedral remains one of the great examples of French : having suffered seriously in two world wars, it has been painstakingly restored to its original splendor. It is one of the most visited of France's great gothic cathedrals. A UNESCO world heritage site

Rouen—The cathedral suffered from major damage over the centuries, including lightning strikes, structural collapses, and bombing in the WWII. It remains nevertheless one of the great French medieval gothic cathedrals and is the subject of a world-famous series of by .

Bayeux—This Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux is a Ro- man Catholic located in Normandy. A national monument and was the original home of the Bayeux . The cathedral is in the Norman- Romanesque architectural tradition.

Military Historical Tours is proud to offer another in our series of signa- No sleeping in foxholes! ture European Cultural Tours. Tour Leaders and Historians will com- bine to make your trip the most enjoyable, relaxing, entertaining and Tour Price: $ 4,195* educational experience possible. We welcome your phone calls, let- (Based on Double Occupancy) ters or e-mails to discuss your tour with one of our Battlefield Spe- Single Room Supplement: $ 985* cialists. Call us at 703-590-1295 we look forward to hearing from Tour Price Includes: you! 4—Star Hotel Accommodations at Reims,

Daily Itinerary Caen, Amiens, Rouen, Normandy & Paris * Day 1 – Oct 10 – Departure. We depart the US in the afternoon and Air-conditioned deluxe motor coach arrive in Paris the following morning. We gather at our airport hotel for with onboard restroom rest before an evening briefing and welcome aboard. Hotel: CDG Hil- * ton Emergency Medical Insurance * Day 2 - Oct 11 - Arrival in Meals as indicated in itinerary France. * Arrive in Paris this morning. We Historical trip information packet, containing maps & other tour information. gather at our airport hotel for rest * before an evening briefing and Admission fees to all sites, museums and welcome aboard. Hotel: CDG special attractions listed Hilton *

Day 3 Oct 12 - Oisne- Services of experienced Tour Leader and English-speaking local guides. Cemetery & Reims. After breakfast we depart for Airfare not included: Get your own or Reims with stops at the Oisne- Book Optional MHT Airfare: Round-trip Aisne Cemetery and the Aisne- economy or business class airfare Cemetery and church. from your hometown to Paris CDG price quoted upon registration! We continue with a stop at Bel- * - Price based on € conversion rate at final billing leau Wood before arriving in Reims. We spend the after- across the River Orne and the noon in the town square visiting Notre-Dame de Reims Caen had to be captured famous the location for the of the kings of and held intact to enable the France. After checking in to our seaborne reinforcements to hotel we will have a group dinner cross. We then travel to the D at a local restaurant. Hotel: Holi- -Day invasion beaches at Ar- day Inn Meals: Breakfast (B)/ romanches. Arromanches Dinner (D) are the remains of one of the

Day 4 Oct 13 - & Ami- two artificial "Mulberry" har- ens. bors erected during the land- After breakfast we check out of ing operation and may still be seen. We then travel to the hotel and travel to Soissons. Bayeux to see the cathedral and the famous Bayeux Tap- We visit the Cathedral Saint- estry. Bayeux is the first city during the Battle of Normandy Gervais Saint-Protaisthe and the to be liberated, and on 16 June 1944 General Charles de ruins of Abbaye Saint-Jean-des- Gaulle made the first of two major speeches in Bayeux Vignes. We have lunch and travel to the Armistice clear- in which he made clear that France sided with the Allies. ing of Compeigne. From there The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched dur- we travel to Amiens and check ing the Battle of Normandy, into our hotel. After dinner we Rouen Cathedral-- Now & WWII! the German forces being ful- visit the cathedral to see the ly involved in defending light show. Hotel: Mercure Caen from the Allies. Hotel: Meals: (B/D) Best Western Moderne Meals: (B) Day 5 Oct 14 - Compeigne & Rouen. Day 8 Oct 17 - Omaha We begin our day visiting the Beach & Ste Mer Egliese. Cathedral Notre-Dame d'Ami- This morning we check out ens followed by seeing the of our hotel and travel to Jules Verne house. After lunch Bloody Omaha Beach. we travel to Rouen. We take a Omaha Beach was the most short city tour visiting the me- intensely contested beach on morial where was burned at the stake and D-Day. It is six miles wide – the adjoining church named for her. We check in to the the largest of all the five beaches. The entire beach was hotel and are free to enjoy dinner in one of the local res- overlooked by cliffs which made attacking the area very taurants, like La Couronne. First opened in 1345, it be- difficult. You will walk the sands where the liberation came the inspiration for Julia Child’s career. Hotel: of France began and visit the American Cemetery, the Mercure Rouen Centre German Cemetery at La Cambe and on to Pointe du Hoc. Meals: (B) Pointe du Hoc where the 2nd Ranger Battalion scaled the 100-foot cliffs to eliminate the German heavy guns Day 6 Oct 15 - Rouen & that could threaten both Utah and Omaha beaches. At a Honfleur. high cost, they successfully defended against determined After breakfast we check German counterattacks for two days. The Pointe du Hoc out of the hotel and head Ranger Monument was erected by the French to honor for the Rouen Cathedral. A the incredible courage of the Rangers. From there we see stroll through the quaint Utah Beach. Utah Beach is the westernmost of the five Best Western Moderne-Caen old streets of Rouen, in landing beaches. The beach was situated on the east at Upper Normandy, feels the edge of a marshland zone which had been flooded by like a walk back in time. Cathedral Notre-Dame. In the the Germans. Next we visit the famous church of Ste heart of the old town, it is one of the largest and Mere Eglise made most impressive Gothic cathedrals in France. The famous by the film, cathedral's main structure was built in the 13th "The Longest Day." century but the building was not completed until A mannequin of a the 16th century. From there we travel to Honfleur. paratrooper (played After lunch we tour Saint Catherine’s church and by Red Buttons) then visit a Calvados distillery on the way to Caen. hangs from the Hotel: Best Western Moderne Meals: (B/D) church . The

Day 7 Oct 16 - Pegasus Bridge & Caen. Airborne Forces This morning we break from our routine and visit Museum has a C-47 Pegasus Bridge and Museum there. The bridges Veteran “Bangs” Tosline with “Big Red One” troop transport air- re-enactors at Normandy Cemetery on D-Day. craft that flew in the invasion and a Jack Hennessey (USN), a Higgins Boat Cox- Days 12 & 13 Jun 21 & 22 - rare WACO glider on display.) We swain, made seven trips to Omaha Beach on Paris. check into our hotel. Hotel: Saint D-Day. This trip was We start by touring Saint Mere Meals: (B) with his wife, Chapelle, the Basilica of daughter Day 9 Oct 18 - St. Lo & Mont & MHT. Saint Denis and the burial Saint Michel. place of kings, Sacre Coeur, We have an early breakfast and trav- St.-Sulpice Church (featured el through St. Lo and see the church in “The Davinci Code”), made famous by the 29th Infantry Saint-Eustache Church, St.- Gervais-St-Protais Church, during WWII. We then drive to and St-Paul-St-Louis spend the afternoon at the ancient Church. We will also do a citadel and church of Mont-Saint- driving tour of the city, visit Michel. Time permitting, we visit the Louvre, and other sites as time allows. On the last the American Cemetery. Hotel: Mercure Meals: (B/D) evening, we will have a farewell dinner. Hotel: Mont- Day 10 Oct 19 - St. Lo & Mont Saint Michel. parnasse Meals: (B/D) After breakfast we travel to Lisieux the birthplace of Day 14 Oct 23 - Paris. Saint Therese, the Little flower, a doctor of the Depart Paris church. We visit the Basilica of St. Therese, the for home or Chapelle de Carmel and museum, Lisieux Cathedral spend an op- and the history museum. Check into the hotel for tional day the evening. Hotel: Villa des Arts Meals: (B/D) seeing the Day 11 Oct 20 - Les Ventes & Giverny. grandeur of Today we travel through Les Ventes and pay re- the Royal spects to Billie D. and Peggy Harris and the ancient Palace at church there. From there we travel to Giverny for Versailles. lunch and a tour of Monet’s Gardens. From there we travel to Paris and check into our hotel. Hotel:

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