What will we see each day?
Our itineraries are designed to be not too full - or too empty! Daily we'll have an opportunity for a brief meditation and prayer. Enjoy
browsing the proposed itinerary.
IF =
In flight meals, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Day 1: Monday, April 23, 2012: Flights
We begin our adventure with our transatlantic jet flight to Geneva, Switzerland. IF
Day 2: Tuesday, April 24, 2012: Geneva
This morning we arrive in Geneva, a Swiss-French city on a glorious lake with towering fountain, and adorned with beautiful gardens. Our Reformation Tours’ tour director will greet us at the airport and escort us to our luxury motor coach. The rest of the day is free for exploring this world capital for international peace, with its fine shops and medieval buildings. We enjoy a welcome dinner at the NH Rex hotel tonight. IF/D
Day 3: Wednesday, April 25, 2012: Geneva
We begin our tour at the award-winning International Museum of Protestantism, which tells the story of the Huguenots. We’ll then tour the adjacent Cathédrale St. Pierre and L’Auditoire de Calvin. On the walking tour of Geneva, we will see the magnificent Reformation Wall in its park setting. The remainder of the day is free to either enjoy Geneva, take a train trip to the Chateau of Chillon or visit nearby Lausanne. B
Day 4: Thursday, April 26, 2012: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, Pont du Gard, Nîmes
After breakfast we depart for Le Chambon, on a French plateau so remote that many Protestants there were able to survive their intense persecution of the 17th and 18th centuries. We’ll see the town’s “temple” (Protestant church), whose pastors led area villagers and farmers to hide and save, at great risk to themselves, 5,000 refugees (up to 3,500 Jews), from the Nazis during World War II. We stop at the commemorative plaque and at the Collège-Lycée Cévenol, founded by the pastors and now an international boarding school and shelter for refugees from around the world. Then we venture down the Rhône River Valley to visit the amazing Pont du Gard. Built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, this high, three-level, stone aqueduct is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is pictured on the 5-Euro note. Then we continue on to nearby Nîmes, with the greatest wealth of ancient Roman buildings in all of France. We'll be staying in the Hotel Baume. B/D
Day 5: Friday, April 27, 2012: Musée du Désert (Mialet), Château de Raissac, Aigues-Mortes, Nîmes
Today we visit the “Museum of the Desert,” which tells the remarkable story of the Huguenots during their worst time of persecution, 1685-1789. Then to the Château de Raissac, on the Mediterranean coast, where we explore 17th-century wine cellars and the “Arts of the Table” ceramic museum, headed by renown potter Christine Viennet. Inspired by the creations of 16th-century Huguenot master ceramicist and naturalist Bernard Pallisy (1510-1590), who perished in prison, she is a specialist in trompe l’oeil and pallisy ware. There will be an opportunity to buy wine and art before we go to Aigues-Mortes, embarkation point for medieval crusaders and, from 1575 to 1622, one of France’s eight “safe havens” for Protestants. We visit the Tower of Constance, built in 1242 to protect this port city. In it medieval Knights Templar, accused of treason and blasphemy, were imprisoned. Later, during the Huguenot “desert,” Protestants, especially women, were jailed here, while their men folk often served as galley slaves. We view the word “resist” scratched in the tower wall by courageous Marie Durand, confined here at age 15 for 38 years, during which time her pastor brother was executed. We’ll end the day with a trip to Les Baux-de-Provence. B
Day 6: Saturday, April 28, 2012: Nîmes, La Rochelle
We ride the rails today and head northwest through beautiful countryside for La Rochelle. This picturesque Atlantic seaport was, until conquered by troops of Cardinal Richelieu in 1628, a great Huguenot stronghold. We stay the night at the Hotel le Yachtman on the harbor in La Rochelle. B/D
Day 7: Sunday, April 29, 2012: La Rochelle, Bayeux
Our morning is free for exploring the colorful streets, towers, and other attractions of La Rochelle. Or we may wish to join the local Protestant congregation for Sunday worship (in French) in their historic temple. On our drive north, we will stop at Chateau d’Angers to see the tapestries. We’ll end the day in Bayeux, Normandy and we'll stay in the Hotel Churchill for two nights. B/D
Day 8: Monday, April 30, 2012: Omaha Beach, Bayeux
After breakfast we visit the eleventh-century Tapestry of Queen Matilda, depicting William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066. At Omaha Beach, we see where U.S. troops stormed ashore June 6, 1944, D-Day. Awed, we visit the American Military Cemetery and Monument, then the Mémorial de Caen, dedicated to world peace, that commemorates the countless French civilians and U.S., British, and Canadian soldiers who died nearby. The evening is free to explore Bayeux. B
Day 9: Tuesday, May 1, 2012: Rouen, Paris
On the way to Paris, we visit historic Rouen, on the Seine. While there, we can see the Cathédrale Notre Dame, much painted by Monet, with France’s tallest spire. As we stroll along the cobbled Rue du Gros-Horloge leading to Place du Vieux-Marche, we see where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. In the afternoon we continue to Paris, unique “City of Light.” Our final hotel is the Villa Pantheon. B/D
Day 10: Wednesday, May 2, 2012: Paris
A local guide joins us this morning for an orientation tour, including the Opera House, Madeleine Church, Place de la Concorde, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides, Military Academy, the Eiffel Tower and ending with a visit to Cathédrale Notre Dame. The afternoon is at leisure to go to a world-famous museum, take a stroll along the river, or a sip a drink at a sidewalk café. We also have the option of an afternoon walk with Christian history expert Malcolm Livesey who will share fascinating facts about Calvin and the Huguenots. This evening you might like to consider an unforgettable cruise on the Seine. B
Day 11: Thursday, May 3, 2012: Paris
Today is free to enjoy the French capital. For those that would like to explore further afield, there are optional tours to the Palace of Versailles and Cathédrale Chartres, with its unmatched medieval stained-glass windows. We will gather this evening for a farewell dinner in a Parisian restaurant. B/D
Day 12: Friday, May 4, 2012: Return
We bid au revoir to France as we board our return flight to the U.S.A. B
Reformation Tours reserves
the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become necessary.
While on tour, if conditions necessitate changes, or if certain features are
unavailable or limited, we reserve the right to vary or substitute
alternatives. All prices are calculated at the exchange rate in effect at the
time of this quotation. Should currency fluctuations necessitate an adjustment
in tour price the adjusted price will be reflected in the final invoice.
You can arrive in Geneva anytime on April 24, 2012 as the first activity of the day is the welcome dinner at the hotel. Dwyn will be at the hotel to greet you when you arrive.