FRIDAY, JUNE 1
Flights depart from Charlotte for arrival in Europe the following day. Optional group flight TBA.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2
Bienvenue!
On arrival in Paris, we board France's high-speed train, the TGV, for first-class passage to Avignon. Our home is the Hotel L'Europe, a 16th century mansion where Napoleon, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo and other luminaries have stayed. After a rest from your journey, we will convene for a welcome drink at the hotel, then our welcome dinner nearby at La Moutardier.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3
Avignon, City of Popes
After your daily breakfast, we will explore the main sights of AVIGNON. From 1309 to 1403, seven French Popes and three anti-Popes based the Papacy here during the Great Schism in the Catholic Church. We will tour the Palace of the Popes and walk some of the picturesque streets of the old town. Then we'll make a foray into the countryside for a delectable lunch at
La Bastide des Princes, presided over by Annie and Pierre Paumel, a "Maître Cuisinier de France". Prior to lunch, an expert sommelier will pour some of the fine Chateauneuf-des-Papes and Cote de Rhône wines of the region for you to taste. This evening back in Avignon, you'll enjoy a private concert TBA.

MONDAY, JUNE 4
Roman Arles
We will travel down the Rhône to the ancient town of Arles. Featuring a magnificent Roman amphitheatre, the Romanesque church of St. Trophîme , and Van Gogh history Arles offers a lot to see and do. Then another special treat: depending on his schedule, a visit to the home and studio of famed French photographer Lucien Clergue, the first photographer ever elected to the prestigious French Académie des Beaux-Arts, and friend of Picasso and others, will show his work and talk about his long career. From Arles, we'll stop by an award-winning producer of olive oil to sample some of their olive oil, one of the best in the world. Then it's on to lunch nearby at the superb La Cabro d'Or, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Finally we climb up to the medieval walled town of LES BAUX, a town virtually unchanged for centuries. Your evening is free.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5
The City of Lights
Bidding adieu to Provence, we board the TGV again for a trip back to PARIS. On arrival we will make a tour around the city taking in many of its famous sites. Then we transfer to the Hotel Bedford, a deluxe 4-star hotel located in the eighth arrondissement, near the
Madeleine church. The Bedford has musical
connections: Saint-Saens once lived in the building, and Yehudi Menuhin and Hector Villa-Lobos were frequent visitors. In the evening, NPR reporter Eleanor Beardsley will join us for a light reception. Then it's off to a wonderful concert by the French period orchestra Le Grande Ecurie e La Chambre de Roy in a program of Mozart sacred music, including his great Requiem, under Jean-Claude Malgoire.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6
Medieval Paris
This morning we explore the narrow winding streets of the old Latin Quarter, winding down ancient roads, past markets, medieval churches and Gallo-Roman remains from the Pantheon to the Sorbonne. The walking tour concludes at the great 12th century cathedral of Paris, Notre Dame. Your afternoon is free. In the evening, we'll dine in the elegant brasserie and the oldest in Paris, Bofinger, before attending a performance at the sleek Opera Bastille of Rossini's comic masterpiece "The Barber of Seville" with Karine Deshayes as Rosina and Antonio Siragusa as the Count Almaviva. Met regular Marco Armiliato conducts.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7
Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte
In the French countryside we'll explore the two grand chateaux Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte. Long a royal residence, the magnificent Chateau de Fontainebleau came into its own under Francis 1st (1494-1547) who hired principally Italian architects and artists to redesign it thereby introducing the Italian Renaissance into France. Built in 1656 by Louis XIV's finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte provides a unique window into aristocratic society of the 17th century. Prior to our tour, lunch will be served in L'Ecureuil, the chateau's charming restaurant. After returning to Paris, the evening is free.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8
The Marais
Today we tour one of the most picturesque quarters in all Paris, the Marais. It retains a beguiling mix of fine mansions of architectural interest, interesting museums, and lively cafes and shops. Lunch is on your own and your afternoon is free, but for an optionaltreat: a fashion show at the Galeries Lafayette. In the evening we'll delight in a chamber music performance in the lovely, 13th century Sainte Chapelle, with its stunning backdrop of stained glass.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9
City of Art
Today is a free day to complete your shopping, stroll another quartier, or relax. Art lovers have the option of taking a private guided tour of the Louvre, one of the greatest museums in the world with its stellar collections. Tonight we attend a performance back at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées by the Bavarian Radio Symphony of Munich lead by Maestro Esa Pekka Salonen in a program of Strauss and Brahms with the fine pianist Yefim Bronfman. Immediately after the performance we will gather for a farewell dinner at the fine bistro Royal Madeleine.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10
Adieu!
The tour ends after breakfast and flights home from Charles de Gaulle airport, with arrival the same day.

Itinerary subject to change. Meals in bold included in the price of the tour.

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