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A place whose famous natural light combines Mediterranean warmth with a magic luminosity that gives character and colour to everything it touches - Provence has inspired many artists, particularly those of the late 19th and much of the 20th century. They created Impressionism and all that flowed from it, but Provence was the discovery that enabled them to recreate themselves. Our acclaimed tour takes us to the scenes that inspired Renoir, Matisse, Van Gogh, Cézanne and countless others and radically changed their painting styles. We travel the ravishing routes between Aix, Arles and Orange; gaze down on the winding river from the ramparted public gardens of Avignon; see the great Roman heritage crowned by Glanum, the amphitheatre at Orange and the dizzying achievement of the Pont du Gard aqueduct; absorb ourselves in the small towns with their squares and tables under the trees, and ascend the cobbled street of Les Baux to views of astonishing distant beauty. We conclude with a taste of Provence's more worldly side, staying at the peerless seaside town of Nice, with its elegant promenade, bustling and characterful market and fine shops. En route we follow the restless progress, as he settled in one place and then another, of Provence's great adopted son, Pablo Picasso. This is a holiday to stimulate the imagination and delight the senses.
8 DAYS FROM £945
Avignon Vineyard
France
Avignon · Orange · Pont du Gard · Arles · Glanum · Les Baux Aix-en-Provence · Nice · Monte Carlo · Grasse · St. Paul · Antibes
This holiday includes 7 breakfasts and 3 evening meals
DAY 1 LONDON · MARSEILLE · AVIGNON
Provençal cooking in one of the many restaurants and watch the world go by.
We begin with Titan's VIP Home Departure ServiceTM to London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport and your scheduled British Airways flight to Marseille. On arrival we board our coach and drive to historic Avignon to our hotel, the Mercure or the Grand Hotel Avignon, where we have dinner tonight.
DAY 3
PONT DU GARD · UZES · ARLES
DAY 2 AVIGNON · CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE · ORANGE
The great walled city of Avignon includes the famous sites of the magnificent Pope's Palace and bridge but before time at leisure to discover them, we depart for the renowned wine village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape where we will enjoy a wine tasting session in a local winery. We then travel to Orange, gateway to the Midi, where you may wish to visit a colossus of antiquity, one of the world's finest Roman theatres. Back to Avignon, where the evening is free to sample
The most magnificent of the Roman aqueducts, the Pont du Gard rises three stories to bestride the gorge of the Gardon River and is our first call this morning, after which we visit one of Provence's most beautiful small towns, Uzes. From the delightful Place aux Herbes, with its arcaded square and shaded vaulted cafés, you can explore this paradise of vulnerable buildings dating from the Renaissance in its country setting of limestone and lime trees and appreciate why French film-makers, such as the producers of Cyrano de Bergerac, use it so often as a setting for their historical epics. After lunch we drive the route to Van Gogh's town of Arles, whose shaded squares, fine buildings and narrow winding streets have offered inspiration to so many artists. It was a favourite with Picasso. Time to relax and soak in more of the atmosphere of Provence before returning to our hotel.
Promenade des Anglais - Nice
Palais des Papes, Avignon Café life - Aix en Provence
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