EXPERIENCE VIVE LA FRANCE LYON RIVER CRUISE - ANNECY & LOIRE VALLEY CASTLE 23 days 27 JULY 18 AUG 2019: $ 9875 pp + Airfare Singles + $ 2790 With Greg & Gaye of the Finesse Holidays Opulence, sophistication and elegance, France is a land of impeccable style, dazzling culture and perfect panache. Join us for this trip of a lifetime. After flying to Geneva we have our short drive to Annecy voted France s most beautiful town. Inclusions from Geneva Paris. * 4 nights experiencing the quaint towns on Lake Annecy and the French Alps. * 8 day Southern France River cruise with 4 private tours and drinks with drinks with meals. * Highlight - 9 nights Loire Valley Castle Chateau Du Lac. Exclusive Use. A luxurious, exquisitely decorated 19 th century Chateau. * All Breakfasts, dinners, plus lunches on cruise, numerous day and ½ day tours and all transfers * All Bridge Fees and Welcome drinks at each Venue.
2: HOTEL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS for EMERGENCIES: Bridge Program: Greg s Contact Phone Number +61 0415 816 919 LYON RIVER CRUISE A-ROSA STELLA July 27 AUG 03 1 Night Stopover Lyon TBA AUG 03-04 ANNECY SPLENDID HOTEL ANNECY - AUG 04 AUG 08 Address: 4 Quai Eustache Chappuis, 74000 Annecy, France Phone: +33 4 50 45 20 00 1 Night Stopover TBA AUG 08-09 LOIRE VALLEY - CHATEAU ALLURE DU LAC - AUG 09-18 Address: 49220 Grez-Neuville, France All bridge sessions are at (B4Red). All singles are welcome and you will be matched with another single. All workshops come with literature. 7: BRIDGE WORKSHOPS & TUTORIALS: Please contact us for any material you wish to discuss. Some of the topics that will be covered include Bergen Raises, Jacoby, View to your opening lead, Declarer play, The Real Losing Trick Count. Additional lessons will be conducted at request of clients. 8: INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: Prices can vary : Assistant for other states. SYDNEY ~($1600) Etihad Departs 15:15 Etihad EY 451/51 SYDNEY Arrives 07:45 +(1) GENEVA 30kgs. Departs 21:55 Etihad EY 38/450 PARIS Arrives 06:30 (+2) SYDNEY 30kgs MELBOURNE ~($1600) Etihad Departs 14:30 Etihad EY 463/51 MELB Arrives 07:45 +1 GENEVA 30 kgs. Departs 21:55 Etihad EY 38/450 PARIS Arrives 16:45 (+1) MELB 30 kg
3: ITINERARY Your hosts will be departing Sydney on July 26 arriving in Singapore on the same day at 17:00. And then at midnight on July 27 will fly to Geneva arriving at 07:30 on the 27 th for a transfer to our River Cruise. COMPLETE DAILY PROGRAM TBA by June 18 2018
6: RIVERS CRUISE - A-ROSA STELLA - JULY 27 AUG 03 DATE PORT TIMES Saturday July 27 LYON Sunday July 28 MACON 6:00 am 7:00 pm Monday July 29 CHALON-SUR-SAONE 3:00 am 2:30 pm TOURNUS 5:30 pm 6:30 pm Tuesday July 30 LYON 3:00 am 2:00 pm Wednesday July 31 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPA 10:30 am 11:00 am AVIGNON 1:00 pm - Overnight Thursday Aug 01 AVIGNON - 12:00pm ARLES 3:30 pm 9:00 pm Friday Aug 02 VIVIERS 8:00 am 8:30 am LA VOULTE 12:30 pm 1:30 pm Saturday Aug 03 LYON 6:00 am Tours Include: DAY 1 LYON DEPARTURE
DAY 2 MACON Maconnais and Weinmuseum With its pastel buildings and tiled roofs, Mâconnais has a Mediterranean charm. From Mâconnais we will tour the Beaujolais and Mâconnais wine regions. We will make our way through the vineyards which grace the area, as well as the castles and stately homes which bear witness to the wealth of the region. A highlight of this excursion is the visit to Georges Duboeuf s Hameau du Vin. In the unique setting of a 19th-century railway station, you can marvel at the wine making process: the transporting of grapes and wine, the winemaker s tools and trade, the cellars, the winemaking processes, bottling and corking. Finish the visit with a tasting of Beaujolais wines, in a room housing a barrel organ called a bouteillophone. DAY 3 CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE > TOURNUS - Medieval Brancion and Cormatin We leave Chalon-sur-Saône and drive to Brançion for a short photo stop before continuing to the Castle of Cormatin. Behind its understated exterior lies inestimable splendor. The castle is undoubtedly one of the most sumptuous castles in Burgundy, and, in addition, it boasts a Renaissance garden. The sculpted yews break up the symmetry as you enter this moated château. The rich, colorful interior reflects the French and more particularly, the Parisian fashion during the reign of Louis XIII. Built between 1605 and 1629 by the du Blé family, it chronicles the history of the arts at this time in France. The formal Renaissance garden has the fountain of life at its center. Beyond this is a maze with a charming wrought-iron aviary. From the top of this you can get an overview of the park. DAY 3 SHORT STOP IN TOURNUS DAY 4 LYON NO TOUR DAY 5 SHORT STAY IN CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPA
DAY 5 AVIGNON City Walk Avignon with Pope Palace Today s excursion is a guided walk through Avignon, also known as the City of Popes due to the role the city played in the Avignon conspiracy of the 14th century, when a pope abandoned Rome and fled to Avignon. Avignon s lavish Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), is a fortress, church and palace all in one and was considered the center of the Christian world during the 14th century. From 1309 to 1377, seven popes resided in this impressive building, one of the world s most fascinating examples of Gothic architecture. A must-see is the Pont d Avignon, a ruined 12th-century bridge that once spanned the Rhône and is immortalized in a folk song about dancing on the bridge. DAY 6 ARLES Nature Reserve Camargue The Camargue is like a little country in its own right. Once you re a few minutes south of Arles, you enter the unique atmosphere of the area, with its series of long, level roads criss-crossing the marshes and farmlands. For the protection of the exceptional fauna and flora, part of the Camargue was listed as a nature reserve as early as 1927. In 1970, the whole Island of Camargue (the delta of the Rhône River) was listed as the Regional Nature Park of Camargue. It is home to an astonishing range of wildlife, including the renowned Camargue bulls and horses that live in semi freedom, and many hundreds of species of birds. You will also visit Saintes Maries de la Mer, located on the Mediterranean Sea where the Rhône joins the ocean. This village is steeped in history and boasts stunning beaches which meet the blue waters of the Med Sea. DAY 7 Short stays in VIVIERS & LA VOULTE with cruising DAY 8 LYON ARRIVAL
AUG 03-04 STOPOVER IN LYON Afternoon Bridge 4: ANNECY SPLENDID HOTEL ANNECY AUG 04 08 Just in front of the lake of Annecy and in the heart of the historic part of the city, the situation of our hotel is one of the best in the whole town. Annecy, France: is it really France's prettiest town? It's all subjective, of course, but a lot of French like to say so. It's certainly a lovely city, and named the second-best French city in which to live. It's been called the Venice of the Alps, a French fairy tale and one of France's top 10 cities. Even CNN calls it one of France's most beautiful destinations. And the Michelin guide calls it "one of the most remarkable landscapes in the French Alps", itself an area already famous for its remarkable areas. So what is it with this small city most tourists never get around to visiting?
Tours: This will let you contemplate the beauty of the purest lake in Europe and its stunning setting in the heart of the French Alps. We will take the two-hour "omnibus" ferry boat which allows you to stop off in any of Lake Annecy's lakeside villages. (Veyrier du Lac, Menthon St Bernard, Talloires, Doussard and Sevrier). AUG 08-09 Stopover between Annecy and Loire Valley TBA
4: LOIRE VALLEY - CHATEAU ALLURE DU LAC AUGUST 09-18 Magnificent and breathtaking are the words that come to mind when you first see Château Allure du Lac, a luxurious château in the Pays de la Loire. Constructed in the 19th century, the château was extensively renovated by its current owner. Luxurious fabrics and fine antiques are part of the tasteful and elegant décor throughout the château. A dramatic entrance hall and graceful stairway lead to a first-floor mezzanine. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and guests can make themselves at home with they arrive by relaxing in the Drawing room, the Grand Salon, or on the :Lakeside terrace. The Drawing room is cozy and inviting with rich panelling, a huge fireplace and private terrace for evening drinks. The Grand Salon is elegant with the original panelled walls, large windows, French period furniture and a mirrored mantle above a carved oak fireplace. There is the opulent Silver Reception room available for hosting weddings, parties and seminars. A high-speed dumbwaiter connects the Silver Reception room's service kitchen to the main kitchen two floors below, and there is elevator access for guests on all floors. There will be 5 half day & day tours here plus 3 days to play bridge etc.
Tours Include. 1) Day tour to visit 2 nearby castles. CHATEAU SAUMUR & AZAY LE RIDEAU 2) Le Lion-De Angers A new municipality created on 1 January 2016 by the merger of Lion-d'Angers and Andigné, According to historians, Lion-d'Angers would hold its name from the Latin, legio, referring to a Roman legion of Julius Caesar installed at its site in the Gallo-Roman period. Regularly attacked and burned, especially during the Hundred Years War or the Religious Wars, the village of Lion-d'Angers also suffered from virtual destruction during the Second World War. 3) Cave Museum Village Troglodyte of Rochemenier: Today, the commune of Lion-d'Angers is peaceful and has turned its attention to equine breeding, as evidenced by its racecourse, as well as to tourism thanks to an architectural heritage of great interest. Located in Western France, between the Loire valley and the Atlantic coast, the cave dwelling village museum of Rochemenier invites you to discover an underground world. Step back in time and explore the two farms dwellings, houses carved in the rock and the numerous rooms. Understand how the houses have been carved and get immersed in the French history while visiting this authentic ancient site. Everything in the village is manmade. On 1 hectare, discover two ancient troglodyte farms with their rooms and dependencies.
4) Loire Valley Wine Tour: Did you know that the Loire is the longest river in France? Stretched along the mountains of central France right out to the Atlantic, it is a fascinating region for wine-making. The Loire Valley is split into four key sub-regions. The Nantais is nearest the Atlantic and has a fully maritime climate with short, mild winters and warm summers. Anjou-Saumur is in the heartland of the Loire, where the climate becomes more continental. Temperatures can reach over 30 degrees in summer! We will choose 2 nice wineries and have a pleasant sight seeing drive through the Loire Valley. 5) Day tour to visit 2 more exciting Castles This tour TBA by June 18 2018