John and I chose France for our first group tour destination for this year. Why France? Because what could be better than springtime in Paris? For the first week of our journey, we will be renting a car to tour France on our own. Our first stop will be to the Champagne region of France. We will (of course) to do some champagne tasting at Mumm and Veuve Clicquet in Reims.
Then we will spend the rest of the week driving through the gorgeous Loire Valley. We will stay in Chateaus (grand and small) along the way as we visit some of the oldest vineyards and chateaus in France. We will end the week at Normandy to pay honor to the Greatest Generation by participating in the very meaningful flag ceremony at Omaha Beach.
Then it’s back to Paris to meet our group at Charles de Gaulle airport. After a welcome dinner in Paris and a good night’s sleep, we will spend the morning enjoying the beautiful art at the Musee d’ Orsay museum in Paris before boarding the AmaDante, one of Amawaterways gorgeous river boats for a 7-night cruise on the lovely and tranquil Seine River from Paris to Le Havre.
During the cruise, we will enjoy the art, music and food in the City of Lights. We will visit Giverny (Monet’s home and the site of his famous gardens portrayed in his art), take a bike ride through the quaint French village of La Roche-Guyon, visit wineries and vineyards that are hundreds of years old, and spend time the medieval village of Rouen.
Our group will enjoy a special evening at the Chef’s table while aboard the AmaDante where the chef will prepare a very special, several course gourmet meal using locally sourced ingredients. He will guide us through every course, explaining each dish to us as it is being served. Since this is a special Wine Cruise, the guest Sommelier will choose wine pairings for each dish for our special dinner and give wine talks and tastings throughout the cruise.
I’m not sure what I am most excited about- seeing Paris again, staying in a chateau, or experiencing all the local French cuisine and wines along the journey. Check out our Adventure Awaits World Travel Facebook Page to follow along with our grand adventure!
Until our next adventure...