Impressionist France

The French are known for their style and taste, and as you make your way from Bordeaux to Brittany, Normandy to Flanders, notice how each new vista appeals to an artist's eye. Island fortresses exude a fairytale magic - the breathtaking abbey perched on Mont St. Michel, imposing St.-Malo filled with pirate lore, the Ville Close of Concarneau with its romantic drawbridges. Everywhere you look are scenes that beg to be captured on canvas, or perhaps already are - stunning La Rochelle built of luminous white limestone, Quimper's gargoyle-embellished cathedral, Monet's fabulous Japanese garden in Giverny, and Versailles, its gardens as magnificent as its gilded interior. History here escapes the books and leads you on a wild scavenger hunt. Bone up on the Norman Conquest in the threads of the 11thcentury Bayeux Tapestry. Uncover the hearts and souls of medieval prisoners in the graffiti of La Rochelle's Old Port towers. Read the story of St. Ronan carved into the wood pulpit of Locronan's church. Relive the battle before the battle of D-Day in the bullet holes on Pegasus Bridge. Your spring timing is perfect for wandering gardens and flower markets, quaint Old Towns and the shops of Rue de Rennes in Paris. And with three overnight stays and smaller ports of call that are closer to the sights than big ships get, you can spend more time in the places you want to see most.