1999 trip to Avoyelles origins in France
A Franco-Fete Celebration to discover your roots by the Marksville Chamber in cooperation with Louisiana Roots and France GenWeb
Discover your Avoyelles origins in France this summer.
(hurry, deadline for sending in payment and application must be postmarked by March 15 to avoid late fee)
In June 1999, the Marksville Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with Louisiana Roots Magazine is hosting a multi-city tour of France which will highlight the cities from which our earliest Avoyelles families originated. After flying into Paris from Louisiana, a guided tour bus will bring the Avoyelles group to the towns where the ancestors of families Bordelon, Lemoine and Mayeux are known to have lived. Officials with the France Genweb page project will help coordinate the meeting of cousins, genealogists and historians from France with the Louisiana travelers.
The tour is set from June 3-19, 1999.
Tentative Highlights include:
Day 1 Fly from New Orleans to the German-France Border. First night in Heidleburg
Day 3 Bus departs Germany for Alsace Lorrain Region: Visit towns of Neck, and Voinche family, and Ingwiller.
Day 4 Tour Champaing region, winery visit, overnight Rheims where Kings of France where coronated. Guillot family is from here.
Day 5 Tour Picardy region, visit Maintenay of Mayeux origin, Flixicourt of Poret family, Quevillon of the Couvillion family and Rouen of Joan of Arc fame and Firmin, Saucier and Couvillion family. Overnight Dieppe on the channel where the Roy family of Avoyelles is from
Day 6 Tour Normandy region: Fecamp - see ancestral Marcotte family home; Faboulous chalk cliffs like Dover at Etretat, and visit LaHarvre, port city of Bordelon and Lemoine ancestors.
Day 7 Tour Normandy region: D-Day beaches, a stop at St. Jean des Champs of the LaCour ancestry, afternoon at Mont St. Michel, the magical monestary island crowned by spires. Night a 7 course meal at Le Tronchete Abetail, a special evening in a historic setting.
Day 8 Visit Moulins of Gauthier family, Fougeres tour, and special stop at Geneston near Nantes for a small ceremony with Rev. Janeau family and parishioners of church there, the benafactor church of the first Church in Marksville. Night in LaRochelle of the Juneau and Goudeau family.
Day 9 Walking tour of LaRochelle, visit Fontenay le compte of Joffrion family and site marked of birth of Antoine Drapeau on Rabalais street. Visit St. Andre church, baptism site of the Chenevert famil in Niort. Overnight to Bordeau.
Day 10 Tour Walking tour of Bordeaux of the Beridon, Descant and other families origin. Afternoon depart for Tartas of the Laborde family and night pilgrimage and overnight at Lourdes. (Note: Option to stay at Bordeaux and reunite with group on Day 11 is optional)
Day 11 Depart Lourdes, Lunch at Barritz on the sea, Bordeaux, then Angouleme of the Brouillette, Bonnett, and Dupuy family of Avoyelles.
Day 12 Tour Walking tour of Angouleme, short stop in La Chausee of Braud family, visit Poitiers of Moreau and Fontenot family, visit house of famous Rabelais near Chinon, then late visit to castle of Chambord. Overnight in Chartres with its beautiful cathedral
Day 13 Tour Normandy region of Ige of the Normand-Gaspard families and Courcival of the Gremillion families. Afternoon visit Gverny Gardens of the famous Monet and on to Paris for the first of three nights.
Day 14 Tour Paris by bus in morning, then depart for afternoon tour of Versailles
Day 15 Paris at your leisure: one can visit St. Denis and St. Eusctache of the Saucier family, St. Germain L'aurexois of the Bordelon ancestry, Sceaux of the Rabalais family, St. Medard of the Marcotte family, of Melun of the Barbin family.
Day 16: return flight from paris to new orleans
Deadline to postmark your registration and payment: March 15(without late fee)
Price range: $2,800-$3,500 depending on single, double or triple rooms includes transportation in France, all taxes, and two meals a day.
If you are interested in receiving more information about this tour, please write or call
John Voinche at Union Bank
318-253-9835
or
Passports Tour Company
1-800-332-7277
Ask for the Louisiana French Heritage Tour in June
Laurent Chauvin or Kathie O'Neil
or email Pam Normand at:
marketing@union-bank.com.
Please give the name of your ancestor in France so we can add it to the list of towns we would like to try to visit. A meeting will be held for interested parties.
A list of surnmames that will be noted in various towns visited on the trip:
1999 France Trip: Surnames of planned towns
(Names) in parentheses indicate these families are from these regions, but visit of exact town of origin is not on schedule – either town not identified or not close enough for bus detour)
{Avoyelles} indicates surname of Avoyelles line of family with similar Acadian name: ie Roy, Blanchard, Gauthier
The tour is set from June 3-19, 1999.
FRENCH TOWN NAME is in all capital letters, followed by Louisiana surname:
Day 1-2 (Thursday-Friday, June 3-4) Fly from New Orleans to the German-France Border. First night in
Heidleburg: Katzenberger, Albrecht (south is Rotenberg, Baden-Wurtemburg, Germany: Frederick ancestor and Werick, Vicnair or Wichner of Sinsheim, Baden-Wurtemberg; Rommel, Rumel family of Kirchardt, Germany 20 mi SE Heidelburg)
Day 3; (Saturday, June 5, 1999): ALSACE LORRAINE Region:
INGWILLER 67340: Haas, Fischer, Philippi, Reinhard, Schafer, Vesperman
HAGUENAU 67500 Materne-his parents probably from here
STRASBOURG:67000, Aymond
MUTZIG 67190 may be the Mortsi that is also noted as the native town of Aymond
LIGNEVILLE 88800: Voinche family
ROSHEIM 67560: southwest of Strasbourg, Matherne: grandfather of Francoise Materne Gaspard, married here
GUEBERSCHWIHR 68420 just south of Colmar: Konig, grandmother of Francoise Materne Gaspard
LIEPVRE: 68660: Neck
Day 4 (Sunday, June 6) CHAMPAGNE region (Soileau, DeCuir, Ann Fanay of Mare m. 1st Chatelain)
RHEIMS 51100: Guillot. and Pellerin, (Coulon, Durat are maternal Pellerin lines)
Day 5 (Monday, June 7) PICARDY region, (DuCote from Flanders area; Laubel from Foret near Lille; Marcq-en-Breuil in Picardy is town where Marcotte’s originated before they went to Dieppe)
MAINTENAY 62870, north of Abbeville: Mayeux
FLIXECOURT 80420, northeast of Amiens: Poret
AMIENS, 80000,
QUEVILLON, 76840 suburb of Rouen: Couvillion
ROUEN: 76000, Firmin, Saucier, Couvillion, [LaBarron -Marie Chenier Normand’s paternal grandfather’s maternal grandmother.]
DIEPPE: 72600, Roy {Avoyelles}, Couvillion
Day 6 (Tuesday, June 8) Normandy region:
FECAMP 76400 – Charles Marcotte home on Marcotte Street. (f/o Jacques)
Saint Leger Church of Marcotte’s burned. Its site is an open area, where bus might park, by the Marcotte house, about where church would have been. The Marcot house was supposed to be almost adjoining the church structure. The Ducal Palace, now in ruins, would certainly have been there during the time of Marcotte ancestors, and the harbor has probably not changed much from when the two brothers sailed from there to Canada. Both St.Etienne and Abbey de Fecamp should have been visited by the Marcotte ancestors. Benedictine Abbey: --- the little B&B or Benedictine liquer bottles marked made in Fecamp make good souvenirs. Have fun visiting some bakeries and restaurants too. Charming town.
LAHAVRE, 76600, Bordelon, Lemoine, Bielkiwiecz.
Day 7 (Wednesday, June 9) Normandy
D-Day beaches:
CAEN: 14,000 Laboureur& Bardin maternal grandparents of Jean Normand
ST. JEAN DES CHAMPS: 50320, LaCour
MONT ST. MICHEL
ST. MALO: Aucoin, Roy & Charrier in law’s: Hache & Dumand families
Day 8 (Thursday, June 10) Normandy-Brittany
MOULINS: Gauthier
FOUGERES Gauthier’s wife
NANTES 44000, Gaignard
GENESTON, 44140, near Nantes: Janeau, benefactor church of Marksville Church
Sainte Marie-Madeleine Parish, Chemin des Tanneries, 44140 GENESTON, tTél. 02 40 06 60 50. Population: 1958. .Dans le secteur pastoral d'Aigrefeuille. (responsable du secteur M.L'abbé Henri Tremplé). Priest of the parish since 1995: Father Albert SURGET. The Bishop of Nantes is Mgr Georges Soubrier 1, impasse Saint- Laurent BP34611 44046 Nantes cedex 01 tél. 02 40 47 65 09 fax 02 40 35 52 10
LAROCHELLE:17000, Juneau, Goudeau, Boudreaux, Guilbeau , Aucoin
Day 9 (Friday, June 11) Brittany-Saintonge
ROCHEFORT: 17300, Bordelon, Noyan, 18th century LA Gov. Bienville’s brother in law, Villars family
FONTENAY LE COMPTE, 85200, Joffrion, site marked of birth of Antoine Drapeau on Rabalais street.
NIORT, 79000, St. Andre church, baptism site of the Chenevert
BORDEAUX: 33,000, Beridon, Descant, Blache (Mrs. Jacques Michot), LaFerranderie (Michot)
Day 10. (Saturday, June 12) TARTAS, 40400, Laborde
LOURDES
Day 11 (Sunday, June 13) Biarritz nearby is Bayonne, Bastarche family (Braud ancestor)
ANGOULEME, 16000, Brouillette; Saintonge: Bonnett, Dupuy family of Avoyelles.
Day 12 (Monday, June 14) LOUDUN VALLEY; (Charte-sur-Cher: Guillory) (Thibodeau: Loudun area)
Acadian origins. The progenitors of at least 14 Acadian families originated in the 3 towns: La Chaussee: 86330, Braud Aulnay, 86330, Martaize, 86330, Blanchard, Bourg, Theriot, LeBlanc , Gaudet, Terriau, Savoie
POITIERS 86000 Moreau, Fontenot
CHINON, 37500, visit house of famous Rabelais Rabalais family from this area
CHAMBORD. (Chatres-sur-Cher: Guillory)
CHARTRES 28000: Philippe Nepveu (Neveu) (1635) Michot ancestry
Day 13 (Tuesday, June 15) Normandy:
Ige, 61130: Normand-Gaspard
Courcival 72110 Gremillion
Gverny 27620, Gardens of the famous Monet.
Day 14 (Wednesday, June 16) Tour Paris by bus in morning, then depart for afternoon tour of Versailles
Day 15 (Thursday, June 17) Paris at your leisure: (Maraist family)
1st district Paris:
St. Eusctache Church of the Saucier family,
St. Germain L'aurexois Cathedral by the Louvre of the Bordelon ancestry (Ann Francois Roland)
Louvre - Pierre Sale, father in law of Jacques Marcotte, operated a hardware booth/store inside the grounds of thePalais du Louvre. Salle’s daughter was one of the filles de roi contracted by King Louis to go to Canada similar to the Casket girls of Louisiana. There is a painting by the master Ingres in the Louvre museum, in Paris,of a Madame Marcotte. She lived in Paris after our ancestors had already left for Canada, but probably had the same roots. Her father or Uncle's painting, also by Ingres, hangs in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Art in Washington DC.
5th District of Paris
St. Medard Church of the Marcotte family
Saint-Etienne du Monts, Jacques Sevestre (1634) Cardinal Lemoine Metro to get to it.
Outskirts of Paris
Sceaux, of the Rabalais-Ballanger family
St. Denis Church of the Saucier family
Melun of the Barbin, DeBellevue family, Chateau Lemoine.
Day 16 (Friday, June 18): return flight from Paris to new Orleans
Deadline to register: March 15 (without late fee)
Links to other sites on the Web
back to avoyelles page
Surnames sent to France-Genweb
France GenWeb
Avoyelles Tour of France en Francais
Detailed Agenda of Avoyelles Tours France Trip (this itenerary has been revised, but we present the older one to give some of the details of the tour areas.
(subject to change)
DAYs 1/2: C’est le départ! Charles Lindbergh made the trip in 33 hours
in
1927, and fell asleep on the way. You’ll make much better time, get
about
as much sleep as he did, and be met not by cheering throngs at Le
Bourget, but by your smiling passports courier at Charles de Gaulle
Airport, just outside Paris. Bienvenue!
Jump onto the coach, and widen your eyes. This is Paris, France. Vous
êtes arrivés! Settle in your centrally-located hotel, then set out to
explore one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities.
You may want to start with a visit to St. Denis’ “Martyr’s Mount,”
better
known as Montmartre, the highest of Paris’ hills. The front steps of
the
white-domed Basilique du Sacré-Coeur afford an extraordinary view of
the
city. The surrounding area has long been an artists’ quarter, from
Toulouse-Lautrec to Picasso. This is the Paris of the French Cancan,
with
the famous Moulin Rouge dance hall, and of artists still, as you can
see
on the charming Place du Tertre.
Dinner and overnight in Paris.
DAY 3: PARIS, VERSAILLES.
In-depth guided sightseeing this morning. On the Right Bank of the
River
Seine see the Champs-Elysées, Napoléon’s Arc de Triomphe and the exuberant Opéra Garnier; on the Left Bank discover the Eiffel Tower,
the
Sorbonne and the cafés of the Boul’ Mich’. Standing proudly on an
island
in the midst of all this glory is Paris’ finest jewel, Notre-Dame
Cathedral, which you will visit in the company of your guide.
This afternoon, pursue your journey into France’s aristocratic past
with
a tour of the magnificent Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV built it,
reflecting then-current views of aristocracy and its deserts. Visit
this
ultimate example of Baroque architecture and marvel at its incredible
splendor, lavish decoration, abundant gilding and exuberant
ornamentation, particularly in the Royal Apartments and the Hall of
Mirrors.
Back in the city, stroll along the glamorous Avenue des Champs-Elysées,
which stretches more than a mile from the Place de la Concorde (a most
peaceful name for a square where Versailles’ landlords, Louis XVI and
Marie-Antoinette, encountered Dr. Guillotin’s invention, and their
fate)
to the Arc de Triomphe.
Dinner and overnight in Paris.
DAY 4: CHARTRES, VENDÔME. CHAMBORD, TOURS. It’s an hour or so south of
Paris that the spires of the Chartres Cathedral first come into view,
solemnly rising above the wide-open fields of La Beauce. Soon, you’re
facing the most beautiful Gothic structure in Europe, according to
world-famous expert Malcolm Miller, a Briton who has spent years
studying
this sanctuary. See the stunning stained-glass windows. The cathedral
itself defines Gothic architecture, and the concept of the flying
buttress.
Journey on south and begin your introduction to the Loire Valley with a
stop in Vendôme. Rochambeau, who distinguished himself in the New
World,
was born here in 1725. Once a stop for medieval pilgrims bound for the
Spanish shrine of Santiago de Compostela, the town grew around the
Abbey
of the Trinity, which you will visit. Founded in 1034, the abbey
incorporates fine features of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Next, visit the breathtaking Château de Chambord, which is the largest
of
them all with its 440 rooms and 80 staircases. At the age of 25,
flamboyant King François I decided to build this sumptuous residence,
but
over the 32 years of his reign he spent only 42 days in Chambord! Now,
this is your day to admire the park (which is enclosed by a wall 18
miles
long), the grand façade, and the spirals of le Grand Escalier, which
cross and recross as they rise from the Salle des Gardes to a 100-foot
turret crowning a roof adorned with 365 chimneys!
Continue to your hotel in Tours, the hometown of Saint Martin and of
novelist Honoré de Balzac. Tours is the provincial capital of la
Touraine, where royalty built fancy castles to entertain their
courtiers.
Of particular interest is the renovated Vieux-Tours with its Gothic
cathedral, towers and timbered houses.
This evening, consider an optional Son et Lumière performance at a
nearby
castle to travel several centuries back in time. Dream royal dreams on
the banks of the magical Loire River.
Dinner and overnight in Tours.
DAY 5: LA DEVINIÈRE, LA ROCHEFOUCAULD, ANGOU- LÊME, BORDEAUX. A short
drive this morning takes you to the farmhouse of La Devinière, in the
vicinity of Chinon, where Rabelais was born in 1494. Visit the museum
which illustrates the author’s life and works.
Journey on southward. Time permitting, stop briefly in Poitiers. Then,
before reaching Angoulême, enjoy a mid-day stop in the small town of La
Rochefoucauld, whose castle, now in
ruins, dates back to the 11th century and belonged to the family of the
author of the Maximes.
Next is Angoulême, which has been an important center for paper
manufacturing since the Middle Ages and is nowadays the capital of one
of
France’s most popular media, la bande dessinée. Marguerite de Valois,
sister of François I, lived here as did the hero of Balzac’s Illusions
perdues. Visit the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, which has kept its
remarkable
Romanesque façade despite damages endured during the Wars of Religion.
On to Bordeaux, the capital of the ancient dukedom of Aquitaine, which
was part of the dowry of colorful Eleanor (who married two kings, Louis
VII of France and Henry II of England). The region is now better known
for its handling of grapes. Such great wines as Château Margaux and
Château Mouton-Rothschild are nurtured around here.
This evening, see the imposing Parliament Square, St. Andrew’s Church,
le
Grand Théâtre (inspiration for theaters around the world, including the
Opéra in Paris), the Hôtel de Ville and the Tour de la Grosse Horloge.
Dinner and overnight in Bordeaux.
DAY 6: TARTAS, LOURDES. A morning ride take you across les Landes, the
largest forestland in France. It was planted in the late 18th century
to
prevent further erosion by Atlantic winds blowing coastal sand inland.
Stop in the village of Tartas, which include the remains of a castle
and
a wood-pulp factory. Time permitting, you will also stop in Laborde.
Continue to the pilgrimage center of Lourdes. In 1858, 14 year-old
Bernadette Soubirous declared that “une Dame” had appeared to her
several
times in the cave of Massabielle and had said to her: “I am the
Immaculate Conception.” Now, more than 4 million pilgrims, most of whom
are sick or disabled, come here each year to worship the Virgin Mary
and
bathe in the waters of the miraculous spring.
Enjoy a walking tour of Lourdes and see the Church of the Rosary, above
which is the Gothic Basilica, built in 1876. At the foot of the rock on
which the basilica stands, see the bathing pools, the miraculous
fountain
and the cave where the apparitions took place. On a hillock stands the
Cross of the Calvary.
Dinner and overnight in Lourdes.
DAY 7: BIARRITZ, bordeaux. Depart Lourdes this morning, and enjoy a
mid-day stop in Biarritz, the premier resort city on France’s Atlantic
coast. It was known as “the Beach of Queens and the Queen of Beaches”
in
the 19th century when Empress Eugénie and Queen Victoria vacationed
here.
See the beach, steep cliffs, Victorian villas, casino and harbor.
Nowadays, the Grand’ Plage is a favorite spot for surf-boarding.
Journey back north to Bordeaux for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: NIORT, LA ROCHELLE. Today’s journey takes you first to the city
of
Niort, where Napoléon spent his last night on the French mainland.
If time permits, travel via Fontenay- le-Comte to the
remarkably-unspoiled walled city of La Rochelle. A busy port since the
14th century, La Rochelle controlled much of the New World trade. Furs
from Louisiana and Canada were shipped here when France’s colonial
possessions in the New World equaled half of the present-day United
States; the fur trade made La Rochelle economically superior to London.
Nowadays, the city claims the biggest pleasure-boat basin in Europe.
Start your walking tour with the picturesque old harbor, protected by
two
formidable towers. From this harbor, Protestant refugees sailed to
northern Europe and America, founding notably the town of New Rochelle
near New York City. Catholic colonists also
departed in large numbers for the West Indies, Louisiana and Canada.
(You
may want to visit the Musée du Nouveau Monde, which describes the lives
of early French settlers in America.)
Your tour includes La Rochelle’s Old Town, which has the largest number
of streets with covered archways in France, as well as many
15th-century
timbered houses.
Dinner and overnight in La Rochelle.
DAY 9: Nantes, fougères, le tronchet. Journey on north, with
a first stop in Nantes, capital city of the ancient dukedom of
Brittany,
now reputed for its cookie industry. You’ll see the château, built in
1466 by François II and enclosed within daunting fortifications, the
fabulous cathédrale, stately places, the gardens of the Cours Cambronne
and the Préfecture housed in the former Chambre des Comtes de Bretagne.
Jules Verne, the author of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and A Journey
To
The Centre Of The Earth, was born here in 1828.
Time permitting, stop in the village of Géneston before traveling on
through Brittany and the medieval town of Fougères, a
shoe-manufacturing
center and a stronghold on the border of the former duchy with France.
You may want to visit the formidable castle which dates back to this
time. In his novel Les Chouans, Balzac used Fougères and its region as
a
setting.
Your hotel tonight is located in the splendid abbatiale of the village
of
Le Tronchet.
Dinner and overnight in Le Tronchet.
DAY 10: MONT SAINT-MICHEL, D-DAY BEACHES, BAYEUX. The abbey of Mont
Saint-Michel appears out of the mists this morning, la Merveille
perched
upon a mountain of granite. You’ll walk its steep streets, hear tales
of
pilgrimages, and of prisoners who were once kept here. Spend some free
time browsing in the souvenir shops at the foot of the Mont, or walking
along the dike laid across a flat seabed, where incoming tides are said
to rush in as fast as a galloping horse.
After a mid-day stop in Coutances, continue your journey across the
lush
campagne normande, famous for its butter and Camembert cheese. Pass by
the town of Saint-Lô, so devastated in the Battle of Normandy that it
was
called “the capital of the ruins.”
This is Second World War country: sobering memorials, bunkers, and
barbed
wire. D-Day dawned here. In close proximity are the landing sites of
Utah
and Omaha Beaches, Arromanches and Caen, and La Pointe du Hoc, which
you
will visit. Imagine Allied soldiers scrambling up the nine-story cliffs
into a hail of lead. Now, just over these cliffs, the 9386 military
graves of the American Cemetery and Memorial, which you will also
visit,
lie in crisp rows, poignant reminders of heroic days.
A short distance inland, Bayeux was the first French city to be
liberated
by the Allies on D-Day, and one of the very few in the area that
escaped
major damage. See 14th-century half-timbered houses, the Renaissance
Town
Hall and the magnificent cathedral which overlooks the city. In the 9th
century, a Viking chieftain named Rollo landed at Bayeux, married the
daughter of the governor, and raised a son named William Longsword (who
was to be an ancestor of William the Conqueror). This makes Bayeux the
birthplace of the Norman
dynasty as well as of the English royal house.
Time permitting, you may want to see Bayeux’ treasure, the astonishing
231- foot long Tapestry, embroidered in the 11th century to chronicle
another invasion, that of England by the Normans, almost a thousand
years
before the D-Day landing.
Dinner and overnight in Bayeux.
Day 11: BELLÊME, EVREUX, DIEPPE. Today, travel deeper into
Normandie, towards the region of the Perche normand, which is centered
around the town of Bellême. Visit the neighboring villages of Igé and
Courcival, from which, 200 years ago, people emigrated to the colony of
Louisiana.
Continue to Evreux, a historic center, crowned by an imposing
cathedral,
which has endured the ravages of war from the Middle Ages to WWII.
Time permitting, stop in the villages of Mercy and Quévillon. Bypass
Rouen, forever linked in the French collective memory with Jeanne
d’Arc.
The cathedral, immortalized by Monet, is the city’s artistic
masterpiece,
and one of the most beautiful buildings in France. From the flamboyant
“Butter Tower” to the soaring central spire to the stained-glass
windows,
the cathedral demonstrates the highest workmanship of medieval workmen
and of their modern successors, who literally revived medieval skills
to
complete restoration after World War II. Other landmarks include the
Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in
1431,
and the Tour de Jeanne d’Arc, where she was kept prisoner and
interrogated.
Today’s journey ends in Dieppe, an important port since the Middle
Ages.
Its mariners count intrepid privateers such as Jean Ango and explorers
such as Verrazano (who gave the name of Terre d’Angoulême to the site
now
known as New York City), Jean Cousin (who claimed the discovery of
Brazil
in 1488) and the Parmentier brothers (who created the ritual associated
with the crossing of the equator). In fact this port was the most
prosperous in France in the 16th century and Dieppois were among the
first to settle in the New World.
A walking tour during your stay will
introduce the old center and the major landmarks: the Church of St.
Jacques and the castle, which houses a fine collection of carved ivory.
Dinner and overnight in Dieppe.
Day 12: FÉCAMP, ÉTRETAT, LE HAVRE, DIEPPE. Today, enjoy an excursion
along the Côte d’Albâtre, named for the chalky cliffs which line the
Upper Normandy coast. The major town south of Dieppe is Fécamp, the
home
port of the rugged “Newfoundlers” who led their fleet on lengthy
fishing
expeditions across the North Atlantic to Terre-Neuve. Visit the
imposing
Church of La Trinité, which is longer than Notre-Dame de Paris. It is
the
only remnant of a Benedictine abbey founded around the year 660 and
which
remained a prosperous institution until the Revolution — its prosperity
due in part to the Bénédictine, a liquor created by the monks in the
16th
century from the extracts of 27 herbs and spices!
On to Etretat to view the Falaise d’Aval, where the movements of the
sea
eroded the cliff into a well-known arch and Aiguille which have
inspired
many painters and writers (such as Maurice Leblanc, whose hero Arsène
Lupin uses the Aiguille as a secret hiding place!).
Continue to the port of Le Havre, created by François I in 1517, after
the port of Harfleur silted up. Since then, it has become France’s
second-largest harbor, both for strategic and commercial reasons.
Famous
natives are too numerous to mention, while many French people embarked
here for the New World over the last three hundred years. The city,
rebuilt following near-total destruction in WWII, is dominated by the
340-foot octagonal tower of the modern Church of St. Joseph. Time
permitting, you may want to visit the Musée de l’Ancien Havre, housed
in
a 17th-century house which escaped destruction, to get a better picture
of what the city looked like when your ancestors departed for America.
Return to Dieppe for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: ABBEVILLE, AMIENS, REIMS. This morning travel to the Abbeville
area to visit, if time permits, the village of Maintenay.
Continue to Amiens, the ancient capital of Picardy and a prosperous
city
since the Middle Ages thanks to its textile industry. This wealth is
reflected in the cathedral, which you will visit. This is France’s
largest cathedral and a jewel of Gothic art. Behold its soaring spire,
rose window, and magnificent reliefs.
Continue through to the province of Champagne, the northernmost
wine-growing region in France and its capital city of Reims.
Dinner and overnight in Reims.
Day 14: REIMS, PARIS. The crowning of French monarchs occurred in the
splendid cathedral of Reims. Paris may be the heart of France, but many
believe that Reims is its soul. Clovis, considered to be France’s first
king, was crowned and baptized in this city by Bishop Rémi 15 centuries
ago.
The cathedral’s beautifully-carved western doorways, like a bible in
sculptured stone, lead to the stained-glass lit nave which saw the
coronation of 56 French kings in a millennium. Many windows needed
restoration after two World Wars: don’t miss the chapel, with windows
designed by Marc Chagall.
Of course, the vineyards of Champagne are world-famous. “I’m drinking
stars!” declared Dom Pérignon, the 17th-century monk who discovered the
sparkling wine’s double fermentation process. Hear more on that topic
as
you visit one of Reims Champagne cellars, where miles of tunnels dug
through the chalk substrata house large oak barrels and millions of
bottles.
Proceed along the tree-lined roads that are so characteristic of the
French landscape to the now-familiar broad boulevards of Paris
Dinner and overnight in Paris.
DAY 15: PARIS. Paris à la carte! This last day is free to spend as you
wish. Travelers whose ancestors came from the towns of Sceaux and Melun
may want to hop on the rapid transit system and pay a visit to the
cradle
of their family.
If you stay in the city, consider a visit to the Louvre Museum. Explore
its newly-opened galleries and their ancient treasures, as well as the
modernistic underground galleria beneath I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid. See
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the antique Vénus de Milo among
countless masterpieces.
Plan to have lunch at the roof-top cafeteria of the Samaritaine
department store, which affords nice views of the city.
Stroll around the Opéra district. See its centerpiece, now called the
Opéra Garnier (to distinguish it from its much younger sibling, the
Opéra
Bastille), grandiose 19th-century architecture adorned with a marvelous
ceiling painted by Marc Chagall. There are many shops in the area, from
the fancy boutiques de haute couture to the Galeries Lafayette, the
elegant department store.
This evening, enjoy a Bateaux-Mouches cruise down the floodlit Seine
followed by a tour of illuminated Paris.
Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Day 16: Le retour, hélas. Most good things must come to an end. Enjoy
an
in-flight dinner, movie and perhaps a short nap before you find
yourself
back in “La Nouvelle-Orléans,” eager to share your discoveries with
family and friends.
OVERNIGHTS:
Paris 2.
Tours 1.
Bordeaux 1.
Lourdes 1.
Bordeaux 1.
La Rochelle 1.
Le Tronchet 1.
Bayeux 1.
Dieppe 2.
Reims 1.
Paris 2.
All buffet breakfasts and all dinners
(upgraded) included.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Transatlantic transportation on scheduled airline.
Airport transfers.
Accommodations in centrally-located Three Star Superior or Four Star
hotels.
Professionally-guided tour of Paris.
Excursion to the Palace of Versailles.
Visit of Chartres Cathedral.
Visit of the Loire Valley castle of Chambord and of Vendôme’s Abbey
Church.
St. Martin’s Tours.
Visit of La Devinière, birthplace of Rabelais.
Visit of Angoulême Cathedral.
Provincial capital of Bordeaux.
Pilgrimage center of Lourdes.
Atlantic resort of Biarritz.
Walking tour of the historic port of La Rochelle.
Breton cities of Nantes and Fougères.
Visit of Mont Saint-Michel.
Visits to the D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery.
Normandy cities of Coutances, Bayeux, Bellême, Evreux, Dieppe, and Le
Havre.
Visit of Fécamp’s Abbey Church.
The spectacular Falaise d’Aval and Aiguille d’Etretat.
Ancestral villages of Courcival, Igé, Tartas and La Rochefoucauld.
Visit of Amiens Cathedral.
Visit of Reims Cathedral and visit of a Champagne cellar.
Bateaux-Mouches cruise and illumination drive.
Services of a specially-trained passports courier throughout.
Deluxe motorcoach, with driver.
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page