A Week in Provence
May 18 to 26, 2010 -- waitlist only
Alternative dates available:  May 11 to 19, 2010

Spend a week based at the Hôtel Roi René in the heart of Aix-en-Provence to discover the landscapes that inspired great masterpieces of the Impressionists. Visit Paul Cezanne’s family home and nearby Mt. Ste-Victoire, the subject of many paintings. Daily lectures and excursions will familiarize travelers with the history of the area that has long drawn great artists. Excursions include Avignon, to visit a medieval masterpiece, the Palace of the Popes; the roman city of Arles, to see the Romanesque Cathedral of St. Trôphime; and Cassis, on the Mediterranean, for a cruise through the narrow inlets cut from towering white stone cliffs. Explore the countryside of Le Luberon, visit the beautiful hilltop villages of Gordes and Rousillon and privately tour the Chateau d’Ansouis. Stroll through the cobbled streets and tiny squares of Les Baux and visit St. Remy, surrounded by the valleys that inspired Van Gogh to produce more than 150 paintings. All meals are included and the hotel is well located a few blocks from the Cours Mirabeau, center of the delightful town of Aix-en-Provence, where there will be some free time to discover treasures at the Saturday market. $3,095 per person, double occupancy; $745 single supplement.

Provence