Million Air November-December 2018

JOIE DE VIVRE FRANCE

Enjoy l’art de vivre with this 16-day itinerary from Luxury Gold. The journey begins in Paris where you’ll board the Uniworld SS Joie de Vivre ship, before heading on to La Roche-Guyon and Monet’s Giverny to visit grand châteaux and gardens. You’ll see the landscapes that inspired Monet and visit his home and gardens, as well as Château La Roche-Guyon. Spend the next few days discovering the history of Normandy, from the infamous D-Day beaches to the medieval city of Rouen. If you’ve ever wanted to see how the French royals lived, day six includes a tour of Château de Versailles (including visiting the secret rooms and royal apartments) —many of the rooms look the same as when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fled in 1789. For the second half of the odyssey, you’ll head to the City of Light to see all its sights (Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Opera Garnier, Eiffel Tower and the Latin Quarter) with a local expert who will share insider knowledge. You’ll also head on a small-group gourmet tour, led by a food connoisseur, to visit independent patisseries, boulangeries, chocolatiers and cheese shops, and curate your own divine picnic. On day nine, you’ll have a VIP tour of the largest privately owned chateau in France, Vaux-Le-Vicomte, which dates back to the 17th century. Take a walk through 100 acres of pristine flower beds, trickling fountains and classic statues, then learn the subtleties of French high society with a dining etiquette class hosted by a professional butler. From Paris, you’ll journey on to Provence to follow in the steps of Van Gogh, to the Rhone Valley for wine tasting, Les Baux-de-Provence for a visit to a family-owned olive mill and for olive tasting, before heading to the French Riviera for the final few days of the journey. You’ll see the best of Monaco, including a visit to Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild to see the divine works of art collected by Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild. From $7,750 per person. Contact Claire Hanney, head of travel experiences, +44 808 149 9444, luxurygoldvacations.com