Centuries-old Mont-Saint-Michel still commands an appeal “au courant,” with stories of intrigue and escape easy to imagine
the 16th-century as the base of French corsairs, private seamen known for attacking English and Dutch ships. The town became known for its wealth acquired through trade and no doubt, the corsairs’ pursuits. Join your Tauck Director for a guided walking tour of St-Malo’s walled medieval center, La Ville Intra-Muros, reconstructed after being damaged in World War II. Meals BL
MONT-SAINT-MICHEL… Meaning “marvel” in French, the medieval structure crowning Mont-Saint-Michel, a rocky islet off the coast of Normandy, is known as La Merveille, referring to the mastery of its 13th-century builders. Facing the ocean, La Merveille, is half monastic, half fortress and consists of three stories that provided living, study and work spaces for a community of Benedictine monks. At its summit stands a steepled and sober church. The structures were wrapped around the granite rock of Mont-Saint-Michel, which rises out of the sea and is connected to the mainland by a natural land bridge that is covered at high tide. Surrounded by quicksand, the island has an insular and mystical image. You will find the abbey, and the town at its base, illustrated in the Bayeux Tapestry, which you will see on Day 8 of this tour. Although attacked during the wars between France and England, the mount was never captured. And during the French Revolution, the abbey was converted into a prison. Tides, quicksand and striking architecture continue to make this an intriguing place.
MERVEILLE AT 110
8. BAYEUX TAPESTRY & DEAUVILLE BEACHES Head through the countryside to the Normandy coast, where you’ll discover another piece of historic woven art, the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry - named a UNESCO “Memory of the World,” for its imagery of Viking ships and Norman and Saxon cavalries fighting for control over England’s throne. Next a drive along the area’s Yellow Roads ends at Le Mémorial de Caen which commemorates the sacrifices made during World War II fighting and features a Peace Museum and memorial gardens. You’ll arrive at your Belle Époque-era beachfront resort in Deauville in time for dinner à la carte. Meals BD
9. D-DAY BEACHES & AMERICAN CEMETERY On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed at beaches along the Normandy coast with code names etched in memory – Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword and Omaha. Today, Tauck’s local expert introduces you to the poignant events of “D-Day.” You’ll visit Pointe du Hoc, an imposing 100-ft. cliff taken by the U.S. Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, the now-quiet Omaha Beach and the American Military Cemetery. Meals BL
10. ROUEN & GIVERNY, THEN ON TO PARIS En route to Paris, stop in Rouen for a locally guided tour of the town known for the cathedral painted more than 30 times by Monet. Included is a visit to the modern Church of Ste. Joan of Arc, dedicated to the heroine burned at the stake in its central square in 1431. Your path follows the River Seine to Giverny,
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