THE GARDIANS, as the cowboys of la Camargue are known, welcome you to their world in this wild corner of southern


France along the western edge of Provence... an endless expanse of tall grass and swampy marshland known for its beautiful white horses and the prized black bulls they raise here. The best of the bulls are chosen for the course camarguaise, the popular and humane Provençal bull games in which players attempt to grab paper tokens, or attributs, from the bulls’ horns. It’s all part of a proud and colorful Provençal tradition that you’ll learn about firsthand when a local family hosts you at their ranch in la Camargue for a lunch of Provençal specialties, wine, music and fun – and an exciting demonstration of skill and daring between the bulls and the cowboys.


5.  STORIES OF POPES (& WINE) IN AVIGNON Papal fervor put the walled city of Avignon on the map some 700 years ago when safety-seeking pontiffs reigned here in the 14th century. Evidence of their rule comes to life during a guided tour of the impregnable Palais des Papes; part fortress, part showplace, it is the largest Gothic palace in the world. A walk through its 20 medieval rooms reveals 14th-century hunting frescoes and painted floor tiles, richly decorated ceilings adorned with murals and grand banquet halls and


VOYAGE AT A GLANCE  9 CRUISE DAYS


Paris


Paris to Monte-Carlo Day Destination


1 Arrive Paris InterContinental Paris Le Grand


2 Paris


 3 TGV to Lyon / Embark Lyon  4 Chalon-sur-Saône / Mercurey  5 Cormatin / Burgundy  6 Mâcon / Cluny  7 Lyon / Collonges  8 Vienne  9 Viviers  10 Avignon / Châteauneuf-du-Pape  11 Arles / La Camargue


12 Disembark Arles / Nice / Monte-Carlo Fairmont Monte Carlo


13 Monte-Carlo 14 Depart Monte-Carlo


Monte-Carlo to Paris Day Destination


1 Arrive Monte-Carlo Fairmont Monte Carlo


2 Monte-Carlo


 3 Nice / Embark Arles  4 Arles / La Camargue  5 Avignon / Châteauneuf-du-Pape  6 Viviers  7 Vienne / Collonges  8 Chalon-sur-Saône / Mercurey  9 Cormatin / Burgundy  10 Mâcon / Cluny  11 Lyon


12 Disembark Lyon / TGV / Paris InterContinental Paris Le Grand


13 Paris 14 Depart Paris


Cormatin FRANCE


Mercurey Tournus


Lyon Vienne ITALY Viviers


Avignon Arles


Monte-Carlo MEDITERRANEAN SEA


Chalon-sur-Saône Mâcon


SWITZERLAND Maximum Elevation: 787 ft.


chapels steeped in papal history. After lunch, we’ve arranged an afternoon wine tasting at one of the select vineyards permitted to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape – literally “the New Castle of the Pope” – the most famous of the Côtes du Rhône wines. Your host reveals secrets of the terroir as you sample estate-crafted red and white wines, along with savory cheese puffs called gougères, traditionally served at tastings. Your riverboat sets sail for Viviers this evening, passing by the bridge immortalized in the song, “Sur Le Pont d’Avignon.” Meals BLD


Nice MONACO


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