MONET IN GIVERNY Exclusive to Tauck, enjoy an early-opening visit
to Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny. Monet arranged the compositions of his garden landscapes often by rearranging his garden. It was, after all, his outdoor studio. And since it’s hardly changed, you can sense what it was like to be present at the moment when life became art. Observe his water lilies on canvas at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, then experience them firsthand, where art becomes life.
Post-Impressionist works housed in a former railway terminal. Following a guided tour of city sights, enjoy free time on your own in Paris or return to the ship for lunch and time at leisure. Dinner tonight is aboard ship. Meals BLD
5. MUSÉE DE L’ARMÉE / MARAIS DISTRICT Visit the palatial War Museum, Musée de l’Armée, with its astonishing collection of military weapons from different time periods; aptly, Napoleon’s tomb is here, at the Church of the Invalides. Or you can choose a tour of the exclusive Marais District, with its wealth of medieval and Renaissance architecture, fashionable shops and classic sidewalk cafés. Return to the ship for a chocolate tasting; this evening your riverboat sails to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Meals BLD
6. VAN GOGH / AUVERS-SUR-OISE Drive to the town of Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh spent his last days. The town has hardly changed since, so you’ll be able to recognize scenes from his paintings, including the view of the town hall, seen from the upper window of his room at the inn. You can also visit his room, No. 5 at the Auberge Ravoux, which has never been rented since he died in 1890. While you’re in town, you’ll also visit the Absinthe Museum, dedicated to the legendary green drink which was said to be the muse (and downfall) of so many turn-of-the century poets, painters, and writers; your visit includes an exclusive tasting, of course. Return to the ship for lunch and time at leisure before sailing for Vernon; you’ll arrive after dinner, with time for a walk in the city in the evening. Meals BLD
7. MONET’S GARDENS / VERNON Leave your riverboat for a visit to Giverny and Claude Monet’s house and exquisite gardens. The gardens were personally designed by the artist as subjects for his paintings, where he could rearrange the composition at will, and they’ve been maintained as he originally intended – the Japanese bridge, the pond of water lilies, and exotic flora – so you’ll feel like you’ve entered a Monet landscape. The afternoon is free to explore
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Vernon as you please – it’s fabulous for walks. Half-timbered houses and wrought-iron shop signs line cobblestone streets that retain their Middle Ages character... the neo-classical architecture is charming! This evening, join us for a Tauck exclusive event – an evening at Château de Bizy, “the Versailles of Normandy” that was once home to Louis XV. Your evening includes a tour of the château, reception, and a dinner with music. Baroque splendor surrounds you – and discover the story behind an amazing 16th-century piano. Meals BLD
8. MEDIEVAL ROUEN This morning, sail to Rouen, which Victor Hugo called “the city of a hundred bell towers.” Once the prosperous medieval capital of Normandy, Rouen still bristles with spires and entices with Gothic churches, impeccably restored half-timbered houses, and picturesque cobblestone lanes. Joan of Arc was tried and burned at the stake here in 1431, and her presence is immortalized everywhere – in monuments within the town,
A private evening at Château de Bizy includes dinner, music & a guided tour
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