ITINERARY

Thursday/Friday, September 17/18 USA - Paris
A transatlantic flight to the City of Lights. Clear Customs/Immigrations and a complimentary transfer from Charles de Gaulle Airport is provided to the hotel. After checking in, the remainder of the day is yours to enjoy. Later, meet our Tour Director for a stroll to nearby café for a supper. D

Saturday, September 19 Paris
After breakfast in route to Meudon, our Parisian guide introduces us to fabulous sights: 13th century Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral with tales of Quasimodo, and drive through the courtyard of the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde. Continue to Meudon, whose observatory is built on the foundations of a seventeenth century castle badly damaged during the Siege of Paris, 1871. Meudon features the Grand Lunette, Europe’s largest refractor. We will attend a lecture on the work of E. M. Antoniadi, an astronomer-artist who in September 1909 used this telescope to make the Meudon Observatory's first modern observations of the Martian surface. From Meudon Park, we will enjoy an unrivalled panoramic view of Paris in a lovely setting that inspired the painter Renoir and the sculptor Rodin, whose studios were nearby. B/L

Sunday, September 20 Paris/Versailles/Rouen/Giverny/Paris
After breakfast, travel to the elegant town of Versailles to visit the palace built for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Here the members of his court lived in unequalled splendor, enjoying a lifestyle which eventually led to the French Revolution. After a guided tour through the royal apartments there will be time for a stroll through the gardens to see the old roses planted by l’Empereur for Josephine. Continue on to the city of Rouen and Giverny where Monet lived and painted. B/L

Monday, September 21 Paris
After breakfast, we are off to the Palais Royal Musee du Louvre, designed under Charles V in the 14th Century. Take the Themematic Masterpiece Trail. Not to be missed are Mona Lisa, Venus d’ Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Psychic Awakening Eros or Flandrin’s Young Man Beside the Sea and many, many more.
Tonight celebrate with a dinner cruise on the River Seine. cruising past the lighted Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. A choice of vin-de-pays will be provided for an unforgettable festive evening on board the Bateau Parisien. B/D

Tuesday, September 22 Paris
Today enjoy a walking tour of the Latin Quarter visiting the Pantheon, St. Sulpice with its Meridian Line, and the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral followed by a leisurely lunch in the Latin Quarter. Those interested may wish also to visit Mt. Parnasse, where many illustrious Parisians are buried, including Le Verrier, the mathematical discoverer of Neptune. B/L

Wednesday, September 23 Paris
To an optional visit (by rail) to Juvisy-sur-Orge will offer to visit an eighteenth century chateau where the kings of France rested on journeys between Paris and Fontainebleau and where, on March 30, 1814, l’Empereur Napoleon learned of the capitulation of Paris and the downfall of the Empire. This was a long-term residence and observatory of Camille Flammarion, France’s most beloved astronomy writer, and where E.M. Antoniadi cut his teeth as an observer of Mars. We will see a pyramid placed here in 1740 memorializing the work of Jean Packard and Nicolas de Lacaille in Measuring the circumference and shape of the Earth. B

Thursday, September 24 Paris – USA
Extend your stay in France with three nights in Bordeaux or points beyond. Complimentary transfers are provided to the airport. B

For more information, please contact MWT Associates at 877-707-7827 or visit their website at www.melitatrips.com

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