Brittany & The Loire Valley: Castles, Chateaux & Celtic Roots

After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. There are several lengthy motorcoach transfers during this program. Due to ecological regulations in France, new motorcoaches do not have restrooms on board. Older models have restrooms, but they are not available for use. A rest stop will be made along the way for rides over 90 minutes. The Group Leader will announce when rest stops will be made; speak with the Group Leader if additional stops are needed. French restaurants take pride in creating a relaxed atmosphere where patrons expect to take their time, savor every bite, and set the pace of the meal, requesting “l’addition” — the check — only when they are ready. Meals are accompanied by complimentary “pain” (bread) and “eau” or “l’eau” (water), so you need not ask for them. When wine is offered, it is customary to fill your glass only half way so the wine can breathe and to be sure everyone has a share. Servers wait until everyone at the table has finished their dish before clearing and bringing the next course. To indicate that you have finished your meal, place your utensils together on the right hand side of your plate. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of a glass of wine, soft drink, water; other beverages available for purchase.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as eggs, cheese, cereals, yogurt, fruit, breads and butter, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water.

We will check-out of the hotel in Paris and transfer via motorcoach to the train station. We will ride France’s high-speed train, the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) traveling at an average speed of more than 170 miles per hour to Quimper. We’ll then check in at the hotel

on own

Next, we will go with our local expert and Group Leader to the Musée Départemental Breton to learn about the cultural traditions of Brittany. The building was once the Palais des Évêques — Palace of Bishops — dating from 1507 with a number of later additions. The museum collections include elements from archaeological discoveries as well as centuries of applied arts and crafts. We will see traditional dresses, handcrafted furniture, and hand-painted faïence ceramics. We’ll then have some independent time to see more of the museum, explore the area, or return to the hotel and relax.

At a local restaurant

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We’ll be joined at the hotel by a local expert will speak to us about Bretagne — Brittany — the most “Atlantic” region of France that has been inhabited by Celts, Britons, and Romans. We’ll then set out with our local expert and Group Leader on a walking field trip in the historic center of Quimper, capital of the ancient county of Cournouaille (Cornwall). The city has long been known for its faïence ceramic pottery. We will stroll over the footbridge to Saint-Corentin Cathedral, with its Gothic-style façade, constructed between the 13th and 16th centuries. We will be able to admire the exterior.

At the hotel, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of soft drinks and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

We will continue our walking field trip of Quimper. We’ll then have some independent time to see more of the museum, explore the area, or return to the hotel and relax.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will board a motorcoach for a day of field trips, heading first to Pointe du Raz. En route, a local expert will tell us about Brittany’s outstanding natural landscapes. Arriving at Pointe du Raz, we will see the impressive view at the very end of the Cornwall Peninsula, where the coast juts out into the sea. Our expert will speak to us about this iconic peninsula and its importance to les Bretons, the people of Brittany. We will next go to the Baie de Douarnenez, where legend says the beautiful city of Ys was swallowed up by the sea. Expert commentary will be provide on this location and the legend of Ys. En route to Locronan, we’ll hear a lecture about Brittany’s religious heritage and saints. There are more than 300, including Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, the patron saint.

At a restaurant in Locronan, we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of fruit juice, soft drinks, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

We will go on an expert-led walking field trip in Locronan, listed among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France). It was sacred to the Celts and once one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Brittany as well as a center of cloth production from the 15th to 18th centuries. We’ll also have some time for independent exploration before returning to Quimper.

At the hotel

We’ll enjoy an exclusive performance of traditional Celtic music and dance just for our Road Scholar group. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as eggs, cheese, cereals, yogurt, fruit, bread, jam, butter, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water.

After checking out of the hotel, we will board a motorcoach and ride to Pont-Aven. We’ll be joined by a local expert for a lecture on Paul Gauguin and what became known as the École de Pont-Aven (Pont-Aven School). It refers not to an organized institution but to a varied group of painters who were attracted to the setting and lived in local inns, turning Pont-Aven into an artists’ colony. The first group were American students who arrived in 1862 after the opening of a railroad line from Paris to Quimper. The artistic community was already thriving by the time Gauguin first stayed here in 1886. He and painter Émile Bernard were leaders in the “Synthesism” movement that went beyond Impressionism. Gauguin then became one of the foremost proponents of “Symbolism” that imbued his paintings not only with a different structural and artistic style but emotional, spiritual, and symbolic elements as well. We will go on a walking field trip in Pont-Aven to see sites that inspired the artists. We will also visit the Chapel of Trémalo with its 17th-century carved wooden figure of Jesus on the cross that inspired Gauguin’s “Yellow Christ,” an important painting reflecting the artist’s merging of Synthesism and Symbolism.

On own

Back aboard the motorcoach, we will travel by motorcoach to Carnac, with the greatest concentration of megalithic elements in the world. Predating Stonehenge by about a century, there are more than 3,000 upright stones, most around thigh-high, erected between 5000-3500 BCE by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany.

At the hotel

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We’ll set out on a walking field trip with a local expert to explore the old town of Vannes. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. It was conquered by the Romans in 56 BCE and later experienced an influx of Britons, followed by generations of power struggles. Today, it is characterized by nearly 300 historic monuments, medieval city walls and ramparts, and structures dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries We will see the ramparts, harbor, and half-timbered houses.

At a local Breton restaurant, we will learn the difference between savory buckwheat galettes (main course) and sweet wheat flour crêpes (dessert) as we enjoy a traditional Breton crêpe meal.

We will then take a short ride to Trinite Sur Mer and have a brief stop there before taking a boat ride in the Gulf of Morbihan.

On your own

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will check out and depart by motorcoach to the Château de Josselin, whose origins stretch back to the 11th century. The magnificent Gothic-Breton Renaissance structure we see today was built in the early 16th century. Château Josselin is the ancestral home of the Rohan family, one of the great houses of European nobility and once among the most powerful in France. It is inhabited and maintained by its current residents, the 14th Duke of Rohan and his wife. In a self-directed visit, accompanied by the Group Leader, we will have time to wander through the beautifully designed rose garden and park.

At a local restaurant, we'll have a plated meal including water and a choice of a glass of wine or a soft drink; other beverages available for purchase.

Next, we will ride to Dinan, an ancient riverfront city with its medieval fortifications mostly intact. We’ll set on a walking field trip with a local expert to explore this officially designated Villes et Pays d’Art et d’Histoire (Town and Land of Art and History). We’ll learn about the city’s Celtic heritage and its high-tech present, and see some of its medieval timber-framed buildings. Brittany is one of the six official Celtic “nations” of the world. The people known as Gaulois — those who were here when the Romans invaded — were in fact descended from Celts who had arrived and settled long before.

At a local restaurant, we'll have a plated meal including water and a choice of a glass of wine or a soft drink; other beverages available for purchase.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will board a motorcoach and ride to Cancale, a typical fishing port. At a marine farm, we’ll view a film in English to learn about oyster farming and regional traditions. We’ll then have a tasting of oysters and fish pâté. Back aboard the motorcoach, we’ll hear tales and legends of Brittany as we continue our journey to Mont-Saint-Michel.

At a local restaurant, we'll have a plated meal including water and a choice of a glass of wine or a soft drink; other beverages available for purchase.

The locals call this “le Mont.” With its legendary origin — which its founder said was at the request of the Archangel Michael! — Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France’s best known and most strikingly beautiful landmarks. It is also a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. From the UNESCO inscription: “Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the ‘Wonder of the West,’ a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour de force, having had to adapt to the problems posed by this unique natural site.” We'll explore independently with the aid of personal audio devices. Afterwards, we'll return to the hotel.

On your own

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We’ll set out from the hotel for a walking field trip here in Saint-Malo. Though the area was inhabited for much longer, tradition says the town was founded in the 6th century by a Welsh monk named Maclovius. It gained prominence in the 16th century as a center of trade, explorers including Jacques Cartier, and pirates! The medieval old city, nearly demolished during World War II, has been substantially restored. The ancient walls and ramparts were hardly damaged. We'll meet a local expert who will tell us about the history of the city, past and present. We will also hear tales of the Bretons and their legacy as seafaring people.

On your own to have what you like in Saint-Malo. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Free time. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most in Saint-Malo, the most visited city in Bretagne.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel, we'll select from a buffet including eggs, breakfast meats, breads, cheese, cereals, jam, butter, yogurt, fruit, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water.

We will board a motorcoach and ride to Angers. In the late morning, we will enjoy a walking field trip of the Old Angers with a local expert. Capital of the Anjou region, Angers has many artistic and historic treasures and has become famous as much for its rich heritage as for its modernity and excellent quality of life.

On your own

We will set off on foot to explore the Chateau of Angers. Former home of the House of Plantagenet and a thriving Renaissance city, Angers also contains the famous medieval fortress of King René, with its enormous walls, where the world renowned Apocalypse tapestry hangs. We will also see the city of Canons, with remnants of Roman and Plantagenet Gothic style art before arriving in la Doutre, a village in the very heart of Angers. Next we will go and see the Jean Lurçat Luseum

At a local restaurant

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

Via motorcoach will depart for Fontevraud where we will visit the Fontevraud Abbey. Situated where the three regions of Poitou, Anjou and Touraine meet, this is one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the Middle Ages. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in 1101 by iconoclastic preacher and visionary, Robert d’Arbrissel. This was a different order from other monasteries of the time because it welcomed people from all social backgrounds. The order of Fontevraud rapidly spread over a vast area, reaching as far as England and Spain.

At a local restaurant in Saumur.

On foot, we will walk to the fortified town of Saumur, and see its castle from the outside. We will return to the hotel after our field trip concludes.

On your own.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer tomorrow.

Hotel buffet.

We will check out and head off by motorcoach for the castle at Azay-le-Rideau. Built on an island in the middle of the Indre, what you see today was created by a wealthy financier of Francis I, Gilles de Berthelot, who wanted to reconcile innovative ideas from Italy with the French style of construction. Listed as a historic monument by UNESCO, the castle at Azay-le-Rideau has preserved, with the passing years, all the refinement, elegance and grace of an exceptional Renaissance chateau.

On your own.

We will enjoy a stroll through the famous gardens of the Château de Villandry. Unusual for the Loire Valley, this chateau and its gardens were the home and pet project of a commoner — albeit one who was powerful and influential — Jean le Breton, the finance minister of King Francois I. The chateau le Breton had built replaced a medieval fortress. Its gardens became famous for their complex symmetrical beauty and have been restored to their original 15th century appearance.

At a local restaurant

At leisure.

At the hotel, we'll select from a buffet including eggs, breakfast meats, breads, cheese, cereals, jam, butter, yogurt, fruit, juices, coffee, tea, water.

We will depart via motorcoach to Clos Lucé, a small château in Amboise. This château was home to Leonardo da Vinci for the last years of his life following an invitation from King Francis I in 1516, who offered it to him as a place to live and work. Restored inside and out to its appearance during Renaissance times, it serves as a museum displaying forty machines of da Vinci’s design, the chapel, and the gardens as they were in the 16th century.

On your own.

We will continue our Loire Valley exploration at the Château de Chenonceau. Built on the foundation of an old mill in the early 16th century, this château is one of the most well-known in the Loire Valley. It has a long and complicated history with many owners, most famously Catherine de’ Medici, who made it her favorite residence and added rooms and gardens. Due to its unique structure, the Château managed to escape destruction during the French Revolution by being the only bridge across the river for several miles.

At a local restaurant

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

By motorcoach we will go visit the Château of Chambord. We will explore the outside of this huge castle, and see the exterior that offers great insight into royal architecture in the Loire.

Picnic Lunch in Chambord

Free time in Tours. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

On your own. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel, we'll select from a buffet including eggs, breakfast metals, breads, cheese, cereals, jam, butter, yogurt, fruit, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water. This concludes our program.

We will check-out of the hotel and depart by motorcoach for Chartres to visit its cathedral and learn about the famous stained-glass windows.

Farewell Lunch in Chartres.

Afler our Farewell lunch, we will ride to our Charles De Gaulle Airport hotel and check in. The remainder of the afternoon is free.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel – depending on flight times – we'll select from a buffet including eggs, breakfast metals, breads, cheese, cereals, jam, butter, yogurt, fruit, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!