Depart From: Overnight in transit

Afternoon: Arrive at the Marseille airport and transfer with the group to the hotel in Aix-en-Provence. Look for the Group Leader with the Road Scholar sign at the meeting point in the arrival terminal. The group leader will lead you to the shuttle service set for the transfer. Gather for the Orientation and Welcome meeting. Introduction to the Art of Living program, and its intercultural approach, with distribution of a day-by-day program booklet including practical tips for your stay.

Dinner: Get to know your fellow participants at the Welcome Dinner.

Lodging: Aquabella Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Learn about the history of Aix-en-Provence in a lecture at the hotel. Presentation: Passe Composé - The History of Aix by our local expert guide. Enjoy a graphic illustration of the urban and architectural evolution of the city, layer after layer, from Roman to Modern times. Afterwards, depart on an introduction to the historical center and the history of Aix en Provence : the Saint Sauveur Cathedral, the Museum of Old Aix, the Archbishops' palace, Town Hall, Albertas Square and the Palace of Justice. Discover medieval streets and the city's architectural heritage ranging from the 5th to the 14th century.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Field Trip: Continue the walking tour of Aix en Provence with a stroll down the Cours Mirabeau, Aix's elegant tree-lined main street, dotted with fountains of fresh spring water discovered by the Romans, and a visit to the Mazarin district with its discretely ornate 17th Century private town-houses.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Evening: Workshop: An Introduction to French led by your group leader. Learn basic French expressions and key phrases to help you throughout your journey.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Lourmarin, Roussillon, Gordes & Abbey of Senanque - the Perched Villages of the Luberon

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip: This morning we explore Lourmarin, truly one of the most beautiful villages in France with its Renaissance castle, animated cafés and small boutiques. Lourmarin is now home to British writer Peter Mayle, famous for his book "A Year in Provence." Next, we stop at Roussillon or the "Red Village" named after the rich pigments found in the nearby quarries. You will be charmed by this lazy little village evoked by Samuel Beckett in his play "Waiting for Godot".

Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Afternoon: Field Trip: This afternoon we start at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, a 12th century Romanesque cistercian monastery, still active today and famous for its breath-taking lavendar fields and production of honey. We carry on with a visit to the village of Gordes where you will follow narrow cobble-stoned streets threading their way past elegant town-houses built against the rock, clinging onto its hill flanks.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: Enjoy an evening at leisure.

Lodging: Aquabella Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

"The French: Loves and Contradictions" / French cheese / Market Day in Aix

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Free Time: This morning is Market day in Aix en Provence. Spend your free time exploring the various squares and streets of the city and enjoy the colors, sounds and smells of Provence. Open-market stalls overflow with fresh flowers and ripe produce. In the antiques/flea market section, tables are cluttered with silver spoons and ancient family portraits - ideal for browsing.

Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Afternoon: This afternoon gather with your fellow participants for a lecture on "The French: Loves and Contradictions" by our local expert. Understand the foundations of the French attachment to the art of living. What societal structures sustain their love of pleasure and yet make them one of the most openly rebellious people in the world. Later, enjoy a Field Trip visit of Granet Museum, whose permanent collections make it one of the richest provencial museums of France. The museum houses 10 works of Aix-born painter Paul Cezanne including the Portrait of Zola and the "Baigneuse".

Dinner: For dinner enjoy a buffet of assorted gourmet French cheese and learn about them in a lecture on "The Prized Cheese of France." Enjoy an introduction to a few of the 350 to 400 distinct types of French cheese.

Lodging: Aquabella Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Travel to Marseille, the second largest city in France. Founded in 600 B.C. by the Greeks, this busy Mediterranean port is a far cry from the Provence of Cezanne and Peter Mayle. Marseille is an energetic city, a melting pot of cultures from North Africa, Italy and Spain, best experienced at its thronging street markets of Provençal produce stalls, Algerian souk-like bazaars, and centuries-old fish market selling the base ingredients for the local speciality fish stew, bouillabaisse. At Marseille's highest point, discover the opulent, domed 19th-century Romano-Byzantine Notre Dame de la Garde basilica in a guided visit. (walking up numerous stairs). This major landmark, that dominates the city, was built 800 years ago in a Romanesque-Byzantine style and features a monumental sculpture of the Virgin Mary, which has become the emblematic, protective figure of Marseille. Don't miss the hand-crafted wooden boats hanging in the chancel, offered as ex votos by fishermen for their safe return to shore, and take time to enjoy the exceptional panoramic view of Marseille.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Field Trip: Continue exploring Marseille and venture through the winding, narrow streets of the city's oldest district "Le Panier", see Town Hall overlooking the Old Port, and climb the steps of the Montée des Accoules. Discover the austere splendor of the galleries, inner courtyard and chapel of La Vieille Charité and the antique vestiges in the Roman Docks museum.

Dinner: Dinner in a French family : a French family will pick you up at the hotel and then back to the hotel. Enjoy the art of living with this rare and precious invitation to a French home and table.

Lodging: Aquabella Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Morning Lecture : The Living landscapes of Cézanne and Van Gogh. Field Trip : Admire the landscapes that served as inspiration to Paul Cézanne, prodigal son of Aix and post impressionist painter considered the father of the modern art. Stand in awe of the Sainte Victoire mountain, subject of many of Cézanne's chefs d'oeuvres, get a glimpse of the Château Noir, and discover the rugged countryside and sharp light of Provence, made famous by Cézanne's work. Continue to Le Tholonet.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Le Thoolnet.

Afternoon: Continued Field Trip to the motifs of Cezanne : See The Terrain des Peintres and be inspired by a different take on Cézanne's cherished Sainte Victoire mountain. On our way to visit Cézanne's studio, we will stop at the Château de Vauvenargues, short-time home and burial place of Picasso. Visit Cézanne's Studio: Built in 1901, according to the plans of Cézanne himself, the workshop contains much of the original furniture and still-life materials we find in Cézanne's paintings: the pot-belly stove, a chest of drawers, the olive jar and decorative vases, the plaster cupid statue made by Belgian sculptor François Duquesnoy.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: Aquabella Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Check out of your hotel room and board the coach for Arles. On our way to Arles we will stop at the Marius Fabre Soap Factory, traditional manufacturers of the celebrated olive-oil based Soap of Marseille. Take in the colors and the fragrances where four generations of the Fabre family have carried on the tradition of manufacturing soap for over 113 years, using the same process imposed by French King Louis XIV in the 17th century.

Lunch: Lunch on your own in Salon and free time to discover the city's historical center where 16th century seer Nostradamus wrote ten centuries of prophecies and is buried.

Afternoon: Arrive in Arles and settle into your hotel. Enjoy a lecture and wine tasting on "Beyond Rosé: The distinctive wines of Provence - The Distinctive Wines of Provence." A local wine expert will introduce you to Provençal wines, whose personalities, like the people of Provence themselves, are lively, colorful, forthright and complex.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Lodging: Hotel du Forum

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Hotel breakfast room

Morning: Learn about Arles' past in a guided visit of the Museum of Ancient Arles. Housed in a contemporary building near the remains of the Roman Circus arena, the museum offers unique insight into the city of Arles at the time of Roman rule. Discover a rich selection of sculptures, mosaics, and daily objects that bring to life the ancient origins of Provence. Afterwards, continue to Saint Remy, birthplace of Nostradamus.

Lunch: Lunch is on your own in Saint Remy to explore local cuisine.

Afternoon: A short walk up the hill will take you to the village of Les Baux de Provence, where an "eagle's nest" fortress was built in the 10th century. Located on a rocky plateau, this medieval stronghold provides a panoramic view of Arles and the Camargue region. Entirely restored, Les Baux counts 22 architectural treasures classified Historic Monument by the French government: a romanesque church, medieval castle, renaissance façades, ancient townhouses... all of which can be visted only on foot, as no cars are allowed in the village.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: This evening enjoy a musical performance. Discover the history and the up-lifting sounds of Provencal folk music, its Italian influences and the traditional use of the fife and drum, called galoubets-tambourins.

Lodging: Hotel du Forum

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning learn more about Arles' past in a lecture on “Arles: Roman and Romanesque.” The presence of the past is seen throughout this brief summary of the history of Arles recounted through its architecture - from Roman ruins to more "contemporary" landmarks.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Join your expert guide for a walking tour of Arles, visiting its Roman amphitheatre, antique theatre, the cryptoportico, and the 12th-14th century cloister of Saint Trophime.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Lodging: Hotel du Forum

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning we travel to the Camargue, the largest river delta in Europe made up of large lakes, natural salt flats, marshlands and lagoons. This natural reserve and regional park is home to Flamengos, Egrets, wild white horses and black bulls. Continue to Mas des Bernacles, Arles. Enjoy a personal welcome by one of the area's oldest ranching families at the Mas des Bernacles. Traditional practices come alive as you participate in the Festival of Flowers with Provençal cowboys (Gardians) on horseback. Discover the natural reserves, fighting bulls and agile white horses of this romantic wild marsh land.

Lunch: Lunch at the ranch.

Afternoon: Drive to Les Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer, the capital of the Camargue, for a guided visit. It is here, according to legend, that the "three Marys" (Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacob and Mary Salome) and Saint Sarah were washed ashore after being forced to flee the Holy Land in a boat. This small fishing village has since become a place of pilgrimage for Gypsies who vow an intense devotion to Saint Sarah.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Lodging: Hotel du Forum

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Arrive To: Hotel breakfast room

Morning: Travel to Avignon and explore the Palace of the Popes in a guided visit. One of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, this fortress and palace was the papal residence and seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century. First, we will stop on the Barthelasse Presqu'ile to enjoy the view on the Rhone river and the celebrated brige "pont d'Avignon". The bridge was formerly one of the entrances to this fortified city whose ramparts represent some of the finest examples of medieval fortifications in existence.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: This afternoon you have free time to discover Avignon at your own pace. You may want to visit le Petit Palais, with its renaissance façade and 15th century tower. The palace is now a museum and home to a large collection of 14th century Italian paintings, sculptures and regional paintings from the Middle Ages & the Renaissance. In the late afternoon board the coach to travel back to Arles.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.

Lodging: Hotel du Forum

Meals Included: Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Departure to the airport

Meals Included: Breakfast