Road Scholar : Home
Provence: The Art of Living

Program Number: 3729RJ
Start and End Dates:
6/14/2013 - 6/26/2013; 9/20/2013 - 10/2/2013; 3/21/2014 - 4/2/2014; 4/19/2014 - 5/1/2014; 5/2/2014 - 5/14/2014; 5/30/2014 - 6/11/2014; 9/5/2014 - 9/17/2014; 9/20/2014 - 10/2/2014; 10/3/2014 - 10/15/2014;
Duration: 12 nights
Location: France
Price starting at: $3,946.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type:
Meals: 22; 10 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 7 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Open markets of regional produce, lively sidewalk cafés, the old stone and tile of hilltop villages, the rugged virility of Marseille, the feminine charms of Aix … the many facets of Provence have made it a coveted destination for centuries. Discover its simple elegance through an insider’s view of the places, people, architecture, food, wine and décor, all imbued with a seductive philosophy of life that has inspired writers and expatriates worldwide. Come to understand the special provençal relationship with the present and past, the seasons and the earth, the family and its traditions.




Highlights

• Enjoy a privileged, by-invitation-only, visit of Provençal mansions and their private gardens.
• Explore the 14th century palace of the popes in Avignon.
• Gain rare access to one of the oldest family ranches in the Carmargue, France’s national wildlife reserve near Arles.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to two miles, about 2.5 hours a day on cobblestone and irregular terrain.




Date Specific Information

6-14-2013, 9-20-2013, 3-21-2014, 4-19-2014, 5-2-2014, 5-30-2014, 9-5-2014, 9-20-2014, 10-3-2014

Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.



Itinerary Summary

Arrival Marseille, coach to Aix-en-Provence, 6 nights; coach to Arles, 5 nights; coach to Marseille, departure.



Overnight flight from the U.S.A.
1 night
Arrival Marseille
Coach to Aix-en-Provence
6 nights

Discover Aix, known for its Roman thermal baths, numerous fountains and open markets, and enjoy Provencal cuisine at a terrace café. Explore the hilltop villages of the Luberon and the 12th century Cistercian Abbey of Senanque, a spiritually inspiring monastery where monks still live and worship. Join Lilli Engle, Founding-Director of the American University Center of Provence, for a keynote presentation on French lifestyles and values. Learn about French gourmet cheeses and taste the very best at a buffet-dinner. See the Mediterranean and the bustling Old Port of Marseille. Discover the gems of rural Provencal architecture as home owners open their doors to you for a privileged visit of their mansions and gardens.



Coach to Arles
5 nights
Coach to Marseille
Departure

Visit the lovely town of St. Remy, birthplace of Nostradamus and explore the medieval hilltop stronghold of Les Baux. Take a trip into the past with an archaeologist through “A day in the life of a Gallo-Roman” and then discover the historical city of Arles, the Roman Amphitheater and the 12th-century Cloister of Saint Trophime. Visit a family-run soap factory, producers for over 100 years of traditional Savon de Marseille, olive oil soap. Taste the distinctive wines of France with Joël Corre, director of the Oenological Institute of Aix. Enjoy rare access to a working ranch in the Camargue national reserve, home to flamingos, wild white horses, and spirited bulls, where a personal welcome by one of the area’s oldest ranching families and lunch await you. Discover the Palais des Papes, official Papal residence of the 14th century and one of the largest, most important medieval gothic palaces in Europe.




France

The epicurious and the curious find much to admire in Western Europe’s largest nation, whose agricultural riches and terrain of beaches, mountains and fertile fields have drawn residents for thousands of years. The northern region hosts the nation’s Parisian capital, as well as unique Breton culture, while the sun-drenched Mediterranean coast sports the chic beach-goers and the terraced vineyards of the interior.
Accommodations
Aix-en-Provence: Comfortable, centrally located hotel. Arles: Hotel in the heart of the old town.
Meals and Lodgings
   Aquabella Hotel
  Aix-en-Provence, France 1 night
   Aquabella Hotel
  Aix-en-Provence, France 4 nights
   Hotel du Forum
  Arles, France 5 nights
 Aquabella Hotel
Type: Three-Star Hotel
  Description: Ideally located in the heart of the old town of Aix-en-Provence, at the foot of the ancient fortifications and in the centre of the markets of Provence with their subtle perfumes, Hotel Aquabella offers an exceptional environment. From your window enjoy the view of the roof tiles polished by the years and the brightness of the sun which sparkles on the water of the swimming pool. Have a drink in lounge-bar "L' Instant" or savor the specialities of the Orangery restaurant and The Terrasse de la Tour. Guests can relax at the Aquabella’s spa, Gym & Spa Sensoriel. Guests have access to the sauna, hammam, and hot bath. There is also a Kneipp shower and ice fountain, and gymnastics classes are also available. The hotel’s outdoor swimming pool is open from May to September.
  Contact info: 2, rue des Etuves
Aix-en-Provence,  13100 France
phone: +33 (0)4 42 99 15 00
web: www.aquabella.fr
  Room amenities: The guest rooms at the Aquabella are all air conditioned and equipped with free Wi-Fi access, mini-bar and hairdryer. Bathrobes are also provided.
  Facility amenities: Restaurant, Bar, 24-Hour Front Desk, Newspapers, Grounds, Terrace, Elevator, Safe, Soundproof Rooms, Heating, Baggage Storage, All Spaces Non-Smoking (Public and Private), Air Conditioning, Sauna, Fitness Center, Solarium, Spa, Hot Tub, Turkish Bath/Steam Bath, Outdoor Swimming Pool (Seasonal), Room Service, Meeting/Banquet Facilities, Laundry, Dry Cleaning, Fax/Photocopying, Free WiFi
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: TBD Please contact Road Scholar Travel Services at 1-800-241-1404 for rates and bookings.
  Check in time: 2:00 PM

 Hotel du Forum
Type: Hotel
  Description: The charm of a beautiful restored old house in the heart of ancient Arles
  Contact info: Place du Forum
Arles,  13200 France
phone: +33 (0) 4 90 93 48 95
web: www.hotelduforum.com
  Room amenities: Equiped with telephone, TV by satellite, mini bar, hairdryer, air conditioning, safety deposit box
  Facility amenities: Swimming pool in peaceful setting, bar with billiard table
  Smoking allowed: Yes
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights after: Contact Ips group for pricing Call the Road Scholar Program Department at 1-866-359-5966.
  Check out time: 10:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
The program begins at Orientation at 5:00 p.m. at the hotel in Aix-en-Provence. You will be staying at Aquabella Hotel that night.
  End of Program:
The program ends after breakfast at the hotel in Arles. You will be staying at Hotel du Forum the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
not applicable
Transportation (For Independent Travelers)
To Start of Program
  Location:  Aix-en-Provence
  Nearest city or town:  Marseille
  Nearest airport:  Marseille International Airport
  Transportation to site: A group arrival transfer is organized for all participants who purchased an air inclusive program and arrive on the group date. Independent travelers are welcome to join this group transfer. The group transfer time will be confirmed in the final participant mailing approximately 5 weeks prior to departure. The shuttle or taxi from the Marseille airport to Aix takes about 30 minutes.
  From End of Program
  Location:  Arles
  Nearest city or town:  Avignon
  Nearest airport:  Marseille International Airport
  Transportation from site: A group departure transfer is organized for all participants who purchased an air inclusive program and depart on the group date. Independent travelers can take a taxi from the hotel to the airport or can ask the hotel for assistance in arranging a shuttle transfer. Independent travelers may choose to take the train from Arles to Marseille and then a shuttle to Marseille airport.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Travel to France
(Friday, September 20)
   
 Depart From: Overnight in transit

Day 2: Orientation
(Saturday, September 21)
   
 Afternoon: Arrive at the Marseille airport and transfer with the group to the hotel in Aix-en-Provence. Gather for the Orientation and Welcome meeting.
 Dinner: Get to know your fellow participants at the Welcome Dinner.
   
Accommodations: Aquabella Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 3: Aix-en-Provence
(Sunday, September 22)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Learn about the history of Aix-en-Provence in a lecture at the hotel.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant
 Afternoon: Discover the charming historic town of Aix in a guided walking visit.
 Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Gordes / Roussillon / French Language Workshop
(Monday, September 23)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning travel to the village of Gordes and visit the Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame-de-Sénanque. Founded in the 12th century, it is still an active monastery. Day-long Field Trip by coach to Gordes and the 12th century Cistercian Abbey of Sénanque
 Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.
 Afternoon: This afternoon travel to Roussillon, noted for its large ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding the village. See its ochre quarries and the hilltop villages of the Luberon.
 Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant
 Evening: This evening learn new skills in the French language workshop.
   
Accommodations: Aquabella Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: "The French: Loves and Contradictions" / French cheese
(Tuesday, September 24)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning enjoy free time in Aix-en-Provence.
 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."
 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.
   
Accommodations: Aquabella Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Marseille
(Wednesday, September 25)
   
 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.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant
 Afternoon: Continue your discovery of Marseille with a guided visit of the oldest district.
 Dinner: Dinner with a French family
   
Accommodations: Aquabella Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Provençal Mansions
(Thursday, September 26)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning enjoy free time in Aix-en-Provence.
 Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.
 Afternoon: This afternoon we have an exclusive visit of Provençal mansions.
 Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant
   
Accommodations: Aquabella Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Marseille Soap Factory / Arles
(Friday, September 27)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Check out of your hotel room and board the coach for Arles. En route visit the Marius Fabre soap factory in the town of Salon-de-Provence. Founded in 1900, this family-run business is a manufacturer of authentic traditionally-made natural soaps.
 Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.
 Afternoon: Arrive in Arles and settle into your hotel. Enjoy a lecture and wine tasting on "Beyond Rosé: The distinctive wines of Provence."
 Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant
   
Accommodations: Hotel du Forum
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Ancient Arles / Les Baux-de-Provence
(Saturday, September 28)
   
 Breakfast: Hotel breakfast room
 Morning: Learn about Arles' past in a guided visit of the Museum of Ancient Arles. The museum displays evoke Arles at the peak of its importance, encompassing models of ancient monuments, objects from daily life in Roman times, and a variety of religious art ranging from the prehistoric period to the 6th century AD.
 Lunch: Lunch is on your own to explore local cuisine.
 Afternoon: Travel to Les Baux-de-Provence, a medieval village set atop a rocky outcrop crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. Its names refers to its site — in Provençal, a baou is a rocky spur. The village gives its name to the aluminium ore Bauxite which was first discovered there in 1821. Learn about this picturesque town's history in a guided visit.
 Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant
 Evening: This evening enjoy a musical performance.
   
Accommodations: Hotel du Forum
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Roman and Romanesque Arles / Arles Historical Center
(Sunday, September 29)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning learn more about Arles' past in a lecture on “Arles: Roman and Romanesque.”
 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.
   
Accommodations: Hotel du Forum
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11: The Camargue / Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
(Monday, September 30)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning we travel to the Camargue, western Europe's largest river delta. It is a vast plain with large brine lagoons cut off from the sea by sandbars and encircled by reed-covered marshes. It is the home of over 400 species of birds, including the flamingos. Also famous are the wild horses of the Camargue and the bull ranches maintained by cowboys. We will visit a "manade" (ranch) and learn about daily life there.
 Lunch: Lunch at the manade
 Afternoon: Drive to Les Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer, the capital of the Camargue, for a guided visit. The town is named after three saints, Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome and Mary Jacobe, whose boat landed nearby. The Roma (gypsies) gather yearly in the town for a religious festival in honor of Saint Sara. Dark-skinned Saint Sara is said to have been the servant of the three Marys. See the statue of Saint Sara in the crypt of the fortified medieval church.
 Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.
   
Accommodations: Hotel du Forum
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12: Avignon / Palace of the Popes
(Tuesday, October 1)
   
 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.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant
 Afternoon: This afternoon you have free time to discover Avignon at your own pace. In the late afternoon board the coach to travel back to Arles.
 Dinner: Dinner is on your own to explore local cuisine.
   
Accommodations: Hotel du Forum
Meals Included: Lunch

Day 13: Departure
(Wednesday, October 2)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: Departure to the airport
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France


Author: Georgeanne Brennan


Description: Marvelously frank about daily chores and the decidedly unglamorous business of raising goats and pigs, Brennan lards her earthy tale of the rural life with recipes, one per chapter. Offered as a bonus book in the Essential Reading package for just $1.00!



A Year in Provence


Author: Peter Mayle


Description: The original best-selling tale of settling down in Provence, told with warmth and a great deal of humor. It offers a wonderful inside look at the charms and quirks of the people and the countryside in the south of France.



Cadogan Guide Cote D'Azur


Author: Dana Facaros


Description: A guide in the respected series with insightful cultural and historical background, and up-to-date practical information, illustrations and maps.



Death at the Chateau Bremont


Author: M.L. Longworth


Description: A lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing and romantic atmosphere of Aix-en-Provence, Death at the Chateau Bremont introduces Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his sometime love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet.



Eyewitness Guide Provence & the Cote D'Azur


Author: Roger Williams


Description: This is an illustrated, colorful guide to the art and architecture, literature, history and attractions of Provence. With photographs and site plans, maps and sections on the Riviera, the Var, Bouches-du-Rhones, Vaucluse and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.



Four Queens, The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe


Author: Nancy Goldstone


Description: Transporting you back to back to the apogee of independent Provençal power in the Middle Ages, Goldstone captures the drama of 13th-century Europe in this history of the four daughters of the count of Provence -- future queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily.



Joy of Man's Desiring


Author: Jean Giono


Description: A twentieth century master of letters, Giono's fiction invokes the folklore and traditions of his birthplace in southern France.



Lonely Planet French Phrasebook


Author: Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet


Description: This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.



Made in France, A Shopper's Guide


Author: Laura Morelli


Description: Both a fascinating history of France's artisanal legacy and an insider's shopping guide, Made in France includes illustrations, maps, a primer on French shopping culture, and craft festivals.



My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle


Author: Marcel Pagnol


Description: Best known as a filmmaker, Pagnol evokes his childhood in Provence and Marseilles fifty years ago. These memoirs sparkle with delight in the people, landscapes and daily life of southern France.



Old Provence


Author: Theodore Andrea Cook, James Ferguson (Introduction)


Description: A reprint of the classic 1905 account of travels through Provence, focusing on the history of the region from Greek and Roman temples to Medieval market towns and castles.



Pardon My French, Unleash Your Inner Gaul


Author: Charles Timoney


Description: A transplanted Englishman, Tomney reveals how to get by in French (and in France) through this wickedly funny A-to-Z of words and phrases.



Provence A-Z


Author: Peter Mayle


Description: A companion to all things Provencal, from bouillabaisse to lavender and vinaigre, by the British expatriate and Francophile Peter Mayle.



Provence Alps French Riviera Map 527


Author: Michelin Travel Publications


Description: A colorful and detailed map of the region from Lyon to Marseille along the Rhone River, at a scale of 1:200,000.



Provence, A Cultural History


Author: Martin Garrett


Description: Through its architecture, literature and popular culture, Garrett analyzes and celebrates the identity of this beloved region.



Provence, From Minstrels to the Machine


Author: Ford Madox Ford


Description: Madox Ford probes the history, attractions and pleasures of the region in this spirited classic, with illustrations by his companion Biala, written during their time on the Mediterranean coast.



The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence


Author: Michael Jacobs


Description: With an excellent introduction on the history, culture, landscapes and the pleasures of Southern France, this illustrated guide features 34 towns and villages across Provence from the Vacluse to Bonnieux and Gordes, tranquil Alpine villages and southern vineyards.



The Popes of Avignon, A Century in Exile


Author: Edwin Mullins


Description: Grounded in the architecrure and papal legacy in Avignon and the surrounding area, this engaging history sets the 70-year period of papal exile in the south of France against the context of Europe's turbulent transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.



The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France


Author: Ina Caro


Description: Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.



The Yellow House


Author: Martin Gayford


Description: Gayfor chronicles the turbulent three months and texture of the daily lives of Van Gogh and Gauguin in Arles, where they worked side by side in 1888. With 60 b&W reproductions.



Two Towns in Provence


Author: M. F. K. Fisher


Description: Celebrated food writer M.F.K. Fisher contrasts village life in Aix-en-Provence with bustling Marseilles, evoking both with anecdote and loving description.



Vincent Van Gogh, The Passionate Eye


Author: Pascal Bonafoux


Description: From Paris to Asnieres, Amsterdam and Provence, this jewel of a book traces the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, the spirited, self-destructive painter who celebrated the south of France. Engaging, compact and illustrated with hundreds of photographs.





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