| |
Locations Visited |
| |
| Bayeux - small and compact city with a largely pedestrianised centre. The picturesque streets, roadside cafes, shops and old buildings, whether half-timbered or constructed from the the local Caen stone, offer many language opportunities. |
| |
| Bayeux Cathedral - Bayeux was Normandy's religious centre and Odo, William the Conqueror's half-brother was its bishop. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1077 and thus reflects the Norman Romanesque style of architecture. |
| |
| Bayeux Tapestry - one of the oldest historical documents in Europe, the Tapestry was designed to hang in the cathedral in Bayeux where it remained for several centuries. Its present location is just a few hundred yards away where the Tapestry can be viewed with the aid of an audio-guided tour explaining each scene. Seventy metres long, it records William's conquest of England and his victory at Hastings in 1066. |
| |
| The Citadel in Caen - built by William in 1060, the ducal castle in Caen was a residential palace and administrative centre for the Duchy of Normandy. It has one of the largest fortified enclosures in Europe and the 12th century Norman Exchequer room still stands on the site. Constructed on an outcrop of rock, the castle dominated medieval Caen. |
| |
 The D-Day Landing Beaches - tour of the British Landing Beaches & Airborne Sector including Pegasus Bridge, Ranville Cemetery, the Gondree Cafe which was the first building in France to be liberated, Sword, Juno & Gold Beaches with optional visits to the Panorama Cinema above Arromanches or the Invasion Museum in Arromanches explaining the role of the Mulberry Harbour, the remains of which can still be seen. |
| |
| Falaise Castle - dominates the town of Falaise which was largely constructed during the reign of Henry I. Its foundations are those of the castle where William was born and which he would have known. Today it is the only example of an Anglo-Norman keep in France. A guided tour of the castle includes the rectangular keep of Henry I, the Talbot Tower built in 1204 after Normandy passed from English rule to that of Philippe Auguste, King of France. The walls of the castle enclose a large bailey area. |
| |
| Rouen - Rouen is a city with a rich cultural and historical heritage. There are many fine examples of Gothic religious architecture such as the cathedral, the abbey church of Saint-Ouen and the church of Saint-Maclou. There are numerous examples of beamed timber-frame houses in the old streets of Rouen dating back to the 14th century. Visit also the tower where Joan of Arc was imprisoned by the English or the modern church of Saint Joan of Arc built on the site of where she was burnt at the stake. There is also the Joan of Arc Museum tracing the life story of this French icon. The Fine Arts Museum contains an excellent collection of paintings by Carravaggio, Velasquez, Fragonard, Gericault, Monet and Sisley. At the Pierre Corneille Museum you can visit a reconstruction of his study with 18th century furniture and library on the first floor of the house where he was born. No visit to Rouen would be complete without seeing the famous Gros-Horloge. |
| |
 Honfleur - the fishing harbour, with its charming quayside walks and attractive old buildings, is well worth a visit as is the 15th century Church of Ste Catherine with its separate wooden bell-tower. Honfleur has strong connections with the Impressionists reflected by the fine collection in the Eugene Boudin Museum. |
| |
| Giverny - A keen gardener, Claude Monet created his garden at Giverny and provided himself with subject matter for his paintings such as the Japanese Bridge and Sunset Border. |
| |
Other possible excursions- Calvados Distillery and Pont L'Eveque
- Copper Workshop, Villedieu-les-Poeles
- Thury-Harcourt Leisure Centre
- The Basilica of St Therese, Lisieux
- The Memorial Musee de la Paix, Caen
- US Airborne Museum, Ste Mere Eglise.
|
| |
| |
A typical 4-day French language tour |
| |
| Day 1: Pick-up from school and travel by executive coach/cross-channel ferry to your hotel for evening meal. |
| |
| Day 2: Breakfast in hotel followed by the Bayeux Tapestry and Cathedral with an afternoon in Bayeux or Caen. Return to hotel for evening meal. |
| |
| Day 3: Breakfast in hotel followed by Rouen, Honfleur or D-Day Beaches. Return to your hotel for evening meal. |
| |
| Day 4: Breakfast in hotel and return to UK and school. |
| |
| Itineraries can be tailored to your requirements. Contact us now by clicking here. |