LEARN AND MARVEL IN GIVERNY

Historic Normandy is your next stopover and a private transfer from Paris will take you to the birthplace of the Impressionist art movement, to the small village of Giverny made world famous by the painter Claude Monet who lived in his home, the Clos Normand for over forty years, until his death in 1926. You will marvel, touring his house and gardens, surrounded by flowerbeds and the Water Garden, planted with oriental plants and weeping willows, with its Japanese bridge painted in green and its water lilies, a floral masterpiece, which inspired many of its greatest masterpieces, including the “Water Lilies” series, exhibited in Paris at the Musée de l’Orangerie, in the Tuileries Garden.

HONFLEUR’S IMPRESSIONISTS

You will put your suitcases in the heart of a gourmet and generous Normandy, at the luxury hotel La Ferme Saint-Simeon, located at the gates of the magnificent Honfleur. It is in this place that painters such as Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin met and gave birth to the famous School of Impressionism of Honfleur, known as Saint Siméon. The wonderful 17th century cottage, painted by Monet, still dominates its ‘Estuary of seven colors’ which you can admire during your stay as well as ‘the repeated setting suns’ while tasting ‘the beautiful apple brandy’.
We will then give you the opportunity to fall for the very picturesque little medieval port of Honfleur, the “Artists’ town” since the 19th century, as Monet or Turner did, by walking through its narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses and slates which seem to have hardly changed since the Impressionist era, with our art historian. He will take you on a journey through this flourishing period of the arts, to the very places where the painters set up their easels, ending in Le Havre, which nurtured artists like Boudin, Monet, Dubuffet, Dufy and Braque, at the MuMa Museum, a pillar of the city’s art history.

ETRETAT STUNNING CLIFFS EXPLORATION

Today you will explore Etretat majestic cliffs on your stand up paddle board, kayak or catamaran until the foot of the cliffs, passing the famous Aval Cliff and the impressive Hollow Needle to the monumental Manneporte arch where a beach, only accessible by the sea at high tide, will be just for you. Admire the view of the cliffs at the exact place where Monet painted “The Cliffs at Etretat” in 1885. You may also choose to set sail for a day in a postcard-perfect setting, trying your hand at sailing to the bay of Etretat, savoring a chic picnic while admiring the arches in the cliffs and perhap’s finding the treasure hidden in the “Aiguille Creuse” by Arsène Lupin of author Maurice Leblanc before sailing back. This work shows the Porte d’Aval, a naturally formed arch, and a freestanding needle-like rock that attracted tourists and artists alike to the town of Étretat. Thrills and dramatic views guaranteed!

FAMOUS APPLE TREE & NORMAN CHEESES IN PAYS D’AUGE

Normandy is history, architecture and the country of apples in the heart of a green countryside. You will visit one of the oldest distilleries in private and will be invited to follow the life of an apple, from the tree to the distillery before discovering the secrets of the manufacture of cider, calvados and pommeau. Famous for its apple trees, the Pays d’Auge is also renowned for its three cheeses… including Camembert and its legendary box made of poplar wood, which is much more than a cheese but a true symbol of France. From milk production to cheese ripening, you will discover all the secrets of camembert and children will even be able to bottle-feed calves and milk a cow on the farm.

SPECTACULAR NORMANDY

Today, embark on an old rig to discover the archipelago of Chausey and its lace of 365 islets whose granite was used, among other things, to build the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, to rebuild Saint-Malo. Along the way, you will surely come across schools of bottlenose dolphins and sea calves before getting to know the hilly island, during your walks on the sandy paths, before landing on one of its white sand beaches and savor a delicious seafood platter, facing the sea.

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We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something completely bespoke to you. Contact us on +33 545 833 652 to start planning your holiday.