PAINTing at ChATEAU D'UROU in NormandY & BRITTANY

Fly to Paris

You will be transferred from the Paris airport to your hotel in Paris.

Your first afternoon is to relax and enjoy the French capital. This evening you can do as you please , maybe even enjoy a lovely cruise on the Seine river.

Meals : at leisure

You will be transferred from your hotel in Paris to the Chateau of Versailles for a self guided visit of the Royal Apartments and enjoy some free time in the gardens. You will then be transferred to the Chateau d'Urou, your home for the next 7 days.  The owner will give you an extended tour of the property that includes the horsefarm.

This evening, dinner is included at the Château.

Meals B,L

 This morning you will visit the village of Camembert, its small museum and enjoy a tasting of 3 different camemberts before heading to the Haras du Pin, the oldest National Stud Farm of France founded by Louis XIV. You will visit the stables and learn about its history. You will return to Chateau d'Urou for a lunch of local specialities.

  This afternoon you will learn all about William the Conqueror as we visit its castle in Falaise in virtual reality with the aid of a touchscreen tablet. Falaise Castle is a solid stone fortress dating from around 1000. Built by the first Dukes of Normandy, it was enlarged after the conquest of England in 1066. In the 12th century, William’s descendants built two square, typically anglo-norman, keeps using the foundations of the original castle.
These buildings show the Dukes of Normandy at the height of their powers. They are most sophisticated of the Royal Dukes’ palace/keeps and best preserved of their fortresses in France. Upon return to the Chateau d'Urou, join Susan for an evening sketching class in the garden. Tonight you will enjoy a welcome dinner at the star Michelin restaurant La Renaissance.

Meals B,L,D

A lovely full day awaits you. You will first drive to the town of Lisieux where you will see the beautiful Basilica before meeting Chef Le Guillois who will show you one of the best local food market of the area. You will then head to his restaurant for a cooking class followed by a delicious luncheon. After lunch you will drive through charming back roads and will make a stop at a local Calvados and cider distillery for an interesting visit and a tasting of their products. On our way back we will stop in Chateau de Saint Germain de Livet where you will join susan for a sketching class in the gardens before heading back to Chateau d'Urou.

Meals B,L,D

Today you will depart early from the Chateau D'Urou and will go to famous sights along the beaches of Normandie that include Bayeux with free time for lunch, Omaha Beach, The American Cemetery and Arromanches where an artificial port was built for the landing.  For the ones of you who have already been to the beaches, you may be dropped off in the city of Caen with Susan to explore on your own the old quarter of Vaugueux. Dinner will be served upon your return at the Chateau D'Urou.

Meals B,D

This morning you will visit Villedieu les Poeles and more particularly its Bell Foundry, the last one still in existence.  After lunch You will then head to the Mont Saint Michel for a guided afternoon visit of the Abbaye and the Mont St Michel narrow alleyways.

Overnight near Saint Malo

Meals B,D

A wonderful day full of discovery. Your day will include a visit of Saint Malo, an incredible walled historic city known as 'The Corsair City'  due to its numerous corsairs who fought against enemy ships on behalf of the King. You will also enjoy Cancale and a visit to an oyster park and tasting of its famous oysters. In the afternoon you will walk the quaint small street of the village of Dinan loved by artists, a picture perfect French village

Overnight near Saint Malo

Meals B,D

Our drive today going back to Chateau D'urou will take us to Lassay les Chateaux, Nestled at the heart of the Normandie - Maine regional Nature Park, the small character town of Lassay-les-Châteaux is worth a look for several reasons, with its medieval fortress, two ponds, washhouses and granite houses, which all make it unbelievably photogenic. A particularly harmonious ensemble that is sure to delight lovers of old buildings! Lassay castle fort, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, is a remarkable example of medieval military architecture, as shown by the two-storey barbican, small castle, machicolated curtain walls and eight towers. Other undeniable attractions of the town are the rose garden, with 300 varieties of rose, located in the former meadow of the Benedictine convent.

Join us tonight for another culinary experience at the wonderful restaurant l'Abbaye in Argentan.

Meals B,D

Depart the Chateau in the early morning for Paris Airport. Please arrange flights that depart after 2 PM.