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Week-end Trip "Dance With Me in Normandy !
Honfleur- Cider route - Caen - Cabourg"
Week-end of the 6th and 7rth of July 2013 (Français 
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Join us for an extraordinary week-end in Normandy, mixing cultural discoveries, fun, gastronomy
and a note of fantasy with a salsa lesson followed by a dance evening !
After visiting the charming town of Honfleur, birthplace of impressionist painting, we’ll discover the secrets of Calvados production while visiting a traditional distillery followed by a tasting. In Caen, our evening will begin with a festive dinner followed by a Salsa lesson. The next day, we’ll visit Caen, capital of the Dukes of Normandy with its castle and Men’s Abbey. We’ll then head for Cabourg, magnificent seaside resort, for an afternoon of relaxation and swimming!
A magnificent trip and unforgettable memories
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The Cider and Calvados Route
Passing through picture postcard landscapes, you’ll travel an epicurean route to better savour the charm of the ‘Pays d’Auge’. In this superb decor; castles, mansions, timber-frame houses and apple orchards provide the region with some of its most picturesque images. The ‘cider road’ connects producers who offer tours of their cellars, exposing their know-how and allowing visitors to sample their products |
The Cider |
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Caen Caen is a city dating back several centuries, with a rich culture and history. From the period of the Dukes of Normandy to the June 1944 D-Day landing, major episodes of national and international history have played out here. An encounter with History, rich with discovery. To see Caen is to explore the paths of a colourful past, savouring a present enveloped by both tradition and modernism, where joy of life and comfort merge. |
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The Ducal Castle Built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror, the ducal castle became a favourite residence for the Dukes of Normandy, English kings who made it one of Europe’s largest fortified expanses. The curtain walls, the ‘Porte des Champs’, the ruins of the large dungeon, the Exchequer, Saint-George’s Church – all remain as links to the past. The castle provides unique views of the city from a lookout built on the restored curtain wall. It reveals the secrets buried under the renovated artillery court of the Rampart Rooms. |
Abbaye aux Hommes (Men’s Abbey) Founded circa 1063 by William the Conqueror, the prestigious ‘Saint Etienne de Caen’ Benedictine abbey, also known as the Men’s Abbey, was consecrated in 1077. The 11th-13th century abbey church is one of the most monumental religious buildings in Normandy. The 18th century monastery buildings (panelled rooms, paintings, stairs, cloister) now house City Hall. |
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The ‘Musée de Normandie’ Located in the heart of William the Conqueror’s castle, a historical and social museum rich with major archeological and ethnic collections, the ‘Musée de Normandie’ showcases a panorama of the lives of the populace from the entire territory of Normandy. From prehistoric times to the great migrations of the Early Middle Ages, from the transformation of rural areas to the first revolution of industrial society, the museum exposes and explains over time, everyday objets and habits as well as artistic and popular masterpieces |
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Meeting at 7:00 am on the stairs of the Opéra Garnier (metro Opéra, lignes 3-7-8 and RER A, station Auber)
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Departure to Honfleur
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Guided tour (in English& French) of Honfleur, birthplace of Impressionist painting and its monuments (th old harbor, Sainte Catherine church, the Salt granaries, "la lieutenance" and Faubourg Sainte Catherine
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Free time for lunch
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Departure to Coudray-Rabut (near Pont-l'Evêque)
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Guided visit (in English& French) of a traditional Calvados distillery to discover the secrets and the history of Norman cider production, followed by a cider, Pommeau and Calvados tasting.
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Departure to Caen
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Diner at the hotel (includ in the price)
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Salsa lesson followed by a dance evening
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Night at a 3*** hotel in the city center of Caen
Saturday's program: |
Cabourg, Jewel of the Norman Coast Located at the mouth of the river Dives, Cabourg is a seaside resort famous for its 4 km fine sandy beach and Golden Twenties atmosphere made famous by Marcel Proust. Early 20th century ‘haute bourgeoisie’ and Parisian aristocracy villas contribute to the small town’s charm, which is centred around the Casino and must-see ‘Grand Hôtel’, whose windowed alcoves are wonderfully described by Proust in “In Search of Lost Time”. |
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Cabourg Beach Cabourg, an enchanting seaside resort, is gifted with a magnificent sandy beach. Amongst swimming, relaxation, sunbathing and water sports, come share pure moments of well-being. The Cabourg Casino, also known as the Kaz, is a temple of entertainment which has made Cabourg its main residence! It’s inhabited by a warm and festive atmosphere by the sea, with fun for everyone: Lounge Bar with live concerts, theme nights (karaoke, disco, Salsa), as well as a movie theatre, tea dances and exhibitions. |
Lodged within “a jewel-box of greenery”, Honfleur is a port with a prestigious past, though still planning for the future. Seacoast city, starting point of great expeditions to new lands, world famous historic port; city of art, birthplace of celebrities; Honfleur left its historical mark throughout the centuries.
Saved for the most part from the ravages of time, this seaside town has managed to preserve the relics of its rich past, which now make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in France…
The Lieutenance and the old harbor
Honfleur and the painters
Exalted many times by painters, the lighting of Honfleur owes much to the estuary, and painters owe it much also. Thanks to its estuary, the Seine provides marvelous sunsets and views of distant boats to painters that, combined with a foreground comprised of the harbor’s outlet or one of the river’s banks, allow infinite possibilities for creating a painting. This may explain why the Painters of the Estuary are often painters of the sea.
During the 19th century, Honfleur became an exceptional center of art: Eugène Boudin, whose influence was capital to the Impressionist movement, gathered around himself many of his artist acquaintances such as Jongkind, Monet and the poet Charles Baudelaire.
Le port de Honfleur, par Eugène Boudin
The Old Harbor
The ensemble formed by the Old Harbor: the quaint houses of Saint-Catherine's Quay, the Lieutenance and Saintt-Stephen's Church, are surely what you’ll find most striking the first time you visit Honfleur. This harbor was built following an order by Colbert in 1681, to replace the existing docks.
On one side of the Old Harbor, on Saint-Catherine's Quay, a whole row of tall houses form a unique background. These houses of various sizes, propped one against the other, are unusual in having their upper floors facing the rear towards “Du Dauphin” and “Des Logettes” streets, most of them therefore having two different owners.
Clocher de l'église Sainte Catherine
Saint-Catherine’s Church and district
Saint-Catherine’s district developed while the curtain walls were being built. A seaside district, “the people of the sea” have left their mark here. Their old timber-frame houses still stand.
Saint-Catherine’s Church replaced an older stone church destroyed during the Hundred Years’ War. It’s the largest wooden church in France built by ship carpenters, and with a separate steeple.
The Erik Satie Galleries
The Satie Galleries house a unique visual and musical voyage dedicated to the musician and composer Eric Satie, born here in 1866. Erik Satie was a 20th century complete artist, also dabbling in literature and painting. He collaborated with many of the pillars of his time: Picasso, Picabia, Braque, Cocteau; and influenced other prestigious artists such as Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky.
Wearing a pair of revolutionary headphones, the visitor is guided through a musical landscape to the rhythm of Erik Satie’s creations. The scenography, combining sound, lighting, images and objects in a Satie-style fantasy and “humorous” decor, beckons visitors with a fun-filled and educational tour. Much more than an exhibition, the tour involves the visitor in a unique scenario.
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Promenade in the city Caen and unguided of its monuments and museums (the ducal castle, l'Abbaye aux hommes, Museum of Fine Arts, le musée des Beaux Arts, musée de Normandie, the cathedral)
- Departure to Cabourg
- Free time for lunch or picnic on the beach
- Free afternoon to swim and relax on the beach or to walk in the city. (You can go to the casino if you want)
- Departure for Paris and arrival expected around 9:00 pm.
Sunday's program: |
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Click here to see the terms of participation |
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