France: Back to the Future & Forward to the Past
with Bonnie Fitzgerald and Maverick Mosaics.
June 27 – July 6, 2015
$2,995 Double Occupancy
A 4 day add-on option available to explore Paris more deeply
Get ready to enjoy a rich and memorable week of history, culture, art through the ages, great food, hands-on art projects, and yes a little technology, as we explore humankind’s cultural past and a glimpse into our future.
Our trip will focus on art and cultural achievements through the ages. You will visit the Perigord region of France (southwest) and go “forward to the past” as we experience some of the oldest know artistic expressions on earth, the famous Caves of Lascaux (Paleolithic-Stoneage). Continuing forward into the past we visit the Medieval fortified town of Carcassonne. Going “back to the future” we visit the contemporary art museum of Toulouse-Lautrec, the celebrated market of Sarlat and much more. There will be wine tastings, special meals and private and exclusive entry to archeological sites as we experience moments in art and culture spanning 17,000 years! Our trip begins and ends with time in Paris where we will lunch at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, visit museums and get a taste of the “City of Light.”
From Paris we train to Toulouse and via our private coach travel to Carcassonne, the second most visited site in all of France after the Eiffel Tower. The site of Carcassonne has been occupied since Neolithic times and retained as a medieval fortified town well into the 16th century. It is an architectural marvel and has been restored to its medieval splendor. You will visit the towns of Albi and Sarlat, both known for their architecture and market shopping. We’ll have a wine tasting at a family owned vineyard and farm, visit art galleries, cathedrals, castles and several museums.
The caves of Lascaux have been referred to as the prehistoric equivalent of the Sistine Chapel. Our visit to Lascaux includes private access and tour of the Fac Similé of Lascaux IV. Additionally, you will enjoy a day in Castle Merle, a prehistoric site renowned for 10 authentic prehistoric rock shelters dating back 35,000 years, and these cave dwellings include original sculptures from the period.
Optional workshops are offered along the way for all participants, both kids and adults, including painting in caves (after learning to mix paint pigments), carving a limestone sculpture (after having your artists tools made in front of you!), and a visit with a local mosaic artist to create your own unique broken pieces souvenir. There will be opportunities to try on a suit of armor, sip coffee in a village while soaking in the local color, and wander through the grape vines of a family owned vineyard. At the end of our adventure we train back to Paris for one last night together and a special Bon Voyage dinner.
This trip is open to a multi-generation audience, adults and children ages 10+ with parents or guardian. Maverick Mosaics provides chaperone service for children 15+ who wish to travel without an adult. Contact us for more details.
What does multi-generation mean? At Maverick Mosaics we believe strongly in the benefits of teaching the young as well as the young at heart. Young people bring an energy and unbiased view to our world. What kinds of children will be on the trip? At this writing we cannot say, but on our previous trip we had children along who were filled with curiosity, humor and good manners. Some were in high school, others were college students and another had just received her masters degree. A parent must accompany children under 15. If you wish to travel with like-minded people, and the subjects and locations we are exploring on this trip interest you, then this adventure is designed for you.
An optional 4 day add-on in Paris and surrounding sites will be available. Contact us if this interests you. We will decide what additional sites to visit with input from participants.
Many of the adventures on Maverick trips are UNIQUE, one-of-a-kind opportunities with many components not available to the public. We offer hassle free travel, English speaking escorts and university educated guides, wonderful accommodations, and street-level cultural engagement based in the world of art and architecture. We plan on making souvenir art-work along the way in workshops lead by local artisans, and enjoy professionally led wine tastings and fine food sampling.
Cost is $2,995 per person. Price includes lodging, all admission fees, ground transportation, daily breakfast, 3 lunches, closing farewell dinner and Escort fees. Price does not include airfare and is based on double occupancy.
For anyone traveling from Washington, DC (Dulles Airport) we are currently holding an airline reservation round trip to/from Paris $1,170 per person. More details here. Learn more about Maverick Mosaics here.
Mosaic Art Retreats 