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Paris, Provence and the Côte d’ Azur, France Offer for June or July

By jim · Comments (0)

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

PARIS, PROVENCE & CÔTE D’AZUR
Micro Group Tour for June or July (Max 5 adults)

This trip starts off with two nights in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, with a guide who knows how to make the most of your time. We then move away from the cities to explore several distinct regions of Provence – from fragrant and visually stimulating markets in some of the most scenic villages in France to taking in the wonderful cuisine of the regions. Finally, we move on to the Côte d’Azur, staying right on the sparkling Mediterranean in a quaint but bustling old fishing village.

If there’s interest within the group there is much more to experience, including:
• Plenty of exposure to remnants of the Roman world in their Gaulish territories
• Experiencing unmatched and diverse natural beauty and landscapes (picque-nique anyone?)
• History from pre-Roman, Roman, Middle Ages to present
• This tour is relatively slow-paced

12 days starting from (depending upon number of people, price below is for a full group of five. Price is higher per person if we do not reach the full number)

EURO 4,599

Please consult www.x-rates.com for current rate in dollars.

Package Offer Includes:

• Breakfast, lunch and guidance on where to go for dinner. Dinner included on three nights during your trip.
• All lodging
• Transportation costs, fuel and tolls
• Tips
• Admission fees

Does not include airfare to and from France.

European Focus Private Tours
Private European Travel Specialists since 1996

Guide Jenean Derheim in Provence, 2011

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Categories : France Tours, Planned Tours

Tags : 2012, azur, cote, d, europe, european, florida, focus, france, group, in, luxury, micro, private, provence, sarasota, tours

You mean you actually will custom-design and lead a trip for just two people?

By jim · Comments (0)

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

We get this question often at our retail store “European Focus Village” in the heart of Sarasota, Florida. The answer is, “Yes, all of the time!” In fact, more than half of the 10-15 trips we design and lead each season (March through October) are with repeat clients, couples, who have been completely spoiled by our easy-going style of travel. They may have been cruisers or bus tour fans in the past, but no more. Now they’re completely addicted to the European Focus method of authentic travel and adventure, the comfortable road, and not the “Europe Through the Back Door” experience of some of the hapless people we see being led around by a non-stop talking guide at a racetrack pace through Europe. Ever wonder where the “If it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium” saying comes from? Bus tours! We have turned the entire concept of escorted travel on its head, and we’ve been doing this successfully since 1995. Is this a cheap way to travel around Europe? Absolutely not. As with any custom-designed service or product, our trips are priced at a level which takes into account the personal service, the planning, the easy pace and the excellent accommodations and food that our clients love.

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Paris, Southwestern France and Barcelona Micro-Group Tour offer for 2013

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Friday, December 7th, 2012

PARIS, SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE & BARCELONA
Micro Group Tour for 2013

This trip starts off with three nights in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, with a guide who knows how to make the most of your time here. We then move away from the city to explore the environs o southwestern France. Carcassonne and the surrounding area is famous for many reasons. Carcassonne and the area also has a lot of mystery and history associated with the Knights Templar. We then make the drive to the one-and-only Barcelona, a city that has been at the crossroads of so much history – from Christopher Columbus connections , to the avant-garde Modernisme movement, with incredible architectural masterpieces by Gaudi (Sagrada Famiglia) and others. This city is really charming with much to see and do. We stay at a centrally-located, small boutique hotel. Trip price does not include airfare.

If there’s interest within the group there is much more to experience, including:
• Plenty of exposure to remnants from Gallo-Roman times
• Exploration of the area around Carcassonne, featuring more quaint and interesting villages, such as Mirepoix (unusual and pretty Middle Ages architecture with nice shops), as well as excursions to the countryside to see some of the castle and abbey ruins and other picturesque villages
• Possibility to enjoy an excursion of the Canal du Midi
• While in Barcelona, sightseeing, including Sagrada Famiglia and some other Gaudi buildings, monument of Christopher Columbus, and Las Ramblas

13 days starting from (depending upon number of people)
EURO 5,299

Package Offer includes:
• All meals and drinks (up to two glasses of wine per person or two beers with dinner)
• All lodging, transportation costs, fuel and tolls
• Tips and admission fees

Minimum number of guests required: Five
Maximum we are able to take: Ten
Tours offered in spring and in fall

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Categories : Europe Tours, France Tours, Planned Tours, Private Tours in Europe, Spain Tours

Tags : europe, european, family, florida, focus, group, in, of, private, sarasota, small, spain, to, tour, touring, tours

Paris, Provence and Southern France Coast Micro-Group Tour offer for 2013

By jim · Comments (0)

Friday, December 7th, 2012

PARIS, PROVENCE & CÔTE D’AZUR
Micro Group Tour for July or August or October, 2013 (Max 5 adults)

This trip starts off with two nights in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, with a guide who knows how to make the most of your time here. We then move away from the cities and to explore several distinct regions of Provence – from fragrant and visually stimulating markets in some of the most scenic villages in France to taking in the wonderful cuisine of the regions. Finally, we move on to the Côte d’Azur, staying right on the sparkling Mediterranean in a quaint but bustling old fishing village.

If there’s interest within the group there is much more to experience, including:
• Plenty of exposure to remnants of the Roman world in their Gaulish territories
• Experiencing unmatched and diverse natural beauty and landscapes (picque-nique anyone?)
• Relatively slow-paced
• History from pre-Roman, Roman, Middle Ages to present

12 days starting from (depending upon number of people)
EURO 4,959

Package Offer includes:
• All meals and drinks (up to two glasses of wine or two beers per person at dinner)
• All lodging
• Transportation costs, fuel and tolls
• Tips
• Admission fees (except for special requests such as parasailing on a beach or bullfights for instance)

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Categories : Europe Tours, France Tours, Planned Tours

Tags : azur, cote, d, europe, family, group, in, of, paris, private, provence, small, to, tour, touring, tours

Postcard from Burgundy

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Friday, August 10th, 2012

Tending a vineyard the old-fashioned way with real horsepower

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Categories : France Tours, Postcards from Europe

Tags : europe, family, france, group, in, of, private, small, to, tour, touring, tours

Pont Neuf in Paris and the End of the Knights Templar

By jim · Comments (1)

Friday, June 15th, 2012

June 15

s Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was executed at the stake at the place where Pont Neuf bridge stands today in Paris

The story of the Knights Templar is one which has always fascinated us. Originally set up as a guard to protect pilgrims who were traveling to the Holy Land, the order originally known as the Hospitalliers grew into a powerful military and religious force with extensive lands, castles, treasuries and power throughout Europe and especially, in France. There are legends that the Knights Templar were guardians of the “Holy Grail” among many other religious artifacts. It is documented that the famous Shroud of Turin was in the possession of one of the Knights Templar in the early 1300s.

The Pont Neuf Bridge, spanning the Seine connects the City Island with the Right and Left Banks of Seine.

The Pont Neuf, or “New Bridge” spanning the Seine stands right over the place where Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Templars was executed by slow burning at the stake on March 18, 1314 after a seven year long prison sentence. de Molay was killed along with hundreds of other Templars by the order of King Philip IV of France, who owed the Templars a huge sum, which he had used in his wars against England. One way to erase those debts and help pay others was to declare the Templars heretics and impound their riches. This was accomplished with the death of their last Grand Master.

Faces on the Pont Neuf, which was erected around 1604

A plaque is attached to one of the pillars of the Pont Neuf, which was built nearly 300 years after these executions took place on the City Island in front of Notre Dame.

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Categories : Europe Tours, France Tours, Private Tours in Europe

Tags : de, europe, family, france, group, in, knights, molay, neuf, of, paris, pont, private, small, templar, to, tour, touring, tours

Noyers-sur-Serein, France

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Monday, June 11th, 2012

Charlotte Wethe and her daughter Diane Duffy in Noyers-sur-Serein

June 11

After lunch at Auberge de la Beursaudiere in nearby Nitry, Burgundy, we walked around the medieval town of Noyers-sur-Serein, a lovely assembly of half-timbered houses, cobblestoned streets, slate roofs and interesting and picturesque corners everywhere you turn. We love taking our guests to this special place. While well-known amongst the French, it is hardly on the American tourist agenda, tucked away in a valley alongside a peaceful river. Bus tours are drawn to other places in the region with larger parking lots and easier access. We love to explore the little places where the bus tours don’t go.

The old pharmacy and a brass lamp in the center

Houses from the early 1400s

Noyers-sur-Serein easily fits the bill as a charming village. Established more than 1,000 years ago, the village attained real power and significance in the 1300s when a massive castle was built above the village by the marshal Mile de Noyers and later by the Dukes of Burgundy. Always a wine-producing town, Noyers-sur-Serein features plenty of reminders of its rich past including grand houses with wood carvings, strong walls and towers and a medieval moat complete with an ancient communal washing house – all luxuries seven centuries ago.

The river has been routed around the village to form a protective moat

It is easy to imagine the fascinating past of France while wandering through off the beaten track villages and towns such as Noyers-sur-Serein.

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Categories : France Tours

Tags : burgundy, france, noyers, serein, sur

A Lunch to Remember in Nitry, France

By jim · Comments (0)

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Auberge de la Beursaudiere in Nitry, France

June 11

We love to make a lunch stop an event to remember. So on June 3rd, which happened to be Mother’s Day in most of Europe, we made arrangements to stop at one of our favorite country inns in the hamlet of Nitry, Burgundy. We called ahead and it’s a good thing we did, because the place was packed with families enjoying this special day out with “Manam.”

Enjoying our first course

The Auberge de la Beursaudiere has hosted several groups in the past for lovely stays while exploring the countryside, cathedrals, abbeys and towns in the area. For this visit, lunch only, as we continued on to Beaune.

Veggies with our main course

Diane Duffy and Serge, the owner of the restaurant and hotel

The owner took us through the kitchen, a beehive of activity with a large staff working under what appeared to be incredible organization. “My wife runs the kitchen,” the owner, Serge, told us. Serge is in charge of customer relations. We were led through the maze of the kitchen to our table in the former stable, a stone room with a warm ambience and arched roof. Lunch was lovely appetizers of tomato and cream cheese, followed by lamb accompanied by peppers, potato wheels, beautiful mushrooms and a crisp white Sauvignon from the area just south of Nitry.

Dessert was strawberries and cream with a special cookie

Two and a half hours later, well satisfied, we ambled out of the restaurant and continued on our way with another memory in store from this adventure in France.

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Categories : France Tours

Tags : Auberge, Beursaudiere, de, france, la, nitry