An exciting trip to see the gardens of France – join Marjorie and Linda Thorne on an exclusive trip! Details and itinerary follow.
August 31st – September 11th, 2008
Join MARJORIE HARRIS on a two-part journey to explore the gardens of France. Part I of the tour is based in Paris and the Loire Valley and includes visits to Monet?s Garden at Giverny; the Gardens of Versailles; Chateaux Villandry, Chenonceaux; and Chateau Chaumont-sur-Loire and its famous International Garden Festival. Part II begins and end in Nice, with small trips outside Nice planned. Highlights include visits to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, La Serre de la Madone and Hanbury Botanic Gardens. Marjorie will be along for the whole tour!
For details contact: Linda Thorne or, (613) 232-9028 or see the itinerary below.
Itinerary
| Date | Activites |
|---|---|
| Sunday, August 31 | Get-acquainted dinner at our hotel in Paris. |
| Monday, September 1 | Today we will visit some lesser-known and charming PUBLIC GARDENS of Paris.
The late afternoon and evening are free. |
| Tuesday, September 2 | We will travel by private coach to visit Monet?s house and garden at GIVERNY. There will be ample time to have lunch and visit the Museum of American Art while in Giverny.
Return to Paris hotel. The evening is free. |
| Wednesday, September 3 | After checking out of our hotel, we will depart Paris for the Loire Valley.
En route we will visit the famous gardens of VERSAILLES. Check into our hotel which is a private chateau. Dinner will be served at the chateau. |
| Thursday, September 4 | This day we have scheduled a visit to Chaumont-sur-Loire and the INTERNATIONAL GARDEN FESTIVAL. We will return to the chateau for dinner. |
| Friday, September 5 | In the morning we will visit to the CHATEAU DE VILLANDRY and then go on to see the beautiful Chateau and Gardens of CHENONCEAUX.
We will return to the chateau for dinner. |
| Saturday, September 6 | After checking out of our hotel, we will travel by coach to Paris where we will board a high-speed train (TGV) to Nice.
Dinner will be at our hotel in Nice. |
| Sunday, September 7 | Today we will take a short journey to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and explore the gardens of the VILLA EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD. After lunch we will continue on to visit LES CEDRES where we have scheduled a tour of this privately-owned garden. We then return to Nice for a free evening. |
| Monday, September 8 | Today we will be travelling to the Italian border to visit the gardens of LA SERRE DE LA MADONE, created by the Englishman, Lawrence Johnson, who also designed the famous Hidcote Gardens in England.
We then continue on to visit THE HANBURY BOTANIC GARDENS in La Mortola. The final visit for the day will feature a tour of CLOS DU PEYRONNET, another privately-owned garden. |
| Tuesday, September 9 | This day has been left free to spend time exploring the beautiful City of Nice. |
| Wednesday, September 10 | On this last day of the tour, we will be taking a short journey to visit RENOIR?S HOUSE AND GARDEN where he spent his final years in Cagne-sur-Mer. From there we?ll travel to the beautiful town of St. Paul-de-Vence and visit the stunning FONDATION MAEGHT. Our final stop is the town of Vence to see the CHAPELLE DE ROSAIRE, which was decorated by Matisse. Return to hotel for free evening. |
| Thursday, September 11 | Depart hotel for Nice International Airport. |
Tour Host
One of Canada?s leading garden writers, Marjorie is editor-at-large for Gardening Life magazine and the national gardening columnist for the Globe and Mail. She is also the author of numerous gardening books, the latest of which, ?How to Make a Garden?, was released in 2007. Marjorie and her husband spend part of each winter in the South of France and she is both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the area?s gardens and food.
Tour Leader
For fifteen years Linda Thorne owned and operated THORNE & CO., a store for gardeners in the popular Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa. She has planned and led garden tours to England and Ireland and looks forward to this second collaboration with Marjorie Harris (the first is a tour to Tuscany in May ?08). The two women met in 1990 when Marjorie?s first gardening book, ?The Canadian Gardener? was published and Thorne & Co. was about to open. Linda is also a national judge for Communities in Bloom.
About the Tour
To accommodate those people who are interested in coming on part of the tour, we have planned the itinerary to allow people to join it at different times. The first portion of the tour will be starting and ending in Paris (August 31 to September 6) and the second part will begin and end in Nice although individuals can join the group in Paris and take the train journey to Nice. Marjorie Harris will be travelling with the full tour.
Tour Price*
FULL TOUR**
$5,875.00 per person sharing (single supp. $1,180.00)
PARIS/LOIRE VALLEY
$3,075.00 per person sharing (single supp. $645.00)
NICE
$2,560.00 per person sharing (single supp. $535.00)*
*Should there be an upward movement in the cost of the euro vis a vis the Canadian dollar by the time the final payment is due, the price will be adjusted to reflect that difference.
**Includes cost of train trip from Paris to Nice.
Payment Schedule
(for either the full or part tour):
DEPOSIT: $1,500.00 is due on booking or by May 21st
FINAL PAYMENT: due by July 15th.
Cheques only should be made payable to:
Algonquin Travel and sent to the attention of:
Irene Eyford, Manager
Algonquin Travel
90 Sparks Street
OTTAWA, On K1P 5B4
(Tel: 613-237-9200)
(Algonquin Travel is acting as Thorne & Co.?s banker in order to ensure that your travel funds are insured.)
All enquiries concerning the tour should be made directly to Linda Thorne either by phone (613-232-9028) or e-mail Linda.
Notes
This is a small group tour and space is limited. Space will not be held without a deposit. As we approach the date of the tour, there may be some minor adjustments to the itinerary.
Price Includes
- 11 nights? accommodation with breakfast in carefully chosen four-star hotels, plus five dinners.
- The services of a full-time guide and tour manager.
- First-class coach services throughout the tour, and train travel from Paris to Nice.
- All entry fees and organized tours.
- All gratuities and porterage of one bag per person.
Price Excludes
- Air fare
- All lunches and some dinners
- Alcoholic beverages
- Items of a personal nature
Terms & Conditions
In providing this tour, Thorne & Co. and its associated operators are acting only as intermediaries, whose function it is to make reservations with companies or firms offering facilities for accommodation or coach travel associated with the travel industry. Thorne & Co. and its associated operators make every endeavour to ensure that the reservations and bookings which are made with such firms or companies, are in fact fulfilled by them. However, Thorne & Co. and its associated operators, while acting in good faith, does not accept any responsibility for default causing loss or injury to person or property whether by negligence or otherwise on the part of any company, firm or their employees or any individual providing any facilities for any person taking advantage of the travel service. Further, Thorne & Co. and its associated operators are not liable for any loss suffered by any person or any additional expenses caused or occasioned by delays due to adverse weather, unsuitable road conditions, illness, injuries, strikes, civil disturbances or whatsoever nature interfering with, altering or adding to the cost of the service or accommodation requested or booked.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation prior to July 15th will be fully refunded, less an administrative fee of $150.00. Cancellations made between July 15th and July 29th, will be 60% refundable, less an administrative fee of $150.00. After July 29th no refunds will be made. It is strongly advised that you purchase trip cancellation and out-ofcountry travel insurance which can be done through Algonquin Travel or any other agency or bank.