Once off the plane we'll drop our bags in our rooms, collect ourselves and set off on a walking tour of Montmartre and see the oldest remaining windmill in Paris, discover the hidden 19th century villas of the bourgeoisie as well as the quaint backstreets that inspired countless turn of the century artists and writers. We'll swing by the Moulin Rouge, appreciate the art nouveau flourishes of the Abbesses metro stop and admire the wall of je t'aime! Of course in the midst of all this we'll make time for an afternoon snack at a neighborhood bakery. Our last stop will be the hike up to Sacre Coeur where we'll walk through the church and have just enough time to catch the view of the city at sunset. We'll finish up the evening with a typical dinner in a bistrot nearby.

After breakfast at the hotel we'll start the day by admiring the medieval vestiges around the Chatelet and Marais neighborhoods. Later we'll stop for some street food in the Jewish quarter and take in the Place des Vosges. We'll then have some time to spend wandering around the lively shopping streets known as the St. Paul village. We'll then make our way over to the Place de la Bastille before finishing the day at the Pompidou Center, admiring the architectural contrasts and exploring the interior for a look at one of France's best modern art collections. We'll have dinner at the newly renovated and rather impressive Halles shopping center.

After breakfast we'll head to Notre Dame before the crowds and learn a bit about the history and see how the reconstruction process is progressing. We'll then cruise around on bikes to see the Ile St. Louis and do a sweep of the Latin quarter. Here we will explore the Quai St. Michel and the history of Parisian academe by passing in front of the original Sorbonne and St. Andre des Arts. We'll have a picnic lunch in the jardin du luxembourg and get ready to see the Pantheon in the afternoon. We'll finish up the day with some free time to walk around or relax before dinner near the hotel.

Lodging: Hotel in Paris

After an early breakfast at the hotel we'll head out to spend the day visiting the city of Rouen. We'll check out the Musee des Beaux Arts Rouen as a first stop on our impressionists tour, we'll leisurely take a walkabout the city center, have lunch on a plaza to people watch, go to see the gros horloge -or the old clock-and the rest of the St Maclou histoiric neighborhood, and we'll end with a hike up colline st. catherine to see the city in the evening at sunset. We'll spend the night in this charming little city, getting some solid rest to gear up for the Monet tour in the morning!

Breakfast super early and we're off to beat the crowds at Giverny. There we'll see Monet's home and gardens and the Musee des impressionisms. We'll have lunch in a typical restaurant in Giverny and then head back to Paris in the late afternoon. We'll arrive in time for dinner and a walk to see some of Paris by night without overdoing it so as to be fresh for Bordeaux in the morn!

After an early breakfast, we'll take the train to Bordeaux and upon arrival drop our bags off. We'll then head straight to the Sunday market along the Garonne river and take lunch from there to eat in the jardin public. From there we'll go on a walking tour of the old center and hike up the tour pey berland for a view over the city. In the afternoon we'll meet our host families and have dinner with them.

Breakfast with host families and then off to our first day of French class! For lunch we'll head up to the Chartrons neighborhood to see the Cite du vin and les halles. We'll spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the neighborhood at our leisure before heading back to our host families for dinner.

Breakfast with host families and then off to French class! We'll have a quick lunch near the language school and then head out to see the famous Dune du pyla and the nearby seaside town of Arcachon. We'll head back to our host families for dinner.

Breakfast with host families and then off to French class! We'll have a quick lunch after class and then we'll go and see more of Bordeaux's history at the Musee d'aquitaine and the Basilica of St. Michel. You'll have time to roam around the neighborhood of St. Michel after a guided walkabout. We'll be back to our host families in time for dinner this evening.

One more breakfast with our host families before our final French class of the trip! We'll have a good lunch after class by the river (weather permitting) and then from there we'll grab our bags and catch an evening train back up to Paris in time for dinner, a cheese tasting and a last activity all together in the City of light before a good night's rest.

This morning, after a last croissant, we're headed back home to the U.S!