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France - August |
| Deadline:
Thursday July 15 |
The Palace of Versailles ($150.00 CAD) |
While Paris has always been the official capital
city of France, in practice it was Versailles
where government affairs were conducted and
political decisions made. The major features
of the palace were built between 1682 and 1710
and are truly a sight to be seen. Aside from
its amazing architecture, Versailles’
history also makes the trip a must on anyone’s
France to do list.
As the seat of political power, Versailles
naturally became the cradle of the French Revolution.
It was there that Marie–Antoinette was
famously alleged to have said, in response to
the fact that the French people were starving,
“let them eat cake”. Whether or
not this was true, the comment was indicative
of how the French viewed their King and Queen
and during the days of October 5th and 6th,
1789, throngs of people made their way from
Paris to Versailles, invading the palace and
forcing the royal family out. Both the King
and the Queen were later executed and on August
4th, 1789, the National Constituent Assembly
abolished feudalism
in France for good.
We will leave our residence in Paris after
lunch, and travel by coach to Versailles. Once
at the Chateau, we will enjoy a guided tour
while taking in the gardens and the spectacular
fountains, learning about its history and the
people of the time. We will return to the residence
in time for dinner.
| Price: $150.00
CAD |
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| Vimy
Ridge Memorial ($159.00 CAD) |
 The
Canadian National Vimy Memorial is one of Canada's
most important overseas war memorials to those
Canadians who gave their lives in the First World
War. It was constructed as the national memorial
for the 60,000 Canadians who died and is located
in France, on the site of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The memorial was designed by
Canadian sculptor Walter Seymour Allward after
his proposal was selected from 160 other submissions
by Canadians who participated in a competition
held in the early 1920s. Construction of the memorial
commenced in 1925 and took 11 years. The official
unveiling was on July 26, 1936, by Edward VIII,
one of his few official duties during his short
reign as King of Canada, in the presence of French
President Albert Lebrun and over 50,000 Canadian
and French veterans and their families. In 2007,
the monument was completely restored and unveiled
again.
We will depart from the residence
after lunch and travel just under two hours to
the site of the monument. Here we will have time
to have a guided tour where the history of the
battle and memorial will be explained. After visiting
the small museum on site we will tour the trenches
and walk the battle fields that have remained
untouched since that famous day. This battle in
many ways built Canada as a nation and the visit
is both moving and educational. We will spend
a few hours at the memorial before travelling
back to the residence in time for dinner.
| Price: $159.00
CAD |
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| Eze
Village and Monaco ($135.00 CAD) |
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Eze village is one of the most
picturesque spots in the region. Perched in an
"eagle's nest" at the top of a superb
cliff, the village and its light ochre church
can be seen from afar. Our day will begin in this
small Provencal village as we take in its charm
and wonderful panoramic views of the sea and coastline.
Small narrow roads, archways and superbly restored
stone houses, shady squares, refreshing ancient
fountains... you will soon be seduced by the marvels
of Eze. The village is so beautiful it's hard
to believe you haven’t stumbled onto a movie
set!
From Eze we will move onto the
famous city-state of Monaco. Though large in reputation,
this tiny state is actually no bigger than London’s
Hyde Park. Nestled between the mountains and the
sea, Monaco is famous for money, money, money!
Home to the legendary Monte Carlo Casino and the
Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco is the place to see
and be seen amongst the world’s rich and
famous. It was also the set of the real-life fairytale
romance and marriage of American movie star Grace
Kelly and Prince Rainer of Monaco. Due to its
size, we will have no problems taking in all of
the sights and sounds Monaco has to offer.
| Price: $135.00
CAD |
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| Chateaux
of the Loire Valley ($295.00 CAD) |
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This full day tour will take
us from Paris to the world chateaux of the Loire
Valley. We will have the chance o explore two
of the worlds most famous Chateaux, Chambord and
Chenonceau. We will drive from Paris to Tours
and then on to the Royal Chateau de Chambord which
blends both French and Italian Architecture resulting
in one of the most recognizable chateau in the
world. Chambord is the largest of all the castles
in the Loire Valley and it is here that we will
stop to enjoy our picnic lunch, after touring
the building, on the very spot that the French
Royalty of the past used as their hunting grounds.
We will then travel to the Chateau
Chenonceau. The manor itself has been destroyed
twice since the 11th century but each time it
was rebuilt and today many consider Chenonceau
to be the most charming of all the Loire Valley
sights, built over and protected by its river.
We will have time to explore the building and
the extensive grounds before heading back to the
city of Light.
| Price: $295.00
CAD |
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| The
Community Service Program |
Continue in the Blyth Paris Tradition with
this community service program. Wildly successful
over the past 2 years, students will take time
during their stay in Paris to make sandwiches
which they will distribute to locals in need.
The experience is hands-on, from the planning
stages of deciding what to prepare, to shopping
for the ingredients, preparing the meals and
handing them out. Assisted by the Activities
Coordinator, students will help give back to
the community hosting us and help spread the
message of caring that Canadians take with them,
wherever they go. The time spent can be counted
toward the 40 hour graduation requirement and
between 5-8 hours can be earned.
| Price: $95.00
CAD |
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2010 Blyth Education