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: $125.00 CAD

Described as the most picture postcard perfect city in Northern Europe, Bruges is the best example of medieval Belgium and the country’s most popular summer getaway. Surrounded by a continuous ring of canals, the heart of Bruges boasts terrific shopping, beautiful architecture and, being Belgium, chocolate and frites galore!

We will depart our residence in the morning and head for Belgium. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel in the heart of Bruges and enjoy some free time exploring the city before heading out into the beautiful countryside and the cemetery at Passchendale to experience the Last Post Tour. The Last Post, performed precisely at 8 p.m. every evening since 1928, is a traditional bugle call played in memory of the fallen warriors of the British Empire during WWII. We will be brought back into town to eat a Belgium feast fashionably late before enjoying the sights and the sounds of Bruges by night.

We will have more free time the following day to explore before heading back to Paris in time for dinner.

Price: $395.00 CAD FULL

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: $110.00 CAD

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: $95.00 CAD