SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS IN STONE:
THE GREAT GOTHIC CATHEDRALS OF NORTHERN FRANCE
Institute for Spirituality and Health
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September 17-October 1, 2011
The Gothic cathedral still justly represents in our collective imagination the most characteristic Christian architecture in the Western tradition, a gorgeously material manifestation of spiritual ideals. Originating in the area around Paris, the finest and most important examples are conveniently located in northern France. This study tour, conducted by Gregory Bailey, a Rome-based art historian with a degree from France’s prestigious École du Louvre, and John K. Graham, M.D., D.Min. proposes a concise and relaxed overview of these inspiring masterpieces together with a sumptuous foray into the finest of the royal châteaux in the Loire valley region, known as “the garden of France.”
The itinerary is as follows:
DAY 1 (Saturday, September 17, 2011)
Departure from Houston overnight to Paris
DAY 2 (Sunday, September 18) Beauvais - Amiens - Upon arrival at Charles-de-Gaulle airport, Gregory Bailey meets us with a private coach to escort us nearby Beauvais, where we can attend Sunday service in the cathedral of Saint-Pierre. After lunch (0n your 0wn), we continue northward to Amiens, the ancient capital of the Picardy region and site of Saint Martin’s conversion, where dinner awaits us after check-in to our hotel in the city center.
DAY 3 (Monday, September 19) Amiens - Nôtre-Dame cathedral in Amiens imposes itself simply in terms of scale, being both the tallest and largest complete cathedral, but it also possesses an unusual harmony of style. The great 19th-century English critic John Ruskin called it “not only the best, but also the first thing done perfectly in its manner by northern Christendom.” After our private tour, we make our way to the nearby medieval canal quarter of Saint-Leu, known as “the little Venice of the north,” where lunch together before exploring the area on foot. The evening is yours to relax at leisure, or join us for the unique son et lumière spectacle illuminating the Cathedral façade in its original colors, allowing us to imagine the building in its original polychrome splendor.
DAY 4 (Tuesday, September 20) Laon - Today we board our coach to venture southeast to Laon, whose cathedral of Nôtre-Dame is an important achievement of the early Gothic style, with a particularly luminous interior. We lunch together in the upper part of the medieval hill town, and continue onward to Reims, famous as the capital of the Champagne region. The evening is free.
DAY 5 (Wednesday, September 21) Reims - Nôtre-Dame in Reims is crucial to French history as the cathedral where French kings were crowned, and justly famous for its sculptural decoration and stained glass. Following our visit, we also enjoy the splendors of the church treasury in the Palais de Tau next-door. Lunch is in a nearby historic brasserie, and the afternoon brings a guided tour of the local Musée de Beaux-Arts. Dinner is free.
DAY 6 (Thursday, September 22) Reims - The lovely and intimate basilica of Saint-Rémi also played a critical role in the coronation process. After our visit, we unwind with a private tour of the extensive caves of the maison Taittinger, one of the leading champagne producers, followed by a comforting lunch in another historic bistrot. The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy the shopping opportunities in Reims, or to joins us for another exclusive private visit of the caves of the champagne producer Lanson.
DAY 7 (Friday, September 23) Troyes - The city of Troyes, southeast of Reims, hosted one of the most important trade fairs in medieval Europe, attracting such visitors as the young Saint Francis of Assisi. This lovely and picturesque town retains much of its medieval splendor, which we peruse in a leisurely walking tour after seeing the local cathedral of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, notable for its extensive collection of original stained glass. We pause for a convivial lunch together in an atmospheric old bistrot. Upon return to Reims, the evening is free.
DAY 8 (Saturday, September 24) Sens - Leaving the Champagne region, we loop southwest, stopping in the Burgundian city of Sens to admire one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals, Saint-Etienne, and its treasury, one of the richest in France. After lunch (not included), we continue westward to the Loire valley, where we settle into the charming Renaissance village of Beaugency and enjoy a fine welcome dinner in our hotel.
DAY 9 (Sunday, September 25) Loire Valley - This Sunday morning we have the treat of a service in Gregorian chant sung by the Benedictine monks in the Romanesque abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire. Afterwards, a sumptuous lunch awaits us in the nearby village of Sully-sur-Loire near its imposing castle. The afternoon brings a relaxed visit of the Carolingian church of Saint-Germigny-sur-Près, famous for possessing the only medieval mosaics in France. Dinner is free in Beaugency.
DAY 10 (Monday, September 26) Chateaux of the Loire - Today brings a secular respite, with visits to two of the most beautiful royal châteaux, the quintessentially romantic Chenonceaux and the imposing Chambord, traditionally designed by polymorph genius Leonardo da Vinci, where we will enjoy lunch in the shadow of the château. On our way back to Beaugency we stop for a wine tasting at one of the most notable local producers to give us an introduction to one of France’s lesser-known wine regions. The evening is free.
DAY 11 (Tuesday, September 27) Beaugency, Blois - A relaxing day, with a morning excursion to nearby Blois, where we tour its imposing château and historic city center, and enjoy lunch together next to the château. The afternoon and evening are yours to relax in Beaugency, where you can take advantage of the heated swimming pool at our hotel if the weather permits.
DAY 12 (Wednesday, September 28) Tours - The charming and romantic château of Azay-le Rideau, built by a wealthy banker, beckons us in the morning, after which we proceed to nearby Tours, the home town of Saint Martin, where we lunch in the picturesque medieval place Plumereau (not included). In the afternoon, we see the ruins of Saint Martin’s basilica and the local cathedral, Saint-Gatien, before returning to our hotel for a farewell dinner to the Lore valley.
DAY 13 (Thursday. September 29) Chartres, Paris - Our coach takes us northward to Chartres, whose cathedral of Nôtre-Dame represents a pinnacle of Gothic art, pure sculpted space illuminated by the world’s most famous ensemble of stained glass. After lunch, we make our way to Paris, where you have the evening at leisure after we install in our hotel in the wonderful Latin Quarter.
DAY 14 (Friday, September 30) Paris - Our tour of France ends with an in-depth regard at the sculpture of Nôtre-Dame de Paris, followed by that jewel-case of Gothic architecture, the Sainte-Chapelle. The afternoon is yours to explore the many delights Paris on your own; we meet in the evening for a gala farewell dinner.
DAY 15 (Saturday, October 1) - Check-out of hotel and departure from Charles-de-Gaulle Airport.
Price of the tour is $4150.00 per person exclusive of airfare. A $750/person deposit is required by Sunday, May 29, 2011, in order to reserve a place; the balance of $3400 per person is due by Sunday, July 17, 2011.
Terms and Conditions
Price of the tour is $4150.00 per person exclusive of airfare. This includes accommodations, based on double occupancy, at the hotels (2 nights in Amiens, 4 nights in Reims, 5 nights in Beaugency, 2 nights in Paris); all sightseeing, excursions and visits on the itinerary, with transportation to and from all sites listed, except as noted; private guide services; luggage handling for 2 items per person; and 26 out of 36 meals (all breakfasts, 9 out of 13 lunches and 4 out of 13 dinners). All group meals include three or more courses, mineral water, selected wines or other choice of beverage, and coffee or tea.
Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of a non-refundable deposit of $750.00 per participant. The full balance of payment is required on or before Sunday, July 17, 2011. Checks should be made out to Gregory Bailey Custom Travel.
The price does not include: airfare, passport and visa expenses, single room supplements, immunizations, personal travel insurance, arrival/departure airport or country taxes, food and drink not listed on the itinerary, items of a personal nature, telephone calls, or excess baggage charges.
A single supplement: of $750.00 is to be paid by participants who request single accommodation. This request is subject to availability. If the pilgrim is traveling alone and wishes to share accommodations, Gregory Bailey Custom Travel agrees to attempt to pair him or her with a roommate of the same gender. However, if we are unable to find you a roommate, the single supplement charge will be applied.
Insurance: Gregory Bailey Custom Travel recommends trip cancellation, emergency medical, and, eventually, personal theft insurance. Excellent policies are available through Berkly Insurance at www.berklyins.com. While we make every effort to ensure proper baggage handling, Gregory Bailey Custom Travel cannot be held responsible for damage, loss, or theft of luggage or personal belongings.
Cancellations: must be received in writing. Cancellations received on or before Sunday, July 17, 2011, will result in forfeiture of the $750 deposit. Cancellations received from July 18 to August 14, 2011, will forfeit 30% of the cost of the land package price ($1245.00). Cancellations received from August 15 through September 15, 2011, will forfeit 50% of the cost of the land package price ($2075.00). Cancellations within 48 hours or "no show" at the time of departure will result in forfeiture of the entire cost of the land package price ($4150.00).
All participants must have a valid passport. Non-U.S. citizens may need visas, and bear the responsibility of verification. While we make every effort to give clients a relaxing tour, walking is an integral part of traveling in Europe–many sites are inaccessible by bus–and clients are expected to be in reasonable shape; those requiring special treatment must let us know at the time of reservation. We strongly recommend bringing at least one pair of comfortable walking shoes.
Gregory Bailey Custom Travel acts only as agent for the suppliers of travel conveyance, transport, accommodation, or other service, and has no responsibility in whole or in part for any delayed departure or arrival, missed carrier connections, loss, death, damage or injury to person or property, accident, mechanical defect, and failure or negligence of any nature howsoever caused in connection with any accommodation, transportation, or other services. Gregory Bailey Custom Travel cannot be held responsible for events beyond its control, such as (without limitation) acts of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorist activities, strikes or government restrictions. We reserve the right to cancel the tour at any time. In this event, a full refund will be made, although we cannot be held responsible for additional expenses incurred by participants in preparing for the trip. We reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary, substituting similar or equivalent services, when necessary. We reserve the right to decline or accept any person as a member of the tour without notice, and to cancel the participation of any client whose behavior is in the opinion of a representative of the company causing excessive distress, damage or annoyance to anyone or to anyone's property. In such a case, Gregory Bailey Custom Travel's responsibility for the client will cease immediately and no compensation will be paid for any loss. In the unlikely event of any legal dispute, the courts of the State of Texas will have exclusive jurisdiction and the laws of the State of Texas will govern any dispute.
GREGORY BAILEY CUSTOM TRAVEL
via del Vascello 6, int. 4
00152 Roma, Italia
tel/fax: (011-39) 06.58.30.00.57
e-mail: gregoriobailey@gmail.com
www.ourmaninrome.com
To register: send your deposit check made out to "Greg Bailey Custom Travel" along with phone number, and email address to Dr. John K Graham at
6231 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, TX 7705
For more information: call (832) 215-6040
SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS IN STONE:
THE GREAT GOTHIC CATHEDRALS OF NORTHERN FRANCE
Institute for Spirituality and Health
Spirituality-In-Art Tour,
September 17-October 1, 2011
