Eté 2026: Nantes & Bretagne                                    

13-23 juillet 2026

                                                                          This tour is offered in French language only.                                                                                   Watch this excellent video about the city of Nantes by filmmaker Théo Richard.

      

lundi 13 juillet: Bienvenue à Nantes! 
Apéritif d’accueil in our new surroundings and welcome dinner in one of Nantes’s inviting restaurants along the banks of the Loire.   DÎNER             

mardi 14 juillet: La ville [l’esthétique: le patrimoine]
We’ll start today’s activities a bit later to help ease the jet lag.  We’ll start the day with a morning visit of the town with our guide to learn about our new surroundings.  After lunch together, we’ll learn about the intriguing history of Nantes, where you’ll discover the many facets of this important city.   Did you know, for example, that Nantes was the epicenter of the triangular slave trade in the 18th c?  Or that during World War II, the first Nazi soldier to be executed by resistants took place in Nantes, resulting in the retaliatory execution of 48 French citizens by the Germans?                                                                      DÉJEUNER                     

mercredi 15 juillet:  Histoire de la Bretagne[l’esthétique: le patrimoine] 
Brittany has a long and sometimes tortured history.  We’ll learn about this unique part of France this morning, and then discover the incredible role which the port of St-Nazaire has played throughout Brittany’s history, particularly during the Second World War.  Afternoon in St-Nazaire.  Evening activity TBD   DEJEUNER     

                                                                                                                                                                               

jeudi 16 juillet: 
Enseignement des langues à travers l’art [l’éducation et l’enseignement] 
With our teacher’s expertise in teaching French as a Second Language, we’ll discover the many ways in which students can increase their vocabularies and their understanding of France through its vast network of stunning art.  Visit this afternoon to the impressive Musee Château de Nantes, the birthplace of Anne de Bretagne.  Evening activity TBD.          DÉJEUNER 

vendredi 17 juillet: Journée libre ou Angers*
Take the day for yourself or join us for an outing to one of the area’s richest cultural sites.  Historic capital of the stronghold Anjou, birthplace of the dynasty of the Plantagenets, Angers was one of the intellectual centers of Europe in the 15th century under the reign of the Good King René, and is still today a beacon of cultural institutions.  We’ll have a visit around town, then you’ll be free to roam as you like.  Don’t miss the breathtaking tapisserie of the Apocalypse, a medieval work of art that has survived the ages and is listed by the United Nations as a cultural artifact, and the Chant du Monde tapisseries at the beautiful Musée Jean Lurçat.  DÉJEUNER  LIBRE

samedi 18: Histoire de la Bretagne[l’esthétique: le patrimoine]  Morning at leisure or join us at a cooking class [l’esthétique: le patrimoine] where you’ll pick up some Breton specialties to dazzle the guests at your next dinner party.  This afternoon’s seminar, Travaillons notre francais!, will help us work out a few kinks of our own language mistakes.  For those teachers interested, we’ll hold our braderie d’idées after the seminar. Tonight, you’ll spend an optional evening dining with a French family chez eux, a rare treat for foreigners, in which case you’ll be paired off two by two.         REPAS LIBRES   

 

dimanche 19 juillet:  Journée libre ou Vannes*  [le pluriculturalisme] 
One of the most charming and most popular tourist destinations of Brittany, Vannes is a fortified city dating back to the 10th century.  It claims one of the most beautiful ports in all of Brittany, boasts well-maintained fortifications, hosts an annual medieval festival and has become incontournable on the itinerary to discovering Brittany.   After a visite guidée together you’ll be free to flâner à votre guise.        DÎNER

lundi 20 juillet*: L’immigration à travers les âges en France [l’esthétique: le patrimoine]  France has always been a terre d’accueil, so immigration from various parts of France to this region as well as peoples from other parts of the world have always been welcomed.  We’ll take an afternoon stroll through town to le quartier de Chantenay, to witness first-hand the evolution of this area from working class to Jardin Extraordinaire.  Evening activity TBD           REPAS LIBRES 

Travaillons notre français! [l’esthétique, le patrimoine] 
      

               

mardi 21 juillet:   Journée libre ou journée à la campagne nantaise* [l’esthétique: le patrimoine] 
Join us for a delightful outing to the outskirts of Nantes where Muscadet wine is produced and small villages beckon.  Clisson, a town of famous artists and writers such as Alexandre Dumas and Flaubert, even George Sand, attracts the Nantais, who love to spend their weekends here, not far from the beckoning vines and rolling countryside.  We’ll have lunch in town then head out to stroll around the vignes and taste the wine in a nearby chateau with a breathtaking view of the surroundings. DÉJEUNER & DÉGUSTATION DE VIN

mercredi 22 juillet: Journée libre, entièrement [l’esthétique: le patrimoine]      
You’ll be free all day today to return to the places you would like to revisit, buy those last-minute items, or just relax in the sunshine of Nantes.  We’ll say goodbye to our seminar leader this evening at our final dinner.                                        DÎNER DE CLÔTURE

jeudi 23 juillet:      
Departure if you must, is always bittersweet, and we encourage you to stay longer in France if you can.  There are so many options in the wonderful countryside in both the Loire-Atlantique and Brittany, as its towns are full of history and authenticity, to say nothing of their sheer beauty and natural wonders.

jeudi 23 juillet*: Two-day extension to the Finistère, Pont-Aven and Quimper         
If you’re not ready to leave the area yet, then come along with us for a final exploration of the wonderful towns in the Finistère, Pont-Aven and Quimper.  En route, we’ll stop off for a visit at the breathtaking menhirs in Carnac, those ancient stones aligned in a magical form from centuries ago, still unexplained today although many theories abound.  We’ll continue on to the refreshingly beautiful town of Pont-Aven, discovered by the American impressionists (! Yes, American)  at the end of the 19^th century and a haven of poetry, art, music and beauty ever since.  We’ll spend two nights here, visiting Quimper on our second day, concluding with a final dinner together in Pont Aven.  Departure from Pont-Aven on July 25.  LUNCH

 * extra cost

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Phrases in brackets = Themes relative to the curriculum of advance testing

* = meals at leisure; ♥ = additional cost

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