The Art of Living: Barcelona to Paris

Day 1: Buenos Dias, Barcelona travel days

Your exploration of the art of living begins at 4:00 PM at El Palace Hotel Barcelona. Board a double-decker bus and begin your discovery of the Catalonian capital, from the Olympic venues atop Montjuic Hill to Barcelona’s beautiful harbor. This evening, you'll get a true taste of Spain at our special tapas dinner.

Day 2: Past to present in a single day in Barcelona

Medieval and modern live together in perfect harmony in this whimsical city, as you'll discover today. In Barcelona travel back in time to the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD) as you explore the labyrinthine lanes of Barri Gòtic, where the city began when the Romans settled here. A visit to the cathedral reveals a gem of Spanish gothic architecture with 15th-century choir stalls and medieval Catalan works of art. Move ahead in time as you view Antoni Gaudi's fanciful work at Park Güell and Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familía, still a work-in-progress after 125 years. After admiring Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona's busiest square, you’re free to ramble along Las Ramblas, where the art of contemporary living here swirls around you in its cafés and shops and among its people.

Day 3: Art along the Wild Coast

Your Barcelona travel adventure takes you along Spain's Costa Brava, the Wild Coast, in the footsteps of some of the world’s most noted artists who found inspiration here. First stop is Figueres for a visit to the Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic "object" in the world, created by the artist himself. Here you can trace his career through works from his earliest artistic efforts to those completed in the last years of his life. Then cross the border into France and travel on to the town of Collioure, where Catalan "art de vivre" has its origins. Its location on Mediterranean Sea and two easily defended harbors made it a most attractive place for the Romans and Greeks, who left a rich archaeological heritage behind. The beauty of its setting also attracted many artists, among them Picasso, Matisse and Chagall, and earned it the name "City of Artists." Continue on to the walled city of Carcassonne for a two-night stay at a hotel set within the medieval ramparts.

Day 4: Wine, food and music in the Languedoc

If only the city walls of Carcassonne could talk, they would have amazing stories to tell. Yes, the Romans were here and so were the Visigoths... and the Cathers... and the Celts... and the Franks... and the Crusaders, who captured the city in the early 13th century. You’ll find much to discover here amid Roman walls and monuments to medieval times. Then, board a gabare (a traditional, flat-bottom boat) for a cruise along the Canal du Midi before our special small plate dinner paring sampling small portions of many different dishes with wine and music at a private Languedoc vineyard for an authentic taste of local cuisine and the art of living well in this region of France.

Day 5: Of basilicas and beaches

Called the "Ville Rose" by some for the way that the light of the sun brings the town's red bricks to vibrant life, Toulouse has over 2,000 years of history to share, along with its gastronomic traditions and artistic treasures. Its proximity to a major pilgrimage route to Spain's Santiago de Compostela made it a center for Romanesque art, which can still be seen in the city's museums today. A visit to the Romanesque Basilique de St-Sernin, built in the 11th century and thought to be the largest in the western world, reveals its stunning nave and many elaborately carved capitals. Continue on through the Pyrenees to the Atlantic coast and your oceanfront hotel for a two-night stay.

Day 6: Hearty people and a robust cuisine

One of the first things you'll notice about the Payee Basque is its distinctive architecture with white, half-timbered houses adorned with brightly colored trim; it's also one of the few places in France with its own language – one that is beloved and still enthusiastically spoken today by its fiercely independent people. The kitchen and the meals prepared there are at the heart of Basque culture; the local cuisine reflects the bounty of the sea and the fertile nearby valleys, with fish, grilled and cured meats, stews, cheeses, beans and other vegetables... and Basque cider. Following a walking tour of the village of Ainhoa, a hearty lunch provides a taste of daily life and insights into the importance of food in the art of living here. Fans of complicated courtships are in for a treat when we visit the home and museum of playwright Edmond Rostand, who unfolds one such story in his play, Cyrano de Bergerac. The region is also home to the fastest ball game on Earth – pelota – which you might see being played before heading off to the fishing village of St-Jean-de-Luz, with a long, sandy beach considered one of the best in France. Once the haunt of pirates, the town is home to France's largest Basque church, Eglise St.-Jean-Baptiste, where Louis XIV marred Marie-Thérèse of Spain in 1660... and the site of eclectic annual festivals honoring the tuna and the sardine. Back in Biarritz, the rest of the day and evening are free.

Day 7: Boating to Bordeaux

Could there be a better way to arrive in Bordeaux than by boat along the River Garonne while enjoying a picnic lunch aboard? Beautiful Bordeaux, synonymous with fine wine for many, has more than 350 classified historic buildings or listed as Historic Monuments and is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A guided tour showcases Bordeaux's array of stately 18th-century architectural treasures. After settling in at your hotel, The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux, the rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to discover some of its wines, inherent to the art of living here, in this lively city on your own.

Day 8: The vineyards and wines of St. Emilion

Today brings a visit to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medieval town of St. Emilion. A sightseeing tour includes a visit to the impressive monolithic church that began as a cave inhabited by a single monk. The Romans planted vineyards here as early as the 2nd century AD and the grapes grown here make some of the best wines in the world. After lunch, visit a Grand Cru winery to learn more about the vintages produced in this area. Your evening is free to enjoy the cafés, fountains, squares... and the local people you'll encounter in Bordeaux.

Day 9: Ancient art in the Dordogne

A cruise along the Dordogne River is a lovely way to relax and take in the beauty of the countryside in this scenic region of France. It was in this area of the Perigord Noir that the first remains of the Cro-Magnon people – thought to be the first humans – were discovered in the mid-1800s. They left us a remarkable look at the art of living in their time in the amazing cave paintings of la grotte de Lascaux. Dedicated and talented artists spent eleven years faithfully reproducing the paintings using the same methods and materials the original artists used and you’ll see them today at Lascaux II. Only a limited number of tickets are available each day and Tauck already has yours! Spend the evening in the small village of Varetz at an entertaining dinner enlivened by a showcase of the local traditions, music and dance that have defined the art of living in this part of France for generations.

Day 10: A day of cheeses and stones

The dramatic setting of Rocamadour, seeming to be clinging to its sheer cliff, has drawn pilgrims and tourists for centuries. For devout pilgrims, many of who would climb the 216 stone steps of the Grand Escalier to reach it on their knees (today there is an elevator available), the Cité Religieuses, with its cluster of churches above the main town, has great significance. Its centerpiece, Chapelle Notre Dame, is home to la Vierge Noire, the Black Madonna. Have lunch in Rocamadour, perhaps sampling the small goat cheese for which the town is also famous. Continue on to the village of Collonges la Rouge, where virtually every building is constructed with the same local red stone, so very red that the village seems to have a ruddy glow. One of the few designated "most beautiful villages in France," exploring its pathways and alleys is a delight. Dine at your leisure at your castle hotel this evening.

Day 11: The Parisian point of view

Board a TVG train in Angouleme today, bound for Paris. After arriving at Paris Montparnasse, a little sightseeing en route to your hotel may help you decide how you’d like to spend your leisure time in a city that many believe has perfected the art of living. Tonight the city is at your feet to explore and experience as you wish... perhaps strolling its boulevards, sampling French cuisine, from the humble baguette, so much a symbol of Paris itself, to cassoulet or foie gras, to the "mother sauces" – espagnole, velouté and béchamel – or indulging in a favorite Parisian pastime... people-watching at a sidewalk café as the locals go about their business.

Day 12: Parisian pleasures

A walk through the Tuileries Gardens with your local guide leads to the Musée de L’Orangerie and its view of the art of living as seen through the eyes of the great Impressionists such as Cézanne, Matisse and Monet. Spend the afternoon at leisure exploring on your own or join us for an optional guided walking tour showcasing the city’s 19th-century architectural treasures. The art of living, Parisian-style, reveals itself for a final time on our farewell dinner cruise on the River Seine, as the lights of the city begin to twinkle.

Day 13: Homeward bound

After having begun in Barcelona travel ends in Paris. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Hotel Regina, Paris to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is included. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home.