PARIS SPRING 2022.
In March of 2022, I had the pleasure of creating the perfect itinerary and guiding a group of students from the Berridge Programs through the city of lights. The students had just completed an nine-week gap year program in Normandy, at Chateau Le Mont Epinguet, an eighteenth century castle in Northern France. Students worked intensely in their chosen craft, from acting to film to painting, guided by arts industry professionals in a nurturing and creatively-fueled environment. At the end of the program, they spent a week in Paris. While on tour I was assisted by Andrea Mardon, Berridge Programs Executive Director, and Katie Royer, administrative assistant.
Day One - Bienvenue à Paris!
Check in at St. Christopher's Inn. Neighborhood orientation (10th Arrondissement). Welcome Dinner at Chennai Dosa (South Indian).
Day Two - Le Coeur de Paris
Breakfast at the hotel. Paris Metro orientaiton. City Walk: Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées. Eiffel Tower. Lunch in Rue Cler. Ile de cite, Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore, Notre-Dame, Fontaine Saint-Michel. Dinner in the Latin Quarter.
Day Three - Versailles Excursion
Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to Versailles via train. Palace at Versailles tour. Lunch in the gardens. Return to Paris. Dinner near the hotel.
Day Four - Montmartre
Breakfast at the hotel. Funiculaire to the top. Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. Montmartre neighborhood. Sketching in the park. Dinner in the Marais district.
Day Five - Northeast Paris
Cafe brunch. Cimetière du Père Lachaise. French markets. Parc de Belleville. Picnic in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
Day Six - Musée du Louvre, L’Orangerie, and Seine River cruise
Breakfast at the hotel. Metro to Musée du Louvre. Lunch in Gallerie Vivienne. Tuileries Garden. L’Orangerie Museum. Sunset river cruise on the Seine.
Day Seven - From Gothic to Modern
Breakfast at the hotel. Saint Chappelle. Musée des Arts Décoratifs: Thierry Mugler exhibit. Lunch near museums. Dessert at Cafe Le Bistrot.
Day Eight - Belle Époque Paris
Breakfast at the hotel. Musée d'Orsay. Shopping at Printemps, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Lunch in the 1st Arrondissement. Parisian Bookstores and ice cream. Dinner near Canal St. Martin.
Day Nine - Legends of Paris
Tea and chocolates in Montparnasse. Lunch at Cafe Du Rendezvous. Tour the Catacombs of Paris. Montparnasse neighborhood artwalk. Farewell dinner.
Day Ten - Departure Day
Breakfast at the hotel. Ride to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
