Greetings from Algonquin Park!
It's great to finally be back in the Motherland, and I thought I'd make the most of that feeling by getting out of the city immediately and basking in our country's natural beauty.
We don't have any trips currently happening, which means there's a bunch to be released in short order. First up in this respect is a trio of programs exploring France beyond Paris and the more well-known routes for Canadian travellers.
France is right up there with Italy for top travel destinations for Canadians, and again like Italy it's one of those relatively few places that warrant multiple visits in one's life as a traveller.
I love going to France and I enjoy it every time I do. I love the culture, cuisine, the sense of style, and the particular character of the French people. They have strong views on things like wine, taking vacations, and the role of the state in serving the people, all of which I think are worth hearing about from them before coming to our own opinions.
Each of these trips brings us into a different facet of the gem, to different regions each with their unique charms conditioned in various ways by the local culture and concept of French-ness.
The first is a sojourn across Corsica, a department of France in the Mediterranean next door to Sardinia. Corsica is naturally beautiful and culturally distinct from the rest of the country, perhaps having more in common with the Sardinians and the nearby mainland Italians.
It's well-known to European sun seekers, but there is of course much more than the beaches and the resorts; we'll be diving into that from our two bases during the program.
We'll cap off the Corsican sojourn by taking the overnight ferry from Corsica to Languedoc-Roussillon, which is where our second France program, Provence & the French Riviera begins.
For this one we'll begin with a few nights in Nice, from which we'll explore a few parts of the marvellous Côte d'Azur, before we head deep into the countryside of Provence to discover her ancient towns and rural charm.
Following that, we'll return again to Languedoc-Roussillon, where the third of the triad begins, a boating adventure along the iconic Canal du Midi.
We had an absolute blast on our 2022 trip down the Canal, and I expect it to be equally as good on the reverse route up that we'll be doing in 2024. The canal boat experience is intimate and delightfully slow-paced, and the stops in the small towns along the Canal give you a very authentic experience of France beyond her cities.
You can find both the Provence and Corsica itineraries in this week's newsletter, with the Canal du Midi portion coming next week. And if you'd like to know even more, you can join us for any or all of the webinars for these three programs that are happening in the week ahead.
I couldn't tell you which one I think is the best as they all capture a different aspect of France, each distinct in its own form but yet all distinctly French at the same time. Join us in the spring to take it all in.
That's it for this week, though stay tuned as there is lots more coming, including a few trips for Fall 2024 - Morocco, Egypt, Yachting the Turkish Mediterranean & more.
I'm off for a swim here in the lake - I trust your summer is serving you well and I look forward to your thoughts and questions about these or any of our programs.
Cheers!
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