International Expeditions
Lighthouses of France
print it out and mail it to us with your deposit.
Tour Registration Form
please call the office at 415-362-7255 or email us at jeff@uslhs.org
Dates
July 9 through July 25, 2011
Itinerary
The Normandy region of France combines a 360-mile dramatic coastline, including
the evocative World War II landing beaches, with a verdant interior of lush farmland, bustling market towns, historic landmarks and famous cities. The Society excursion will be visiting the Normandy of Monet’s paintings, a picturesque coastline
overlooking La Manche (the English Channel). This area saw fierce fighting during World War II, especially the three months after the Allied D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. This trip is the first time the U.S. Lighthouse Society has been to this region which is steeped in maritime history and holds a unique mix of French, American and English cultures.
Day one – Welcome dinner in Paris. Located in the north of the country on the river Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities (“the city of lights”), brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. Paris is home to some of the world’s most visited tourist sights including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, Champs Elysees, etc, making it a very popular tourist destination.
Day two –We’ll start the day with a short city tour of Paris which will includes a visit to the Irish Lightship – Batofar. Built by the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1953 this vessel served in Ireland as South Rock and then Daunt. Eventually the ship was sold to French owners and towed to Paris in 1998. Today it is known as the Batofar and is operated as a club. This nightclub, located in Paris, on an Irish lightship, is anchored opposite the Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library). We will then visit the Musee Nationale de la Marine (Maritime Museum) where we will see the first Fresnel Lens ever built – what a great way to begin our tour! Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Day three - Leaving Paris, we’ll tour the lights of the River Seine as we head to the northwest coast. The waters of the Seine have always been the heart and soul of Paris, dating back to the days when the Parisii tribe first established a fishing village on the island now known as Île de la Cité — between 250 and 200 B.C. Prized for its position as a major inland port, Paris has been invaded, occupied, and conquered by its share of foreigners over the course of two millennia, many of whom arrived by this waterway. As we head out of town, we’ll be making a special stop to tour the Graindorge Cheese Factory, maker of some of the best known cheeses of this region including Camembert, Livarot and Pont L’Eveque. In France, cheese and wine have been considered natural allies for as long as people can remember. Overnight in Caen.
Day four – Still heading in a northwesterly direction, we will visit the town of Ouistreham to tour the two lighthouses there (Ouistreham and Feu Posterieur). Then off to the famous Mont Saint Michel (there is a lighthouse there also!). The Abbey of Mont Saint Michel is perched precariously on a 264-foot high rocky islet connected to the mainland by a causeway. Surrounded by over half a mile of massive walls and reached by a steep climb up winding streets, it remains one of the greatest sightseeing attractions in Europe and the second most visited place in France after the Eiffel Tower. The Mont Saint Michel is also known for its tides, the highest on the continent, which race towards the isle at the speed of “galloping horses.” Overnight in Granville.
Day five – After breakfast we’ll hop on a ferry to the “Iles Chausey.” Basically a large group of rocks 10 miles off the French coast, the Îles Chausey are a grouping of small rocky islands on which stand the lighthouse we will visit, a few windswept houses and a café, hotel and restaurant. Chausey forms part of the Channel Islands from a geographical point of view, but because it is under French jurisdiction it is almost never mentioned in the context of the other Channel Islands which are all under the jurisdiction of England. There are no scheduled transport links between Chausey and the other Channel Islands, although between two and four daily shuttles link Chausey to mainland France, one of which we’ll be taking. Overnight in Granville.
Day six – Today is all about the lighthouses, and after breakfast we’ll start with a visit to the Granville Lighthouse for a photo op. Then north along the beautiful French coast we’ll view the Point d’Agon Lighthouse, Portbail Lighthouse, and the Cap de Carteret Light, with a luncheon along the way. Interestingly enough, the Portbail Light is mounted in the stone tower of the Église de Notre-Dame, a Norman church whose foundations were laid in 1026, although most of the building dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The light is displayed through a tiny rectangular window near the top of the tower. At one time the tower was painted white as a day-mark. Overnight in Cherbourg.
Day seven – Continuing with our lighthouse
photography, we’ll backtrack a little to Auderville and photograph Cap de la Hague Lighthouse just offshore. Then once back in Cherbourg we’ll visit the Redoubtable Submarine at La Cite de la Mer. On the 29th of March 1967 General de Gaulle launched at Cherbourg La Redoubtable, the first of a series of submarines which saw service from 1971 to 1985. La Redoubtable is the biggest submarine that can be visited in the world and features an audio-guided tour and an ocean section with the largest aquarium in Europe. The rest of the day you will have free for touring on your own. Cherbourg is an important city for its harbor and busy deep-water seaport, naval base and maritime industrial center. Exploring this dynamic port city offers natural beauty and impressive manmade landmarks, from spectacular sea vistas and verdant hills to a massive sea wall that rims its harbor and a star-shaped fort that guards it. Once known as the “Gateway to America,” Cherbourg brims with activity on both the land and the sea. Overnight in Cherbourg.
Day eight – Continue along the coast to Fermanville to view Cap Levi Lighthouse which is located on the north side of the Cotentin Peninsula (also known as Cherbourg Peninsula). The lighthouse is an important relay between the furthest of Cotentin’s lighthouses: Gatteville to the east and la Hague to the west. From here we will proceed to Gatteville-le-Phare to visit the Gatteville lights. We will continue on to Barfleur for lunch and to view the Barfleur pier lights. Barfleur is a small seaside resort today, but historically served the Romans and then the Vikings. It also is a perfect place, steeped in history, to have free time, dinner and spend the night. Overnight in Barfleur.
Day nine – Today is a major lighthouse day, and we’ll depart Barfleur for Reville to view our first lighthouse Pointe de Saire. Then on to the Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue which was one of many cast iron tourelles (turret style) prefabricated by the firm of “Sautter et Lemonnier” and is said to be the oldest survivor of its class. Next on to Morsalines to view the Morsalines Lighthouse and then we’ll continue on to Sainte Mere-Eglise for lunch and some free time. Founded in the eleventh century, this ancient town played a significant part in the World War II Normandy landings and was one of the first towns liberated during the allied invasions. Actually, a significant portion of the Battle of Normandy, through the summer of 1944, was fought in this area which was known as “Operation Overlord.” The Allies launched the liberation of Western Europe from these sites. Utah Beach, one of the invasion landing beaches, was on the eastern coast of this peninsula and we will visit the American Memorial here. Next, we’ll proceed to Port-en-Bessin to view the range lights there and then on to Bayeux. Bayeux, in fact, was the first town liberated by the allies during D-Day and was the first to greet General de Gaulle upon his return to France on June 14, 1944. Although Bayeux is only a short distance from the D-Day invasion beaches of Omaha and Gold, it was spared bombardment during the historic invasion. Today, it is a sleepy, small town with cobblestone streets lined with small shops and Norman style timbered houses dating from the 17th century. Overnight in Bayeux.
Day ten – Today we will go to the local
museum in town to visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry and Bayeux Cathedral. The 200 foot long Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth that depicts the events leading up to and including the Norman invasion of England in 1066, more specifically, the story of William the Conqueror, the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry has been an inspiration throughout history. It was discovered in Bayeux in the late 18th century. Napoleon eventually claimed it in 1803 to use as an inspiration for his plans to conquer England, and in the 20th century, the Nazi think tank known as the Ahnenerbe stole the tapestry and stored it in the Louvre museum in Paris. After the war was over, the French returned the tapestry to its home in Bayeux. After lunch we will travel to Colleville-sur-Mer to visit the Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center which over looks Omaha Beach and the English Channel. We will spend the night back in Bayeux.
Day eleven – The first and last part of this day is dedicated to lighthouses. First we will move along the coast to Ver-sur-Mer to view the Ver-sur-Mer Lighthouse, and then continue on to Trouville-sur-Mer to view the harbor lights and have lunch. To break up the day we will head to Cormeilles which is the home of “Distillery Busnel.” While there we will tour the facility and be provided tastes of the local Norman apple brandy called “calvados.” Distillery Busnel is the largest distiller and one of the oldest in France, which produces the finest calvados with each tablespoonful representing as many as 40 varieties of apple. After the tour we will continue on to Honfleur where we will end the day with photo ops of Falaise des Fonds, Feu de l’Hopital and Honfleur Jetee de l’Est. We will have dinner and spend the night in Honfleur.
Day twelve – We will depart for Le Havre and once there will view the Le Havre breakwater lights and the Le Havre Lightship,
one of only two surviving French lightships. Before World War II the ship served as the Dunkerque, but from 1949 until its retirement in 1983 it served only the station off Le Havre. Following our photo op of the lightship, we’ll head to Cap de la Heve Lighthouse which is the landfall light for Le Havre and the River Seine, and is considered one of France’s most important light stations. Lights were displayed here as early as the 14th century. La Havre was devastated while under German occupation, and in 1944 during the Battle of Normandy it is estimated that 5,000 people were killed and 12,000 homes destroyed, mainly by Allied air attacks. After the war, the city was rebuilt. From this point, we will move on to Etretat to view Cap d’Antifer Lighthouse. The original lighthouse at this location was a smaller masonry tower established in 1894, and sadly was destroyed by retreating German forces on the 29th of August 1944. The lighthouse is located atop spectacular cliffs which were made famous by some 20 paintings of Monet (painted in 1885, before there was a lighthouse). After lunch, we’ll head northeast along the coast to Fecamp to view the Fecamp pier lights and then the Cap Fagnet Lighthouse. In the 11th century Fécamp became famous for its Benedictine abbey, which, before the growth of the famed Mont-Saint-Michel, was the foremost pilgrimage center in Normandy. After Fecamp we’ll go to Saint Valery-en-Caux to view the architecturally significant pier lighthouse there. Then we’ll move on to Sainte Marguerite-sur-Mer for the night. Sainte Marguerite-sur-Mer is considered a rural village and resort town at the same time, and among other wonderful things is home to Pointe d’Ailly, an incredible lighthouse which we will be visiting the next day.
Day thirteen – After breakfast we will visit the Pointe d’Ailly Lighthouse which dominates the tip of the peninsula and offers a magnificent view over the sea and surrounding countryside. The original lighthouse (circa 1775), was a beautiful square masonry tower, which was replaced by an elegant octagonal tower in 1890 because erosion was bringing the cliff close to the station. Retreating German forces blew up the 1890 lighthouse on the 30th of August 1944. Allied forces then rigged up a temporary light to the old tower which was located at the brink of the cliff, and had the light in operation for New Year’s Eve, the 31st of December 1944. The old tower continued in operation unfil 1958 and finally collapsed over the cliff in 1964. The present lighthouse is located about a quarter mile from the point and about the same distance from the edge of the cliff. After our tour, we’ll proceed to Dieppe to see the Dieppe breakwater lights. After that we’ll head to Le Treport for a photo op of the breakwater light there and have lunch. After lunch we’ll go to Ault for a photo op of the Ault Lighthouse which is located on a military installation. The original lighthouse at this site, a sturdy brick tower, was blown up by retreating French forces on the 16th of June 1940. Now on to Cayeux-sur-Mer and Le Hourdel to view the historic lighthouses of these two French seaside villages. Overnight in Berck. Situated just to the north of the estuary of the river Authie, Berck has a huge expanse of sandy beach and impressive grassy-topped dunes facing north onto the English Channel. Berck comprises two parts – to the east, the old fishing town Berck-Ville, and to the west, the seaside area Berck-sur-Mer.
Day fourteen – The day will begin with a photo op of the Berck Lighthouse, circa 1951. The original lighthouse built at this location (1836) rose through the center of the keeper’s house, and eventually a larger building nearby obstructed its light. To solve this problem an 82 foot tall lighthouse was built next to the original in 1868. Unfortunately both these historic lighthouses were destroyed by retreating German forces in August 1944. Next on the agenda we will visit the Le Touquet Light. The light station, marking the entrance to the Rivière de la Canche, was established with twin towers in 1801. The second pair of lighthouses, built in 1852, which stood an impressive 177 feet tall were ultimately destroyed by retreating German forces in September 1944. A temporary light was shown from the belfry of the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) from October 1944 until the new tower was completed in 1951. Next, we’ll travel to Boulogne to see the Cap d’Alprech Lighthouse, which some say is a good candidate for the title of the world’s most beautiful post light. Among other things, this interesting structure features an exterior spiral staircase and is located on a picturesque promontory at the end of the Rue du Cap. After lunch we will travel northward to Audinghen to view the Cap Griz Nez Lighthouse, where it is said on clear days the famous white cliffs of Dover can be seen from the headland. We’ll end our day by touring the historic Calais Lighthouse in Calais, which miraculously escaped damage in both World Wars. After photo ops of Calais’s unusual harbor lights and a stop at the national monument Calais Tour du Guet, we’ll have dinner. Calais Tour du Guet was built in the 13th century as a watch tower and was turned into a lighthouse in 1818, being deactivated in 1848 when the Calais Lighthouse was completed. Overnight in Calais.
Day fifteen – In the morning we will move on to Gravelines to visit the Phare de Gravelines. This lighthouse remained unpainted until it was restored in 1949, repairing the damage of World War II. It is the subject of a well-known painting by Nicolas de Stael and is located in Petit Fort Philippe (we’re sure you’ll recognize a familiar paint scheme on this lighthouse).
Following this we will continue on to Dunkerque to view the Dunkerque Jetee Ouest Lighthouse, tour the Lightship BF-6 Sandettie and have lunch. We will end the day with a visit to the Dunkerque Lighthouse and see the historic Leughenaer
Tower. This tower was built in 1548 as part of the defenses of Dunkerque. It is the only survivor of a series of towers built around the city and there is some uncertainty over the origin of its name, which means “liar’s tower.” Overnight in Dunkerque.
Day sixteen – Leaving Dunkerque, on our way back to Paris, we will visit the famous village of Giverny to see Monet’s home and gardens and have lunch. When Monet and his family settled in Giverny in 1883 the piece of land sloping gently down from the house to the road was planted with an orchard and enclosed by high stone walls. Quoting Rick Steves, “visiting Giverny, there’s much to admire. Gardeners admire the earth-moving landscaping and layout, botanists find interesting new plants, and art lovers can see paintings they’ve long admired come to life. Claude Monet was the leading light of the Impressionist movement and revolutionized painting in the 1870s. Fiercely independent and dedicated to his craft, Monet gave courage to fellow artists in the face of harsh criticism.” After lunch we will travel to a “must see” in France, Versailles. A short tour of the famous Palace and grounds of Louis XIV will be our final destination of the tour. This evening we will enjoy our farewell dinner and overnight night near the airport in Paris.
Day seventeen – Flights home
Double - $7,925
Single - $4,995
