FAM TRIP MIDI-PYRENEES GREENFRANCE 11th & 13th OCTOBER 2013

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1 Fam trip from 5 to 10 tour operators FAM TRIP MIDI-PYRENEES Friday 11th october 2013 Arrivals of the tour operators in the afternoon or the evening at the Toulouse Blagnac Airport. Meeting with Muriel Martin from Toulouse Tourist Office and Sandra Dargent from Midi-Pyrénées Tourist office. Transfer by coach to your hotel (to be confirmed) Transfer by coach to the Hotel in the city center of Toulouse. Ibis Styles Centre Gare*** General Manager : Mr Cédric Frenehard 13 Boulevard Bonrepos Toulouse - Tél : (0) E mail :[email protected] - Site : The hotel was completely renovated in Its 62 charming rooms and well equipped overlook a courtyard. Ideally situated just in front of the train station and only 10 minutes walking far from the Capitole Plaza, its restaurants, theaters, shops and museums and a public car park nearby. Information kit given in your room 7.55 pm:, Meeting in the lobby of the hotel to walk to the restaurant pm :, Dinner at the Restaurant Le Colombier Contact: Mrs Françoise Lacoste 14 rue Bayard Toulouse- Tel: +33 (0) [email protected] - Web: The Capitouls' stables in the 18th century, then a stage post during the 1789 revolution, the place became a restaurant in Besides the inevitable cassoulet with goose confit, you will find there gastronomic cooking, traditional or regio- nal dishes, but also pub food and even family cooking. Le Colombier claims to be the opposite of the "trendy", away from ephemeral fashions; here one comes to please one- self pm : Transfer by foot from the restaurant to the hotel. Saturday 12th october am : Meeting in the lobby of the Hotel with your guide for a cycling tour of Toulouse-

2 Culture and relaxation are to be met during this stroll through the town s natural sites. This ride will give you the opportunity to discover the Canal du Midi, the Garonne river and the main emblematic monuments of Toulouse. The Canal du Midi, the oldest canal still in use in Europe, was created by Pierre-Paul Riquet in the 17th century to link the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Inaugurated in 1681, it used to facilitate the transport of goods especially cereals. Classified in 1996 as World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO to demonstrate the greatness of the work and honor all structures made along its 240 km. Toulouse, in love with its Garonne river has opted to protect the docks and surrounding area. The riverfront in walk became a place of entertainment for festivals such as Rio Loco in June each year or are transformed into giant beach each summer. The Capitole, now the home of the Town Hall and the Théâtre National du Capitole, this building is remarkable for its façade with its eight pink marble columns, its Cour Henri IV and the "Salle des Illustres" (inspired by the Galleria Farnese in Rome), where the gilt mouldings vie with the painted cartouches. Also on your tour are the Jean-Paul Laurens, Henri Martin and Paul Gervais Rooms. Saint-Sernin Basilica, a splendid Roman church. Listed by UNESCO as an important stop on the Saint-Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage. This beautiful building dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries am : Visit of the «Maison de la Violette» Barge on the Canal du Midi Boulevard Bonrepos in front of the train station Toulouse

3 Tel : +33 (0) This barge devoted to the violets of Toulouse offers products connected with violets and a sampling of delicacies. A permanent exhibition offers a discovery of the plant s history and cultivation. New : on the upper deck, the terrace houses a tearoom on sunny days and a greenhouse for growing and selling violets of Toulouse during winter pm : Lunch at the Restaurant Le Vélo Sentimental 12 boulevard Bonrepos TOULOUSE Contact : [email protected] Tel : +33 (0) Unusual restaurant arranged in the courtyard of the House of the Bicycle along the Canal du Midi in front of the train station. A market cuisine served under the lime tree or in the dining room pm : Departure by coach from Toulouse to Cahors : Lunch in a Restaurant in Toulouse (to be confirmed) 2.15 pm : Transfer by coach to Cahors (Lot) pm : Arrival in Cahors, Great Site of Midi-Pyrénées 3.30 pm : Cruise on the Lot river on the passenger boat Le Fénelon Discover the Valentré Bridge, a 14 th century fortified bridge, UNESCO World Heritage listed, and symbol of Cahors. It stands close to the Santiago Pilgrim Way, still much frequented by walkers and pilgrims. It spans the river Lot, which is navigable here for houseboats or for passenger boats offering cruises with or without a meal on board. This short cruise will enable you to discover also the mediaeval town and St Stephens Cathedral, with its 2 cupolas. Les Croisières Fénelon - M. GINIER Allées des Soupirs CAHORS : 33 (0) : 33 (0) : [email protected] pm : Transfer to Bouziès, the starting point of the chemin de halage walking path going to the village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie 5.00 pm : Walking on the canal towpath along the Lot river (full way is just 3 km) (According to weather and timing)

4 Discover this beautiful man-made trail with an original view of the natural world. Where the cliff falls sheer to the water level, the towpath is cut clean into the rock, a sort of half-tunnel two metres high for about 300 metres in length. Then you come across an artistic interpretation of the environment you are visiting created by a French artist who has made a bas-relief carving into the stone along the cutting. See also the traditional river lock of Ganil before getting back on the same way pm : Continue to Saint-Cirq Lapopie, voted France s favourite village in 2012! Saint-Cirq-Lapopie belongs to the exclusive group of «the Most Beautiful Villages in France». It consists of a network of narrow old streets and houses dating from the mediaeval period. The site itself is majestic: a rocky spur standing high above the river. Tourist Office of Saint-Cirq Lapopie-Pech Merle Place du Sombral SAINT-CIRQ LAPOPIE : 33 (0) : [email protected] pm : Transfer to Cajarc 7 pm : Arrival at the Hotel-restaurant*** La Ségalière for dinner and night. Hotel-Restaurant*** La Ségalière M. Philippe GRESELLE Logis de France (3 chimneys & 3 pots) 380 avenue François Mitterrand CAJARC : 33 (0) : 33 (0) : [email protected] - Sunday 13th october am : Transfer to Figeac, Great Site of Midi-Pyrénées

5 9.45 am : Guided tour of Figeac Figeac, a Town of Art and History, possesses remarkable examples of civic architecture from the Middle-Ages to the 19 th C. ; it is also an important stop on the Santiago Pilgrim Way. Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered the code of hieroglyphics, was born here: his family home is now The Writing Systems of the World museum, with a replica of the Rosetta Stone (a contemporary art work) in an adjoining courtyard. Tourist Office of Figeac - Cajarc Place Vival - BP Figeac Cedex : 33 (0) : 33 (0) : [email protected] am : Departure to Conques, in the Aveyron area : Arrival at Conques. Lunch at «Auberge Saint Jacques» AUBERGE SAINT JACQUES Le Bourg, Conques : 33 (0) : 33 (0) : [email protected] pm : Visit of Conques, Great Site of Midi-Pyrénées Conques, the jewel of Romanesque art One of the major monuments of architectural and cultural heritage that line the route to Santiago de Compostela, Conques abbeychurch prides itself on sheltering under its vaults, a unique treasure of Romanesque sculpture and artefacts. Among these are the tympanum of the Last Judgment and figurative capitals, all magnified by Pierre Soulages stained glass windows. The gilded or plated reliquaries of the Treasure, embellished with ancient enamels, cameos, intaglios and precious stones are exquisite examples of medieval craftsmanship. The precious treasure, assembled and preserved through the ages, nestles around the monastery within an environment of great beauty that is today recognized in the selective list of The most Beautiful Villages of France (Les plus beaux villages de France). Office de Tourisme de Conques : 33 (0) : [email protected] : Transfer by coach to Clermont-Ferrand Enjoy your stay in Midi-Pyrénées!

6 This program has been organized by the Tourist Board of Midi-Pyrénées with the help of : Toulouse Tourist Office - Muriel MARTIN Tel : +33 (0) [email protected] Contact : Miss Anne SIMON, Tourism Advisor Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Lot - Tourism service : 33 (0) / 33 (0) Fax : 33 (0) : [email protected] - Aveyron Tourist Office - Eric MAURY : 33 (0) / 33 (0) : [email protected] - Midi-Pyrénées Tourist Office - Sandra DARGENT Tel : +33 (0) / +33 (0) [email protected]