AAA Traveler - Summer 2013 - 12

beachcombing 101

FRANCE

A 10-day Trafalgar Tours vacation takes
you on a journey through France, from cathedrals
to cuisine. Highlights include two romantic evenings
in Paris, a leisurely drive along the sparkling Côte
d’Azur, a delicious interlude in Lyon—the renowned
gastronomic hub—and a stroll through the ancient
walled city of Beaune, heart of the rolling Burgundy
wine region. Local guides offer insights in Paris and
Arles, while in Aix-en-Provence, you’ll feel like a
local as you sit down to an authentic dinner cooked
in a wood-ﬁred oven and served in a rustic restaurant. Sophisticated St. Tropez and romantically royal
Monaco offer a glimpse of the glittering high life.

BORA BORA Who hasn’t fantasized about faraway deserted beaches, languid sun-ﬁlled days haloed
in bliss? For the classic French Polynesian experience,
choose the InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora
Resort. Surrounded by uncrowded white-sand beaches,
an inﬁnite swath of turquoise sea and a magical lagoon,
the resort is paradise found. The property’s thatched
overwater bungalows seem a million miles away from
civilization. Breakfast is delivered to your terrace via
outrigger canoe, and you’ll spy colorful ﬁsh through
the glass table in your living room. The fact that
French is spoken accentuates the exotic, as does the
dense tropical foliage laden with vivid blooms.

QUEBEC

GUADELOUPE Satisfy your Bora Bora craving

Even the most devoted Francophiles
can ﬁnd bliss in Canada’s main French-speaking
province. The architecture of Quebec City’s and
Montreal’s old quarters mirrors that of small provincial cities in France where 17th- and 18th-century
buildings are still intact. The Quebecois love lingering
in Parisian-style sidewalk cafés, where conversation
and people watching are favorite pastimes. And like
their French counterparts, they turn eating into a daily
celebration. Fromageries purvey 300 varieties of local
cheeses and you can ﬁnd memorable cuisine with a
French ﬂair. Looking for an unusual way to experience
Quebec? Board the newly restored Le Massif
de Charlevoix train for a seven-day rail tour, offered
by Canada à la Carte, and wind along the swift
St. Lawrence River between Montreal, Quebec City
and the exquisitely picturesque village of La Malbaie.

Quebec City

in Guadeloupe. Just a hop from the U.S. mainland, this
French West Indies island has the same exotic ﬂavor as
its Polynesian sister. Gentle breezes carry lyrical FrenchCreole patois. Golden beaches with soft, warm sand
and swaying coconut palms are potent tranquilizers. At
the top-rated Auberge de la Vieille Tour—built around
an 18th-century sugar mill—gin-clear, aqua-hued
water is everywhere. From your balcony you’ll view a
spectacular expanse of sea and neighboring islands.
Stone steps descend through a lavish tropical garden to
an intimate beach. And in nearby Le Gosier—virtually
empty on weekdays—the 5-mile-long beach rivals any
shoreline in Bora Bora.
Georgia-based Jolee Edmondson has written for
Smithsonian and Town & Country.

Beaune, France

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joie de vivre

AAA Traveler - Summer 2013

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