Ahh, France.

The word conjures up wine, the Champs Elysées, The Da Vinci Code, the Riviera, castles and chateaus. Paris in the springtime. Provence’s summer lavender.

Self-described “wandering minstrels” Monty and Marsha Brown lead us through five beautiful and quintessential areas of France. Their journey takes us roughly north to south, beginning on the voyage across the English Channel to the ancient abbey of Mont St. Michel, a pinnacle set apart from the northern coast of France.

A visit to the now-quiet beaches of Normandy takes us over the sands of Utah, Omaha and Juno, where so many men lost their lives in the fateful D-Day invasion of World War II, giving us a chance to remember the troops who fought and died here.

Le Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower) leads the list of Paris landmarks Monty and Marsha share with us next. Sacré Coeur, the Paris Metro, The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) all lead us down to the River Seine, with its plein air artisans and the great Cathedral of Notre Dame. From the Roue de Paris Ferris wheel we capture memorable views of the Champs Elysées and the Louvre Museum, before drifting off to the sounds of an evening in Paris.

In the westernmost region of Vendée, Monty and Marsha lead us through chapels and chateaus, on horse carts and rowboats to discover the hidden treasures of a French countryside seldom visited by American tourists. Its treasures include the Grand Parc Puy du Fou historical theme park with its dramatic flaming re-enactments of medieval battles, and Maillezais, the ruined “abbey in the swamps.”

The journey through Poitou is a journey back in time. We stroll the back streets, shops and ancient bridges of old Montmorillon, and stay the night at the Chateau de Pruniers, a medieval castle. A harp and flute concert precedes a day of jousting, swordplay and medieval music. Themselves accomplished musicians, Monty and Marsha Brown entertain their French friends with more modern tunes, fun music from the ’50’s.

Following the tree-lined road to St. Rémy, we arrive in one of France’s most beloved areas, Provence. Our drive is interrupted, however, by the festival of the Transhumance, the “running of the sheep.” Not for long, though, as we’re soon off to explore local markets and wineries. History beckons us to visit the birthplace of Nostradamus, ancient Roman aqueducts and arenas, and the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. We visit the sunflowered fields that Van Gogh loved to paint, and explore the Fountain of Vaucluse, the port of Marseilles with it’s Chateau d’If (the prison in The Count of Monte Cristo), and watch the Tour de France cycle by. A music festival at La Roque d’Anthéron gets our feet moving, before we must bid au revoir to our newfound French friends.

La Belle France. Join Monty and Marsha Brown as they share their Beautiful France.