French & Italian Rivieras: Avignon, Corsica, Elba & Rome

Spend more time exploring Toulouse, a bustling university city perched along the Garonne river. Once one of the wealthiest cities in France, Toulouse's cobblestone streets are still lined with the spoils of its past successes, including Renaissance mansions, opulent monasteries, and dusty-pink palaces-turned-hotels. Even day-to-day life is tinged with dreamy touches of history: flea markets abound in Toulouse, as do art and antiquities museums. You're as likely to spot locals perusing past treasures as you are to brush elbows with families strolling along the 16th-century Pont Neuf (New Bridge). 

Spend more time getting acquainted with the rich history, architecture, and culture, of Avignon. Nicknamed the "City of Popes," Avignon was the 14th-century home of the papacy and the current-day home to the Palace of the Popes, the largest Gothic building in the world. The Pont d'Avignon is the city's iconic bridge, built to allow bishops to cross the river, and it has inspired much local art and song. Avignon is home to winding streets and small squares where a traveler can discover authentic French food in local cafes. And if you love art, Avignon has a collection of museums and galleries containing works by such artists as Cezanne, Manet, and Degas.