15-DAY AZORES & NORMANDY EXPEDITION

Those who saw action in France during World War II will remember that Cherbourg was the primary supply port for the Allies during the Normandy invasion. Its first incarnation as a naval base was under Napoleon. Today, the largest port of the Cotentin Peninsula is gateway to ne of the most photographed sights in France-lofty Mont St-Michel. Begun by Bishop Aubert of Avranches in 708, the slender steeple piercing the firmament is a powerful statement of Norman/Romanesque
religious fervor. Around it, the immense Monastery and Cloisters buttress the Church in massive walls of stone reaching all the way down to the sea. Surrounded by treachous quiksands and a 50-foot tide, it must have been quite an adventure to reach the Mont in the days before the causeway!

Key West, (wèst) city (1990 pop. 24,832), seat of Monroe co., S Fla., on an island at the SW end of the Florida Keys, c.150 mi (240 km) from Miami, 90 mi (145 km) from Cuba. It is the southernmost city of the continental U.S., a resort and artists’ colony and fishing center. Winslow Homer painted there; Ernest Hemingway, whose home is a museum,
wrote there.

King’s Wharf has something for everyone. Sample typical island food and stroll through the shops and museums of the Royal Naval Dockyard. Sail the clear waters of Hamilton Sound. Find quaint gems at the Bermuda Arts Center and Craft Market. If that’s not enough, a snorkel park and watersport facility offer hours of activities to the adventuresome.

The remote Azores islands lie 900 miles west of the coast of Portugal and 2,110 miles east of New York. Ponta Delgada’s stunning Portuguese architecture and luxuriant, flower-filled parks make walking through this city a joy.

Venture out of the city and prepare yourself for some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful scenery you have ever witnessed. Dramatic rocky cliffs descend to pristine bays, where you may find a virtually deserted stretch of gorgeous beach. Extinct craters are filled with turquoise waters, and surrounded by gardens of hydrangeas and greenery that thrive in the rich volcanic soil.

The World’s busiest sea port, it was founded in 1340. After suffering extensive damage in WWII, it was rebuilt. It is now the second largest city in the Netherlands. It lies on a branch of the Rhine River, just before it enters the English Channel. It is south of Amsterdam.

Tampa, (tàm´pe) city (1990 pop. 280,015; met. area 2,067,959), seat of Hillsborough co., W Fla., a port on Tampa Bay; inc. 1855. A highly industrialized city, it is the center of a metropolitan area that includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg. It is a resort and processing and shipping hub for the area’s products, particularly phosphates. It has a shrimp fleet, breweries, and a famous cigar industry, centered in its colorful Ybor City section. Nearby Busch Gardens, a theme park
with an African zoo and tropical gardens, is a well-known tourist attraction. The Spanish explored the area in 1528, but European settlement began only in 1823. Tampa was an important military base in the Spanish-American War.