Provence & Beyond

 

Culinary Tour  Itinerary

Join us on a trip of a lifetime as we savour the tastes and experience the magic of Provence. Download the Provence & Beyond tour itinerary or read on for details.

Saturday Day 1

Pick up at 3pm at Avignon TGV station in the main arrivals hall.  Drive half an hour to a typical French village, our home for the next two weeks, a stone maison of great French charm. Settle in and get to know your home.

Welcome cocktail party by the pool. Sip French Champagne and get to know each other.  Ann and Geoffrey are warm, caring hosts and you’ll feel instantly relaxed.

Gala dinner by candlelight inthe garden with musical entertainment. 

Sunday Day 2

Wake to a beautiful Provencal morning and sit in the garden overlooking the pool for breakfast of fruit, yogurt, croissants, baguette and preserves.  This will be your breakfast routine every morning for the next two weeks.

Over breakfast we’ll go through some easy French words and by mid morning you’ll have enough to greet French people and ask a couple of polite questions.  The French love it when you try and speak their language.

Drive to flea market in nearby countryside. You might have to rummage through a lot of junk to find some treasures but you’ll enjoy the atmosphere. (One of our previous guests found Lacroix jewellery for just a few euros – valued at hundreds!)

Back to the maison for lunch of goat cheese salad – a Provence specialty.

Dinner in the garden by the pool.   It will be a local special. (There may be some colourful local characters joining us for this special evening dinner.)

Monday, Day 3

Learn more French words over breakfast.

Visit nearby Roussillon and Gordes – two iconic Provence towns.  Roussillon is famous for its red ochre quarry and national park.  After we walk through the red ochre hills (an easy walk) we will explore the picturesque village.  Artists love Roussillon for its colours and light.

Then to Gordes, a stunning, a village, perched on the southern edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse. The stone buildings are built against the base of the cliffs and on the rocks above.  Their beige stone glows orange in the morning sun. The view from the village across fields and forests to the Montagne du Luberon is stunning.

Enjoy lunch on your own today – oodles of baguette and ice-cream shops.

Dinner at the maison with a local chef .  Details finalised close to commencement of the tour.

Tuesday, Day 4

A quieter day has been planned after the big day of touring yesterday.

Ann to give a beginner’s travel writing class to those who would like it over breakfast.

Enjoy a typical Provencal lunch by the pool prepared by chef Luce- could be a nicoise salad, her famous tarts and always…because we are in France, plenty of beautiful cheeses and baguettes.

Afternoon at leisure.  Suggest a good book by the pool in a shady spot, or a wander around the village.

Dinner in the garden.  We might experience frogs’ leg…who knows.  Musical entertainment.

Wednesday Day 5

Review French words and travel notes over breakfast if you wish.

Today we visit the nearby medieval town of Uzes to enjoy the Wednesday markets.

Uzes is one of the most evocative villages in the South of France, rich in history with marvellous architecture. The Farmers’ Market is famous throughout the area.  Uzes is also known for its 400+ shops selling everything from art and craft to home wares and fresh produce.

We will lunch together at the restaurant Terrior situated right in the market square.  While we eat local specialties s (try the croque monsieur or the foie gras or the brandade) we’ll drink local pink wine and watch the market wind down.  This lunch is a highlight.

Afternoon at leisure.

Dinner and cooking demonstration by local chef.

Thursday Day 6

After a lazy breakfast we might spend a fun hour reviewing travel notes…if you wish to.

Today we will tour to the famous Les Baux Des Provence, a picturesque village steeped in history perched high on a hill crowned by castle ruins.  We will drive through incredible landscape to get there; you will marvel at the rock formations.  The views from the castle ruins will sap your breath.

Lunch on your own in the village and shopping – there are countless baguette shops and small cafes.

During the afternoon we visit the Cathedral of Images.  This is a massive dis-used quarry where giant images are shown on the walls to dramatic music.  It’s an unforgettable goose-bump experience.

After a late afternoon rest back at the maison, enjoy dinner at the local cafe, Table de Julien.  This is an unpretentious little local cafe serving the most sublime food.  You will love the cave atmosphere and the beautiful French food.

Friday, Day 7

We visit Avignon today where you will be able to tour at your own leisure. Avignon is famous for the Palais du Pape and other historic sites.  It is also known for its fabulous shopping.

Lunch on your own today.  Many baguette shops and small bistros.

Tonight it is a gala dinner prepared by local John.    Local musician Michel will entertain.  Music, singing and dining.  It’s to be a big night, so brace yourself.

Saturday Day 8

Prepare for the Saturday visit to Uzes markets.

If you thought the Wednesday markets were big, wait until you see them in action today. We will be escorted to the market by local foodie John who will  point out all the local produce and introduce us to producers.

John will purchase the fresh produce for our lunch today.

We stop at a popular local café to eat freshly shucked oysters matched with a wine especially made to match the oysters.

Back at the maison John will prepare and demonstrate his specialty dishes for our lunch.  He gives a great explanation of local foods and produce and we’ll watch him – with a glass of pink wine to hand of course.

Casual dinner on the terrace.  Beautiful Geoffrey (the man who keeps your wine glass topped up) will prepare a typical Provence barbecue for you.

Sunday Day 9

Morning is free.  Suggest you relax by the pool or walk the village.

We can take you to uzes if you wish.   We will find something for lunch for anyone who stays at the maison.

Later this afternoon we may visit a typical wine cave to sample local wines and get to know a little more about wine making in France.

Dinner and cooking demonstration.

Monday Day 10

We are going to have a spectacular day canoeing down the river Gard to the Pont du Gard – an ancient Roman aqueduct, 2000 years old.

We’ll enjoy a gourmet picnic on the banks of the river beneath the Pont du Gard.  This will be a lifetime memory for you.  The canoeing is simple and non-energetic.  We’ll have plenty of stops on the way.

We’ll brief you more about this in France.

Casual Provencal barbecue dinner in the courtyard prepared by Geoffrey (who by now you will have fallen in love with.)

Tuesday Day 11

Review French lessons and travel writing lessons, if you want to.

Lunch in the garden – could be a Luce special again or maybe something by neighbour Hester, another Kiwi living in France and famous for her tuna tart.

Free afternoon.  We can drop you off in Uzes if you’d like to do more shopping or explore the area.

Dinner with local bon vivant tonight.  We will watch him prepare something spectacular and you’ll be enchanted.

Wednesday Day 12

Visit Arles, famous for its amphitheatre.  We’ll take you to the tourist office to pick up maps and brochures and then board the little tourist train and tour the old city.  Then you can explore at your leisure with your maps.

(Note:  there is an extra small fee to visit the amphitheatre – but well worth doing.)

Lunch on your own – plenty of baguette shops and cafes.

Tonight we will visit a charming nearby village to dine at a local cafe.

Thursday, Day 13

Feeling quite sad now as it is almost time to go home.

You’ll have a free day to rest and ready yourself  for a big night tonight.

You can be dropped off at a nearby village if you want to.

A light lunch in the courtyard will be available for all those who just want to stay and relax around the pool.

Tonight we will have dinner at the Cafe in the village with the new friends we have made over the past two weeks.

Friday Day 14

Goodbye.  Tears.  Hugs.   Farewell.

You will be taken back to Avignon TGV station at 11am.

*Note:  While some of the chefs and days/evenings might change, the number of dinners, lunches, cafe visits will not.  You have only those few lunches on your own that are not included.   And wine is included with all meals…at any time of the day really.