Beautiful Provence

Day 1: Welcome Reception We will pick you up at the Avignon train station. Upon your arrival at our guesthouse, take time to settle in, relax by the pool, explore the private park around the house or the village. In the evening, you will enjoy a welcome reception followed by a gourmet dinner.

Day 2: Provencal Market, Gordes and Roussillon Morning: Provencal Outdoor Market Stroll and shop on the incredible and colorful market. It is an accessible and rewarding way to immerse yourself in the lifestyle of the area. Fresh food and its artful display speaks for itself. But there is much more than food: colorful array of Provencal fabric, tablecloths, silk scarves, natural soaps with dozens of scents and of course lavender products.

Afternoon: The Ochre village of Roussillon and the Hilltop Town of Gordes. In the afternoon, we will visit 2 villages listed "most beautiful villages in France": the reddish village of Roussillon that sits on top of the world's biggest vein of ochre and Gordes, sitting on a rock with an incredible view on vineyards and hills. Stroll the cobblestone streets or the reddish trails through the ochre formations, shop in cute small stores or have a drink watching people go by.

Day 3: Chateau Neuf du Pape Wine and Cooking at a Local Farm Morning: Wine Tasting and Discovery of the Village of Chateau Neuf du Pape The Chateau Neuf du Pape village is dedicated to its world famous wine "Châteauneuf-du-Pape" which is also part of the famous Côtes du Rhône. We will have a guided visit in a well known winery, to learn everything about this famous wine, including how to taste wine. The visit will end with the tasting of three exquisite Chateau Neuf du Pape wines.

Afternoon: Visit to a Local Farm and Cooking session
Located near Mont Ventoux, the Pedagogic Farm will open its doors to us so that we can discover their biologic agriculture world: grapes, olives, lavander, cherries, herbs, forgotten vegetables and of course their animals.

The visit will end around the farmer's table where you will prepare and savor a dish with the fresh products found on the farm. Depending of the season, it could be a fruit mousse, a cherry pie, lavander sirop etc...

Day 4: Lavender Museum and Safari in Camargue Morning: Lavender Museum One cannot really separate Provence from images of purple lavender fields, the heady lavender scent in the air and the distinctive taste of lavender infused dishes. Discover the whole history of lavender, its distillation and use in medicinal therapy and in cooking at the lavender museum. This will be the perfect time to shop for all the products made out of lavender.

Afternoon: Safari in Camargue Camargue, a wild and mythical land is the house of wild black bulls, wild white horses and rice fields. A local farmer will take us with a tractor into the very heart of his ranch where we will discover rice fields and wild black bulls raised for the "race Camarguaise" in the arenas. His "cow-boys" will do a demonstration of bulls herding with their horses. Quite impressive. We will then go to the Mediterranean sea, in "Sainte-Marie de la Mer", the gypsies land. In this cute little town, you will have time to shop or walk by the sea or even visit the "Black Holy Virgin" in the old church, the mother of the gypsies.

Day 5: Olive Oil in Gordes and Pont du Gard Morning: From Olive Tree to Oil A local producer of olive oil will take us on a walk through his olive fields and share with us his knowledge and passion for olives. After the walk, he will show us the olive mill and the visit will finish with a tasting of his olive oil and tapenade (a purée of black or green olives). The history and the production of olives will have no secret for you after this enjoyable visit. You will have a chance to buy all olive products like tapenade, oil, olives but also bowls and items made out of olive wood.

Afternoon: Visit of the Pont du Gard We will explore the Pont du Gard, listed World Heritage site by UNESCO, built 2000 years ago by over 1000 people who worked for 5 years. This is a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece. We will spend some time in the interactive museum not only dedicated to the building of the bridge but also to the Roman civilization: full scale replicas, maps, multi-screen images, video and sound archives. If you prefer, there is a beautiful trail to walk in the surrounding of the bridge.

Day 6: "Vincent Van Gogh" in St Remy de Provence We will visit the beautiful old monastery of St Paul Mausole in St Remy de Provence. This is where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life and painted 150 of his famous paintings. This is now a nursing home that has a permanent exhibition of paintings by the patients. It is very emotional and fascinating to stroll through the bedroom where Van Gogh stayed during his very troubled time in 1889-90. You will also find beautiful reproduction of some of Vincent van Gogh's paintings.

Day 7: Sound and Light Show in Les Baux de Provence

Morning: The charming village of Les Baux de Provence Discover this amazing medieval village dominating the valley and its Château. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the site provides a unique view over the vineyards and olive fields of Provence towards the sea. Afternoon: Sound and Light show Impressive limestone quarries still remain in Les Baux de Provence. Today, CATHEDRALE D'IMAGES uses the quarry as natural screens for the projections of huge images on the walls and ceilings. The bases of these natural pillars measure between 15 and 30 feet and they are between 21 and 27 feet high.

Moving around, you will discover new angles of view and perspectives, submerged in a world in which the ceiling is lit up with images creep along the floor and burst onto the ridges.

Day 8: Departure After our last breakfast together, we'll drive you to the Avignon train station (at 11am).

Accommodation We have chosen an elegantly restored villa-hotel dating from the XVIIIth century located in the heart of Provence, in the Luberon (25 minutes east of Avignon). The luxury guesthouse offers 12 bedrooms with private full bathrooms all with high comfort, tranquility and relaxation, with its heated swimming pool set in over 2 acres of private grounds, landscaped with pine and 100-year-old oak trees. The house has a living room for you to enjoy, with antique furniture, game tables, a fireplace and a piano.

We will take all our breakfasts and some dinners there. The refined cuisine of the Chef, based on fresh seasonal local products, is an innovative blend of Provencal and contemporary gastronomy. From your bedroom window, you will have a breathtaking view of the Luberon mountain and internationally renowned vineyards. Each room has: a flat screen TV set, telephone, heating and AC, a minibar, a safe, ADSL and WiFi and a big full bathroom.

Dates & Rates

May 11-18, 2010: Cooking trip (Women-only tour): US $3,590 + $550 single suppl

June 26-July 3, 2010 (Women-only tour): $3,290 + $550 single suppl Lavender in bloom

Sept 8-15, 2010: (Women-only tour): US $3,290 + $550 single suppl

Oct 2-9, 2010: US $3,290 + $550 single suppl

Oct 10-17, 2010 (Women-only tour): US $3,290 + $550 single suppl

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