Travel another way

Travel notes from one of our guests on a French Escapade tour to Provence.

“Bonjour everyone!

Yesterday we went to Rousillon and walked among ochre rocks jutting magestically out of the mountains- similar to Colorado red rocks. Beautiful, horizontal colors of yellows and light purples and of course this wonderful reddish/orange color. Needless to say, our shoes were covered lightly with the colored sand, but easy to brush off. The colors were amazing and we were there at evening light. Had a great dinner together at a Bistro. The waitress was very efficient and was running all over the place as it was a bustling scene. Great food!

Today. we went out to dinner in a small village called Goult, at a restaurant that is owned and run by 2 women. Jac found this restaurant but had never eaten there. So we were the guinea pigs and it turned out to be delightful. Excellent food! 

Swallows flying over head all over the place.

Having a blast taking a million pictures- the lighting is excellent and the scenery is to die for. I am still taking my window and door series.

Anyway, this morning we went to a bull farm. There is a certain kind of bull that is raised in this area that is used for a bull race type of sport. The bull is NOT killed. In fact there are these ribbons on the horms that the torero has to pull, in a certain order, within 15 minutes. The bulls are only allowed to “play” once a month. Most of the “toreros” do this for fun and not for major money but they are required to do special schooling. We saw how they round up the bulls and select  a bull out of the herd. There are special “guardian” cowboys on special small white horses- there were 3 today, who rounded up and separated the bulls for us. We were on a tractor drawn bed watching. The bulls are not allowed to see people up without being on horses as to not get used to people. They were magnificent. As were the riders on their horse.

This afternoon we went to a village off of the Mediterean sea (Les Saintes Maries de la Mer). There was a church with a black Madonna, and it’s an area that is know for its gypsy population as well as a destination for many tourists. We had fun shopping and having lunch. The weather was great. ”

All  for now.

Love

Rima and Karen

If you want to join us on a tour to Provence for women at 40% off, check www.frenchescapade.com and sign up now for October.

Travel notes from one of our guests on the Provence tour with French Escapade.

“Today we ventured into the marketplace in Gordes , a medieval hilltop village listed one of the  most beautiful in France. We had a terrific time hunting and gathering gourmet goodies for a picnic lunch. Our feast, with delicious food, charming company, and laughter, was one of many highlights during this idyllic day.

Our Olive mill visit was delightful and engaging…and followed by an impromptu cherry picking outing at the invitation of the farmer/Olive producer.

We ended our day with a visit to fields of lavender…actually “lavandin” as we learned from our ever-informative and always entertaining tour leader extraordinairre, Jac.

I should mention that some of us experienced an amazing dinner featuring several local specialties at our fabulous “Hotel de Charme” in Luberon: goat cheese salad, garlic guinea hen with ratatouille, a cheese board featuring 6 different cheeses and profiteroles-cream puffs with ice cream covered with hot chocolate.” Laurie

To join our women-only tour to Provence in October at 40% off, visit www.frenchescapade.com

Travel notes from one of our guests on our tour to Provence with www.frenchescapade.com

“This is my first blog entry ever. It’s a perfect fit, as it is my first ever trip to France, too. I got off the phone with my mom and my husband, and I’ve told both of them that I have fallen in love with France. I even found a dream studio loft to purchase above the Farmer’s Market that we visited yesterday in Isle sur la Sorgue.

I have laughed more in the last couple of days than I have in many years. And, for the first time in years, my shoulders are not tied to my ears; they have dropped inches from the relaxation. My tourmates are dreams, and any fears that I had about going on a trip with nine complete strangers have been completely assuaged.

We visited a winery, where the sommelier taught us all the ins and outs of wine appreciation. We enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe, walked through quaint and quiet streets snapping photos of places one usually sees only in dreams.

Later, we nearly drowned in a pot of chocolate as the chocolatier showed us all of the secrets of chocolate.

Driving home, we sang to Abba, car danced like Queens, and laughed some more. We’ve just finished up our evening meeting, and will be walking to “old” Maubec, where we will feast on more local food… I am seriously thinking about not going home; my heart feels at home, here. I can say (for the first time in years) that I am happy, well, and good. A bientot… “Amanda

If you want to join of our tours to Provence at 40% off, check www.frenchescapade.com

Today we started our Provence tour with our group of 8 American women. We picked them up at the Avignon airport and drove them to the wonderful guesthouse in the countryside.

Here are the travel notes from some of my guests:

Renne wrote: “We’ve arrived - warm welcome at the mas - beautiful rooms…each one different - took a walk in the woody park (with views over vineyards up to the Luberon mountain range). We had aperitifs and kirs, melonade (melon liquor at 12% alcohol) and wine to fortify ourselves for tonight’s mistral (very cool wind typical in Provence) waiting for a wonderful dinner and delighted to be here!  Pete and Ann, I wish you could share this - sort of reminds me of the finca and Chantilly - the smells - the antiques….thinking of you - a dream come true”!  love, Renee

Our next available tour to Provence will take place Oct 12-19 and we have 3 more spots at 40% if you sign up before June 30. Check www.frenchescapade.com

Hikers, climbers and trekkers have searched and found paths of serenity in the French Alps for decades. But before the 19th century, mountains were not friendly to anybody, when local tales and customs were full of dreadful stories about deadly mountain encounters with scary creatures  living at the top, awaiting for daredevils.

But this empty space was also a heaven for those who really wanted to escape the human world, with its corruption and material wealth. In 1084, Bruno, a monk from the North of France, found that “desert” he was looking for, in the Chartreuse range near Grenoble, and he built the first monastery of what was to become the Cartusian order.

Today, 40 monks still live in the original location, whereas the order has spread all around the world with 22 other monasteries. Its survival lays in its ability to find new ways of maintaining its living, and its major success was the discovery of the recipe for the world famous Chartreuse liqueur, the green of which gave also the name to the colour. 

The recipe dates back to 1605 and the liqueur contains 130 different plants.  The Chartreuse Liqueur is also known for being aged in the longest liqueur cellar in the world.

Even though the liqueur is often drunk “on the rocks”, it can be part of more elaborated cocktails:

• Episcopale : one part of Green Chartreuse + 2 parts of yellow Chartreuse
• Chartreuse Royale: with Champagne
• Shuttle: with whisky
• Alaska: with vodka
• Sunburst: 1 part of green Chartreuse + 5 parts of orange juice and a dash of lemon juice

Remember, to enjoy Chartreuse, a small quantity is advised!

It can also be used in cooking: chocolate mousse, baked ham, apple crumble, hot chocolate, etc…

For tours in the French Alps, check www.frenchescapade.com (women-only tours and painting workshops available)

This part of France is mainly known for its white wines, and yesterday, this wine country lost a legendary figure. Jean Hugel, producer and wine specialist, died at the age of 84. He had played a major role in promoting Alsace wines abroad and in writing regulations about  appelation laws.

Alsace is  mainly known for the following wines:

• Riesling
• Gewurztraminer
• Pinot (noir, blanc, gris)
• Sylvaner
• Cremant d’Alsace

But Alsace is also a wondeful place to visit. Its  quaint villages, surrounded by vineyards, have kept a medieval atmosphere.  Castles, such as the lofty Haut-Koenigsourg, keep reminding the visitors that this area was an essential keystone  in European history, not to mention all the war memorials and  battle fields to be seen in the whole region.

Alsatians still speak a German dialect, beside French (the official language). After all , they only became  French for good after WWII. The capital, Strasbourg, is the seat of the European parliament, that it shares with Brussels. The TGV line between Paris and Strasbourg was inaugurated last year ; it only takes 2h 20 minutes to link both cities.

Alsace is also known for its Christmas markets, its sauerkraut dishes and stork nests! It is a delightful area to discover. Alsatians are warm-hearted people that will share with you their taste for partying.

For tours about France and Belgium , visit www.frenchescapade.com

To watch a video about Alsace, click here.

Belgium is split in different linguistic areas, the biggest ones being the Dutch-speaking Flanders and the South-speaking Wallonia. More than a language divide, it is also a cultural, religious, and political one. When I travel in the Flanders, I sometimes feel like in a foreign country, more in the Netherlands than in “my” Belgium. Yet I love that about Belgium: we are as different as can be, and yet we know how to stick together when necessary.

So what is our commom ground ?

• Mussels and French fries that we eat with mayo !
• our  love for Beer and chocolate, plus tons of wonderful desserts like waffles !
• our even share of rain all year long!
• our lit highways that can be seen from space!

What are the specialties of each area?

In the Flanders

• The means of transportations: bikes, bikes and more bikes !!!! Plus barges on canals.
• The flatness of the lanscape
• Windmills sticking out in most villages

In Wallonia:

• Deep forests on rolling hills
• Our love for parties and local festivals
• Hidden castles and historical battlefields (the battle of the Bulge, Waterloo …)

50% on August trip to Belgium! Check www.frenchescapade.com for details.

I finally got my suitcase, 4 days after my arrival. Now I am about to pack again for a week in Belgium.

My first week here was spent adjusting to the French pace and the jetlag,watching a lot of tennis games from Roland Garros . That’ s the name the French use for the French Open. You would think Roland Garros was consequently a famous tennis player, No! He was a plane pilot.

Pictures from the market

Adjusting to the French pace means: preparing huge bowls of  “cafe au lait” for Valerie at breakfast time, opening the heavy wooden shutters in the morning and see the market vendors just in front of you under the 13th century covered market in La Cote Saint Andre and driving 30 minutes to find a parking spot in the narrow streets of this medieval town.

Today we will drive up to Belgium, for 3 days in Damme ( a cute village near Bruges) to celebrate Val’ s birthday, and I will spend the rest of the week scooping out the best places to paint for our august painting tours , as well as visiting family and friends in Wallonia.

A bientot!

If you want to travel to France or Belgium  with us, visit http://www.frenchescapade.com/

I am back in France for my 2009 travel season. It feels good to be here even though my suitcases have not arrived yet. No big deal! I am enjoying the heat (35 degrees Celsius today!)  and Valerie’s remodelled home!

I am expecting  all our June groups over here and in Provence with great pleasure. We will first have guests from China / New Zealand. It will be wonderful to see Lou and Meryll again. Then  we will host a group of American women in Provence for delicious, fun, gastronomical and cultural visits. For info about our tours for women, visit www.frenchescapade.com                                                           

Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy myself watching the French Open which is starting tomorrow! Tennis on the screen on my agenda, but also on the courts, where I intend to challenge you again, Evelyne, with my new Prince racquet !

Visit Belgium and you will understand why chocolate is essential in the life of this tiny country: you will find a chocolatier in every village, in every main street, and in big cities such as Liege, Brussels or Bruges, there will be an infinite choice of  chocolate makers displaying their beautiful pralines all around you!

So why is it so delicious? Well, the best ingredients are used and the traditional techniques still prevail. Most belgian chocolates are made by hand in small workshops, by people who love their job and are very proud of their specialties. They receive their chocolate paste still warm and liquid in heated tanker truck and not in solid cold paste like in other countries. This way, it keeps its original flavor longer.

Why is it different? Well, Belgian chocolate became internationally known thanks to the invention of   “pralines” (not the same as the sweet treats found in the States). This technique was invented in 1912 by Jean Neuhaus, a swiss man who had moved to Brussels. Praline-making consists in moulding a cold chocolate shell that can then be filled with any flavored chocolate or other ingredients (nougat, creams..). Neuhaus were also the first to use “ballotins”, the chic box to carefully wrap pralines.

Our favorite Belgian chocolate?

Pralines

• Neuhaus -   The original Boutique in Galleries de la Reine in Brussels.
• Leonidas - check here to order some from the States
• And many small chocolatier like Bouvier, in Anseremme near Dinant.

Chocolate bars

• Galler, made in Namur.  Check here to order some in the USA

For tours of Belgium including chocolate tasting and praline-making demonstration, check www.frenchescapade.com (50% off on August trip to Belgium).

The video below is a praline-making demonstration from Planète Chocolat.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WflQgQ7NV9g

Goree Island is just a few miles from the Western African coast, in the Atlantic Ocean. It only takes 30 minutes to reach by boat from Dakar, Senegal. It has become a Unesco world heritage town because of its historical importance, particularly in the 18th slave trade.

Today it is an importance pilgrimage place for African Americans who visit the island, and especially the House of Slaves, to pay tribute to those who were crually deported from their native land, after passing through the “doors of no return”. The trade was active from 1536 to 1848.

In Gorée you  can also visit  the Women’s museum and the Maritime Museum. In addition it is a charming place to stroll around the streets. The town council is well aware of environment issues and has been doing a great job at keeping the streets clean and at recycling.

Around the little harbour, restaurants offer a great variety of seafood and local dishes. Senegalese cuisine is very refined and diversified.

For English-speaking tours in Senegal, including a visit of Goree, contact French Escapade at frenchescapade@yahoo.com. Check also our  women-only tours focusing on Senegalese women ’s life.

All photos are from French Escapade Tours.

                                                                               Views of Cannes and Festival Award

From May 13 to 24, international film stars will take over the glamorous Mediterranean resort  where they will meet in the prestigious Palais du Festival but mainly in lavish parties in the luxurious hotels .

It all started in 1946, and the first selection included Billy Wilder’s “Lost Weekend”, David Lean’s “Brief Encounter”, Roberto Rossellini’s “Rome Open City”, George Cukor’s “Gaslight”, Walt Disney’s “Make Mine Music”, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious”, and Jean Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast”.

This year’s  jury will be headed by French actress Isabelle Huppert, only the 4th woman to hold the presidency for over 6 decades.

                                           Isabelle Huppert holding the Cannes Festival Palm Award

Here is the official selection of the movies in competition:

• “A prophet”, France, Jacques Audiard
• “Agora”, Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
• “Antichrist”, Sweden/ Denmark/ France / Italy, Lars Von Trier
• “Bright Stars”, Australia, Jane Campion
• “Broken Embrace”, Spain, Pedro Almodovar
• “Enter the void”, France, Gaspar Noe
• “Face”, France/ Taiwan/ Netherlands/  Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
• “Fishtank”, UK/ Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
• “In the beginning”, France, Xavier Giannoli
• “Inglorious Basterds”, USA, Quentin Tarantino
• “Kinatay”, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
• “Les herbes folles”, France/ Italy, Alain Resnais
• “Looking for Eric”, UK/ France/ Belgium/ Italy, Ken Loach
• “Maps of the sound of Tokyo”, Spain, Isabel Coixet
• “Spring Fever”, China/ France, Lou Ye
• “Taking Woodstock”, USA, Ang Lee
• “The times that remains”, Israel/ France/ Belgium/ Italy, Elia Suleiman
• “The whit ribbon”, Germany/ Austria/ France, Michael Haneke
• “Thirst”, South Korea, Park Chan-Wook
• “Vengeance”, Hong Kong France/ USA, Johnnie To
• “Vincere’, Italy / France, Marco Bellochio

Pixar 3-D movie UP will open the festival on May 13th, an unusual event as it will be the first time an animated movie will be shown for the opening. The results will be anounced in the evening of May 24th.

Video introducing the 2009 festival/ Film samples /In French with some English

                           Jackie, your travel guide and specialist about Belgium, France and California

                                                                         (see bottom  of article for latest trip discounts)

• The new Magritte museum is opening soon! On June 2, its doors will open on the magic world of the most famous Belgian surrealist painter. Located next to the Art Museum on Place Royale in Brussels, and not to be confused with the former Magritte museum, located in the painter’s home. While the old one focuses on the artist’s life, the new one will exhibit some 170 paintings by Magritte. Not to be missed! Tickets are for sale online.

• The royal greenhouse of Laeken are only open to the public in spring. This year, you will be able to admire the huge collection of rare plants in the superb 19th century greenhouses designed by Balat from Friday, April 17 to May 10 (closed on Mondays). It is a short window and therefore a privilege to enter this magical  space located in the King’ s palace gardens.

• The Foundation for Architecture is presenting its 2009 exhibition " the Time of the Boutiques" , from booths to ebay, ongoing until October 18, 2009. You will be immersed in the experience of window-shopping through ages. The foundation is located rue de l’ Hermitage, 105 - Brussels 1050. Closed on Mondays.

• On Saturday, May 16, 2009, you will be able to join the Belgian Gay Pride March in Brussels, with around 20,000 people walking the Streets of the Belgian capital. The parade is free and starts at 2 pm at the Bourse. It will end with the Rainbow Party at the Ancienne Belgique.

• Brussels public transportation are varied and convenient: 5 train stations, an easy train access to the airport and a great subway network in addition to a large bus and tram network. On April 4 , 2009, new metro lines were added.

Practical info: the Brussels subways (Metro)  run from 5am to 1am / Trains are every 7 minutes / a single ticket costs 1.70 euros  and a Day pass 4.50 euros / a 3-Day pass 9.50 euros.

To and from the airport, trains run every 15 minutes (Central station, Bruxelles Midi, Airport station located  in the basement - level - 1)

And because Belgians are unpredictable, watch this video taken at the Antwerp train station on March 23.  Public transport can be art!"

So to all of you who will be in Belgium this spring, enjoy!

If you want to join us on our August tour of Belgium with a special 50% off discount, check our website www.frenchescapade.com . It is a women-only 8-day trip in Wallonia and the  Flanders in a small group of 8, escorted by bilingual guides with a real knowledge of the country. I will be there!

All pictures were taken on French Escapade tours in Belgium.

The French Riviera has always been  a magnet  for American stars  coming either to   the Cannes film festival or to luxry resorts like Nice or Monaco, but  Provence only  attracted European artists and  painters before the 1950s. It was only in the 1980s that  British and American stars moved to the heart of Provence: le Luberon.

In 1988, Peter Mayle, in his delicious book  “A year in Provence”  started to  praise this authentic rural area, rolling between Avignon and Apt, where he had bought his famous house in Menerbes; he unfortunately had to sell it because of nosy fans driving up his alley any time of the day or of the night. He still owns a house in the area but he prefers not to disclose the location

John Malkocich has   a summer house  in Bonnieux, a village just 5 miles from Ménerbes, where he grows his own wine.

John Illsley, the guitarist of Dire Straits, picked a more southern place, in Les Baux, south of Saint Remy de Provence. The village houses are nested in the rock cliffs in a troglodyte way; at the top of the village , a medieval castle offers the greatest view on the Alpille and Camargue towards the Mediterranean Sea.

As for Tony and Ridley Scott, they have owned a house for over 10 years in the same area, and they hosted Brad and Angelina last year, when they were cruising the area in search of the perfect hiding nest.

Indeed Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have bought a 44 million  euros estate, Chateau de Miraval with  a AOC Côte-de-Provence vineyard, near Brignolles.  They often fly their private helicopter to reach the close-by French Riviera when they feel like seing their friend Bono or  in Cap-ferrat or Saint Tropez. Beside the vineyards,  13 different types of olive trees are grown on the property, amidst a forest and a lake.

So why do they pick France? Most American stars do not only come for the charms of the French countryside; they are attracted by stricter French laws protecting their private lives.

Useful links to click on:

• Tour in Provence with French Escapade : stay in a charming villa in the heart of Luberon, near Ménerbes and Bonnieux ! Daily visits in small groups of 8 to Les Baux, Saint Remy, Avignon, Camargue, Gordes, Roussillon, L’Isle sur la Sorgues ; product tasting: wine, chocolate, olive oil, … Last minute offer on June 20-27 trip: 50% off. Check the “dates and rates” page.

Yes, for sure, it will be Annecy that will be the French candidate city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was decided on Wednesday, March 18th.

There were 4 to compete for the nomination: Nice, Grenoble, Pelvoux and Annecy. All of them located in the French Alps.

Annecy is an amazing city nested in the heart of the Alps, by a very romantic lake, and has wonderfully preserved its old town with meandering canals and a hilltop  medieval castle. Nicknamed the Venice of the Alps , its charms are endless, especially on market days when farmers come down from  surrounding villages to sell their huge wheels of cheese or flavoured salami.

The Winter Olympics were organized for the first time ever in Chamonix,France, in 1924. Grenoble was the second French city in the Alps to get that honour in 1968, and Albertville  was the last  in 1992.

But we will have to wait until July 2011 to find out if Annecy is selected by the international Olympic committee, which is to meet in Durban, South Africa. France will have to face tough competitors such as  Munich (Germany) and Pyeongchang (South Korea).

Meanwhile, you can always enjoy a French Escapade in the French Alps to discover the traditions and culture of this Alpine part of France, and visit Annecy and Chamonix (see La Belle France tours on www.frenchescapade.com)

Useful links (click title to access site):

• Tours in small groups of 8 in the French Alps
• facebook group

“Annecy for 2018 Winter Olympics”

Videos related to this post (click on title):

• Savoie- Montblanc ski resort ambiance
• official video for Annecy 2018

Pictures by French Escapade or guests (Cheese by Jan Hagan)