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.