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2008 Cooking Program in Provence / T.O. 2280 Euros per person / double occupancy Transfers and daily transportation by air-conditioned coach included
For your comfort, we recommend that you arrive in Provence the night before the cooking session (see additional night)
DAY 1 Monday ►Transfer -Welcome Party -Cooking Lesson 1 & Dinner · Around noon. : Pick up at Avignon TGV station and transfer by coach to our culinary center. Your B&B hosts for the week will greet you and present your room. Enjoy some rest by the swimming pool! · 4.00 p.m.: Welcome party: Chef Philippe will share with you a Provencal welcome aperitif. Each participant will receive a folder with the menus of the week, recipes, useful information, etc. Schedule of the upcoming week and cooking class’s organization will be detailed. · Cheese dégustation: Just before every cooking lesson you will test one of the most famous French cheeses (more than 400 in France!). “Vins du Pays” or aperitif will be served with seasonal fruits and typical countryside fresh bread. A marvelous combination for gourmet palate! · 5.00 p.m.: Cooking lesson. Cooking lessons are definitely "hands-on”. Chef Philippe will concentrate on the techniques of the most famous Provencal and Mediterranean dishes. You will find that this kind of cooking is not only easy but that we make it lot of fun. Beautiful “Vins du Pays” is served during all cooking lessons and dinners. · 7.30 p.m.: Dinner under the stars. Philippe will comment on the dishes and the wine which is recommended with each dish, from the delectable “vins du pays” to the famous French wines such as, Lirac Gigondas, Châteaneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Vacqueras or other etc.... A classic digestif dégustation will conclude your dinner under the stars of Provence. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 2 Tuesday Cooking Lesson 2 & Dinner ► Visit of a traditional Provencal olive Oil Mill ►Trip to L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue and ►Fontaine de Vaucluse - ►Visit of the famous Vallis Clausa Paper Factory · Great French breakfast on the terrace or in the dinning room. · 9.30 a.m.: Guided visit. Next to Oppede-le-Vieux, a small Provencal village worldwide known thanks to Peter Mayle’s best seller “A year in Provence” stands the renowned traditional olive oil mill "Mathieu". Mr. Mathieu, a master miller, will explain olive gathering and oil making (a method which already existed some 6000 years ago !). Tasting his beautiful“extra vierge” olive oil will end the visit. · 10.30 a.m.: Trip to L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a charming city where the arms of the Sorgue river, the ancient water wheels still in action and the avenue lined with plane trees add freshness and poetry. Also called the“Venise de Provence” this quiet little town is a Mecca for antique-lovers and home to countless antique and second hand boutiques. Don’t miss the beautiful Provencal church Notre-Dame-des-Anges. · 1.00 p.m. Trip to la Fontaine de Vaucluse. “Water is Gold” wrote Marcel Pagnol in Manon of the Spring. The origin of the famous emerald green water which gush forth at the foot of a sheer cliff in Fontane-de-Vaucluse remains a mystery! (the depths of the swallow hole is estimated at 308 m underground). The poet Petrarch spent here the happiest moment of his life (1337 to 1353). · 2.00 p.m.: The ancient Paper Factory: Learn at the “Vallis Clausa Paper factory and Museum” how our ancestors mastered waterpower to make paper. Here, everything works as it did in the 14th century! Pick up around 2.30 p.m. · 4.30 p.m.: Cheese dégustation. A different cheese with fresh fruits and crispy countryside bread. · 5.00 p.m.: Cooking lesson. New techniques and new recipes for this second menu. · 7. 30 - 8.00 p.m.: Dinner under the stars with aperitif, wine and digestif. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 3 Wednesday ►Avignon: "Michelin" starred restaurant experience ►Trip to Saint-Remy-en-Provence - ►Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Hospital (Van Gogh's room) - ►Provencal market FAfternoon and evening free in Avignon · Great French breakfast on the terrace or in the dinning room. · 9.00a.m.: Trip with Chef Philippe to Saint-Rémy-en-Provence. This Roman city symbolizes beautifully the essence of Provence. Here, Van Gogh painted his most famous art works while he was interned at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Hospital. Enjoy the famous colored Provencal market where small farmers and market gardeners set up simple trestle tables and unload boxes of fruit and vegetables harvested only hours before at the peak of ripeness. The right place to buy local art crafts, souvenirs and get the best bargain with our help! · 1.00 p.m. Gourmet lunch at Avignon: Facing the Palais des Papes, stands the luxurious Hotel de l’Europe (****) and its top class restaurant “La Vieille Fontaine”. Acclaimed by the prestigious Guide Michelin and by all respected guide-books, this restaurant offers spectacular food and a fine service according to the best tradition of French Haute Cuisine. An unforgettable experience and a must for gourmet ! * Afternoon free in Avignon. City of art and culture, Avignon stretches in all its beauty along the banks of the Rhône river. Stroll along the streets of the ancient “City of the Popes” which is surrounded by ramparts. Discover the renowned largest medieval palace in Europe“Le Palais des Papes”. Then visit the splendid Musée Calvet and Musée Lapidaire or the Musée du Petit Palais, the Romanesque cathedral Notre-Dame-des-Dom, the amazing Ramparts (fortification built in the 14C by the popes!) and the renowned Pont Bezenet. Before dinner (on your own) have a drink at the animated Place de l’Horloge. · Pick up in the late afternoon or after dinner. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 4 Thursday Cooking Lesson 3 & Dinner ►Trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and ►Orange (Roman Theater) · Great French breakfast on the terrace or in the dinning room. · 9.00 a.m.: Trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The summer residency of the Popes. Pope John XXII ordered the construction of the château (14th century) which lies in ruin today. Vineyards and wine-making dominate village life. Wines dégustation with comments at Vinadea (house of wines) where 80 Châteauneuf-du-Pape makers are represented · Noon: Departure to Orange (lunch on your own at Orange ) · Orange: Visit the exceptional Roman theater (built on the first century B.C.). Today, the stage is still in good condition as well as the huge wall behind it. This monument has the privilege to be the best preserved in Europe (note the incredible quality of acoustic!). During summer the Roman Theater hosts thousands of music-lovers for the world famous lyrical festival (The Choregie d’Orange). Pick up at 3.00 p.m. · 4.30 p.m.: Cheese dégustation. Another cheese with fresh fruits, olive or walnut bread. · 5.00 p.m.: Cooking lesson. New techniques and new recipes for this third menu. · 7. 30 - 8.00 p.m.: Dinner under the stars with aperitif, wine and digestif. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 5 Friday Cooking Lesson 4 & Gala Dinner - Diploma Ceremony ►Trip to Gordes and ►Lourmarin and its beautiful surrounding · Great French breakfast on the terrace or in the dinning room. · 9.00 a.m.: Trip to Lourmarin: On our way to Lourmarin we will stop at Gordes, one of the most visited villages in the Luberon. Then, via Bonnieux (a perched village) and a typical Provencal wild valley where you can find rosemary, thyme, sage, etc., we will drive up to Lourmarin. Built at the foot of the Montagne du Luberon, this lovely village ranked as one of “the most beautiful villages in France”. We will stroll along the animated streets where stand the colorful and fragrant “Marché de Provence”, art galleries and acclaimed restaurants. You will have an other opportunity to buy local art crafts and Provencal souvenirs. After lunch (on your own ) you can visit the beautiful Château de Lourmarin* (15C -Renaissance style). Pick up around 2.30 p.m. · 4.30 p.m.: Cheese dégustation with fresh fruits and an other type of French bread. · 5.00 p.m.: Cooking lesson. New techniques and recipes for this last menu. Special of the day: Preparation and secrets of a traditional festive dish such as Bouillabaisse, Paella Valenciana, le Grand Aïoli, etc… · Around 7.00 p.m.: Diploma & Champagne Ceremony followed by… · Gala Farewell Dinner. Served with great wine, digestif and... sadness that it has come to an end. Its time for sharing a great time and to ask any questions or any other professional “tips” about the recipes you will reproduce at home. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 6 Saturday Departure Day - ►Transfer · Farewell breakfast on the terrace or in the dinning room. Enjoy a last gourmet breakfast and share your impressions with your newly found friends and hosts. · 10 a.m.: Transfer to Avignon TGV station (TGV departure should not be planned before noon.) |
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© Art and Cooking Classes in France |
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Culinary Adventures in Provence |
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