Got Wine?, Vineyard vacations for less

January 20th, 2011

A trip to the wineries of California ( Napa, Sonoma) and France ( Provence) & Italy (Chianti) does not normally conjure thoughts of ” budget travel ” but recently , vacations to these places have become much more affordable.

Travel Companies & Wineries are not immune to recessions and just like retailers they are trying to lure budget-conscious consumers by offering special Promotions or finding a new approach to a more affordable upscale vacation in the vineyard .

San Francisco, Luxury Travel Consultant2 , has been offering very affordable trips to Provence, Bordeaux ( France), Chianty ( Italy) and to Napa & Sonoma ( California). The company offers Special Promotional Packages at a very reasonable price for groups no bigger than 10 guests.

The Luxury Tour Package , Provence 2011

Villa Accommodation at the Chateau ( Double Occupancy)

Drivers ( Transfers & Touring the region & Wineries)

Local Private Chef ( Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner ) Included

Wine tasting, Walk through the vineyards

Gastronomic meals & wine pairings

TGV Train Ride ( Paris – Avignon)

$ 2,700 per person  ( 8 Days/ 7 Nights)

( 10 guests are invited)

Air Fare not included

The Tour Package , Napa & Sonoma 2011

Villa Accommodation, ( Double Occupancy)

Drivers ( Transfers & Touring Sonoma or Napa)

Local Private Chef ( Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Picnic at the Vineyards

Gastronomic meals & Wine Pairing

Weekends Getaways to the Wine Country , Sonoma & Napa. Couples or Women getaways

Groups range from 6 to 10 guests maximum- Weekends getaways start on a Thursday and end on a Sunday

Contact the owner: anne@luxurytravelconsultant2.com http://www.luxurytravelconsultant2.com

If you want to stay in an hotel, we recommend the Following accommodations

Luxury: Hotel Healdsburg, located in the the northern tip of Sonoma Valley has some special offers http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/special-packages.php

Midlevel: The Inn at the Occidental, a bed & Breakfast offers  specials, visit them online at:http://http://www.innatoccidental.com/internetspecials.htm

Budget : For lots of luxury without a lot of money, try the Dry Creek Inn, visit online at http://drycreekinn.com/promotions

Tips on Visiting Wine Country & Provence, Bordeaux ( France), Chianti ( Italy).

The best Way to save on Vineyard Vacations is to travel off season, explains Suire, the owner of http://luxury travel Consultant2

Visiting during nonharvest monhs has its own charm and  is crowd free ( in winter the Napa Valley is quiet and covered in bright yellow mustard flowers), there is no stress trying to get in to a restaurant or hiring a local chef and above all you save money.

“Chateaux, Villas & Hotels prices drop as much as 40% during the winter & spring and even lower during the week.  You will also get more personal attention from wine makers and avoid the crowds”. Suire ( Luxury Travel consultant2)

Call ahead. With a little bit of extra planning, you can get a lot more out of your trip and see what Travel Companies & wineries are offering.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Got Wine? Vineyard Vacations for less – San Francisco Culinary Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/culinary-travel-in-san-francisco/got-wine-vineyard-vacations-for-less#ixzz1BcmDv9Cw

Le Chateau in Luberon

Le Chateau in Luberon

Beautiful Chateau in Bordeaux produces fine Medoc

Beautiful Chateau in Bordeaux produces fine Medoc

Le Manoir de La Paix in Bordeaux

Le Manoir de La Paix in Bordeaux

Bordeaux Chateaux and Great wines

Bordeaux Chateaux and Great wines

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Chateau or Villa versus Hotel, a different approach to Travel

January 20th, 2011

Every year millions of Americans travel to Europe. On a trip to Italy a couple of years ago , a friend of mine complained about the service and food  at the Hotel Castello del Nero, featured in many best hotel lists around the world.  When you pay 500 euros a night for a hotel that is sub-standard- aside from the excellent spa, it is hard to not think about going somewhere else, the next time you visit the region.The lapses were due to a departing chef, but the trouble is , with the Luxury Hotel Industry facing difficult times, there will be few opportunties for such excuses.

We have definitely seen a tough consummer- led reppraisal of the market. Interestingling, signs of a real shakedown can be seen in the generally robust market for private villa rentals. According to Elegant Resorts, a UK- based Luxury Tour Operator, the company’s villa bookings remain consistent with this time last year , with strong demand in 2010 for France, Italy & Portugal as well as the Caribean. Meanwhile, hotels and resorts have seen a 4 percent drop over the same period ( albeit with a growth in the last minute requests).

Edward Marquis, chief executive of the Villa Book, another UK-based rental agency focusing on France, Spain, Italy and Greece, says that November has been his best month in the past six. For hotels and resort owners, it’s been the other way around.

San Francisco-based Luxury Travel Consultant2, a Luxury Tour operator focusing on France, Italy and California , said that” more and more people want a different approach to travel and for some time new clients have become increasingling intolerant of poorly delivered Luxury: The company instead offers something one-off, unique. Good Villas- great villas – have totally unique atmosphere, which is becoming less and less common with hotels”.

Terrorist attacks in Munbai, a few years ago, in which the attackers targeted guests at the city’s most famous hotels, may also drive demand for the relative anonimity of a rented villa.

Some of the best villas are well prepared when it comes to security, as evidenced by Villa Delle Delizie, a newly renovated property on Lake Como that became for rent for the first time in the summer of 2008.  San Francisco-based Luxury Travel Consultant2 took a group of clients to celebrate Thanksgiving 2010,  at Villa Larienella on Lake Como, a 19th- century villa ( 7,000 sq ft, plus 15 sq ft. covered terraces outside) set on 5 acres of private gardens with superb views of the lake. The villa is located between Villa D’Este and Georges Clooney’s residence in Laglio. We had 14 guests and the tour included:

Villa Accommodation ( Double Occupancy)

Private Chef ( Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Thanksgiving dinner)

Drivers / Tour guides ( Transfers, Touring the region) as well as boat rides across the lake

3 Complimentary bottles of wine included for dinner

One week stay ( 8 days / 7 nights) $ 2,800 per person.

Lake Como is not cheap, but it is pretty good for spending one week in a luxurious villa.

Today, very few people in these cost-conscious times would pay a 100.000, a week rental fee that is required at Villa Delle Delizie. It is the search for value for money that is likely to push villa rentals up the holiday hierarchy in 2011.

Private Villas have other less obvious crunch-friendly benefits. Guests who are not on a tour do not have to go out every night. Extras , such as spa treatments, don’t come tumbling down to your end-of-stay bill with a villa. And most of the time food is charged at market prices.

San Francisco-based Luxury Travel consultant2’s owner said that people do not always know what to expect from a villa  and get intimidated because it is not part of their approach to vacationing abroad. People always think hotels, no matter what, so it is our goal to explain to them that going on a tour with a group and staying in a villa is the same as staying in a hotel, a few differences apply. As what was told earlier , when you go as a group on a group tour and stay in a villa, everything is included and there is no ” Oh my god! it is way beyond my spending limit”, it is fairly straight forward( No bad surprises). Two years ago on a tour to Provence, Luxury Travel Consultant2 planned a spa day for a few of the guests and arranged for the men to play golf . Playing golf was not included, so the owner called a few golf courses and asked the drivers to take some of the guests to the golf course ( Free transfers ) and everybody was happy. Our chef catered the spa day with wonderful fresh food and later on that day, a sommelier came over to the villa and we all tasted wonderful local wines from the Rhone region . The villa was extremely comfortable with double occupancy and we also had a guest house and two swimming pools.

The economy may make people think outside the box and they may become more creative regarding group travel and start trusting a different approach. Nothing is more luxurious than having a private chef, guides and drivers at your service while vacationing in the South of France.

Luxury Travel Consultant2 in collaboration with le Chateau, ” La Bastide du Luberon”, invites you to a one week vacation ( 8 days / 7 nights) in Luberon, Provence.

Holidays in the vineyards

Chateau Accommodation ( Double Occupancy)

Drivers / Guides ( Transfers, Touring the region)

Cultural, Gastronomy & Wine Tour

TGV train ride ( Round trip)

Complimentary wine ( dinner only)

One week stay ( 8 days / 7 nights)  $ 2,700 per person / 10 guests are invited.http://www.luxurytravelconsultant2.com/holidays_in_the_vineyards

Visit us online at http://www.luxurytravelconsultant2.com

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Chateau or Villa versus Hotels , a different Approach to travel – San Francisco France Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/france-travel-in-san-francisco/chateau-or-villa-versus-hotels-a-different-approach-to-travel#ixzz1BchjigW8

Bedroom at the Chateau ' La Bastide du Luberon"

Bedroom at the Chateau ' La Bastide du Luberon"

The Chateau, "La bastide Luberon Sud"

The Chateau, "La bastide Luberon Sud"

Living Room at the Chateau

Living Room at the Chateau

The Living room at the Chateau, " La Bastide Luberon Sud"

The Living room at the Chateau, " La Bastide Luberon Sud"

Le Chateau is nestled on 70 acres of Organic land

Le Chateau is nestled on 70 acres of Organic land

Organic Grapes at the Chateau produce wonderful wines

Organic Grapes at the Chateau produce wonderful wines

A different view of the Chateau, Luberon

A different view of the Chateau, Luberon

Livingroom at Villa Larienella on Lake Como, Thanksgiving 2010

Livingroom at Villa Larienella on Lake Como, Thanksgiving 2010

Reds, Roses and Whites Organic.

Reds, Roses and Whites Organic.

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Posted in Accommodations | 1 Comment »

Make the best of France, Stay in a castle in the Loire Valley

January 19th, 2011

Just a two-hour detour from Paris, the Loire was once a playground to Renaissance royals. Now its vaunted chateaux are attracting enterprising young couples and artists who have remade them into captivating – and very affordable inns.

Hotel Diderot in Chinon serves a great breakfast, a brioche with Fresh Ste Maure goat cheese , honey and walnuts for breakfast. Simply the best! exclaims Laurent Dutheil, the owner  of this 23-room hotel. Also he produces dozens of fragrant artisanal jams such as apple-lavender and quince -cinnamon. The Jams are not for sale but he has a cookbook that you can buy (Jam in the cupboard). The hotel was bought and renovated eight years ago – Dutheil tackled stuctural issues ,making sure to keep the exposed oak beams and original stone walls intact. His sisters refurbished the rooms with toile bedding and cheerful wallpaper as well as 19th -century armoires. If you stay at this hotel you will see from a distance the vineyards full of The red Chinon Grapes much loved by the 16th-novelist Francois Rabelais. http://www.hoteldiderot.com

Chateau de L’Isle is very quiet, unless you can count the chorus  of quacks coming from the duck pond on 35-acre grounds. The 18-century manor had been abandonned for 10 years until Denis Gandon bought it in 1986 and transformed the place into a 12-room hotel. Still the chateau still feels like a private home. A portrait of Gandon’s grandfather hangs above the large 100-year old dining room table and a very friendly Jack Russel terrier  entertains guests with endless rounds of fetch.  The bedrooms have exposed wood beams and the beds are draped with coverlets in shades of marigold and crimson. If you go in the summer time , breakfast is always served in an expansive glassed -in terrace overlooking the garden. A nearby potager ( Kitchen garden) supplies produce for some of the chef Fabrice Cherioux’s breakfast’s creations such as tomato confiture. http://www.chateau-de-lisle.com

Le Chateau Des Tertres, this mansion in the heart of the Loire belonged once to the mother of the novelist Marguerite Duras who mentioned the chateau in the famous novel ” The lover“. Four years ago in 2007, the chateau was purchased by Valois & his wife Christine , they redecorated the former gatekeeper’s house as a contemporary four-room cottage with sculptures that ressemble eggs. Valois tends a 12 acre-garden of roses  and caematises, where guests can find a shed well stocked with complimentary bicycles for exploring the area’s 186 miles of riding paths. http://www.chateau-tertres.com – Closed October 19-Apr 1.

Auberge de Launay, Between the two owners, Francois  and Helene Thevard have worked in the world’s most respected hotels such as Le Meurice in Paris and The Savoy in London. After years of helping other people’s properties, the couple and their two children packed up their bags and bought an unassuming farmhouse in the secluded hamlet of Limeray and converted it into a 15 -room inn. The decor at the house is simple , bedrooms have neutral suede sofas, blond- wood floors, and minimalist photographs. Both oversees the daily lunch and dinner service at the on-site restaurant, which serves local specialties such as chicken with mustard cream. The house dessert, a salted caramel fruit tart, baked with apples picked in the Hotel’s orchard.http://www.aubergedelaunay.com

About the Loire Valley, just a two hour drive south west of Paris, the region is known for its Cabernet francs and hundred of majestic castles. It is impossible to see them all, I recommend a visit to one chateau  and this can take half a day. Focus on the worthy one such as Chenonceau, http://www.chenonceau.com.

The other twos are the Chamborg and the Cheverny, http://www.chambord.org, http://www.chateau-cheverny.com

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Make the best of your trip to France, stay in a chateau – San Francisco France Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/france-travel-in-san-francisco/make-the-best-of-your-trip-to-france-stay-a-castle#ixzz1BX6YJo2l

Hotel Diderot in Chinon.

Hotel Diderot in Chinon.

The owner of Hotel Diderot, Dutheil's recipe book , Jam in the cupboard

The owner of Hotel Diderot, Dutheil's recipe book , Jam in the cupboard

Chateau de L'Isle a Civray-de-Touraine

Chateau de L'Isle a Civray-de-Touraine

Bedroom at le Chateau de L'Isle

Bedroom at le Chateau de L'Isle

Chateau des Tertres a Onzain

Chateau des Tertres a Onzain

Clematite in the Garden

Clematite in the Garden

Auberge de Launay a Limeray

Auberge de Launay a Limeray

The Garden at L'auberge de Launay in Limeray

The Garden at L'auberge de Launay in Limeray

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Posted in Loire Valley | 1 Comment »

Across the Seine : L’Isle Saint Louis & the Latin Quarter, an Historic walk.

January 17th, 2011

Set behind L’Isle de la Cite is one of the most romantic spots in Paris, the tiny Isle Saint Louis. Of the two islands in the Seine – the Ile de la Cite is located to the west- The saint Louis retains the loveliness of the Paris Traditionel. It has remained in the  heart of Parisians as well as every tourist who came upon it by accident. A tiny universe unto itself, shaded by trees  and bordered by Seine-side-quais, and overhung with very old stone houses. Up until the 1800s it was reputed that some island residents never cross the bridges to go to Paris. Once you discover the island’s quiet charm, you may understand why. South of L’ile St Louis is the bohemian Latin Quarter, populated largely by Sorbonne students and Academics. Also the name  Latin Quarter comes from the old university tradition  of studying and speaking  in Latin, a tradition that disappeared during the revolution. The university began as a theology school in the Middle Ages and later became the headquarters of the University of Paris. In 1968, the student revolution here had an explosive effect on French politics resulting in major reforms in the education system.

Four bridges link L’Isle Saint Louis and Rue St Louis-en-l’Isle runs the length of the island, bisecting it. Walk down the street and make a stop at the famous Berthillon, at No. 31- In both spring & Summer walk to the historic and opulent Hotel de Lauzun. If you head towards the west end you will discover Notre Dame, and cross the Pont Saint Louis. Just across the bridge on the left, is the Memorial de la Deportation, a moving modern crypt dedicated to the French People who died in Nazi Concentration Camps. If you head to the gardens to the left of Notre Dame, take the Pont au Double  across the Seine to Square Rene Viviani. Behind the square you will discover the church Saint-Julien -le-Pauvre built at the same time as Notre Dame and the tiny and elegant streets of the Maubert District.  If you turn left , then make the first right, and cross Rue Saint Jacques to the elegant church of Saint-Severin. On rue Saint Michel you will see a grandiose 1860 fountain created by Gabriel Davoud’s depicts St Michael slaying the dragon, is a popular meeting spot at the nerve center of the left bank. Also visit the Musee National  du Moyen Age, the national museum of the Middle ages. Make a stop at the Pantheon where Napoleon is buried. On the far left corner of Place du Pantheon is Saint-Etienne-Du-Mont, a church whose facade is a mishmash of architectural styles. Go along rue Clovis to reach Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, which leads to Rue des Fosses Saint -Bernard, head back towards the Seine where you will find the Glass- Facade  of L’institut du Monde Arabe, designed by Jean Nouvel, a center devoted to Arab culture.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris.

Paris

Paris

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Posted in Paris neighborhoods | 1 Comment »

The Lavender Route

January 13th, 2011
L'Abbaye de Senanque & The Lavender field.

L'Abbaye de Senanque & The Lavender field.

Tiny and fragrant, the Lavender flower not only enchants all who behold it but manages to bring in big tourist dollars along la “Route de la Lavande”, the “Lavender Road”., a wide blue-purple swath that connects over 2,000 producers across the Drome , the Plateau du Vaucluse, and the Alpes de Haute Provence.

Once this flower was described as” the soul of Provence”. The lavender has colored the high plains and brought prosperity and clean and fragrant smells to village life since the Middle Ages. The word itself comes from Latin Lavare, which means” to wash”.; Since its discovery in ancient and unrecorded times, it has been used for anything from perfume to cleansers to tonics to calming the mind.

And for good reasons , today’s trends for natural remedies has proven its innate properties and given it well deserved recognition. Not only a disinfectant, a calmative against stress , preventative for migraine and sunburn, and very effective in treating rheumatism and vertigo. Lavender smells heavenly good. Stylish care beauty products like L’Occitane, perfumers Dior and Gaultier were quick to catch on.

L’association des Routes de la Lavande

Go in season, June to early September ( although the harvest does not really start until July), Phone ( 04-75-26-65-91) http://www.routeslalavande.com has plenty of itineraries that zigzag across the range that is broken up into six main regions. They comprise the vallee de la Drome et Diois; the drome Provencal; Le pays de Sault, Mont Ventoux, and the Luberon; the pays du Buech, the pays de Forcalquier, and Montagne de Lure; the pays de Digne, from the Plateau de Valensole. All through this area there are countless events, hikes and workshops featuring everything from touring with a donkey to seminars on blue Gold and Lavender Honey.

The very popular Moulin de Savoirs ( 04-75-28-15-94) has guided walks through the fields in the Drome Provencal and runs workshops about Lavender, its properties and its essential oil. You can even buy wine and lavender products at the famed Ferme Lavanicole Chateau du Bois, their address is : Les Espagnoles, Lagarde d’Apt ( 04-90-76-91-23). Also Lavender distilled at the Distillerie ” Lavande 1100″, between Sault and Apt ( 04-90-75-01-42). A walk or a bicycle ride  in season is like being transported into a maical world, one usually found on a picture-perfect postcard.

Where to stay and eat

Mas de Garrigon. An exquisite hotel , tastefully decorated in classic Provencal style. The hotel has spacious rooms, a cozy library, and view of the surrounding ocher cliffs. It also has the best restaurant in Roussillon, which is a good thing, because the management takes it personally if you pass on their demi-pension offer. The food is definitely superb – Monkfish in salt crust, straw baked lamb with rosemary jus, inventive vegetable courses, plus amazing and wonderful desserts. A very warm & genuine family welcome. Route de St Saturnin-d’Apt, 3 km (2 ml) on the D2, 84220.http://www.masdegarrigon-provence.com

Ma maison, in the valley, 4 kms ( 21/2 ml) below Roussillon, this isolated 1850 has been infused with a laid-back, cosmopolitan style by artist-owners. A big satwater pool, a massive country kitchen, and an idyllic garden complete with lovely breakfast tables romantically seating under shady branches. Their Address is  Quartier Les Devens, 84220 ( 04-90-05-74-17) or ( 04-90-05-74-63)- http://www.mamaison-provence.com ( Closed Mid-October – Mid-March)

Continue reading on Examiner.com: The lavender Route – San Francisco France Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/france-travel-in-san-francisco/the-lavender-route#ixzz1Az0DjMNa

lavender fields

lavender fields

l' Abbaye de Senanque & the Lavender fields

l' Abbaye de Senanque & the Lavender fields

Beautiful field of Lavender at the Abbaye de Senanque.

Beautiful field of Lavender at the Abbaye de Senanque.

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Posted in provence History | 2 Comments »

La drome Provencal / Mont Ventoux

January 13th, 2011

When the mistral blows, the air is just crystal clear. In summer the sun-soaked landscape turns blue with fields of Lavender. To the north is the Triscatin where truffles flourish under the white oaks. To the south between the former Roman settlements of Vaison and orange, a carpet of vineyards extends as far as the Foothills of Mont Ventoux and across the fertile Baronnies. A string of Villages, like Gigondas, Vaqueyras or Chateauneuf-du-Pape- with its 13 grape varieties -all produce full-bodied wines. To the east, mountain roads twist and turn between alpine rocks. Lower down, they pass by sheep grazing on the moors before fading away toward Sault and the Lure mountains. If you are in this part of Provence, go to  Chateau de Suze -La Rousse ( 04-75-91-83-55) . Set amidst the vineyards and truffe oaks, this veteran of many wars has belonged to three great Provencal families. If you go visit, do not miss the 14Th century  curtain wall  that conceal a magnificent couryard and interiors painted in delicate pastel shades. As a visitor you can trace interior design developments from the 16Th century Frescoes in the arms room to the ornate 18th century plasterwork in the Four seasons salon.  Also the Chateau de Grignan, this beautiful estate has withstood the mistral since the 11Th century. The opulant but very intimate rooms  boast Aubusson- tapestries , canopied 17Th – century  beds, walnut Floors and oval family portraits. The covered walkway leads to a steep staircase down to the village. ( Worth the stop).

Make a stop in Nyons, the French writer, Jean Giono called it an” earthly paradise” in which the mountains create a microclimate ideal for olive trees.  Look out for the moulin Autrand, an 18Th century olive press, and the jardins des Aromes, with fragrant medicinal plants like Lavender, Sage, Nutmeg and Passionflower.  Another stop is Vaison- la-Romaine, a little bit of history if you go there ; In the first century BC the Romans turned the properious Vasion into their empire’s finest cities.  The quartier de la Villasse, patrician villas , artisans’ workshops , pools surrounded by statues , a theater and bath bear witness to what was once a thriving town.  Want to make another stop and do wine tasting? go to Gigondas, a small village of grape varieties, produces some of Provence’s most full bodied wines. You can stop by the cellars in the main square and also climb up the citadel to get a view of the vineyards and the castle ruins.   Go to chateauneuf-du-Pape and do some wine tasting.

Mont Ventoux, famous for the Tour de France, on a clear day you all 6,500 ft of “the Giant Provence”, with the observatory at the summit as it rises between the Rhone Valley , the vaucluse Plateau and the Massif des Baronnies. A great road, as it zigzag past orchards, dense pinewoods and bare limestone.

Do Visit Carpentras and Orange. Carpentras until the 19Th century had a large jewish community. All that now survives is France’s oldest synagogue , founded in the 14Th century. Its sanctuary and bread ovens are still intact. Orange, you will see the might of the 1st century Rome is revealed in all its glory in this amphitheater , one of the best preserved relics from antiquity. On the road  leadind northward, out of the city , is a fully intact  triumphal arch.

Wineries

Cave des Vignerons, route de Sablet ( 04-90-65-86-27)

Beaumes- de -Venise, Vignerons des Beaumes de Venise, an immense wine cellar with video-presentation-perfect for sampling the fruity and wonderful Muscat dessert wine, served chilled.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau ( 04–90-83-72-75). Since 1923, the Fabre and Abeille families have produced Cotes du Rhone, Lirac and red and white Chateauneuf-du-pape on what were originally Papal Estates. They can be purchased directly from the chateau.

I highly recommend Le vieux- Four / Crillon – le -Brave. Excellent restaurant. They serve excellent truffles dishes during the truffle season.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: La Drome Provencal / Mont Ventoux – San Francisco France Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/france-travel-in-san-francisco/la-drome-provencal-mont-ventoux#ixzz1AyvQ3j00

Chateau de suze-la -rousse

Chateau de suze-la -rousse

Carpentras.

Carpentras.

The synagogue in Carpentras

The synagogue in Carpentras

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

The Chateau a Chateauneuf-du-pape

The Chateau a Chateauneuf-du-pape

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Posted in provence History | No Comments »

France, a great vacation destination for 2011

January 6th, 2011

Every year, millions of Americans go to France , but when is the best time to go over there?. If you go during the holiday season, ( Christmas, New Year’s ) or in the summer time, Prices are higher, highways busier and queues for the museums are long, and transportation is at its most expensive as well as airlines tickets. Your best bet for quality and calm is to travel off season -  February, March, April, May June and September as well as October. if you are heading to Paris or Provence. You have to remember that the French take vacations too, especially the final two weeks of August when Paris is stuffy and uncomfortable.  Also a lot of shuttered theaters, restaurants and stores , but these days enough stays open to make a low -key, unhurried visit a pleasure.  As for the south of France, July and August can be stifling, the streets and beaches as crowded as Paris is deserted. But anytime between March  and November will offer a good chance to soak up the sun of those southern regions. If Paris and the Loire are among your priorities , remember that the weather is not very appealing until Easter. If you are dreaming of Paris in the springtime , May is the best time to visit the city of lights. But the Capital remains a joy during during midwinter, with plenty of things to do and see.

Posted in France General Article | No Comments »

Among my favorite places in Provence, La Camargue

December 31st, 2010

I have been living in the US for over 25 years and a couple of years ago I realized my dream, building my own tour company and taking Americans to France and to some of my favorite regions. My company is very upscale and accommodates clients who are looking for a different approach to travel.  My company’s approach is Luxury Villa Accommodation with pool, private chef, drivers, wine tasting and more….

The Tour took us to La Camargue, in the south of France. La Camargue is almost a lunar landscape that the river and the sea have created over which the huge Tour de Constance of Aigues- Mortes stands guard. Before flowing into the sea just after Arles, the Rhone forms the delta, ( as we were told)  where gypsies believe two saints named Mary were washed ashore. As we discovered la Camargue , we saw Caravans and trailers parked along the sea wall, while high-spirited bulls wait for the feria in their enclosures. A single main road runned past rice fields, we could see peaceful pools thronged with pink flamingoes and across salt marshes , crisscrossed by narrow paths. At Salin-de-Giraud we made a bumpy coastal track leads to an isolated beach . The only way back to Terra Firma was by Ferry & that’s what we all took. ( It was planned in the tour).

The food there was wonderful and we got to go to some restaurants for lunch  and I will recommend Lou Cardelino/Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the restaurant is packed as soon as the boss ( 33 years in the business) lights the oven. Try the wild-boar or the brandade de Morue ( puree of salted cod)

I do recommend Le Maguelone Aigues Mortes,  they serve a wonderful bull’s meat stew and the restaurant is off the beaten path. They also serve very good fish stew.

On of our Lunches was at Le Mazzet de Vaccares/Etang de Vaccares, overlooking the lagoon. A former fisherman – turned- chef skillfully prepared fish for our lunch ( Fish stews, gratin and Bouilabaisse to order. Tha meals were served with excellent  local wines.

La Camargue is a wild life sanctuary and it is best advised to get binoculars and camera handy while visiting. We did stroll down the delta and then drove a while to find this amazing Abbaye. L’Abbaye de Montmajour in AD 948 is a community of hermits and was founded in the middle of the Marshes. This abbaye became steadily wealthier and added on a cellar, a church, a refectory and chapels. For all its wealth , starkness was de rigueur in the abbey; only the capitals in the cloister were adorned.

We spent time in Arles, which definitely gives a little foretaste of Spain, with its blend of Roman, Romanesque and baroque. In the 11th century their amphitheater was similar in size to its rival in Nimes in the middle ages. Visit the 12th century cathedral of  Saint Trophime whose sumptuous portal and cloister – the most richly carved in Provence – recount bible stories and local legends.

Algues Mortes, where we spent a couple lof hours is the port of Louis IX and was built in 1248 as a base in which his ships could set sail for the crusades.  then we moved on to Stes Maries de la Mer has a legend and the legend tells of a boat opcarrying Mary Jacobe, sister of the Virgin Mary, and Mary Salome, mother of the apostles James & John , were washed ashore at this seaside village between Rhone & the Mediterranean. Their statues are in the 12th-century Romanesque church of Notre Dame de la Mer recall the event in the crypt, dressed in sequined robes my tour guide explained. The third statue  is of their maid servant, Sara, venerated by the gypsies. The three saints are carried in procession to the sea on May 24 and 25 each year.

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Eating out in Paris

December 31st, 2010

Everyone who goes to Paris must find meals, and one hopes that they will be good ones. The problem is that there are not enough places to eat, there are more than four thousand of them. But the variety and subtle distinctions among them are enough to drive any visitor mad. Here is a brief guide to some basic differences.

The word restaurant in French does not have the same generic meaning as in American or English . Rather it describes certain qualifications and expectations in the mind of clients, and in the mind of government officials who award licences. As you will find out that it can often be a large establishment aware of its importance, and it is possibly though not necessarely expensive.

The Michelin guide that fat red book reborn every April with restaurants and hotel rankings based on one, two or three stars, is an indicator of what constitutes a restaurant, though the book includes more modest establishments as well.

What you will find out are three types of places

A restaurant will have a white tablecloth on the table, an elaborate menu  ( a la carte) , and a highly professional service staff. It is the peak institution among French eating establishments.

The brasserie was born as a beer hall in Alsace, the region where France and Germany share a border. It is a lot less pretentious about its cooking than a restaurant. If you choose to eat in a brasserie you have to know that brasserie food is a basic food, everything the French love,from oeuf mayonnaise to steak au poivre, pommes frites and creme caramel. It is simple if it is what you are in the mood for. The brasseries are open late at night, and serve meals continously during open hours, on weekends, and Mondays when restaurants are traditionally closed. The Brasserie Lipp, on boulevard Saint Germain in the 6th arrondissement since 1880 has been and still is the place to get a glimpse of France’s political, artistic, and intellectual glitterati. You can also try the Brasserie at L’Hotel Lutecia, boulevard Raspail, where their smoked salmon and raw oysters are celestial.

A bistro, is usually a small family- style restaurant, often with a lively sense of its place. Most of them offer traditional fare, though there is a mouvement toward experiemental cooking in some, such as L’Epi Dupin, on rue Dupin and Les Bookinistes, quai des grands Augustins, both in the 6th arrondissement. A very classic and good bistro is le Bistro d’Henry on rue Princesse in the 6th arrondissement.

The straightforward but essential  cafe is a basic feature of alimentary and social life outside the home. There is one on every block in Paris, often with tables on the sidewalks. Coffee, beer and wine are the mainstays of the cafe, but simple food is also available, served quickly from a limited but hearty menu. Les Deux Magots and Le Flore on boulevard Saint Germain are the racehorses of the breed not the workhorses.

Not to be overlooked is the humble Bar, sometimes it will be the only thing in sight for a cup of coffee & a croissant on a cold winter day, or to just make a bathroom stop ( in some of them you have to buy a cup of coffee) like here in the US. It may look dark and dingy, but a bar is a reservoir of warmth and good will for the visitor.

For you information

Most places stop serving lunch at three o’clock, some a bit earlier. In France, if you go out to dinner don’t expect to arrive before seven thirty or eight o’clock.

A lot of Americans go to France every year and tell me that the food was great or just OK- Educate yourself before going and read the guidelines. Know what you want to do and where you want to go eat. As I said earlier there are so many choices that it is very confusing for a visitor traveling to France for the first time. In San Francisco, If I want to go out to dinner, I will go to The slanded door at the Mall , the food is superb and not too expensive, otherwise if I want something more traditional I will go to Zuni, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco.

France is not the US , and you have to understand the huge cultural differences. In the US we do not have Cafes, Brasseries, Bistros we have restaurants, so be advised to choose carefully while abroad in France. It is not about competition, who is better but about life experienced in a different way that sometimes a lot of people do not understand here.

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Voyage in the vaucluse, Part one

December 22nd, 2010

East of Avignon lies the classic Provencal landscape, a realm of perched villages, fruited plains and consistently fine cuisine.

Gordes in Luberon spirals up around a rocky outcrop above the Imergue Valley on the edge of the Vaucluse plateau. The Gordes village is threaded by small, paved alleyways called calades fanning out from the centerpiece, the 1520 chateau. One of the two machicolated towers is just visible top center.) A preponderance of oversized objects give Mick and Gerard Nico’s antiques shop in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue gives a dreamlike ambiance. The town is the antiques mecca of the region attracting antiques lovers from all over the world. More tham 200 Brocanteurs (Antique dealers) and a huge Sunday market makes it a very interesting spot to spend time, when taking small groups “Antique shopping”.

Avignon has a very historical past, the huge gaunt fortress of the 14th century Papal-Palace, which became a prison after the French Revolution and a source of revenue for local entrepreneurs , who were still selling bits of its murals to tourists as late as the 1920’s. To the right, behind a grand 17th century facade, is an extraordinary hotel which began life in the 14th century as a cardinal palace; it was half destroyed in a 1411 siege of the Papal Palace during the great schism; and has now been meticulously  renovated around a beautiful courtyard which was once a Gothic square. It has a Michelin-starred chef ; it has toile de Jouy wall -covering and even has a Roman well in the basement.

What I love the most is the Luberon  with its folded mountains and rivered valleys, the region that Peter Mayle made famous nationally and internationally, as a rural working paradise where the art of living is till cultivated in a special way. The Luberon is named for the mountain range it has gathered around and is home to beautiful small perched villages, of gorges, terraced olive groves and vineyards. A lot of old farmers and artists live there and moved there since the 1940’s onward.  But the artists were soon followed by  Golden-Age seekers, simplicity hunters and second-home buyers and tourists from all over Europe and the United States.  Thus this is not a surprise that the Regional Park of Luberon, which includes 60 communes within the Vaucluse and neighboring department of Alpes-de-Haute – Provence was founded in 1977 to protect against ” the rash of outsiders” and “  the building madness that really wrecked the Cote d’Azur”. The Luberon has the highest real-estate prices in Europe and today it has spread outward over virtually the whole Northern France and it has become a place of imagination.

Beautiful Sunset in Gordes, Luberon.

Beautiful Sunset in Gordes, Luberon.

Spring in Gordes, Luberon.

Spring in Gordes, Luberon.

The Papal Palace in Avignon.

The Papal Palace in Avignon.

The Mairie in Avignon.

The Mairie in Avignon.

Cafe de France across the street from the church.

Cafe de France across the street from the church.

Sitting ouside can be fun in L'Isle sur La Sorgue

Sitting ouside can be fun in L'Isle sur La Sorgue

Luxury Travel Consultant2 offers Tour packages to luberon, Provence, go online at www.luxurytravelconsultant2.com

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