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Program highlights : Cooking classes celebrating the French cuisines Pastry class celebrating macarons or fruits tarts Gourmet walking tour Excursion to local producers Guided cultural tours of Paris and Versailles Gourmet lunches and dinners Boutique-hotels or guesthouses accommodation Transfers and ground transportation Tour is escorted by Corinne A. Preteur personnaly. |
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City of Light, City of Lovers, City of Beauty shaped by centuries of history, City where the time seems stopped… the Capital of France has no equivalence, and remains unique. Monuments boardering the majestic Seine river, museums, picturesque districts with narrow cobbled-stone streets, little cafés and tiny food stores, small fashion shops with beautifully decorated windows, cute bookstores, quaint restaurants, and much more. Paris is also a cosmopolitan town with international and regional communities. Each one has brought its traditions, its culture, and its gastronomy. This is how Montparnasse is called “Little Brittany”, and major cafés and bistros are owned by “Les Auvergnats”. You will understand why along Corinne’s gourmet walking tour... Here is Paris. Welcome to our city ! ACCOMMODATIONS at 3 or 4-star boutique-hotels, or luxury guesthouses
We give you the possibility to choose your lodging according to your budget and the district you prefer. Hotels and guesthouses are centrally located in Paris, and in safe areas such as Saint Germain des Prés, Latin Quarter, Champs Elysées, Le Marais, Montmartre and Les Grands Boulevards, the elegant 17th residential arrondissement. For a one-week holidays, you could stay in a furnished to full-equipped apartment where you will feel like at home. Guesthouses in Paris have limited rooms to offer, between one and four. It’s on high demand, and it’s quickly full. Reservations must be secured at least 3 months in advance depending on the season. Please click HERE for more information and photos about our guesthouses and apartments.
If you prefer to stay at a hotel, we recommend the Chambiges Elysées in the 8th district, located nearby Avenue des Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower, and steps to Avenue Montaigne, and Avenue George V. Closer to Montmartre and Le Sacré Coeur, the Terrass Hotel is another beautiful place to stay with top-floor rooms overlooking Paris. If you prefer picturesque “Saint Germain de Prés” district, Artus, Buci, Le Récamier or La Belle Juliette boutique-hotels are beautiful. ABOUT THE FRENCH CUISINE, COOKING AND BAKING CLASSES
From boeuf bourguignon, to pissaladière, poulet Vallée d’Auge, blanquette de veau, canard à l’orange, gratin dauphinois, tarte tatin, macarons, and more… France is a blessed country for its unique “savoir-faire” in cooking, and baking, as well as in the quality of produces (most of them are organic) and fine wines.France features a plural cuisine declined over the regions and the terroirs. Normandy is reputed for its dairies, and apples. Sunny Provence boasts organic vegetables and fruits, as well as aromatic herbs, lavender, etc. Burgundy is internationally recognized for its finest wines, mustard, pain d’épices, cassis and wine-sauce stews. Brittany is reputed for its crepes, salted-butter shortcrusts and cider. Pays Basque in South West is well known for the foie gras, duck, and “magic powder” Espelette red pepper. Alsace is highly influenced by the German traditions with meat stews, choucroute, flammeküche and beer… but not only !
Paris Symphony of Flavors cooking vacation includes 4 hands-on cooking and pastry classes operated in our schools in Paris, Versailles and Sèvres : 2 classes in Paris, 1 market tour and class in Versailles, 1 pastry class in Sevres. Transportation by private car is provided to get to Versailles and to Sèvres, both are located west to Paris in the close surburbs. Paris cooking classes are taught in English by Chef Noemie or Chef Laetitia. In Versailles, classes are run by our talented Chef Patricia who also escorts the market visit to Marché Notre Dame. The 3 cooking classes that you will partake are a glorious celebration to the delightful French cuisine. Each one is a highlight to a Region of France with its specialities such as: Normandy with the Chicken Vallée d’Auge, Tarte Tatin, Burgundy with its oeuf meurette, meat stew cooked in wine, pears poached in wine and spices, Brittany with its freshest shellfish and fish cooked in the most healthy way, its delicious crepes and salty-buttered caramel sauce, Provence with its tian de legumes, red mullet fish and ratatouille, fruits salad in a pastry bowl, Alsace with its onion tart, rooster stew cooked in Reisling wine, foret noire cake., etc. Classes lasts between 2h30 and 3 hours, the right time to learn how to prepare a 3-course traditional French meal and to cook it. The tasting lunch or dinner accompanied by wine follows the class. After each class, you’ll get the detailed recipes in English. Classes are confirmed with 2 persons, and it’s limited to 8 participants.
France is certainly the most reputed country in the world for its patisseries. Symphony of Flavors program includes a pastry class, giving you the opportunity to improve your skills in baking techniques. You will be accommodated at Le Grenier à Pain pastry laboratory in Sevres. 39-year experienced pastry chef Patrick Morin will be your teacher. Classes are limited to 6 persons.Patrick’s classes are taught in French, and Corinne personally coordinates the English translation. Pastry classes are scheduled in the afternoon, starting at 2:30pm for 3 hours. This programs includes a macarons class, but the theme can be changed unpon request and substituted by choux pastry or fruits tarts. WINE TASTING CLASS
Wine in France is like cheese, and bread… an “institution” that is a part of the country’s history, culture and traditions. Wines are also closely linked to the food, and a 2-hour teaching provides a better understanding of the pairing technique. The wine school is centrally located in Paris 1st district, steps to Le Louvre.
With a unique and refreshing approach, the sommelier takes you through a variety of themes to build up your knowledge in the French wines including champagne. He will teach you how Champagne is made, how the grapes grow, how the wine makers work, and how to read a French wine label. The course includes a tasting of 6 wines representing the Regions of France. Class is taught in English. TOURS, VISITS, AND EXCURSIONS
Aside to your cooking, wine and pastry classes you will explore Paris, Versailles and the Ile de France region through visits to producers, gourmet and cultural walking tours. Cultural tours will be in Paris and in Versailles, both historic cities that is so pleasant to visit quietly off-the-beaten paths where you won’t meet too many tourists. Cultural tours lasts about 3 hours, scheduled in the afternoon
Lifestyle Vacations best-seller gourmet walking tour is included in the package. Corinne Preteur has designed it, and she personally escorts the tour. You will indulge in small gourmet shops that offer top-ranked specialities including cheese, bread, olive oils, macarons, finest chocolate, charcuteries, wine, and more…All made by artisans and local producers. The gourmet tour is always scheduled in the morning as it starts by the food market visit. The intinerary changes according to the day it’s scheduled. Tour ends by a food and wine pairing lunch break. On Wednesday afternoon, Corinne will drive you to the South of Paris, about one hour distance from the city. The department of Essonne is reputed for its organic watercress (Mereville), aromatic herbs such as peppermint (Milly La Forêt), saffron (Gâtinais area), and honeybee farms (Boutigny). Celebrity Executive Chef Yannick Alleno (Le Meurice, 3-star at the Michelin) buys the ingredients at these producers who are the best of the best DETAILED ITINERARY > DAY 1 (Monday) : Bienvenue à Paris ! Afternoon pastry class1 / Welcome aperitif and dinner at Corinne’s
VIP welcome to Paris Charles de Gaulle’s airport in the morning. Transfer by private car to your hotel or guesthouse. Relaxing time. Noon transfer to Boulogne and to Sevres by car. Lunch at les Grande Tables de l’Ile Seguin (organic food) Afternoon pastry class starting at 3:00pm for 2 hours, celebrating delightful Parisian macarons or fruits tarts. This class is operated at Le Grenier à Pain authentic patisserie laboratory. It’s run by 39-year experienced pastry chef Patrick Morin, and coordinated in English by Corinne. You will bring pastries you have baked after the class. 6:00pm : Welcome aperitif and dinner at Corinne’s home with amuse-bouche for the aperitif, appetizer and entree, cheese, and a fruits dessert. Transfer to your hotel or guesthouse. Overnight. >DAY 2 (Tuesday) : Full-day in Versailles. Morning market tour, cooking class2 and lunch / Afternoon visit to the Chateau or to Marie-Antoinette hamlet and petit trianon. After breakfast, meet Corinne at 8:30am at your hotel or guesthouse. Transfer by private car to Versailles. Join Chef Patricia at Notre Dame market for a tour and food shopping. She will provide interesting information about fresh vegetables and fruits, and produces in general. Back to the cooking school (it faces the market!), wash hands, tight your apron, and start partaking a 3-hour hands-on class celebrating the French traditional cuisine including healthy Provence specialities. 3-course tasting lunch accompanied by wine follows the class and ends the program. Meet Corinne again at the cooking school for a 3 hour visit to the Chateau de Versailles built at the 17th century for King Louis XIV and the Court. If you have already visited it, we can switch the site and have a tour of Marie-Antoinette Hamlet and Petit Trianon. 6:00pm transfer to Paris by car. Dinner on your own. Check out your Lifestyle Vacations Hot Pick Restaurant list. Overnight at hotel or guesthouse. > DAY 3 (Wednesday) : Gourmet walking tour in Paris / Afternoon visit to local producers After your breakfast, take the metro, and meet Corinne at 9:00am on Place Monge in the Latin Quarter 5th district. Here starts the gourmet walking tour escorted by Corinne personally, and featuring the best that Paris has to offer. Our trail starts by the food market tour, it continues to the “cheese & bread” headquarter. Here you will learn everything about the cheese, appellations, pasteurized and raw milk cow, goat or sheep milk cheeses, the different methods used by the artisans, also how to age and to preserve the cheese. The tasting rules will come after. Same for the bread, croissants and brioche. At 10:00am, we will be happy to make “une pause café”, a 15mn relaxing time in a traditional Parisian café with a hot drink accompanied by brioches. The tour continues in direction to Saint Germain des Prés picturesque and gourmet quarter with its best chocolateries, patisseries and more. Tour ends at around 1:30pm after a food and wine pairing lunch break at Georges’s who ownes a wine bar and shop. Afternoon excursion to the south of Paris in the Essonne department. You will visit 2 or 3 different producers and meet with the artisans. It can be a visit to a watercress farm, a honeybee farm, a goat cheese farm, a saffron producer, a fruits jam maker, and a medicinal and aromatic herbs grower (Milly La Forêt is reputed for its peppermint). Back to Paris around 7:00pm. Dinner on your own. Check out your Lifestyle Vacations Hot Pick Restaurant list. Overnight at hotel or guesthouse. > DAY 4 (Thursday) : Morning cooking class3 / Afternoon wine tasting class After your breakfast, take the metro or walk to the Paris cooking school located in the 17th district. Walk is possible from Monceau and Maison Blanche guesthouses. Your third class starts at 10:30am, and it celebrates the Normandy cuisine reputed for its daities, apples, organic meats and fresh fish. Class is taught in English by talented young chef Noemie. Tasting lunch accompanied by wine ends the program. Corinne takes you at the school at 2:00pm for a guided tour of La Butte Montmartre. You will explore this artistic quarter for 2 hours off the beaten paths. Then we will take the metro to Le Louvre, first district to get to the wine school. You tasting class starts at 5:00pm for 2 hours. It will be a “Tour de France” of wines featuring 6 wines representing different regions of France including Champagne. With a refreshing approach, the sommelier takes you through a variety of topics to build up your knowledge in the French wines and appellations. He will teach you how the wines are made, how the vine and the grapes grow, how the winemakers work, how to taste the wine properly, how to read a label. Class is taught in English. You take the metro back to your hotel or guesthouse. Dinner on your own. Check out your Lifestyle Vacations Hot Pick Restaurant list. Overnight at hotel or guesthouse. > DAY 5 (Friday) : Morning cooking class4 / Afternoon free / Farewell Food and Wine pairing Dinner at Michelin-star restaurant After your breakfast, take the metro or walk to the cooking school (same as the day before). Your fourth and last class starts at 10:30am. It celebrates the Brittany cuisine reputed for its fish, shellfish, crepes, salty-buttered caramel tarts, etc. Class is taught in English by Chef Noemie. 3-course tasting lunch accompanied by wine ends the program. Afternoon free for shopping or visits. Meet Corinne at your hotel or guesthouse at 8:00pm Transfer to the Michelin-star restaurant by car for our farewell dinner You will enjoy a 4-course food and wine pairing meal. Transfer back to Paris through a “Paris by Night” illuminated sites through the Seine banks. Overnight at hotel or guesthouse. > DAY 6 (Saturday) : Check-out / Airport transfer. Check-out after breakfast. Private transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle airportEnd of the tour. PRICES PER PERSON (based on double occupancy)
US$2900 (based on double occupancy, at Maison Blanche guesthouse) US$3420 (based on double occupancy, at a boutique-hotel) US$3460 (based on single occupancy, at Monceau guesthouse) Please note that prices are subject to change based on exchange rates. Call for updated rates. PRICE INCLUDES : international airfare to/from your country, dinners as detailed in the itinerary, personal expenses and personal insurance. April 2-6 Other dates available upon request. Please contact us
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© 2008 / 2010 - Lifestyle Vacations France. All Rights Reserved LIFESTYLE VACATIONS / SARL ANTILOPE RCS PARIS B 390 567 395 - Email : info@vacationsandlifestyle.com Tele : 011 33(0)145 348 406 - Fax : 011 33(0)964 273 838 c/o Corinne Preteur, 2 avenue Division Leclerc, 92310 Sèvres (France) |