Itinerary

Day 1 D
Welcome to France! Your driver will meet you as you exit customs of the Nice International Airport or at the Avingon train station, and you will be transferred to your home for the next 3 days, the lovely 4* Relais Chateau member property, L’Auberge at Chateau de Berne. At about 1.5 hours from Nice or Avignon, L’Auberge lies just to the north of Lorgues in the heart of the Chateau de Berne estate where 550 hectares of woodlands and vineyards stretch out between the Mediterranean and the Gorges du Verdon. Check into the hotel and spend the remaining day relaxing and discovering this enchanting property. Enjoy a welcome wine-tasting dinner tonight with a tasting of Château de Berne’s wines.
Amenities include:
The fitness center with sauna • Heated outdoor swimming pool
tennis courts • table tennis • petanque court
numerous walking paths • quad and bicycle rentals
Spa and wellness center • 2 restaurants, one gourmet & one casual
Professional kitchen for cooking classes
Wine producing estate on property

Day 2 B, L, D
Today we enjoy a private cooking class on property, in the
professional kitchen specially dedicated for cooking classes. The
Chef reveals the secrets of his recipes, either classical or original,
with fresh and sunny flavors, but always simple to realize. The
respect for products is a fundamental value for the Chef who
works every day with the vegetables of the kitchen garden. He
will welcome you at the Cooking School specially fitted out in a
bastide of the domain. All the necessary material is foreseen for
enjoyable lesson. You’ll end the lesson with lunch, feasting on
your creations! Enjoy the remainder of the day discovering the
property. Dinner at the hotel included tonight.

Day 3 B,L
The grape harvest is the climax of the wine-grower’s work. Take
place in this convivial harvest equipped with a bucket and shears.
The wine growers will welcome you and share with you their
noble passion for the wine making process, from the vine to the
finished product in the bottle. End your harvest experience with
a guided tour of the cellars, wine tasting and lunch. (Outside
of harvest season, a private tour of the region and tour of cellars
and tasting, followed by lunch will replace the harvest.) Then
you will be transferred to the beautiful walled city of Avignon.
Transfer to your lovely 4* centrally located hotel near the
Popes’ Palace. This eighteenth-century mansion has interiors
that reflect the period, with painted woodwork and antique-tile
floors. Rooms are “classy and sophisticated but with a touch of
whimsy.” Enjoy an evening on own, and dine among the many
restaurants Avignon has to offer.

Day 4 B,L
Today our journeys take us to Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas.
You’ll be greeted by your English-speaking, wine expert guide/
driver for a visit to three leading wine estates in Châteauneufdu-
Pape and Gigondas. The morning commences in vineyards
high up in the Gigondas hills where your guide explains how
“terroir” influences the wines that you will taste at the cellar of a
leading producer. After a wine tasting lunch at an excellent local
restaurant, you will travel to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 14th
century Papal chateau - a monument to this village’s rich wine
history - towers of the village. As you tour the scenic vineyards
and the cellars of two of its leading estates your guide will explain
how the diverse terroir, grape varieties and winemaking methods
define the characteristics and quality of the wines that you taste.
Return to your hotel for an evening on own.

Day 5 B,L
This morning savor life “a la Provencal” with a market visit in
the lovely village of Vaison La Romaine led by your private chef.
Purchase the fresh ingredients for your culinary class, meet your
chef’s favorite local food suppliers, and travel to your lovely
private setting where you will enjoy a hands on class featuring
specialties of the region. Savor the fruits of your labor tasting
your creations during lunch. Return to Vaison La Romaine
for some free time for shopping, walking the cobblestone streets,
or relaxing at a cafe. With its shady spots under plane trees, its
cool fountains, its busy streets, its welcoming terraces with cafes
and restaurants and, of course, its superb market with all the
many typical smells and colors of the South of France, Vaison-la-
Romaine has all the charm of a genuine Provençal town. Return
to your hotel in the late afternoon for an evening on own.

Day 6 B,L or D
Enjoy the morning to explore Avignon on own before travelling
south to Aix-en-Provence. Aix en Provence, the capital of
Provence, is a living history book, with a rich heritage thousands
of years old. A tour of Aix en Provence is a chance to travel
in time. Its architectural and cultural heritage is accessible
to everyone, treasures that you will discover simply by walking
around the town. Check into your lovely, and centrally located
Hotel Bastides du Cours. In the true tradition of Provence,
rooms and suites at La Bastide du Cours are settled in a house
filled with history and located on Cours Mirabeau, in the very
heart of Aix en Provence. Everything here is designed to offer
the most enjoyable nights under Provence’s skies, combining a
refined decor and a warm atmosphere with the highest amenities
(king size beds, private sauna, Jacuzzi, separate bathrooms,
private terrace, room service, access for disabled people, air
conditioning, mini bar, safe, flat screen TV, multi line telephone,
restaurant…). Enjoy the remaining day exploring Aix on your
own. Choose to have lunch or dinner tonight in their lovely
restaurant (menu Gandolfe-wines not included).

Day 7 B,L
We dedicate the morning to discovering Aix with a guided tour
of the city, and a visit to Cezanne’s studio. Atelier des Lauves
is a real place of memories, where Cézanne has left his mark.
He worked there every day during the last four years of his life.
Dozens of works, including his last ‘Large Bathers’, were painted
in this workshop full of light and silence. After a lovely lunch
featuring traditional specialties of the region, we dedicate the
afternoon to exploring regional culinary delicacies. Provence is
a small but high quality producer of olive oil, olives and their
derivative products. We have selected some of the well known
olive oil mills, where you will learn about the process of growing
and harvesting olives and pressing them for olive oil. You will also
have the opportunity to taste two types of appetizers: tapenade,
a spread made with black olives, capers, anchovies, fresh basil,
olive oil, garlic and coarse salt, and anchoiade, made from salted
anchovies and garlic; normally no olives are used here, just olive
oil. (We will customize the day to suit your preferences which
could include more wine touring, visit to other villages in the
area such at St. Remy, etc) Return to your hotel late afternoon.
Enjoy your last evening in Aix on own.

Day 8 B
Enjoy a scenic two-hour private transfer to Eze Village, a
veritable eagle’s nest perched high above the Mediterranean,
just 12 km from Nice. Accommodations: Chateau de la Chevre
d’Or, an outstanding boutique Relais and Chateau member
hotel that literally is integrated into the medieval stone village
of Eze. The views are inspiring; on one of the frequent clear days,
the view extends all the way to St. Tropez. Take the rest of the
afternoon to enjoy the views. Small narrow roads, archways
and superbly restored stone houses, shady squares, refreshing
ancient fountains... you will soon be seduced by the marvels of
Eze. Evening on own.

Day 9 B,L
It’s worth taking the time to discover Nice in depth: wander at
random through the narrow streets of the old town and then
stroll along the famous “Promenade” before entering into the
heart of the city with its rich architectural and cultural heritage
and its parks and gardens. A delicious lunch uncovering the
gourmet treasures of the area is included. We will customize
your day to your requests, including a gourmet walking tour
in the afternoon, free time for shopping, full day of touring of
the Riviera, visit to the perfume capital of Provence, Grasse or
perhaps additional wine touring. Return to your hotel end of the
afternoon, and evening on own.

Day 10 B
Transfer to the Nice International Airport or train station, and
continue your journeys with fond memories of your Provence
wine, culinary and cultural discoveries.

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