Bonjour Provence At Domaine De… (trip)
Bonjour Provence At Domaine De Valmouriane - Best Seller
- Culinary & Wine Travel
7 Days, from $3,300* per person. June, July, September, October.
Accommodations: Boutique. Exertion level: 1 (7 is most strenuous)
Overview of Bonjour Provence At Domaine De Valmouriane - Best Seller
About the location: Martina and Philippe Capel are a dynamic young couple. Their dedication and energy are immediately obvious in every detail of the hotel and restaurant and will make your cooking vacation in France unforgettable! Martina, a graduate of a Swiss hospitality school had always dreamed of owning her own hotel. She moved to Provence, met Philippe, and together they found the lovely four star Domaine de Valmouriane. Soon after, Philippe, who was a practicing lawyer in Marseille, went to hospitality school and became the full-time manager at the hotel.While this delightful place is your home for the week-long cooking vacation, the activities that Martina and Philippe have created open a door onto real Provencal life. Stop in to meet an ambitious brother and sister team who have resurrected a family-owned olive mill that lay dormant for years and now produces pure, unadulterated olive oil; meet a wine producer of very high quality, organic wines of the region; enter into the world of exquisite glazed candy production at a very unique shop run by the fifth generation of candymakers; and explore the delectable chocolate shop of a young Frenchman who dreamed even as a child of becoming a chocolatiere.
About the lessons: Chef Pascal Volle, a young and enthusiastic chef for the popular restaurant “Le Saint-Georges” of the hotel will guide you through the many Provencal recipes durin your cooking lessons. Just a few of the dishes you may prepare are lobster cannelloni, herbed Provencal rack of lamb, and asparagus with salmon. Of course, your lessons will be complete menus, finishing with those fabulous French desserts!
Operated by The International Kitchen.
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Locations visited/nearby
Domaine de Valmouriane - NEW , Provence , Southwest France , Cote d'Azur , Cooking class , Cooking vacation , France
0 testimonials about this trip.
2 testimonials about the provider, The International Kitchen:
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Reviewer: Thomas & Christine L.
located in
NC
USA
I'd like to start by saying, this was the best vacation of our lives. The Relais Oasi Olimpia is a five star hotel with a four star rating. Every member of the staff was warm hearted and friendly, and totally dedicated to our needs and well being. The rooms were large and comfortable, especially compared to the so-called four star hotel we stayed at in Rome. Carmen Mazzola the general manager was extremely competent, resourceful, and accommodating. Whenever we made a request, or a scheduling change was necessary due to weather or some other reason, she handled all with speed and good nature, always exclaiming, "It's nothing!" when we thanked her. The cooking lessons with Marco the Chef were just what we had hoped them to be. Nothing too intense, (after all we were on vacation) but informative and easy to execute. I'm happy to say, Christine and I are quite competent now in producing a variety of delectable dishes we would be proud to serve anyone. Our boat tour to Positano was wonderful, our host Antonio piloted the boat to the picturesue little town, and later stopped at a cove where we swam in the Mediterranean and had an expertly prepared lunch. Our favorite tour was of the Mozzarella Factory, I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Suffice to say, don't miss it. Being Italian-American, this vacation awakened feelings in me long hidden. Personality traits that I have are prevalent in Southern Italy. I felt like I was among my own kind at last. I want to go back.
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Reviewer: Katie P
located in
UK
I just wanted to let you know that Chris and I had a wonderful time at Chateau de Berne last week. Mayung took very good care of us as ourhostess, and Jean-Louis is great! And of course the location is absolutely beautiful, as you know. We were made to feel very welcome the whole time we were there. I'm a few months pregnant, and Mayung did a great job of juggling our schedule so that I got some rest when I needed it but we also managed to fit in a lot of activities (including a visit to the market, a winery tour and wine tasting and a visit to a local abbey as well as some shopping on our own).And the cooking lessons were very well done. Chris and I were the only students (and in truth, Chris was the only one really cooking with Jean-Louis -- my job was to take notes and pictures!), so it felt like a one-on-one tutorial. Jean-Louis is a patient teacher and he did a good job of explaining everything he was doing. As the week progressed, Chris took a more and more active role in the food preparation, and the hands-on approach was very educational too. Everyone at Chateau de Berne was warm and friendly, and they really did make us feel very welcome there. This program was Chris's birthday present (his 40th) and I'm very pleased with how well it worked out! Thank you!
Disclaimers
*Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.
Max group size: 12
Itinerary
Day 1
* Transfer from Avignon TGV station or from Marseille airport to the Domaine de Valmouriane.
* Light lunch at the property, and time to relax.
* Welcome dinner.
Day 2
* Market visit in the lovely and chic town of St. Remy de Provence.
* Return for your first hands-on cooking class, followed by lunch based on your efforts.
* Afternoon visit of Avignon. You will have a guided visit of the city, with free time for shopping or to visit the famous Popes’ Palace on your own.
* Dinner in the Domaine’s restaurant and overnight.
Day 3
* Morning cooking class followed by lunch based on your efforts.
* In the afternoon, visit the villages of the Luberon, made famous by Peter Mayle in A Year in Provence.
* Dinner out, and transfer back to the Domaine.
Day 4
* Breakfast.
* Morning cooking class following by lunch based on your culinary efforts.
* Afternoon visit of St. Remy de Provence with wine tasting.
* Following your wine tasting, visit of the Lilamand confectionery, makers of the famous candied fruits.
* Next, a visit of the chocolatiere, Joel Durand, with his delectable “alphabet” of chocolates.
* Free time for shopping. Dinner tonight is in St. Remy, with a taxi home (a taxi back will cost you around €20 [$35] per car). (If you prefer to skip the shopping and head back to the Domaine for a rest before dinner, you can always take a taxi back to St. Remy later on.)
Day 5
* Morning class followed by lunch.
* Afternoon at leisure.
* Bistrot dinner in the evening at the Domaine.
Day 6
* Morning visit to the famous market of L’Isle sur la Sorgue, and time to explore the town. L’Isle sur la Sorgue, besides being one of the loveliest Provencal towns because of its canals and waterways, is also one of the best places in France for antiques.
* Lunch on your own and free afternoon. You may want to go back to St. Remy to shop or sightsee.
* Farewell dinner in the restaurant.
Day 7
* Breakfast and departure.
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