Chez Boucher Culinary Tour: Provence

March 21 - 19, 2008

ITINERARY

Day 1
Arrive in Marseille and check in to your hotel in the historic center of Avignon -- your base for the next five nights. Encircled by ramparts, this an-cient city was home to the Popes during the 14th century. We have time to explore before a gastronomic dinner at a Michelin star restaurant in Avignon.

Day 2
Begin the day at Le Marmiton Cooking School, in the fabulous La Mirande Hotel, just a few steps from our hotel. Our teacher is the chef of the restau-rant we dined in last night, which has earned a prestigious star from Mich-elin. Our class begins with a visit to the market "Les Halles d'Avignon" with the chef. He will decide the day's menu according to what we find in the market. We return to our kitchen where the original wood fired, cast iron oven dates back to the 19th century and adds to the ambiance of this grand hotel. We will prepare regional Provençal dishes with the ingredi-ents that we have bought at the market, and then enjoy our creations which are served with selected Rhône Valley wines.

After our feast, we can walk off some calories on a guided walking tour through the ancient streets of historic Avignon. We visit the Pope's Palace (Palais des Papes), a veritable maze of galleries, chambers, chapels, and passages. Enjoy a free evening to relax or stroll.

Day 3
This morning we visit the Roman Ruins of the ancient town of Orange. Then we drive to the wine region of Châteauneuf du Pape and have a tour and tasting at one of the region's finest wineries, the Château Beaucastel. We return to Avignon for dinner.

Day 4
Explore the Luberon region with a visit to the Lavender Museum and lunch in the charming hilltop town of Gordes. The Luberon Mountains were made famous by Peter Mayle in his bestseller, "A Year in Provence". This evening we return to our cooking school for a second class followed by a fabulous Provençal dinner that we have prepared ourselves. We learn why the herbs and unique flavors of Provence have launched an entire in-dustry in the culinary field.

Day 5
This morning we visit the ancient town of Arles with a private local guide. We see the perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater and the picturesque streets painted by Vincent Van Gogh when he lived here and which you are sure to recognize. In the afternoon we enjoy a tour and tasting at a dif-ferent winery in the Côtes du Rhône region. Dinner tonight is another spe-cial gourmet treat.

Day 6
Depart for your elegant Relais-et-Château hotel in Salon-de-Provence, where you will be staying for the remainder of the trip. On your way, stop in the medieval fortified village of Les Baux de Provence. Les Baux is set high on a mountain in the Alpilles range with a spectacular view of the sur-rounding vineyards. Tonight is a wonderful gourmet dinner in our château.

Day 7
Today we take a final cooking class in our château's kitchen, taught by a renowned chef. We have free time in the afternoon to explore the town be-fore dining on our own creations this evening.

Day 8
After breakfast we head to the airport for our return flight.