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PROVENCE
Of all the regions of France, Provence is the most irresistible. The borders are defined by nature: to the west, the River Rhône; the south, the Mediterranean; the east, the Alps; and to the north, where the olive trees end. It is a land of striking natural beauty and great diversity - from sun baked plains with fields of lavender, interspaced with vineyards and olive groves crowned in the distance by the hills of the Luberon and the azure blue sky. The deep valleys are the home of vast oak and pine forests giving that unmistakable Mediterranean aroma to the air.
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| Offerings include daily excursions into the countryside, combined with several half day cooking classes at the villas and with exceptional chefs, fine dining meals in some of the region’s excellent restaurants, picnics in lovely gardens, visits to local markets and quaint villages such as Ménerbes and Oppède Le Vieux, shopping for brocante and antiques, excursions to such alluring towns as Aix en Provence, Avignon and Arles, and VIP wine tastings.
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| "The whole Mediterranean rim is a mosaic of fragments assembled on a human scale: microclimates, landscapes, crafts and products, cultures both earthly and spiritual. Provence still bears the deep imprint of the Roman civilisation which created its countryside, a patchwork garden intermingling fields, orchards, pastures and rough hill country. This is a heritage, as Giono went on to claim, “of modest, unpretentious farms. But this is the kingdom of Epicurus. No sultan eats more noble and healthy food than these people… everything that appears on their table is exquisitely fresh. They are experts in the art of living.”
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| With a very rich cultural and gastronomic legacy, Provence is a treasure trove of magical landscapes, history, architecture and food: the world's largest Gothic palace as awesome as the 14thC Palais des Papes, gardens as fine as Le Jardin de l'Alchimiste in Eygalières, Roman remains as impressive the Pont du Gard and the theatre at Orange, villages as magical as Bonnieux, artistic expressions that have immortalised the region by artists as renowned as Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne, Gaugin, Renoir, Picasso and countless others, nectars as comforting as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, and the famous wine regions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon right on the border.
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| FLAVOURS of PROVENCE
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| Pistou, Aioli, Bouillabaise, Brandade, la Bourride, Salad Nicoise, Tapenade...... Blessed with agricultural and marine richness and a long tradition of epicurean refined rusticity, Provence is one of France’s gastronomic heartlands famed for beautiful fish and seafood, lamb, sun-kissed fruits and vegetables, olives, garlic, sweet and often wild herbs, and anything and everything that can be cooked with olive oil. According to tradition one eats bouillabaisse in Marseilles, lamb daube in Avignon, and truffes in the Vaucluse villages.
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| The famed author of many books on gardens and cooking in Provence, Louisa Adams summarises the spirit when she observes: "Life in Provence combines the earthiness of age-old Mediterranean ways with a very French sense of style and savoir vivre. Its cooking presents this same harmonious blending of country roots and creativity, but has many dialects, from the cowboy cuisine of the Camargue and the fresh fruit and vegetables of the Rhone valley farms in the west, to the seafood of Marseille and the coastal regions, or the lamb and wheat of the Alps foothills. Provençal cuisine is also all the different people who cherish it: farmers, fishermen, peasants, market vendors and shepherds, housewives and small shopkeepers, vintners and market gardeners, business people and even bureaucrats-all of whom have their secret sources for the best poultry, sausage or truffles. Gastronomy in Provence is not an occasional restaurant outing, but a day-to-day experience, a convivial celebration of the earth and what it has to offer.
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Your exceptional residence for the first 4 nights is an expansive restored and very contemporary mas (farmhouse) situated in the quiet surroundings of orchards, lavendar and olives. This quintessential Provençal retreat is on the outskirts of the little village of Laudun and 20 minutes from Avignon.
The house has been meticulously restored with tasteful decoration, modern amenities and includes vast living spaces, indoor and outdoor kitchens (one professional kitchen with a table to seat 20, perfect for our cooking classes), with 7 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, salons with fireplaces and outdoor terraces with pool.
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The second property for the next five nights is proximate to the village of I'sle sur la Sorgue that lies at the foot of the Vaucluse plateau in the plains of Comtat Venaissin and is a paradise for antique lovers with who will be gratified by the nearly 300 permanent antique dealers and second hand shops here. A picturesque village of canals, bridges, waterwheel, cafés, terraces, History has also left its mark on L'Isle sur la Sorgue.
Located on several hectares on a little island in the middle of the Sorgue, this wonderful property was formerly a monastery for paper-making. Today it has been lovingly restored into superb apartment suites with a lovely l'orangerie, swimming pool and soothing gardens.
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| Marieke will create innovative menus for the classes that exude a vibrant modern style inspired by superior local ingredients sourced from regional markets. Belonging to the generation that was at the forefront of the culinary revolution in Australia, Marieke's wonderfully creative food celebrates flavour, texture, seasonality, regionality, classical techniques and the contemporary palate. Additionally some classes will be taken with famous chefs of the region.
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| Baxter is Marieke's assistant. She has spent the last decade as an inveterate traveller sailing ships, flying planes and trekking many corners of the globe, along the way accumulating fluency in German, Italian and Spanish and a good smattering of French. Baxter is currently attempting Hindi. Her culinary skills were honed on board luxury yachts that plied the Med and the Caribbean. When not travelling she teaches yoga and has a special affection for India and Spain, as well as wining and dining.
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| For Tour Overview Go To> To Request A Tour Brochure and Cost Contact Us>
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