Culinary Travel: Cooking & Food Tour of Provence, France

	This is my third big trip with Culinary Communion and I can't wait for the next one!
—Guest of 2003 Cooking Tour of Maui and the 2005 and 2006 Cooking Tours of Provence
	What a wonderful week in Provence! Traveling with Chef Gabriel was a delightful adventure. His enthusiasm for good food and wine is contagious and I'm looking forward to more travels with Culinary Communion.
—May 2006 Provence Guest
	Even though there was a pretty full agenda, we still had time to relax. My favorite part was having the luxury of spending time out by the pool. I mean who has time for that in Seattle!
—May 2005 Provence Guest
	Good food, good wine, good company—Great Trip!
—May 2006 Provence Guest

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	2008 Cooking Tours of Provence! **Culinary Communion is pleased to present Cooking Tours of Provence in May, August (for families!), and September 2008! The Cooking Tour of Provence is a group of "foodies" traveling to the Provence region of Southern France for a week of cooking, eating, and soaking in the culinary delights of the area. We'll take hands-on classes with local experts as well as having hands-on cooking lessons most evenings at our private estate. Read on... Trip Dates May 2008 Trip Dates:** Saturday, May 17 through Saturday, May 24, 2008, with Chef Gabriel Claycamp and Chef Katie Coleman. Maximum 8 guests. Sold Out! August 2008, Family-Friendly Trip Dates: Click here to learn about our Family-Friendly Trip! September 2008 Trip Dates: Saturday, September 27 through Saturday, October 4, 2008, with Chef Katie Coleman. Maximum 8 guests. Accommodations We stay at a large, beautiful estate in the French countryside, about 30 minutes from Avignon. Our group will have the house to ourselves, with a big communal kitchen for our evenings of cooking. Double occupancy with ensuite bath is the norm; please let us know if you would like other arrangements and we'll do our best to accommodate you. Click here to view pictures of the estate. Activities Our goal is to immerse ourselves in the food of Provence, with tours and in-depth, hands-on lessons at a variety of food producers and informal cooking sessions with our chef at the estate most evenings. We will also plan to do some "tourist" travel, but all activities are optional and we'll have the flexibility to allow guests to participate or not as each person chooses. Click here to view photos from some of our planned culinary activities. A tentative schedule for the week is below; please remember this is subject to change. Who Should Come This trip is focused heavily on the food and wine of the French culture, with active days. Guests should be ready for lots of walking and hands-on cooking, but there is time for relaxing, too: we don't want you to have to go home and need another vacation to unwind. The May and September trips are geared toward food- and wine-loving adults; our Family-Friendly trip in August is open to guests of any age. Please contact us with any questions. What's Included The following is included in our May and September Cooking Tours of Provence: Unique culinary education from local culinary experts, from hands-on chocolate and baking lessons to tours of goat cheese farms and cheesemaking; Five cooking lessons and "guided tour" dining experiences with Culinary Institute of America -trained chef Gabriel Claycamp and/or Chef Katie Coleman; Week's lodging at our estate in Provence, double occupancy Most meals (all breakfasts and dinners, with a few lunches excepted), including a reasonable amount of wine; All ground transportation within the Avignon area, from pick-up to drop-off at the Avignon TGV train station (airfare and transportation to and from Avignon are not included (although we are happy to give you advice on how best to travel there); Custom-embroidered apron; Customized educational material about the cuisine of the Provence region; All recipes from the week's cooking classes; and Detailed itinerary with color maps etc. about our planned activities. Cost and Payment Structure May 2008 Trip Costs The May Cooking Tour of Provence is $2,950 USD per person by cash or check ($3,040 by credit card); see above for what this includes. A deposit of $750 is required to reserve your place; $1,100 is due on 12/1/07 and $1,100 on 3/1/08. Deposits are nonrefundable; the remainder of the trip costs are refundable up to three months prior to the trip and nonrefundable thereafter. September 2008 Trip Costs IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the fluctuation of the U.S. dollar with relation to the euro, and because nearly all of our expenses for this trip are incurred in euros, we have given the price for this trip in euros. To see the current conversion rate, click here. Payments may be made either in euros or in U.S. dollars at the current conversion rate on the date of payment. Please let us know if you have any questions. The September Cooking Tour of Provence is 2,095 euro per person by cash or check (payable in euro or USD, see above); please add a 5% service charge for payments by credit card. A deposit of 595 euro is required to reserve your place; an installment of 750 euro is due on May 1, 2008, and the second installment of 750 euro is due August 1, 2008. (Alternate arrangements are available if you would like, just let us know.) Deposits are nonrefundable; the remainder of the trip costs are refundable up to three months prior to the trip and nonrefundable thereafter. Guests must read and sign our Terms & Conditions Agreement and complete a Medical Information & Waiver form. Tentative May & September 2008 Schedule Our schedule is subject to change, but you can expect the final schedule to be reasonably similar. Saturday: The group arrives. We will meet at the Avignon TGV train station at 4 pm and carpool to the estate, where we'll settle in, then enjoy welcome drinks, appetizers, and dinner. Sunday: Breakfast at the house; then on to Market Day in the town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. This market consists of everything from foodstuffs to clothing, handmade items to souveniers. This town has a heavy emphasis on antiques and brocante, also featured in this market. This evening will be our first hands-on cooking session at the estate. (These dinner-making sessions are optional; if you prefer to nap or lounge by the pool, by all means do!) Monday: Continental breakfast at the house; hands-on baking lesson at a local bakery; farmer's market in Velleron between 6 and 8 pm; hands-on cooking session at the estate with market finds. Tuesday: Continental breakfast at the house; morning at the wine producer, in the vineyard and at the winery; picnic under the cherry trees; optional visit of Venasque (a picturesque hilltop village) or back home to swim; cooking session at the house. Wednesday: Continental breakfast at the house; visit to the goat farm for cheese-making lesson and cheese tasting; lunch tba; dinner outside in Saint Didier. Thursday: Continental breakfast at the house; hands-on chocolate-making session; restaurant lunch; sight-seeing or relaxing; cooking session at the house. Friday: Continental breakfast at the house; wine-tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape with lunch on your own; farewell cooking sesion at the house. Saturday: Breakfast at the house; departure by 9am. To Make Your Reservation or Learn More Ready to join us? Or have some questions? Please give us a call at 206.284.8687 or email us.