CULTURAL IMPRESSIONS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

This 7-night small group boutique cultural experience will first carry you away to the romantic French Riviera, known as the Cote d’ Azure. The playground of Picasso and Hemingway, Chagall, and Matisse, Nice will be our home for four nights. In addition to private, guided tours of the history and sights of the “Millionaires Playground,” you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a private “Welcome Dinner” event, with cocktails and a traditional meal that shows how cuisine shapes French culture and values. In addition to scenic Nice, you will enjoy exciting experiences of other famous spots along the French Riviera, including Cap Ferrat; Villefranche-sur-Mer; Monaco; Monte Carlo; Eze and Antibes. You will also learn “insider” information about Pablo Picasso and Francois Gilot, the mistress to Picasso. Picasso and Gilot spent many years in then Cote d’ Azure and had two children together, Paloma and Claude Picasso. There is plenty of scheduled free time to hit spots where you have particular interest.

From Nice, we journey on to the beloved French jewel of Aix-en-Provence. En-route to Aix, we will stop at La Pitchoune (La Peetch), which was the private French home of Julia and Paul Child. You will receive a brief tour of the grounds and home, including a pop-in to see the original kitchen in which Child co-wrote “The Art of French Cooking.” You will then head on to Provence, a region made internationally famous in Peter Mayle’s 1989 best seller, “A Year in Provence”. While in Provence, you will experience one reason Provence is beloved the world over: the food and drink. One day you will be given a private Provencal market tour and tasting. Another day features a winery visit and special luncheon at a local Domain. Our tour will also visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including exploring the history of the Romans in the area. A day in the famed fishing village of Cassais and on to Marseille will cap off the tour. You will also enjoy plenty of free time to explore Provence on your own. On our final evening in France, we will enjoy a private “au revoir” dinner created by a chef that is a personal friend of this program’s hosts.