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 (Option: Half Day Cooking Class/Market Visit and 3 day program)
Uzès, France - 7 nights
Available June
Join Peta Mathias for a memorable week-long journey into the culinary world of the Languedoc. Peta Mathias is a respected and prolific New Zealand chef, author and broadcaster, who now builds on the culinary travel experience with her authentic culinary and cultural tours in the South of France.
 Having started off her culinary love affair in Paris with her restaurant 'Rose Blues' in the 5th arrondissement, she returned to New Zealand ten years later to teach, cook and write. 'Fête Accomplie', the first book about life in Paris with recipes, is also the first of her ten gastronomic travel books written about North Africa, France, New Zealand, Ireland and Vietnam. The most recent book published 2010 is 'Culinary Adventures in Marrakech' and her book on France 'French Toast' is now reissued and updated.
Peta has been presenting the prime time television travel/food shows 'Taste New Zealand', 'Taste Takes Off' and 'A Taste of Home' for thirteen years, and in 2008 started up her own production company - Red Head Media Group. She and her colleagues make food/travel television - see www.petaunplugged.com. In 2010 Peta filmed a six part series on the South of France, based on the culinary week in Uzès Peta was born and bred in Auckland, a stunningly sparkling port city where she still lives half the year but travels extensively researching books and filming her series. She is a member and judge of Slow Food and is proud of the fact that she lives in one of the cleanest, most beautiful countries in the world.  The Mas des Oules is the old farm estate of the Château de Saint Victor. It is a traditional country mas at the foot of the St Victor des Oules village. The setting is commanding, calm and beautiful with an exceptional view of the plains, Uzès and the Cèvennes mountains. At the heart of the U shaped courtyard is a tiled pond with a little fountain and eccentric sculptures. The gardens full of flowers, shaded terraces and little paths lead to the various gites. Walk through the courtyard and out through to the other side of the mas and you find a park full of olive trees, a fish pond and a well. There is a huge swimming pool and breakfast is served in the courtyard. There is also a professional kitchen and communal room.
This is the sixth year of the now legendary gastronomic adventure, where fearless guests join us in a week long dinner party charged with culinary tips, foodie outings, wine visits, farm lunches, much hilarity and cultural insight. Our mission has always been to provide really authentic gastronomic and cultural experiences, far from the well-trodden tourist circuits and into the homes, restaurants and kitchens of people with real food soul. We sample everything, from the chic to the humble because ... variety is the spice of life! A few years ago we added the very hip and exotic destination of Marrakesh in Morocco and outrageous beautiful India.  As usual the most difficult task is to choose between all the delicious recipes ... the tempting wines ... the magical interiors ... the overflowing markets .... Someone's got to do it - why not you? I hope you can join us. To get to the real heart and soul of a culture means understanding how and what it eats. A culture's cuisine confirms its sense of belonging, bringing alive ancestral memories through stories of local traditions and daily life. These are passed down through the genes and the fingertips. Cooking is living history. Deeply understood, joyously shared. This has been my raison d'être for more than thirty years. Our culinary weeks go in search of this. In Morocco, where time passes on slippered feet, we divide our stay between the rural charms of authentic Berber hospitality, and the riotous but sophisticated life of Marrakesh's medina. Moroccan food is aromatic, they have a million kinds of pastries, eat with their fingers and the men call you gazelle. In Rajasthan we combine local colour, traditional dining, cooking classes, legendary shopping and Maharani style pampering. We stay at the luxury Amanbagh Resort for 10 days. This is both culinary tourism at it's very finest and the perfect introduction to this economic and cultural giant.
In Uzès, which is half an hour from Avignon, we hole up for the week in a glorious pastel-tinted Mas (country home) outside the medieval splendour of Uzès, and venture forth daily to experience the intoxicating, colourful and sensual cuisine that is Provençe. Sybaritic pleasures and cultural insights ... Say au revoir to all you knew before and enter into our charmed and poetic gastronomic world. GROUP SIZE A minimum of 6 participants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 10 participants. (The number of participants refers to how many persons are required to run the tour, not to how many persons you must have in your party. Please inquire.) HOW TO ARRIVE Train: TGV High Speed Train to Nîmes (35 mins drive) direct from Paris/Charles de Gaule Airport and connections with all major cities in Europe.
Airports: Marseille (1h15mins), Montpellier (1h), Nîmes (45mins), in descending order of connections. Nîmes is only served by Ryanair to Luton (London)
*These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Double Occupancy/US$3900
Single Supplement/US$800
*Pricing may vary depending on market fluctuation After availability is confirmed, a non-refundable deposit of US$1350 and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Final payment is due no later than 75 days before your arrival date. If the balance remains unpaid at that time, we reserve the right to treat the reservation as cancelled and retain the balance paid. *Seven (7) nights' twin accommodations in Mas des Oules
*Full tuition
*All food, wines, meals
*Recipe folder
*Beverages
*Scheduled excursions
*Pre-arranged transfer from Nîmes train station only (pickup at 2:30pm on arrival day, late morning drop-off on departure day)
*Organized restaurant meals Airfare and personal expenses, optional or additional excursions, restaurant meals on your own or travel insurance are not included.
For further inquiries or to register, click here.
Click here to return to top of page. CANCELLATION POLICY
Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.
CLIENT REMARKS "Very impressed by the genuine kindness and warmth of all involved. I appreciated being so well looked after and was made to feel most welcome. Had a wonderful time at the Mas and loved all the aesthetics and little touches there." "Thank you so much for a superb week of so many different tastes and experiences. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful place to improve our culinary sills than Mas Bonnafoux. My favorite recipe was the pissaladiere followed closely by the lemon and almond tart and the cherry clafoutis. Thank you again for so many melting moments." "Thank you everyone for a most enjoyable week. I have never been so indulged. Your organization and attention to detail was superb. Having friends for dinner tomorrow night - will be trying out some of the recipes." Click here to return to top of page. MAP* This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE. 
*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location. Click here to return to top of page. |
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Culinary Escapes in the South of France
