SOUTH OF FRANCE

Arrive Oct 1st into Hyéres and make yourself comfortable in the hotel. Does this place sound familiar? We lived here for one year before we took off to RV Europe for two and a half years.

Please note: If you would like to arrive earlier and explore on your own prior to Oct 1st we recommend it. However, our trip officially begins Oct 1st, in the evening.

We can’t wait to meet all of you. As a warm welcome we would like to invite you for a wine and cheese pairing evening on the 1st. If you will be arriving late don’t worry, we will do a more formal welcome at breakfast the following morning.

In addition we will hold a short workshop on Oct 1st (during the wine and cheese event) to familiarize you with the cultural nuances of life in France. For example, always say "bonjour" when you enter a shop, watch where you step (the French don't pick up dog poop), never climb a tree (it is forbidden). This is a great way to familarize yourself with the culture before we get started.

Get a good night’s sleep because tomorrow we rock and roll!

Our favorite places in Hyéres. 

Hiking in Hyéres.

Hyéres farmers market.

*Itinerary is subject to change.

OPENING BREAKFAST
This is the first full day of our voyage together. We will all meet at the opening breakfast to discuss the day, address any questions, and meet those of you who got in late the night before and missed the meet n' greet.

A typical France breakfast is called a petit dejeuner. This consists of coffee/tea/hot cocoa/juice, and a variety of breads with jam and butter. Our breakfast in Hyéres will be in our hotel breakfast salon.

During breakfast, Largo will give a 30 minute crash course in the most important French words to know for our adventure. You cannot explore France without knowing how to say "More wine and cheese please!"

PORQUEROLLES
Today we will take a short ferry to one of the three famous islands that make up the extension of Hyéres mainland. Porquerolles will be our destination. Known as a land conservation site with limited development other than a 17th century village, secluded beaches, nature, wildlife and a vineyard.

EVENTS OF THE DAY:
VINEYARD
The vineyards of Porquerolles, planted in the 19th century by Francois Fournier, are an essential element of the landscape. Discover the history of the area caressed by sea spray and gilded by the midday sun. The visit of the vineyards and the care will be followed by a wine tasting, in three colors, accompanied by Provencal specialties.

LUNCH
We will enjoy a local traditional French lunch while on the island.

NATURE TOUR
Accompanied by our naturalist guide we will discover the wild beauty of this multifaceted island with astonishing natural diversity.

REST OR FREE TIME
We will arrive back in Hyéres via ferry boat around 4pm. You will have time to rest or walk around Center Ville (the medieval town center) until dinner at 7pm.

DINNER AT LA MOULIN À CHAPELLE
We will dine in a unique setting, an old country house that housed oil mills or on the terrace (pending weather). Come and taste traditional and gourmet French Provencal cuisine.

BREAKFAST
Petit déjeuner in the hotel breakfast salon.

CHOICE OF ACTIVITIES IN THE MORNING
You will have a choice of one of two activities for the morning through mid-afternoon.

1. PERFUME MAKING (subject to change to another event)
Make your own signature fragrance to take with you. We will enjoy a guided visit of a perfume factory and the perfume workshop, Each participant will have a perfume creation station consisting of 127 high quality essences. You will be guided on how to create a perfume perfect for you (ladies, mens or unisex). Your creation of 100 ml (3,3 fl,oz) Eau de Parfum will be customized with a label and the formula will be kept on file for future ordering of the fragrance. This is a 3 hour class.

LUNCH LE PADDOCK
(For Perfume Makers only)

We will discover traditional cuisine made from fresh and local products in a chic and relaxed atmosphere. Come and taste the beef fillet with Bordeaux sauce or the truffled mashed potato, or find something else that meets your fancy.

DRIVE TIME FOR PERFUME MAKING EXPERIENCE
90 minutes (each way)

OR

2. BEGINNERS ART CLASS
Just after breakfast enjoy a two hour, beginners art class with Karin, a local artist.

LUNCH (For Painters)
Visit one of our favorite restaurants in Hyéres, Dolce Italia. We have tried all the pizza places, this one is the best! You might want to take this opportunity to experiment with a new flavor pizza, maybe something that has French influence. For example, four cheese, sardines, crème fraîche and don't forget to say coupé if you want it cut. The French eat their pizza with a fork and knife and cut it themselves.

DRIVE TIME FOR BEGINNER ART CLASS
10 minutes (each way)

AFTERNOON/EVENING ACTIVITIES

FREE TIME TO REST/EXPLORE CENTERVILLE
After a day of perfume making or painting you may choose to rest or explore the medieval village before we meet again.

APÉRITIF
In France, the traditional apéritif is a friendly ritual. French people like to sip some cocktail, fruit juice or alcohol drink, especially before dinner with relatives or friends. The very word of "Aperitif" actually designates both the drink and the convivial moment before a meal. We will meet before dinner for a group apéritif in centerville.

DINNER
Tonight we will venture to another one of our favorite restaurants in Hyéres. If weather permits we will dine on the terrace under the lavender umbrellas in this charming family run restaurant. Brescaola salad, Italian tartare, porchetta, carpaccio of artichokes or swordfish Sicilian, panna cotta, tiramisu, it is all devine.

PRE BREAKFAST HIKE OR SLEEP
Join us at 6am for a 45 minute hike to the windswept castle perched high above Hyéres. On the top we will enjoy panoramic views of the coast through the remaining wall sections and vestiges of crenellated turrets.

BREAKFAST
Petit déjeuner in the hotel breakfast salon. This morning we will check-out of our hotel in centerville Hyéres and head to our villa deeper into the Provence region.

CATAMARAN TOUR OF CALANQUES
After breakfast we will continue the morning with a tranquil and relaxing tour of the calanques on a  luxury catamaran. The calanques are a series of majestic cliffs situated on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. On one side of the catamaran, we will observe exceptional flora and fauna contributing to the dream scenery of the Parc National des Calanques and on the other side will be water as far as the eye can see. The area stretches from Marseille to Cassis, spanning 20 km in length and 4 km in width along the coast.

We will spend the day seeing the most beautiful Calanques on the catamaran, as well as exploring secret spots all while snorkeling, eating and enjoying music.

LUNCH ON THE CATAMARAN
We will dine while at sea.

CHECK INTO VILLA
After our day at sea we will be pretty tired. We will hop in our van for a 1  hour and fifteen minute drive to the majestic villa where we can get settled, rest, socialize on the terrace or take a swim at our private pool before dinner.

DRIVE TIME
2 hours, broken up as 1 hour at a time.

DINNER
Chef Paul will present us with a gourmet French meal. Yes, tonight we will dine on the terrace amongst the olive groves and connect deeper as a group.

BREAKFAST
We will enjoy a petit dejeuner in the dining room or on the terrace.

OLIVE FARM
We will start our morning with an olive tapenade tasting where we will learn how olives are grown, harvested, pressed and made into tapenade. Although it will be too early to observe the harvest/pressing, we will have an opportunity to taste some olive oil from last years harvest.

GOAT CHEESE FARM
After our olive extravaganza we will drive to a local goat cheese farm where we will dine on local farm-to-table products and learn about everything goat cheese. After lunch we will tour the facilities and get even deeper into our cheese education. Of course, this will be my favorite experience and I may request to be left here forever.

DRIVE
2 hours, broken up.

DINNER
Upon returning to the villa we will have a one hour rest period and then we will drive just 10 short minutes to a local chefs house for dinner. We will dine on local, fresh ingredients during our traditional meal, on the terrace of course.

BREAKFAST
We will enjoy a petit dejeuner in the dining room or on the terrace.

CHOICE OF ACTIVITIES IN THE AIX-EN-PROVENCE AREA
You will have a choice of one of two activities for the day.

1. GOURMET COOKING EXPERIENCE
Food and cooking are at the core of any culture, it brings people together to share great moments in life. Through selecting the appropriate recipes and ingredients, to preparing and tasting typical dishes, we will share a special day with Gilles. We will explore the local food markets meeting the producers and tasting their products, we will stop by a prestigious local winery to taste and get their best wine and then cook in Gilles countryside home. We will enjoy a delicious lunch on his 12 acre countryside home all while immersed in an authentic Provencal atmosphere.

OR 

2. EXPLORING AIX
If you are not particularly interested in learning to cook French provencal cuisine, but would love to explore the city of Aix en Provence and walk in the footsteps Cézanne this is your opportunity. You will be given a stipend for lunch and a map of the city to roam as you see fit.

Our vlog from Aix. 

DRIVE
1 hour and fifteen minute drive each way.

VINEYARD
We will go directly from the gourmet cooking experience/Aix exploration day to Le Château la Verrerie winery. This estate has replanted the vines with grape varieties typically from the Rhône and Provence regions. Plus, it is said that prehistoric wine vats were found here. How cool is that?

We will visit the vinification cellar and aging room with a knowledgeable sommelier, have a full tasting of five wines and close it out with a picnic on the grounds.

BREAKFAST
We will enjoy a petit dejeuner in the dining room or on the terrace.

LUXURY SOAP MAKING FACTORY TOUR
Upon entering the luxury soap factory, inaugurated in 1907, we will be immediately transported into the ambiance of a traditional soap factory, the delicate scents that will surround us and the hum of the machines. In a friendly and warm atmosphere, the guided tour will lead us to discover the profession of master soap makers with their historic cauldrons. We will also learn the secrets of making and drying hypoallergenic soap flakes, ideal for sensitive skin. Finally we will explore the workshop where the perfumed soaps are made, watch the actions of our master soap makers; listen to them grind, shape, mold, package; touch the hot soap paste; smell the unique scents of our soaps. And we might even have the opportunity to stamp our very own soap to take home.

LUNCH
We will dine in Aix at a traditional French restaurant.

MACARON MAKING WITH KAREN
During this workshop you will discover the magic about the signature French pastry, The Macaron. In small teams we'll be making them from A-Z, only using sugar, egg whites, almond powder and a bit of water! These simple ingredients turn into this delicious cookie by making an Italian meringue and “fold” this into a mixture of almond powder, egg white and icing sugar. The technique of mixing these ingredients together is called “macaronnage” in French. After 3 hours, you will go home, proudly carrying a box of the freshest and most delicious macarons you have ever tasted!

DRIVE TIME
3-3.5 hours, broken up throughout the day.

DINNER
Tonight we will dine on the terrace of the villa on French provencal food prepared by Chef Paul.

BREAKFAST
We will enjoy a petit dejeuner in the dining room or on the terrace.

CARRIÈRES DE LUMIÈRES ART EXHIBIT
An immersive art centre that has become an essential venue in Provence. The Carrières de Lumières has established itself as a place for transversal experimentation and cultural dissemination. Since 2012, they have been holding digital exhibitions that immerse visitors in the pictorial world of the greatest artists; the projection surface spans 7,000 m² from the floor to the ceiling, to a height of up to sixteen meters.

Our vlog from Carrières de Lumières 

LUNCH
We will dine on local cuisine in Avignon.

CHOICE OF ACTIVITIES IN THE AFTERNOON
You will have a choice of one of two sets of activities for the afternoon.

1. PONT DU GARD
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km (31 mi) to the Roman colony of Nemausus. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, and one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list in 1985 because of its historical importance. We will visit and learn about its history.

OR

2. PAPAL PALACE
A historical palace located in Avignon. It is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity, during the 14th century. You will have the opportunity to take a guided tour through what is now a museum.

Our vlog from Papel Palace.

DRIVE TIME
2-3 hours (1 hour extra for those exploring the Pont du Gard)

DINNER
Tonight we will enjoy our last dinner together as a group (family) on the terrace of the villa with a parting French provencal meal prepared by Chef Paul.

This the last day of the trip and the toughest. Saying goodbye to new friends is never easy, but we like to think of it as "until we meet again!". In the early AM, the trip will officially conclude and we will drop you at the Marseille airport by 8am. Breakfast will consist of a petit dejeuner to-go. We will miss all of you terribly!

Miss you already.