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Christmas in Provence: The 13 Desserts
Christmas in Provence includes the 13 Desserts. Learn what they are and how they are presented.
In Provence there is a special Christmas culinary tradition.
In Provence there is a special Christmas culinary tradition. Family and friends share 13 simple local delicacies at the end of the Christmas Eve dinner. Curious? Follow us as we tell you about this quite recent, but catchy, Provencal custom.
The story begins at the foot of Mount Garlaban in the town of Aubagne … and always finishes in our plates!
In Provence, connecting religious symbolism to food has always been an important part of Christmas. So at the beginning of the XXth century a group of townsfolk in Aubagne decided to pair up a selection of 13 regional desserts as representations of Christ and the 12 apostles. The point was to highlight the delightful local specialties and imbue them with religious significance while also showing family and friends that you were wealthy enough and/or well organized enough to make it through winter with ease, and thus could share your bounty with your holiday guests. The desserts are presented and eaten on Christmas eve and the leftovers stay on the table for the next 3 days. Everyone picks from the table what they like.
Now, how about we discover what they are?
A long list of magical delicacies!
The list of 13 elements is not precise. But there are 6 that you’ll be sure to find on the table each time. Of these 6 specific desserts, 4 represent religious orders: nuts or hazelnuts (Augustinians), dried figs (Franciscans), almonds (Carmes) and raisins (Dominicans).
And 2 are simply delicious: black and white nougat and pompe à l’huile which is an oily flat bread.
Other than these 6 essential items, there is a series of elements from which you can choose from in order to complete your farandole of 13 desserts:
- Dried and sugared fruits
- Calissons d’aix, which are candy-like delicacies made with almond paste and sugar
- Fried cakes like oreillettes and beignet, similar to doughnuts
- Candied fruit
- Clementines
- Quince paste
- Apple and pears
- Prunes
- Oranges (which are a symbol of wealth)
- Orange blossom Fougasse, which is also a kind of flat bread.
- White grapes
- Almond-based cake
What an interesting combination! And even if it’s not at Christmas time, we often browse the markets and offer tastes of some of these local specialties, especially things like the calissons, quince paste and the candied fruits of Apt. Want to learn, see, taste or do more? Look at our website!
3 Reasons An Authentic Provencal Aïoli SHOULD Be On Your Bucket List!
How to make a Provencal Aioli and why you should!
3 reasons Aioli should be on your bucket list
“Aïoli (garlic mayonnaise) epitomizes the heat, the power,and the joy of the Provençal sun, but it has another virtue - it drives away flies.”
As our friend and Provencal chef Mathias Dandine would tell you, “the key is to use seasonal and organic produce. When in season, I add artichokes, asparagus, leeks, celery, fennel and any great veggies that I find on the Gemenos market, near my restaurant”.
“Aioli intoxicates gently, fills the body with warmth, and the soul with enthusiasm. In its essence it concentrates the strength, the gaiety of Provence: sunshine.”
Come taste for yourself: Provence trip catalogue
The origin of this symbol of Provence dates back to ancient times, around 600 BC, in what is now Marseille. The Greek settlers coming from Phocaea (now Foça in Turkey) noticed that the local Gaul farmers would crush garlic and mix it with oil and egg yolk, creating a sort of paste and spreading it on their old bread to make it tastier. The Greeks loved it, and decided to supplement the sauce with vegetables and fish and served the sauce in a stone mortar. So the dish, aïoli, gets its name from the sauce that seasons everything on the plate. And now, a few thousand years later, it is still a tradition and the dish of choice for family meals and parties!
N°1: It’s easy and all the ingredients are accessible. All you need for the sauce is garlic, salt, egg yolks and olive oil! To make the famous aïoli sauce, crush the garlic (MINIMUM 4 cloves) in a stone mortar with a masher and add in a pinch of salt. Once it looks like paste, add 4 egg yolks, and then drizzle Provencal olive oil and whisk until it becomes a beautiful mayonnaise!
The next step is to gather seasonal vegetables. As part of an aïoli meal you will need carrots, potatoes, cod fish, boiled eggs, green beans and whelks, shrimp or mussels.
N°2: It’s healthy. The vegetables are cooked in water and the fish and seafood are poached. So apart from the olive oil in the sauce (which is the healthiest type of oil you can cook with), there is NO additional fat! You just need to season your cooked ingredients, and you are ready to dip away in the amazingly flavorful sauce.
N°3: It’s a social activity. “Our family meals, with my mom and my children, are very often accompanied by an aïoli”, says chef Dandine. Since there are many vegetables to peel and prepare, making the aïoli requires many hands! Everyone plays a part in the fun. And once everything is ready, add a glass of local rosé and enjoy!
Tour France: Fall Vacation in Provence (Chateauneuf du Pape & Luberon)
Tour France: Fall Vacation in Provence (Chateauneuf du Pape & Luberon)We arrived a few days ago. The weather has been crisp and cool, with sun just at the right times.Paris: Walking and photographing.
The vines were changing when we arrived in Provence.
We tasted in Chateauneuf du Pape --after a gourmet lunch in the village --filled with top wines. Thank you Andre!
Tarte Tatin. Though not a "Provencal" recipe, is quite common in fall. Apples are everywhere.
And a walk through the "mines" where the Provencal pigmentation is found. That's what gives the buildings in Provence their wonderful and characteristic colors.
Come with us in May for our Provence trip. Contact us if you'd like more information. Only small groups. No buses. Custom itineraries and flexible schedules. Plenty of independent time as well as much to do with us if you choose..
October in Provence and Chateauneuf du Pape
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Join us on this one of a kind trip to the wine region of Châteauneuf du Pape. We'll explore delicious wines, dine in wonderful authentic locales, visit beautiful villages and take amazing photos
Our low-key approach is like having a friend with special expertise traveling with you as you explore these spellbinding destinations. As a small group, you will have personalized attention and the level and type of activity that you prefer. No prerequisites to join this trip! Your desire to see and do things that most tourists never get to experience is all you need! Whether you are a novice or expert --photographer or wine lover -- this trip is something special. (Don't believe us, look at our 
Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We'll help you navigate the beautiful landscape and ensure that you will see and experience things that only an insider could see and do.
For more information and a full itinerary, please visit our website at 
Bliss Travels | 3 Hemlock Court | Princeton | NJ | 08540
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Tour France: Mediterranean Vacations in a Day!
OTour France: Mediterranean Vacations in a Day!On commence avec le déjeuner, biensur.Start with lunch. Views, sunshine, and a collection of colors.
Lavender, newly planted by a friend to "garnish" the best table in the house! Thank you Florian and Eric for another unforgettable experience--one a group of us will experience in late July and early August.(Join us in our last room of a small group --10 people --July 28-August 4 along the Mediterranean and in Paris. This trip was not advertised, and there is one room. Contact us for details asap. 609 462 6213 or wendy@blisstravels.c0m)
Of course, after lunch the Mediterranean beckons. It is pure Bliss!
Interested in our last room in July? Details below.(July 17/18-23 Provence/ParisA small group all inclusive trip to one of Provence’s most beautiful areas, with exclusive access to private activities and events. Provencal markets, lavender, Roman ruins, Cote du Rhone wines, special dining, Medieval villages, art, castle, hikes… and plenty of independent time. ONE ROOM.
Guest Post: From Monique Marriage
Please enjoy our guest post from Madame Monique
Marriage...Posted on French Wedding Style! And look at the
post as it was originally published
Elope to Paris
French Wedding Style Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Bliss Travels
Wendy shares with us one of her real life elopement stories: “Michelle and Jack called me less than three months before their wedding date to ask if I could create a Paris elopement for them…Running off to the City of Lights to get married. Just the two of them. In the end, his father, and her mother, and their best friends also traveled with them. During the weeks that followed, our celebrant spent time speaking with Michelle and Jack about their lives, their love and the ceremony ahead so that he could craft the perfect moment for them.
Once in Paris, we arranged to meet for the first time in an historic art deco building on the Left Bank. Sharing Laduree pastries and some Champagne, we talked about the weekend ahead. We arranged for a ceremony in the Tuileries Gardens, by the lily pool, off to the side, under a beautiful tree. When we arrived, there was a painter, in full white, paint splattered smock, with easel, working on an oil painting. We couldn’t resist the setting and held the ceremony with the painter as our background. Along side the painter were some enthusiastic teens. Everyone was onboard with the romance of the marriage –and the teens threw rose petals at the bride and groom at the perfect moment, while the painter provided the most Parisian backdrop possible for this impromptu garden ceremony. After the ceremony, the couple was doused with a shower of rose petals and applause by family, friends, and locals…Everyone wanted to celebrate.
After the ceremony we took the couple, and the photographer, by limousine through Paris for photos at all of the fabulous sites. In between stops they enjoyed gourmet treats, champagne and a miniature wedding cake –little treats before they joined their friends and family for the more formal Wedding dinner. This wedding was romantic, casual elegance at its best.”There is something just so romantic about eloping especially to the capital of romance Paris. After all the big wedding celebrations have finished it is still two people making a commitment to each other and starting their life together – just with a few less guests if you elope. Thanks to Bliss Travels for opening the doors on the details behind couples who elope to Paris.As a discussion point, for all those couples who did elope did you tell your family before the big day or after?Happy elopement planning.Monique x x
Wine & Cheese Pairing: 2 Spots Left!
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A Blissful Valentine's Day in Paris!
Bliss Travels...to Paris for Valentine's Day. What's up in the city of romance, on the most romantic day of the year! Well, lots! Two of our clients were interviewed by French television and featured on TV, as they enjoyed the things we gave them (a bottle of Champagne, some treats, and a lock for the Pont des Arts). All of our clients enjoyed privately arranged, top, tasting menus special to Valentine's Day. Meals of a lifetime! And, love was everywhere!This wall is an example of living art in Paris. It says I love you in 250 languages!
as are the shops...
and the Parisian fountains...(even the empty ones)
and the shop windows...
And, bien sur, the weddings themselves! Don't forget those! You can always elope to Paris!
Finally, to pay homage to the romantic tradition that resulted in Bliss Travels clients ending up on French television, here's one of Anthony Bianciella's amazing photographs of the very bridge on which it occurred!We hope you can capture a moment with us to travel to France this spring or summer!
4 Reasons A Guidebook Won't Suffice for Real Foodies!
First, a guidebook or review only gives you old news. First the place is reviewed, or worse, someone collects third party reviews Then the review is edited. Then published. Then read by you. Then, eventually used!Second, you have no idea who the reviewers were in most cases. Readers? Diners asked for their opinion? What kind of taste do they have and what is their level of experience? How do you know what they call charming isn't an awful place that microwaves their food? How do you know that what they call nice, isn't pretentious? The simple answer is, since you don't get to interact with them and ask questions about their recommendations, you don't know their point of view about these things.Third, it's written and then done. It doesn't revisit or speak to people or update itself for your trip...Fourth, what if you have a problem, change your mind, or something doesn't go according to plan? The guidebook is useless.Here is a recent true experience that highlights all four of these points:I had been reading about a great little restaurant, with a "brilliant" young chef for a while. The place was teeny, tiny. The location was good. And I thought, this will be great either for a private dinner for a small group of my clients, or simply to recommend to my clients for a night out in a charming, authentic and well priced, casual gourmet bistro meal. But, and here's the big "but". I never recommend a place I haven't tried. So, I went.I was told I could only eat at 7 or 7:30pm, though I booked well in advance. Okay. I arrived at 7:30pm. The place was adorable. The waitress was lovely. The kitchen was open and the chef was visible and quietly working. All good signs. After about 40 minutes, I had not been shown the blackboard menu, and my order had not been taken. For a solo diner, that's really inexcusable. Seeing that there were still 6 people ahead of me who had to order (a little less than 1/2 the restaurant) and making some calculations given there was one chef and one waitress, I decided to invent a polite excuse so I could leave. I said I had a 9pm appointment and as it was a little after 8pm, I was certain I'd never finish in time, and was very sorry, but could I pay for my glass of wine. I'd have to come back another time, I said (and meant). The chef was a bit brusque, and said, why? There would be no problem serving me and getting me out before 9pm as they had another seating at 9pm. Now, here's where someone with experience clicks in....Immediately, that brought three major problems to mind:1. They planned to serve me 3 courses (first, main and dessert) along with a check within 45 minutes? That meant they'd be able to prepare 2 of the 3 (assuming dessert was pre made) within 10 minutes. That meant it had to be microwaved Or precooked and microwaved...You can't cook a duck breast in only 5 minutes etc. Not a good sign. Plus given the tables needing to order, and the one chef, it meant nothing whatsoever was made on the spot, not a pot on the stove.2. That then made me wonder how fast I was going to have to eat....If it took them 5 minutes to prepare each microwaved, or cold plate, then that gave me about 7 minutes per course before their next seating. That sounded like a lot of stress!!!3. There were NO SMELLS in the restaurant. There were two very friendly diners next to me, eating a braised lamb concoction (that truly did need to be made well in advance --and was better prepared like that) but there was no smell of food in the restaurant. Also, the couple on my other side ordered dessert, which had to have come directly from the fridge --as it arrived in less than 30 seconds. Not a great sign.So instead of deciding to return, I've decided that the reviews and the hype were inaccurate and Bliss Travels clients will not be going to this restaurant...Pas de tout!Bliss Travels will be eating things like the below 70% cocoa chocolate tart with caramel (as they did yesterday):
Or the below pistachio cake with grapefruit, and "grapefruit paper". Gone in a flash!
How to Have a Great Lunch in Paris...Off The Beaten Track
Everyone wants that little, special, "we're the only tourists there and the chef is soooooo good, but without all the pomp and circumstance" bistrot. But, here's the thing. Not everyone finds it. Why? Because unless you know someone, or live in Paris, or go there a dozen times a year, you just aren't going to be in the know. You're going to know what the guide books know. Unless, of course, you experience "Bliss" as we did today!Our favorite "private" chef in Paris treated us to a new treasure!(Bliss Travels clients have tasted his amazing creations --everything from goat cheese flan with roasted tomatoes to chicken roulade stuffed with foie gras in a mason jar on a bed of seasoned vegetables, plus a side dish of cold artichoke and vinaigrette, accompanied by starters of homemade breadsticks and an eggplant dip. Not to be outdone, dessert was a roasted and caramelized pineapple with homemade nougat. And we're talking a PICNIC he made for one of our train rides....So, yep, you get it now, don't you? So, when he said, "Allons Y" or Let's go, we did! Tout de suite!)Off the beaten track. Great chef. Warm welcome. So fun, we closed the place down. (Sorry, Chef, next time we'll peel carrots to help with the mise en place for the dinner service!) Christian, Pierre and Serge along with their wonderful staff made us feel utterly at home!First course was a boudin terrine with chestnuts, and a great, salad.
After came a pintadeau with thyme, on a bed of lentils, carrots and parsnip. Lardons bits were cooked with the lentils, and potatoes on top were like nowhere else! 
There was also veal chop, cooked rare, topped vegetables and in a black truffle jus....oh, ho hum. I know you have this every day!
Just to put the icing on the cake, as it were, we were treated to an outstanding view, and we learned that our chef is willing to give private lessons to Bliss Travels Clients!
7 Chocolate and French Wine Pairings for Valentines!
Chocolate and Wine....Much like wine, chocolate is harvested, fermented, liquified and "made" into the final product. The "terroir" and the "maker" bring much to the final product.Cocoa grows near the equator, and the heat and type of plant (like wine) create distinct flavor profiles. Cocoa beans are harvested and then fermented. They are dried and processed and eventually ground, roasted and broken down. Finally, they go through a process called "conching", which is akin to constant kneading--and determines the texture of the chocolate. At this point the chocolate is then used as a raw product for artisans and large manufacturers to make their bars, ganaches, clusters and other candies.
Each manufacturer adds his/her own special mixture of ingredients --vanilla, sugar, cream, spice, nuts. Different cultures tend to produce similarly styled chocolates. American chocolates tend to be sweeter, less pure (i.e. milk v. dark) and larger. Belgian and French tend to use much less sugar, rely on thinner more delicate shells for their filled chocolates, use pure creams in the centers (not 'creamy' sugar fillings), and produce higher percentages of purer (i.e. more dark and less milk) chocolate.This blog is going to focus on Pairing French Wine and Belgian or French Chocolate, of course!Here are 7 tips and pairing suggestions to sweeten your Valentine's Day at home or abroad. 1. Pair Champagne with chocolates. Especially with lighter less rich chocolates, or fresh filled Neuhaus creams. Also, this pairs well with chocolate fruit combinations.
2. Pair a French Burgundy (Pinot Noir) with mild, but rich dark chocolates, and dark chocolates with mild spice, roasted nuts or ripe berry fruits. So, consider chocolates with cardamom, hazelnut or dark cherries for these wines.
3. Pair Rhone wines, such as a Chateauneuf du Pape (and other Grenache heavy wines) or wines with rich spicy flavor and high tannins with highly spiced complex chocolates that can match the power of the wine. So, consider chocolate and chili pepper or chocolate with pink peppercorns or strong tea flavors and spice mixtures as good combinations.
4. For purists, wanting to experience the depth of one flavor, use a single origin chocolate with a single grape wine. You can focus on the subtly of each more easily.5. Pair a dessert wine, we prefer a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, with a salted chocolate or salted caramel chocolate. Make sure you use a rich full flavored deep chocolate. Not a milk chocolate.6. Have a Cognac with a chocolate --either complement it with a cognac flavored truffle or find a very low sugar, almost pure, dark chocolate.
7. Come with Bliss Travels where we do custom pairings and tastings of these things all over France, and in Brussels! At all the best spots! That's why we call it Bliss!
Time for Truffles! 3 Favorites to Eat in Paris in February!
Winter in France. What's for dinner? Truffles.Best to get the most of your truffle, since they are so expensive. First, make sure you're using the best truffles. Not the nasty flavorless things that sometimes show up in place of the real: Tuber melanosporum, available in France (found in Perigord and Provence) between November and March.
3. Our already famously sought after Truffle pizza....It's pure Bliss!www.blisstravels.com
How to Fall in Love in Paris: A True Story
Paris is the city of Love and Romance. Mais Oui! And never more so than over Christmas and Valentine's Day. This is a true story about finding love in Paris. One I like telling as I begin to plan for all the holidays.About this time, two years ago, Bliss Travels, was leading a group through France for a photo shoot of wedding gowns for Nicole Miller Philadelphia, when the first of three paralyzing snow storms hit the East Coast of the US. The photographer and I arrived in Provence for our destination wedding photo shoot, only to find that the model and all of the clothing were snowed in at home.Our intrepid photographer and I were sitting in a tiny village restaurant having a Christmas lunch with the town (yes, pretty much the entire town)
trying to decide how to photograph a destination wedding without a bride or bridal clothing when our waiter appeared-handsome, blue eyed and very photogenic. As we munched on pâté and warm toast, followed by a red wine soaked Provencal daube (for her) and a duck confit (for me) and the traditional 13 desserts (okay, it wasn't a hardship!) we hatched a plan with the town councilwoman whose hospitality we were enjoying.
For the next 36 hours as we received frantic updates from our 'bride' saying she (and our wedding dresses) were in transit, Julien continued to show up for photo shoots with a bow tie and a grin.Finally, on our last night in this little village, we invited Julien to dinner and told him that our "bride" would be waiting when he arrived. Secretly, Sarah and I joked that Julien could not possibly believe we really had a model on the way. There had been so many canceled meetings. As this became more and more comic, we plied Julien with pre dinner aperitifs and attempted to convince him -over his laughs and eye rolls -- that our "bride" did exist. At that moment, our "bride" , Mia Calona, sauntered in as if she was only "fashionably late" for a party. Julien took one look at her, smiled and said "oui, oui" (without asking if it was pretend).
However, like any 'marriage of convenience', theirs was over before it it began. Julien was off to see his family for the holidays and we left for Chateauneuf du Pape and Paris. We spent three more days of photography and then spent Christmas Day in Paris (which I highly recommend) together celebrating the success of our trip.The next morning, another paralyzing storm hit the East Coast, and Sarah found herself stuck in Charles de Gaulle airport for several hours, unable to leave France. So, she struck up a conversation with another delayed traveler (yes, part French) and, you guessed it, they hit it off. Within weeks, he had moved to Philadelphia. Within months they were engaged. And, now they are getting married! So, finding love in the City of Light and Love is always possible. Just ask Sarah!
5 Tips on how to find a GOOD restaurant in France
Everyone likes to eat well. But, just like not everyone knows how to cook, not everyone knows how to find a restaurant or pick a dish that meets their expectations --especially when traveling to another country. Given that it's Thanksgiving weekend (gobble, gobble) and we are only 3 1/2 weeks away from our Christmas week in Paris, I thought a few pointers would be helpful. What I'm saying is particularly true in France --though in general, this could be applied in other countries.1. Get off the Beaten Track: While you may not be able to find the truly "off the beaten track" spots, you can, and should, avoid the huge boulevards in favor of smaller neighborhood streets. (Unless you've decided to eat in a very expensive world class gourmet restaurant, where the chef's reputation and the gastronomic offerings support that sort of "store front") Why? Because the big tourist streets come with "big" rent. That means that to survive, the typical restaurant must make a number of culinary concessions just to pay their rent. They have to turn tables, buy bargain "product", and, in general, crank out enough business to keep the lights on. So, don't be seduced by the big, bright restaurant with the large dining room. Find a more intimate setting. You're likely to have a better (and better priced) meal.
2. Read Menus: What is on the menu? Does it highlight a particular sort of cuisine? Do the dishes on the menu feature seasonal products? Do they have "blackboard" specials, or is everything special, every day? Other than the exceptional chef (who you are unlikely to "discover" as a tourist), most chefs have a particular cuisine that is their specialty, and a few signature dishes or techniques (cooking show video). I'm sure you've heard the expression, "Jack of all trades, master of none". Well, if the menu looks like it's a United Nations manifesto --you may be dealing with a master of nothing. Also, if the menu seems to be the same 12 months out of the year, providing the diner with the comfort of eating the very same things in December as they eat in June, then it probably relies on packaged, processed or frozen foods. Things simply aren't fresh year round! And fresh tastes better. Find a chef who knows what he likes to cook, is influenced and inspired by seasonal products and the food will be good. Look at the menu and see if you can identify the type of cuisine and that the products are seasonal. For example, this Christmas in Paris, our menus will have things like scallops, chestnuts, foie gras, lamb, oysters, and chocolate (not on the same plate of course)! Why? Because these things are winter specialties. In summer we see melon, tomato, peach, zucchini and similar produce dominate our meals.
3. Similarly, don't read "English" menus. If it's been translated, then they are telling you that tourism is their mainstay. You can have people cater to your "American" tastes when you're back at home, right? Why not try something that speaks to the French culture? Find a restaurant with a French menu, in French, that's market fresh, and ask them what their specialty is. Order the "prix fixe" (the set menu) even if you don't know what the dishes are. They will be the market fresh chef's specials of the day (not the left over meatloaf). Then, order the local wine to accompany the meal and sit back and relax.4. Look at the patrons. Walk around, especially if you're in Paris. If you're in the countryside, you will be able to tell who is dining where by talking to people as well as doing a bit of "sightseeing". As you stop and read the menus (all menus are posted outside the restaurant) look at and listen to the patrons. First, are there patrons? Second, are they local or tourists? What language are they speaking? If the answer is that the restaurant is full of people who look like a group you'd want to socialize with, and they are speaking French (for the most part), then it's a good bet that this restaurant has something wonderful to offer! However, it also might be full and require a reservation. The places we go require not just reservations, but relationships. They are popular local spots (or open for us) and they have creative chefs...
And if you want that, then you may have to plan in advance (or come with us)!!! If you're on your own, you'll need to know whether "dropping by" is the best way to get a table (counting on last minute cancellations or snagging a late or early table) OR whether making a reservation for the next night or lunch is better. Some of this requires more information than you are likely to have as a tourist, but give it a try. If they're too full, ask if coming back later or making a reservation for a different date or meal is a better idea.
5. Consider the Source! If you're choosing your restaurants based upon recommendations --in books, by reviews, or because "someone" recommended it (friend, concierge, person you meet while traveling), then it's very important not just to listen to what they are telling you, but to listen to who they are so you know what they know! I don't know about you, but I would consider a recommendation from a friend who lived in the area, and who was a chef or in the "food" world much more seriously than I would from someone I met while standing in line for a movie! But when people travel, all of a sudden, literally everyone they meet and everyone they chat with, has the "it" spot that they "must" go to! People blindly follow internet reviews or tourist guides, as does everyone else who's traveling. Sometimes, I think that Air France should offer a shuttle directly from the plane to the restaurant being profiled by the "big guides" and save me the trouble of booking the same old thing for people! Again, if you're not talking about the top few world renown Michelin chefs, who, of course, everybody knows, then seriously consider the source of your recommendation.
Nobody can guarantee a perfect meal, but find someone local, or in the food profession or with extensive travel experience in France to recommend the dining experience that you crave. You're more likely to have a "blissful" experience, than if just blindly follow your neighbors' brother's cousins' recommendation. Who knows what he considers "good"!And, then Bon Appetite! How apropos to discuss eating well on Thanksgiving weekend!
Wine Tasting in Chateauneuf du Pape
Our first day was in Chateauneuf du Pape, where it's all about Grenache! That's the grape that is used the most in wines from Chateauneuf du Pape. (Though it's possible to use up to 13 grapes in the wine.) We tried pure grenache as well as wines with various combinations....And tasted them it in an ancient cave (with Roman ruins) and a beautiful chateau.
Photography was hard to resist!
Now for three days in the Luberon! It's simply the most beautiful place I've ever seen.
A private "welcome" dinner prepared just for us. And off to bed for a restful night in a Medieval village.
Fall Foliage in France, Day 1 --Arrival
Up, Up and Away...to Paris, France.
Lunch? No Kentucky Fried here!
Just a typical Fall day.
Toasting to the coming week.
5 Fab Tips for Stress Free Travel Days (to France)!
Get the most out of your trip from the beginning, with a little planning!1. Plan in advance so you can use one of the airlines' private lounges. If you're not a high mileage flyer, check with your credit card companies. Some of them offer passes to the lounges if you've bought your ticket using their card. Some cards or airline programs offer passes to the lounges for signing up. So, before you purchase your ticket, check out the various offers.2. How to prepare so you beat Jet lag. If you're traveling from the US to Europe, start adjusting your body clock. The week before travel, start going to bed a bit earlier and waking a bit earlier. Try going to bed 10-15 minutes earlier each night. Your body clock will be set by 2 or more hours before you even leave!3. Sleep on the flight. Do whatever it takes to get some shut eye! Don't be (gulp) tempted to stay up for the airline food. For Heaven's sake, why? If you're going to Paris, you're headed to the gastronomic capital of the world. What on earth would be tempting about airline food. Note: If your airline serves food good enough to keep you awake in anticipation of it, please write us immediately at wendy@blisstravels.com (or through our website at www.blisstravels.com) because we are going to switch and start putting ourselves and our clients on this amazing new carrier!4. When you arrive in Paris and plan to go to another part of France. Go. Immediately. The same day. That's what we do. Why not? You'll be tired anyway. Why not take a relaxing train ride to Provence on Day 1. You'll rest and grab a cat nap --and you'll be ready to go the next morning.
5. If you're staying in Paris...press on! Have a cup of rocket fuel (aka Expresso) at your local cafe, and have an easy day of walking around and seeing sites. Nothing too intense. Have a nice late lunch or early dinner but DO NOT NAP. You will throw your body clock off and be up every night for a week. We find our clients are usually fairly excited and ready to go in the morning but start to slow down by about 4pm. Time for a glass of wine and some appetizers. Then a little walk. Go to bed at 8pm and you'll be fresh and happy, and be on local time the next day.(Oh, p.s. This "rocket fuel" photo brings back a lot of memories. And not just of jet lag. Sarah Miller took this photo while we were finishing lunch in Provence. We were on a fashion shoot for Nicole Miller Philadelphia wedding dresses. We spent Christmas in Paris, Provence and Chateauneuf du Pape...A winery even opened for us on Christmas Eve day! Even though we were all working, it was a pretty cool trip!
For more tips contact us at wendy@blisstravels.com. Or to follow our current trip to Paris, Provence, and the Mediterranean on this blog!