How the time has flown!
The last French Affaires newsletter went out in March, now 5 months ago. Maud and I had been in the Côte d’Azur for a trip planning session. I then headed off to Aix for some days of holiday and memories. Elizabeth and I know every lane and route in this delightful region, and I wanted to climb to the grotto of Mary Magdalene (Sainte Baume) on Ash Wednesday.
We are headed back to the Riviera in September, for a private trip with Dallas friends. I believe this six-day tour (Èze, Monte Carlo, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Nice, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes, Île Saint-Honorat, Antibes) will be a very popular trip in the future. Let me know if this is on your 2024 wish-list. Maud and I have designed a very rich voyage.
French Affaires has had two special private trips during the summer. The first to Paris and Provence in June, staying at the sumptuous Château de Fonscolombe. Previous Provence travelers will know many of the sites: Les Baux, Saint-Rémy, Maussane, Cassis, Aix, and a variety of Luberon villages. I brought back one of the nicest Rosés I have tasted, from Château La Verrerie near Lauris. Maud gave us three nice days in Paris to launch the trip.
Then in July we did a private Paris and Normandy trip. We had been in Normandy the year before to investigate some new adventures, in addition to those Elizabeth had carefully organized over the previous decade. We found a superb new D-Day guide. He has personally interviewed and archived every D-Day survivor over the past 15 years; there are not many left. This is going to be an invaluable resource.
We added an exhilarating boat ride from Fécamp to Etretat. This is an amazing way to see the chalk cliffs and the vaulted arches made famous by impressionist painters. (We discussed with our D-Day guide whether this might also be a great way to experience what our intrepid soldiers faced as they braved the waters of La Manche and the beach assault). We visited Beuvron-en-Auge, one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, and had a lovely lunch there. Then on to the Calvados Distillery at Château de Breuil (since Elizabeth and my last visit, they have added a special Rum and Whiskey line).
I have begun to collect a list of potential guests for Normandy in September 2024, so do let me know if this trip would be of interest. I have a program for this offering at the ready.
At the beginning of September—now just 2 weeks away—French Affaires will gather language guests for a new venue: the charming village of Beaune in Burgundy. Two cooking schools, Côtes de Nuits vineyard visit and degustation, Dijon excursion, a gastronomic lunch at Como Montrachet, and daily language classes with Virginie Rouxel Segaut.
In 2024 we will return to Aix for language immersion – unless another new venue comes to mind! We can also do Provence and Aix as its own trip.
Finally, the very popular “Paris at the Holidays” trip takes us back to our friends at Hotel Duc de Saint Simon and all the best Christmas pleasures Paris offers at this time of the year. We have an entirely new group coming this year, full of fashionistas. Maud will be aux anges (“with the angels”). She has designed a very special fashion trip for 2024, with exclusive entrance to more intimate workshops and historical fashion ateliers.
This newsletter comes with best wishes to each and every one of you. I wanted to catch you up with the affaires of French Affaires and give indication of 2024 offerings. Let me know if you’d be enticed to join one of our special signature trips.
Bien à vous toutes et tous.
Chris
Tentative Schedule 2024
Fashion Secrets of Paris (April)
Provence Language Immersion (May)
Or
The Treasures of Provence (May or June)
The Wonders of Normandy (September)
Cote d’Azur (September)
Paris at the Holidays (December)