Dear Friends of French Affaires
I am just back from Burgundy and the French Language Immersion trip.
This is the alternative site to Aix-en-Provence. At Aix we “live like a local” over a two-week format. The Aix destination has been a perennial French Affaires offering, going back to 2008. Elizabeth had also done a Vanderbilt semester abroad program when a student. We will be headed back to Aix in 2026.
Let me know if you are interested in Aix 2026.
The eight-day Burgundy trip offers many beautiful adventures: Chateauneuf-en-Auxios, The Abbey of Fontenay, cooking school with Adeline Borra, vineyard visits, the incomparable Hospices de Beaune, the Moutarderie Fallot, and of course excellent dining, including a Michelin star restaurant Como Montrachet. This year we descended to the heart of Beaujolais country to visit the Chateau of Montmelas and their vineyards. It will be a must in future years.
We also had an extra day returning to Paris. It was a beautiful Sunday drive with a stop at the renovated Vézelay Basilica. No photo can do it justice. You can however see the fine artisan work on a column. Elizabeth and I visited here with Marcel in 2017 and it was a rainy day and a scaffolded church under reconstruction. The work has unveiled a breathtaking edifice.
I am returning in ten days with a private group, our base being the Chateau of Courances.
Speaking of future trips. The Courances trip is centered at the lodgings of Pierres d’Histoire inside the Chateau grounds. Our excursions include Chartres, Fontainebleau, the Rosa Bonheur museum, the chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte (where we are joined by Charles Drazin, the author of The Man Who Outshone the Sun King), Sancerre Vineyards, the abbey of Saint Benoit-sur-Loire, Vezelay, and the charming artist’s village of Barbizon.
I will of course see old friends from our days in residence in 2015-2020. I would love to bring a group to Courances for this new offering in years to come.
Nota bene. I have written a chronicle of the year 2016 called “Le Grand Voyage: A Life Lived Well in France.” I will be posting the brief chapters at the web site, in serial fashion. I am not Peter Mayle, but I have excellent stories to share of Elizabeth, Marcel and me, as we romp all across France. I wanted to recall the triumphant Elizabeth, living her dream in France.
In September I am voyaging with a favorite group from Dallas to the Perigord. This is a vintage French Affaires trip. Maud Hacker will join us on the excursions running from Bordeaux to Rocamadour in the Lot. Lots of old and precious memories to be recalled, including our honeymoon at Chateau de la Treyne during the Christmas season 2009.
As for 2026. I am working on a private trip to Normandy in the spring. We will offer the Aix Language Immersion in the fall, dates t.b.a. Let me know if this is on your wish-list. I am discussing some collaboration with a US colleague who is a painter, and another painter in the Var. I would also like to do the Magic of Provence Vineyards as described in a previous newsletter.
And then there is Sacred France.
I have produced a power-point lecture series on the arrival of Christianity in France, from Provence to Vézelay. I have been wanting to do a trip that visits historical sites in Provence and have that sketched out.
In 2026 I have organized a trip called “Time with God in Provence.” The plan is to stay at the Abbaye de Lerins on the island of St Honorat for three days; two days in the monastery of Segriès in Moustiers-Ste-Marie; and the final three days at Senanque Abbey in the Luberon (famous for its lavender fields). We will fold into the rhythms of the monks, eat with them, and have quiet time. I will offer meditations of various kinds. We will also do excursions each afternoon.
I am targeting eight days after Easter, starting 13 April 2026. Hélène Hervé from Valbonne, who works at St Honorat, will join us over the eight days.
If this particular trip is of interest, please let me know.
I hope this newsletter update finds you well. With all best wishes,
Christopher Seitz
PS. Watch the website for “A Life Lived Well in France.”