Provence Arts & Scents
"No one can possibly prepare you for this ethereal level of beauty"
Richard Goodman, 'Provence'
The mild climate, radiant sun and dramatic light of of Provence have been attracting people to that southern part of France for centuries. Playground of the European aristocracy and haven for artists, Provence was home to Cézanne, Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso, to name a few of the great masters who found there the inspiration to create some of the world's best-known masterpieces.
You will be inspired, too, as Provence Arts & Scents is an immersion in Provencal life. This week-long tour features studio and outdoor painting classes, a cooking day in the magnificent chateau of a famous French chef, the finest in gourmet dining and wine tasting, shopping the outdoor markets and exploring medieval villages where time seems to have stopped. Our small group stays in a hotel synonymous with upscale chic in Aix-en Provence, a charming town of chiseled stone walls known as 'the city of 100 fountains'.
Provence Arts & Scents was designed with the help of some of the finest experts in Provence, to give you an experience like no other of that land of striking colors and perfumed lavender fields. And if you have time and curiosity to explore Provence further, we offer an optional 3 day extension tour - Two Jewels in Provence - to take you to Marseille and Arles, two major Provencal centers.
Schedule
We offer Provence Arts & Scents twice a year.
2008 dates:
May 17-24
October 11 -18
Day 1 - Saturday
Arrive at Marseille airport. Greetings and orientation at 3 PM; transfer to hotel in Aix-en-Provence, a 20 minute drive from the airport.
Check-in at hotel
Welcome champagne reception (I)
Free time until dinner
Dinner with the group in an elegant Aix restaurant (I)
Note: (I) marks meals included in the tour price
Day 2 - Sunday
Morning walking tour of Aix with a professional guide. A medieval town of strong character and unique architecture, Aix is known as 'the city of 100 fountains', and is best explored by foot.
Lunch in downtown Aix with guide and tour director
Afternoon visit to Granet Museum. After undergoing an extensive renovation, this museum reopened in 2006, to receive the magnificent Cezanne collection. It also houses an authentic collection of Provencal art and history.
Free time after visit, to explore downtown Aix on your own
Dinner with the group in and upscale Aix restaurant (I)
Day 3 - Monday
Morning painting class in the studio of a renowned Provencal painter who will take into consideration your level of expertise, from beginner to advanced.
Lunch in a charming eatery favored by locals
Visit to Cezanne's atelier in Aix, the studio he built himself after the death of his mother forced him to sell Bastide Jas de Bouffan, the family's home. In this studio, Cezanne created some of his finest works.
Afternoon visit to Bastide du Jas de Bouffan. Both the house and the beatiful garden now belong to the city of Aix, and are open to the public.
Free time in the evening, dinner at your leisure
Day 4 - Tuesday
Tuesday is market day in Aix. One of the biggest in Provence, this colorful and lively outdoor market is famous for its arts & crafts and regional products.
Weather permitting, late lunch in Cassis at Les Roches Blanches, a first-class restaurant and hotel built in the creeks of the Mediterranean Sea. Cassis is a charming old seaport and a popular tourist destination famous for its falaises (cliffs) and the sheltered inlets called calanques, which are best seen from this restaurant. (I)
Back to Aix in the early evening
Free time, dinner at your leisure
Day 5 - Wednesday
Morning tour 'In the steps of Cezanne' with our painting teacher. She will share her large expertise in art history and show you the places where the famous Aix master lived and worked.
Picnic at lunch time in Bibemus, a famous querry outside Aix where Cezanne spent time painting some of his best-known works. (I)
Afternoon outdoor painting class at the foot of Mount Saint Victoire. This impressive mountain changes colors throughout the day, and turns bright white at dusk. After witnessing this amazing spectacle, one understands why it became such an obsession for Cezanne, who painted over 60 canvases of the same mountain.
Return to hotel, free time until dinner
Dinner in our teacher's garden to savor a home-made Pistou, a typical Provencal dish (I)
Day 6 - Thursday
Morning departure to the home of chef Marc Heracle, owner of the Arnanjon Chateau, for a culinary lesson and lunch in his beautiful 17th century bastide outside Aix. He will treat you to half a day of cooking and tasting local dishes easy to recreate at home. At this temple of haute cuisine you will not only glean unusual cooking secrets, you will also share your dish with the group, while having lunch in the sumptuous garden of the chateau, under the shade of many linden trees. (I)
Return to Aix
Free time, dinner at your leisure
Day 7 - Friday
Morning departure to Saint Remy, one of the most scenic towns in Provence, and the one which has kept most of its Provencal style of living. Its unique light inspired some of Vincent van Gogh's best known paintings; the Dutch master lived there until his tragic and premature death, in 1890.
Lunch in one of Saint Remy's charming bistros
Afternoon visit to Les Baux de Provence, a mountaintop stone village from where we can see the whole region. In Les Baux we will attend an audio-visual show in a former quarry dating back to Roman times - Cathedral des Images - where slide images of various subjects are projected onto giant stone walls some 1,300 feet in lenght.
Late afternoon return to Aix
Evening showing of group's paintings and diploma-award ceremony at our teacher's studio
Late farewell dinner at luxurious Clos de la Violette (I)
Day 8 - Saturday
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel; transfer to Marseille Airport for departure
End of tour
Or join us for an optional 3 day extension tour - Two Jewels in Provence - to visit Marseille and Arles.
Marseille, a city by the Mediterranean Sea, is the second largest French city, after Paris, and the country's most important trading port since Greek times.
Arles is a major city and a port of the Rhone River which became an important cultural, artistic and religious center in France's history. Van Gogh lived in Arles before moving to Saint Remy, and created more than 300 paintings while there, including famous 'Starry Night'.
Two Jewels in Provence tour
Day 9 - Sunday
Morning departure to Marseille
Tour of the Old Port area, the most historic and picturesque in this city of unique character
Lunch in the Old Port, the best place to savor an authentic Bouillabasse, a typical dish of Marseille and one of the staples of Provençale cuisine. (I)
Afternoon tour of Marseille
Late afternoon return to Aix
Free time, dinner at your leisure
Day 10 - Monday
Morning departure for Arles; visit to Arles' Roman Amphitheater, an arena where bull fights are still conducted
Lunch at your leisure in downtown Arles
Free time for exploring the charming town's center, an important clothing shopping area
Late afternoon return to Aix
Farewell dinner in one of our favorite Aixois restaurants (I)
Day 11 - Tuesday
Morning check-out at hotel and transportation to Marseille Airport for departure. End of tour
Terms & Conditions
Description of tour
Provence Arts & Scents is a week-long tour for 5 - 10 people of both sexes in Aix-en-Provence, south of France. We also offer an optional 3 day extension tour - Two Jewels in Provence - to visit Marseille and Arles.
Provence Arts & Scents features:
• Two painting classes – in studio and outdoors - with a Provençal artist of international renown
• One Provençal cooking class in the chateau of a famous French chef
• Fine gourmet dining in selected restaurant, bistros and in private homes
• Following on Cezanne's and Van Gogh's steps, to the places where they lived and worked
• Exploring quaint Provençal villages and its open-air markets with a tour director and local guides
• Free time for shopping and exploring on your own
Joining our tour:
Provence Arts & Scents starts on a Saturday, with pick-up at Marseille's Provence Airport, followed by transfer to our hotel in Aix. Main tour lasts one week, and ends in the following Saturday. There is an optional 3 day extension tour to visit Marseille and Arles - Two Jewels in Provence.
The most convenient airport to Aix is in Marseille. If you are coming from Paris, a domestic flight Paris-Marseille takes about 1 hour.
More specific instructions will be provided at time of booking
Prices
Prices upon request
Tour prices are based upon rates available as of March, 2008 and are subject to change. Increases due to cost of land arrangements or international currency fluctuations (Euro) will be passed on to travelers, provided notice of same is given prior to commencement of the tour.
Payment Schedule
A deposit of 30% of total tour cost is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 30 days prior to tour date. If your reservation is made within 30 days of tour date, the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of booking. Payment may be made by check to:
Golden Bee Tours, LLC
523 Fifth Avenue
Pelham, NY 10803
We accept American Express cards.
Cancellation Policy:
All cancellations will be subject to a fee of $500 per person and cancellations requests have to be made in writing. No refunds given for cancellations within 30 days of departure.
Price includes:
• Transfer from Marseille's Airport to hotel in Aix
• Seven night room and breakfast in four star 'deluxe' hotel in Aix
• Welcome champagne reception on Day 1
• Two painting classes - in a studio and outdoors; all painting materials and special container to bring your painting back home
• Cooking class with renowned French chef in Chateau Arnanjon ; all ingredients provided
• Transportation during scheduled activities
• Meals and gratuities marked by (I) during scheduled activities
• Company of tour director and local guides during all week's activities
• Transfer to Marseille's airport for departure
Price does not include:
• Airfare. We can advise and help you with reservations, or you may use your own travel agency or the Internet to book your flights.
• Any extra hotel expenses such as telephone, fax & internet charges, room service or bar
• Alcoholic beverages other than wine with meals marked by (I)
• Transportation and meals during free time
• Meals (and gratuities) not marked by (I)
• No features or benefits beyond those specified mentioned in the Price Include section above
Travel insurance
We recommend that you purchase individual trip, air, health, accident, baggage and cancellation insurance from your insurance company, to prevent hardship and to recover charges in the event of unexpected cancellation. This coverage is also available through your airline or travel agent and is based on the total cost of your trip and on your age.
Age limit
We ask our guests to be at least 21 years of age.
Dietary restrictions
Due to the nature of our tour, and the fact that it includes regional food and meals at local restaurants, we are not able to accommodate restricted diets such as salt-free or kosher. We are not able to accommodate people with food allergies; vegetarian meals are available, most of the time. For obvious reasons, we cannot provide American food during this tour.
Smoking Policy
To ensure the safety and comfort of all our tour members, smoking is not allowed during group activities and within the interior of homes and places we visit.
Disclaimer
Golden Bee Tours, LLC cannot be held responsible for any disruption of travel and/or related services due to monetary crisis, political or social unrest, labor problems, mechanical or construction difficulties, climatic changes, local laws, diseases or other conditions. Our tours are sold as complete packages and must be purchased in their entirety. We are not responsible for travelers deviating from our regular Schedule. Refunds or credits for any unused part of our tours will not be issued.
We act as intermediary of agents in selling services which are not directly supplied by us, and shall not be responsible for breach of contract or any intentional or careless actions or omissions on the part of such suppliers which may result in any loss, damage, delay or injury to travelers or group members. Golden Bee Tours, LLC reserves the right to cancel any trip or portion of it at any time and/or to change our program if the services included in the tour cannot be supplied for any reason, or if there are changes in the program which are beyond our control. In such cases we will arrange for the substitution of alternate comparable services. In case of cancellation, a refund for the appropriate amount will be paid without any liability to any of our guests.
Release
Each participant on this tour declares that she is of good general health, and hereby releases and agrees to hold Golden Bee Tours, LLC and its agents harmless against any and all disabilities, costs and expenses (including attorney's fees and costs of litigation) which she may incur as a result of her participation on this tour.
General Information
Climate/Clothing
Average temperatures in Provence in May and October will be provided after at time of booking. As a rule, these are mild temperature months in the region. Pack light and comfortable clothes and shoes for daytime activities, as in France, and throughout Europe, air conditioners are not always available. In Aix, sneakers or Bermudas are common - the dress code is more relaxed than in Paris. It is advisable to bring a dressier outfit/shoes for dinners.
Currency conversion
The currency in France - and in the European Community - is the Euro, which fluctuates against the dollar. For up to the minute exchange rates, check www.xe.com/ucc. Keep in mind that your bank charges you a fee every time you use an ATM machine abroad, so check with the bank before you travel; Visa and MasterCard are accepted in most establishments, Amex and Diner's Club less often. Most credit cards charge you an additional 3 to 4% fee as 'currency conversion', it's advisable to check with your credit card company in advance for that information.
VAT, or tax-free system
The VAT, or Valued Added Tax (VAT), is the French equivalent of sales tax and as a non-resident of the European Union you will receive it as a refund at the airport, when you depart. As a rule, this refund is 12 to 18% on any purchase over 175 Euros, depending on the establishment. More information provided at time of booking for this tour, and we will help you with this procedure.
Cash
We advise you to bring some Euros from the US, for personal expenses, until we locate your bank's ATM machine in Aix. We do not recommend the use of travel checks, as they are not as widely used anymore, given the convenience of ATMs machines everywhere.
Luggage
Pack up light clothes, hat and sunglasses. As a rule, temperatures are higher during the day all over Provence, although May and October are pleasant months. Check with your airline for luggage restrictions.
Electricity
The French electrical system runs on 220 volts; you will need adapters to convert the voltage and fit sockets, and they are cheaper in the US.
Cell phones
Most American cell phones do not work in France. If your does not, you have the option of buying an international cell phone before leaving home, which may be expensive, or buying a French cell phone to use during this week or anytime you travel there in the future. We will provide more information upon booking for this tour.
Gratuities
We will advise you when and how much you are expected to tip. Gratuities in meals marked by ( I ) are included in tour price
Language and People
In the tourist areas of Provence English is widely understood, but an effort to speak French is appreciated. It is a good idea to carry a pocket-sized phrase book, just in case.