April in Paris...in October
Aug. 8th, 2011 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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The trip originally started out as a food and wine extravaganza, but has morphed into something a lot more eclectic. I think we're going to have a blast! The itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Fly from DFW to Madrid and then from Madrid to Lyon (we arrive about 1:30pm). Meet at the Hotel des Artistes and settle in.
Day 2: Morning in Lyon; afternoon gastronomic visit to Lyon's famous food halls, Les Halles de Paul Bocuse, followed by a cooking class and dinner with Chef Jean Marc Villard, former instructor at the prestigious culinary Institut Paul Bocuse.
Day 3: Independent day in Lyon (we're skipping at Rhone Valley wine tour so we can see the city).
Day 4: Day trip via train to Chambery in the French Alps.
Day 5: Train to Dijon; check into Hotel du Nord. Afternoon in Dijon (going to check out the Palais de Ducs which has a medieval kitchen).
Day 6: Full day trip to Chablis, lunch and visit to the medieval castle-building project Le Chantier de Guedelon (http://www.guedelon.fr/). This excursion was originally intended for a side trip for me and Gunthar, but everyone decided they wanted to go, too!
Day 7: Group day in the wine capital Beaune and perhaps more sights in Dijon.
Day 8: Travel to Paris by train and check into Hotel Jardin de l'Odeon. Scope out the neighborhood, get to Mariage Freres while it's open, and then Nicole and I will probably head over to Rue du Bac to see the Chapel of our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which neither of us has seen yet.
Day 9: Le Viaduc des Arts (a rail viaduct transformed into an artisan and craftsperson haven), Musee de l'Orangerie (huge Monet exhibit), Arc de Triomphe, and whatever else we decide
Day 10: Still up in the air for me (going to find a Chanel outlet, dammit), but Gunthar is taking a day course at Le Cordon Bleu (ask if he's excited about it!). Gunthar and I will split from the group late afternoon and head up to Montmartre.
Day 11: Sunday in the Marais and the Islands - a day immersed in historic Paris neighborhoods. Finish with 6:30pm mass at Notre Dame, which is usually said by the Archbishop.
Day 12: Fly home from Paris. Collapse in exhaustion.
I may not have a liver when we finish this trip...