The French Table with Belinda Jeffery
4th-11th June 2012
The French Table is an ideal immersion into the very best of French culture, wine and cuisine. Join Belinda Jeffery and Sue Jenkins on this wonderful exploration into the rich tapestry of new tastes, sights and sounds the incredible region of Normandy has to offer.
Day One - June 4th
Guests meet at 2pm in Paris where you will be met by Jane Webster to travel by minibus back to Chateau de Bosgouet. Settle into your charming room, explore the Chateau and grounds, enjoy afternoon tea followed by free time.
Aperitifs, a full open bar including French Champagne – Billiecart, Moet & Chandon and hors d’oeuvres is followed by Dinner in the chateau’s magnificent dining room. Indeed one of the highlights is that each evening guests are introduced to champagnes rarely seen outside of France from small exclusive houses.
2.00pm Pick up:
Hotel Relais Christine
3 Rue Christine
75006 Paris, France
01 40 51 60 80
Day Two - June 5th
Breakfast Chateau Bosgouet style: Fresh croissants, pain au chocolat, homemade muffins, fresh fruit, homemade conserves, compote of rhubarb & apples, freshly brewed coffee and tea and freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh organic eggs, ham off the bone and oven roasted truss tomatoes.
Market Day in Rouen to shop for today’s class at the Vieux Marche where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake in the 15th Century.
After visiting the market, explore Rouen’s old town that has been developing since the Romans built the first bridge but came to its zenith in the century between the French Reconquest and Wars of Religion – an era during which many fine examples of Renaissance style were brought to the city.
Mid afternoon CLASS I. The afternoon’s workshop with Belinda Jeffery takes place in a large country kitchen. We will use a potager of fresh herbs and vegetables to produce a wonderful meal . The afternoon’s enjoyable work will result in a splendid and convivial dinner, based on superior regional produce to be enjoyed at Chateau Bosgouet.
Day Three - June 6th
Early morning walk around the farm land of Bosgouet for those interested.
Breakfast served in the dining room or on the terrace from 8.00am.
A morning visit to Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny, stunning during the Summer months. This house with its vibrant yellow kitchen and exceptional collection of Japanese woodblock prints is where he painted his famous water lily masterpieces.
Lunch at Giverny.
Dinner at a local notable restaurant
Day Four - June 7th
Early morning walk
Breakfast at Bosgouet
Today we will visit Champ de Bataille.
Jean de La Varende once wrote about Champ de Bataille, “This is the realm of opulence. The decor is secondary to the declaration of power.”
The renowned stylist and designer Jacques Garcia has revived the Champ de Bataille by a skillful mingling of genres. The château, one of the finest 18th century estates in France, achieves its fullest expression in the restored French gardens that cover over 90 acres. The Champ de Bataille is something of a journey between the tangible and the intangible, the finite and infinite, and this remarkable site offers visitors an experience that goes beyond the purely physical. Jacques Garcia has succeeded in giving extraordinarily modern overtones to eternal models. The Champ de Bataille also boasts vast apartments whose rich baroque decoration bursts forth from floor to ceiling, creating a welcoming backcloth for some very fine collections.
Lunch at Champ de Bataille
Return to Bosgouet for CLASS 2 with Belinda Jeffery and dinner
Day Five - June 8th
Market Day at Deauville.
Considered the 21st arrondissement of Paris, this elegant and swank seaside town has a wonderful fresh market, elegant shops and gorgeous beach promenade.
Lunch at notable auberge before returning to Bosgouet ... on route we will visit a calvados farm as well as a lovely rural antique store!
Late afternoon return to Chateau Bosgouet.
Dinner: Restaurant Gill
On a quay of the Seine, near the Place de la Cathedrale, is Rouen’s premier restaurant. Its several small rooms are light and spare, drawing attention to its handsome Art Deco appointments and to the fine-tuned cooking of Gilles Tournadre, the chef and owner.
After dinner, there is the option to travel into Rouen to see Monet’s paintings illuminated upon the Nôtre Dame Cathedral, a truly incredible sight.
Day Six - June 9th
Early morning walk for those interested.
Breakfast Bosgouet style.
Market Day at Honfleur.
Full day excursion to the artist’s paradise of Honfleur, located on the Seine estuary, a seductively pretty port village with narrow winding streets, the exceptional all wooden-church of Ste Catherine, and charming quays, much celebrated in many paintings by the Impressionists. Free time for afternoon.
Honfleur boasts two Michelin-starred restaurants and scores of worthy contenders. The buzz right now is squarely focused on Sa.Qua.Na., whose chef and owner, 38-year-old Alexandre Bourdas, has so electrified the critics – he earned his Michelin star only nine months after opening and another star in the past 12 months!
After lunch there will be time to wander ... we will meet together at a lively little jazz club for an aperitif before returning to Bosgouet for a late supper.
Day Seven - June 10th
Early morning walk for those interested.
Breakfast.
Visit Le Bec Hellouin. An important medieval religious and cultural centre, this Ancient Abbey of the Benedictine monks still presents an incredible experience of the monks chanting.
Lunch at a restaurant that prides itself on regional fare, and is housed in typical Norman half timbered buildings.
After lunch there is ample time to wander in beautiful villages and browse the delightful boutiques and antique shops.
Return to the Chateau for Class III with Belinda Jeffery before the early evening Wine Tasting at Chateau Bosgouet followed by dinner at Chateau Bosgouet.
Day Eight - June 11th
Farewells and Au Revoirs to new friends and Chateau Bosgouet.
Departure after breakfast.
Guests will be returned to their hotels in Paris by midday.
The price of The French Table is $7500.00 per person twin share. (single supplementary $1500.00) All meals and wines are inclusive. Please Note: we are only taking a maximum of eight people on this tour. To confirm your place at The French Table please send a deposit of $2000.00 per person to:
Jane Webster TA/The French Table
146 Hotham St
East Melbourne 3002