Surf and Turf

Ten travelers that are all members of a winery wine club challenge me to create a week-long journey with the following parameters:

• One 3-day deep dive near the sea

• With a second 3-day deep dive in the mountains

• Wine focused regions

• One michelin star meal

• Only one hotel change (so two different lodgings for the entire trip)

Here’s the schedule I would suggest, combining elements of three of our regional tours—Bretagne,Vendée, and Béarn.

Day One ~ Depart Paris in the morning, with a stop for lunch followed by a short walk on the Loire before arriving in Nantes, where we’ll stay for 3 days.

Day Two ~ a morning train to the sea in St. Nazaire followed by lunch and good hike in the marshes. A “blind” dinner back in Nantes

Day Three ~ Start the day with a winery visit, continue on to lunch, and finish with a cheese and Cognac tasting. Dinner again in Nantes.

Day Four ~ depart in the morning by train to Bordeaux for lunch with a guest winemaker. Continue aftewards to Pau, our lodging for the next 3 nights. Dinner in Pau.

Day Five ~ Train into the Pyrenées for a robust hike and to find the origin of Espelette peppers. Light dinner back in Pau.

Day Six ~ Train to Lourdes, skip the crowd and hike to a 1-star lunch in the Pyrenees foothills. Take a liesurely hike and train ride back to Pau for a small dinner.

Day Seven ~ A short train back to Bordeaux, but on the way we’ll stop somehwere unknown for a last lunch and then I’ll send you onward to your next destination

Total Estimated cost person: €3,250 with all meals, rooms, and train transportation included.