Memoirs of an Explorer

 So, you have this idea in your head of what a cooking vacation is? You probably love cooking and at least one of the food channels are on the top channels you watch. Or you have a milestone that you want it to be memorable and you “heard” that cooking vacations are a one of a kind experience. But where do I start? O.K. Sit back and relax, and let us take you on a little culinary tour.

The first important fact you should know, is about the people who offer these programs. They love travel, food and people. Not only you will learn to cook, but they will bring you into their families and their traditions.

Here is how it looks: imagine going with a real chef to a colorful and fragrant outdoor market picking fresh seasonal produce, or rising early in the morning to go to the fish market to get the best catch, all that to cook together in the chef’s kitchen hand in hand, getting tips for life.

What else are you going to experience in a cooking vacation?

Your local host will take you to visit local food artisans like a cheese maker or a chocolate artisan. Beware, on these visits, you may find yourself shipping half of the store home.

You will visit at least one local, most likely a family owned winery and enjoy tasting flavors you didn’t know existed. You will also share the opportunity to eat in a local village restaurant with the locals.

As for the sightseeing, picture yourself strolling over cobblestone streets of an authentic medieval village, watching two grandmas sitting on a bench in the center of the village, talking in a foreign language and you wonder what they are talking about.

More than the cooking, more enjoyment in elaborate; learning a new pace. A pace arranged not around to do lists and crisis management but around the love for life. Connecting to people, their history, land and traditions.

I want that! I heard you. I also heard: “What do I do next”?   

My best expert advice is to consult a travel professional or a culinary travel company. Here are the benefits of doing that:

The most important fact is that this is their job. This is what they do every single day.

They have the knowledge to be able to make recommendations. You can hear first hand about the programs and the places. You will get all the goodness of an insider look.  Remember that T.V commercials about a couple who booked a hotel on-line, the hotel looked amazing but when they checked in, the room looked like a wreck? 

Second reason: They probably belong to at least one major American or international travel organization. This ensures that you are working with a legally registered company, that has binding rules, professional liability insurance and its consultants are certified.

Third: Easy to reach. True, we all use an e-mail nowadays, but isn’t it easier to talk to someone, who resides in your country, speaking your language?!

Fourth: In case you have a problem, you have a real human to talk to.

Fifth: Clarifying the fine print. A professional will advise you of the cancellation penalties.

Sixth: Higher productivity benefit. You are working hard while someone else is working for you on your trip.

Seventh: Possibility of a free gift. Many travel companies offer free incentive.

Want to hear more?

For a free consulting, updates and news, send  an email to : info@foodnwinevacations.com or call us at 1-877-457-3177.

"Wine" and "family" are both very strong words. "Wine", because of the passion it grows in people from the quest for the perfect sip to the love affair with a chianti or a pinot blanc and "family" because of the values, the devotion, and the sense of belonging it implies.

Nowhere else would one see them as beautifully intertwined as in this very special family, this "gem" we discovered in Burgundy, France. The daughter is continuing the family tradition of wine making, a continuation that, almost unbelievably, is rare in France. For them, wine in itself is a culture and the family is the expression of it. The vinous landscape of Burgundy, with hundreds of acres of vineyards, is enchanted by the smell of values and tradition. With some of the best crus of Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaunne, and Cote Chalonnaise fine wines this family's wine house is famous in Burgundy.

Everywhere you go, you see further evidence of the generational family gift: a contemporary yet luxurious Bed & Breakfast compliments the winery. Located on top of the cave, it dates back to 11th and 14th century. Charming and surprising suites offer unforgettable moments to be experienced here: designer furnishings, modern and regional materials, warm atmosphere--the perfect match of the traditional and the latest in daring, modern design and decoration. Amazing vaulted cellars, a beautifully renovated cuverie and Salle du Triporteur room and the guest pavilion with its three lounges beautifully complement the establishment.

Located in the very heart of famous Burgundy vineyards, the family winery is just 2 ½ hours from Paris by fast train. There, a chauffer – local wine specialist--is there to take the guests to wineries' tastings and dine and the best local restaurants. You cannot go to Burgundy and not have Tete de veau rotie or escargots. Of course, you would end the nights savoring a beautiful wine and hearing the stories, oh the family stories of grapes and adventures passed on generation through generation.

Ultimately, this tribute to the art of wine and the beauty of family traditions is a unique place. 32 hectares of love and passion that is a must see and a must feel.

Marrakech did not need Sarah Jessica Parker and Sex and the City to make it more attractive but it certainly made it more popular and pretty much on everybody's lips for the past few weeks. So what is it about Marrakech that makes it so special that the director of the movie decided to trade in the cosmopolitan, always changing New York City ( and a very good fit for the plot of Sex and the City) for Marrakech as the set of this movie?
Until a couple of years ago all I knew about Marrakech was couscous, the Atlas Mountains and the multicultural people. However, since we get to visit all the cities and the locations that we include in our tours I was in for a very nice surprise. A new but at the same time very old world opened up to us: color, lots of color and scents, labyrinth-like alleyways, out-of-control donkey carts, trendy silver leather poufs and spices, lots and lots of spices. New York on the other side, has it's charm as well with the smell of bagels at every corner and the "out of control" cab drivers instead of donkey carts, the lights, the street life and the "j'ai ne sais quoi" that makes it the most thought after city in the United States. For the unique excitement seekers (and I am imagining the script writers were) Marrakech offers the equivalent of Times Square: Djemaa el Fna, the old city market place is the hot spot at night--"it's a maelstrom of snake charmers, musicians, the imam's lyrical call to prayer and heady scents from myriad food stalls. It's enough to make your head spin."

On our trip there we discovered a pretty cool spot: close enough to Marrakech to enjoy the city to the fullest, but far enough to be able to relax. About ten minutes from the medina, there is the Palmeraie--a grove of over 150,000 towering palm trees--that hosts the luxury villa Dar Liqama, also named the house of green mint. Consequently, since we liked it so much, we included in our tour.

So here it is, Marrakech--which while not New York City and by any means not competing with it--surprises the script writers, the actors and us, the travelers that love life, food and good times.

My thoughts for this first blog were for me to share my views as to why I think taking a tour when going to a foreign country is a better alternative to trying to plan it by yourself. Not that planning a trip by yourself does not have its advantages and disadvantages but you may miss on something like this:

...Imagine a leisurely stroll through an ancient village, the scent of lavender in the air - maybe holding hands with your husband or partner. Children play on the sidewalk. An old man with a row of medals on his chest, hands folded on a cane, is about to nod off in the warmth of the sun. You pass small shops with baskets of fruits on the sidewalk and cheeses and meats in the vitrine . . . You are in St. Paul de Vance, on the French Riviera; it's almost noon and you're looking forward to meeting up with the other three couples who are sharing this vacation experience with you. A terrace beckons, white tablecloth, crisps napkins, a bottle of wine being iced and glasses ready to be filled. The host chef is sharing his love for food and cooking with you: the avid chef that absolutely loves entertaining and always craved knowledge from the source. Well, this is it. Your dream come true.

This is your vacation...

And this is the kind of experience planning a trip on your own would not give give you. Of course you would say, how about the flexibility to do different things than what's included in the cooking or wine tour? That is why tours usually allow for time to explore the city or the surroundings and spend your time as you wish. Traveling by yourself to a country with a language other than English has it's own challenges...sure it's a little funny and cute when you cannot read the signs or find your way around, but isn't that precious time you could spend with a local family being fully immersed in the culture and tasting the life just like they live it?