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Weekend of Gastronomy in Lyon and Beaujolais
Saint Bernard (Lyon), Rhone Alps
About the location: Your French cooking vacation will take place in the countryside near Lyon, one of the largest cities in France and considered by some the gastronomy capital of the world! Lying on the banks of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon is a fabled town of cobbled streets, covered passageways (traboules) and first-class restaurants. A stroll through town will yield everything from designer shops and chic bistros (bouchons) to Renaissance palaces and Romun artifacts. During the Renaissance, Lyon became enormously wealthy due to the banking, printing and silk trades, and the remains of this glory can be seen in the stunning Renaissance mansions that line the Rue St-Jean and Rue du Boeuf. Whether you are exploring the many museums, shops, or restaurants, or simply wandering the streets or river banks, Lyon will enchant. Lyon remains quieter and more indiscovered than the larger cities of Paris and Marseille, and is considered second to none in terms of its gastronomy. Explore this amazing city with a local who will help you to negotiate all the wonders this rich area has to offer.
Your accommodations will be in the countryside about 15 miles outside the heart of Lyon. Your lovely B&B, which lies in the heart of a wooded park, features private ensuite baths, wonderful common areas (including a large dining room with fireplace and a sunroom), and all the charm you could want during your French cooking vacation. The rooms each have a terrace or balcony overlooking the river view. Your hosts, Michel and Cheryl, are an international couple (Michel is from Lyon, Cheryl originally from Brooklyn). Your culinary vacation in France will also include a trip to Beaujolais, perfect for wine tasting in the glorious countryside!
About the cooking lesson: Your host Cheryl will lead your hands-on cooking lesson, which will focus on regional cuisine using only the freshest ingredients gathered from the local market.
- Arrival in the early evening and settle into your accommodations.
- Welcome drink and dinner.
- Overnight.
- Breakfast followed by a visit to a local market where your host will show you the specialties, give you advice on how to choose fresh products, and introduce you to her favorite suppliers. The market is one of the most colourful in the region.
- Return back to the guesthouse for your cooking lesson and lunch.
- After lunch, an excursion to through Beaujolais. Discover the beauty and variety of the southern Beaujolais landscapes. You will stop in the medieval village of Oingt, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Perched on a hill and surrounded by the Beaujolais vineyards, Oingt has kept from its medieval past the ancient chapel of the castle, the fortified gate, and a dungeon.
- Following, visit the village of Salles Arbuissonnas to discover its twelfth-century cloister, from which remains a vaulted gallery edged with twin columns. This tour will end by a tasting in the wine cellar of Vaux en Beaujolais, a typical village where the best-selling writer Claude Chevallier housed Clochemerle, his colourful novel.
- Enjoy dinner in a gastronomic restaurant in the village and overnight.
- Breakfast followed by a full-day discovery of Lyon.
- Your first stop will be the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. This covered market is the temple of French gastronomy. You will have time for shopping before meeting for lunch in a traditional bouchon. These restaurants, typical in Lyon, propose a simple but tasty cuisine, full of flavour in a very convivial atmosphere.
- In the afternoon, you will have a walk through Old Lyon, classified by UNESCO. Discover the Cathedral and the astronomical clock, stroll in the narrow paved lanes, find out the secrets of the Traboules (hidden passage-ways), admire the inner courtyards, galleries and spiral staircases.
- Return to your accommodations at the end of the afternoon.
- In the evening, a short walk to the restaurant, situated on the banks of the Saône river, for dinner.
- Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- Morning at leisure which you may use to rest, stroll by the river or take a swim.
- In the afternoon, Michel will guide you through an initiation to oenology with a blind tasting of six wines from various regions of France. This will be followed by lunch, which may be served outdoors if the weather permits.
- Departure around late afternoon.
