July is France's month. Not only is it summer and the time when most French people take les vacances – holidaying anywhere but Paris! – but it is also the month when the Tour de France circuits the country, entrancing a world of TV viewers.

But wait, there's more, as they also say on TV. July 14 is Bastille Day, the nation's holiday that offers the perfect excuse to take the day off, play petanque, eat cassoulet and dance until dawn.

It's such a hectic season that the general advice given to visitors is to delay a trip to France until after all these disruptions and festivities (and traffic jams) are over, opting instead for the cooler weather of autumn for a quieter visit once things have returned to normal.

To celebrate France, when you do visit, here are some of the best and tastiest ways to enjoy this magnificent country.

Sleep in a (newly opened) chateau

Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies the charming and character-filled Bastide village of Chalabre and uniquely situated within these walls is the luxurious, newly renovated Chateau Terre Blanche, which has opened this European summer for year round private or business rental. 
Accommodating eight people, the Chateau has four well-appointed oversized bedrooms all with lavish ensuite bathrooms finished to the highest modern European standards

Chalabre, a Bastide town, was built as a “new town” of the 13th century, built both to be defensively strong and to regenerate the regions that had been ravaged by war. They were known at the Terre Privilegiee, as in 1210 the King of France exempted his citizens from paying certain taxes.

All the typical shops of French villages are available in Chalabre, including boulangeries, boucheries and superettes. Market life is also very much a part of this region, with particularly large markets open on Mondays in nearby Mirepoix. 

There is the option for more accommodation upon request. 
Living areas comprise a library, Blue Salon, Grand Salon with a baroque hand-carved wooden fireplace, gymnasium and dining room with a flowing south-facing outdoor terrace, perfect for alfresco dining.

Ringed by high stone fortress-like walls and set in 2700m2 of manicured lawn, parterre gardens and pristine 12 x 6m pool, the Chateau has all the privacy and lushness of a country property but allows guests to embrace French village life. 
The Chateau also offers an impressive array of optional extra personalised services including butler, au pair, chef and tour guide.

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Tour with a local

Guided and hosted by Véronique, each 10-day tour with the Experience (my) France tour organization offers very special guided and hosted French immersion. Your group will explore an off-the-beaten path tour of France's hidden gem, Averyon, located south west of France.

From June to September inclusive, each experiential tour is customized and has a maximum of seven guests, allowing you to live at a slow pace, share your experience with like-minded travellers, and live like a local in a region where food, wine and culture are part of daily lives.

Meet the locals, taste their dishes, and return with lifetime French memories and countless stories to tell! 

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Taste the food

Food-lovers worldwide know that France is a place to visit, not once, but often. If you’re one of those travellers that would let your taste buds be your tour guide, then France has got to be the #1 destination on your bucket list.

Sure, there are other parts of the world where you can taste amazing wines, or enjoy fresh and flavoursome local cuisine, but in France you can do both – in fact you’re encouraged to - at the same time! Here is just one classical French dish you will find almost everywhere. Confit de canard sums up the gastronomic qualities of la République Française.

Whoever came up with the idea of cooking a duck in its own fats and juices should have a public holiday named after them. Served with a healthy portion of duck fat-fried potatoes, you've got yourself one of the most delicious plates of food you could ever imagine.

And to drink with that? France is more than able to supply the wines too. A hearty meal needs an equally hearty red. Treat youself to a silky smooth red Bordeaux blend.

More details of gastronomy tours.....

Travel by boat

On your next visit, why not leave the autoroute and switch to a slower pace to really absorb the moods of rural France? The country has many canals and this is one of the most relaxing ways to see the country from another perspective - minus exhaust fumes and impatiently tooting drivers.

You see something new at every turn! You’re going slowly, so you get time to savour the countryside. The next château rises from the shore, a medieval village invites you to stop and at the day’s end you watch the sun go down from your sundeck!

Go at your own pace! The beauty of life aboard a boat is you're not on a set holiday itinerary. There's no rushing to the next destination, unless you want to. If you're new to boating, it's like travelling in a cosy floating villa, with all the comforts of home and each day you wake up in a beautiful new destination!

The locks are all part of the fun. Once you lock through for the first time, it's old hat in no time!  Sometimes you open the lock, it's automatic or there's a friendly lock keeper.  Some locks have shops or museums, making them mini destinations where you can exchange stories with other travellers!

Unique to Le Boat and unlike any other boat on the waterways, the Vision line boasts the very latest in marine technology for efficient and effortless cruising. Available in six different models, each configuration offers a modern, spacious and sumptuous interior which will appeal to everyone looking for a truly comfortable cruising experience. 

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If you prefer to relax on your boat....

If there is a recipe for relaxation, barging on a French canal would have to provide the major ingredient. To sit on the deck watching the fields and forests of France scrolling slowly past – walking pace only – provides a magic remedy for even the most stressed mind and body. Recently we were able to put this theory to the test and became as thoroughly hooked as many others have before us.

A major plus is the absence of any sort of responsibility. While you sit, coffee in hand on the upper deck, ducking for low bridges, or slowly rising and falling in the bathtub-sized locks, below you a fine meal is appearing in the tiny galley at the rear of the boat......

TO GET MORE OF AN IDEA: WATCH THIS VIDEO

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Rising like a mythical fairy-tale from the water, Normandy's Mont-Saint-Michel has returned to its true island status after a 10-year project to restore its maritime character. Discover the Mont, its Abbey and the bay on foot or by shuttle bus and experience the magic. There's now a new bridge merging seamlessly into the environment, giving you the impression you’re walking on water!

 

It’s hard to imagine a more stunning, theatrical setting, the bay’s waters endlessly flowing this way and that in the greatest tides on the European continent.
 Throughout the year, but especially on fine days, many people, be they pilgrims or not, enjoy the elating experience of crossing the bay on foot. 




The long history of a Christian presence on the Mont-Saint-Michel is believed to date back to 708AD.

The Mont-Saint-Michel and the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979. This unique ensemble, just 3-5 hours from Paris, attracts tourists from all over the world, and counts among the most visited tourist sites in the whole of France.

Accompanied by specialist guides, visitors can discover the exceptional diversity of the bay’s unique ecosystem. Once on the Mont-Saint-Michel, visitors climb the steep, cobbled lanes by foot to reach the abbey that crowns the Mount’s summit. The west terrace, square in front of the abbey church offers breathtaking views across the bay so it’s well worth the climb!


Find out more from the UNESCO site. WATCH THIS STUNNING VIDEO>>>>>ʉ۬

More details of travelling to the Mont-Saint-Michel....

Walk the Pyrénées with a local

Patrick Arrieula was born in south-west France in a little village at the foot of the French Pyrénées in the Béarn region near the Spanish and Basque borders. Since 1996, he and his wife Robbie have escorted unique tours in the Pyrenees Atlantic region of south-west France during spring and autumn. They love to share their passion for this beautiful part of France with those who take their tours which are based in country villages, giving you the opportunity to meet the locals, taste the regional produce, admire the beautiful landscapes, and indulge in the culture.

The hotels have been chosen for their comfort, charm and good food, and all the rooms offer private ensuite facilities. During the tours, participants have the choice of joining daily activities or relaxing in the village for the day.  

The tours are limited to a maximum of 20 and a minimum of 10 participants.

The Basque country is one of France’s most colourful regions offering a long list of unforgettable culture, history, charm and of course – food!!!! A place to remember! 


The nine-day Bearn tour includes time at a local market, a chilli farm visit, a walk among the palombieres (the wild squab hunting huts) with magical valley views, and a visit to a Basque charcuterie to enjoy a tasting and see the unique breed of Basque pig. 

Meals of course are local – and generous! But then you can always walk them off the next day....

If you have always wanted to walk the Camino, this tour gives you the chance to experience a French section of the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. For hundreds of years now, pilgrims, walkers and travellers have taken this route to Compostella to discover the tomb of St James. The walks will average about 17 kilometres per day, crossing the picturesque Gers and Tarn et Garonne regions and finishing in the Béarn region. 

This tour on the Le Puy trail is suitable for experienced walkers, and said to be the most beautiful. The grade of the walk is moderate. All your luggage, other than your day packs, will be carried for you by bus. The trail includes unsealed roads, forest and country lanes and if you don’t feel like walking you have the choice of a rest day. The full distance of the tour is 102 kilometres over 6 walking days. 

More details of Patrick's tours.....

Take a wine and food tour

Let's introduce Angus Longstaff, whose name you might have heard before. You may remember that he was part of the team in Woolloomooloo, the first Australian restaurant to open in Paris, back in 1995. After this he continued working in France in the high-end hospitality industry of the Alps and later with other private clients as a chef and guide. With this cred, and now resident in southern France for the past decade, he is your ideal new 'best friend' to organise a tour for you in his region.

And being a chef, it is inevitable that Angus has quite a menu of tours – far too many to fully talk about here, but they are very clearly outlined on his website Fine Wine Tours South of France. They are in two regions: Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi Pyrenees.

There are ten-day, 7-day and long weekend tours, as well as Bespoke Tours. Tours can include a chef's masterclass with a Michelin-starred chef and visits to welcoming vineyards sampling wines and gaining a unique insight into production techniques.

There are opportunities to meet local producers and sample the large range of real French foods made in this exciting region. ?Angus can arrange for you to meet a local truffle specialist for the day learning about and hunting out this rare specialty which the locals refer to as 'black gold'.

The Live Like a Local option allows you to do just that, guided and mentored by Angus so that, even though you are relaxing without the pressures of a tour group, you don't miss out on anything and can absorb the rare experience of being part of the local culture.

Wine-lovers will be thrilled to experience the wines of Languedoc and the South of France, the south that hugs the Mediterranean Sea and gently folds into the Pyrenees Mountains. The VIP private guided tour encompasses the largest wine producing region in the world. The Languedoc region has transitioned itself into a promising and dynamic region with splendid boutique wine estates that benefit from the diverse terroir. The outcome of their efforts over the years has resulted in some truly wonderful wines for you to enjoy.

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