A little taste of the ambiance in Afurada, a neighborhood of Porto, formerly a fisherman’s village on the Atlantic. Locals line up to enjoy the mouthwateringly fresh barbecue sardines, salads and potatoes, all washed down with Viño Verde, a fresh white wine from Northern Portugal. Join us for lunch here in 2025!
https://european-experiences.com/portugal-experience/
In Lourmarin on Sunday. Gwen and Pierre had some great dance moves!
Our two young musicians entertained us with such a wide variety of music. We were all moved by "Edelweiss," from The Sound of Music. And then they closed with Silent Night, composed in 1818 and first performed in a church in a small village outside Salzburg. The words were written by Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest who was born just five minutes from our hotel in Salzburg. The music was composed by his friend Franz Gruber.
Our first night out together on the week-long Paris Experience was perfect. We enjoyed an ice breaker evening tour of the city in open top Citroen 2CV cars. These classic cars are real head turners, with noisy mechanical engines, and we quickly became the object of photographers. We motored around in a parade of 4! At the end, we arrived into a secret street at the base of the Eiffel Tower, just in time to see it sparking. “Magique”!
Merci to our traveler, @jackiesloankahan for the video!
https://european-experiences.com/paris-experience/
https://european-experiences.com/inside-paris/
More of the Pebworth Morris Men at The Fleece Inn, Bretforton last night. Thanks for such a special evening!
Here is Marseille, as seen from the tallest point in the town, at the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde (patron saint for sailors).
Marseille has the 2nd largest population after Paris, and is the oldest city in France, founded by Greeks in 600 BC!
We enjoy a whole day out in Marseille and our travellers love the vibe of a place that in recent years has made it to the New York Times list of destinations to visit in your lifetime. It is a city of neighborhoods, oriented around the old port and the sea with its outlying islands. We’ve had feedback that our time in Marseille changes people’s image of the city from films and many travellers are inspired to return. The locals are friendly and we get a taste of that when we visit the oldest pizzeria in the city for lunch. We are embraced with “bisous” (air kisses) and our hostess can’t do enough for us, as she brings us wood fired pizzas topped with anchovies, and the classic licorice drink Pastis, for all to try. 50% of the population has Italian heritage and it is a melting pot which wears the faces of all the Mediterranean countries around its port. The city is colorful, energetic, and buzzing under the Southern French sun. It’s a really fun day out.
https://european-experiences.com/mediterranean-provence/
After a week spent together, our groups become a gang of friends. This includes our travelers, leaders, and our hosts. The last evening is often a poignant moment, as we say goodbye and reflect on all that we’ve enjoyed with each other.
Our tradition is to gather around a farewell drink, before heading to dinner. We each have an opportunity to say what our favorite experience on the trip has been. And this proves to be a difficult task.
Over a week, we’ve been to new places and tried new activities. We’ve met locals passionate about their profession or a certain hobby, and we’ve visited them in their homes or places of work. We’ve also had moments of serendipity and spontaneity. And we will have laughed a lot together. It is always so interesting to hear what has touched each person. And often so much will have happened in this short space of time, especially in comparison to our daily lives at home, that we almost forget what happened at the beginning of the week.
This is all the magic of small group travel.
In this video snapshot in time, we give you an idea of the ambiance of our last night. We clean up a bit and gather for our evening toast. Here, we are quietly admiring our wonderful hotelier hostesse, Annick, as she prepares our apéritif. The Riviera Hillsides is the capital for violette growing and Annick is mixing champagne with violette syrup, with the concoction turning purple. She’s asked JP, our charming co-leader, to be her helper. We are all thoroughly delighted to be in each others’ company and to have spent time together making memories. « Santé », as they say in France.
https://european-experiences.com/riviera-hillsides-experience/
Hotel du Clos
Meet Valérie de Courcel. She is the passionate owner of a private garden that we visit on our Riviera Hillsides trip.
Valérie and Pierre, her husband, create and maintain their green paradise entirely on their own. It is planted on many levels, built on a hill, with gentle stone steps leading visitors to the next plantation and garden scene. There are thousands of plants, flowers and trees of all types, and color and scents through the year.
It is marvelous to spend time with welcoming Valerie, who is so charming and engaging. In fact, the only accurate way to introduce the visit to our travelers is to explain that we are about to experience a garden that is a labor of love. We are often told it is one of the best activities of the week and we are sure it is because it is so personal and human. It is more than just a garden visit; it is a sharing of passion and emotions.
https://european-experiences.com/riviera-hillsides-experience/
A happy summer ambiance in our local village this evening. We like to kick off our first night on the Riviera Hillsides Experience in the central plaza of Valbonne. This is called la Place des Arcades, with covered passages lining the unusually square, square!
All ages were present tonight, in the balmy air. Children frolick safely without cars, while dogs are often sitting at the feet of the owners. The professional French waiters do their dance around the tables, serving customers. And we are known at the restaurants here, so we get a very warm welcome, just like locals.
https://european-experiences.com/riviera-hillsides-experience/
We love going to the weekend Paris flea market on the edge of the city in St Ouen. This place is “mecca”for all types of shoppers, including those seeking vintage, pop art, posters, high end antiques, and even costumes and props for films. The neighborhood is buzzing with a unique vibe, which also includes a connection to Parisien style “gypsy jazz”. One of the highlights of our Paris Experience is lunch at an authentic dining institution in the market called La Chope des Puces. It is in Paris that a famous musician, Django Reinhardt, brought Manouche jazz into the mainstream in the 1930s/40. The tradition continues at this legendary jazz club. This musical lunch is a wonderful moment for all of our travellers to step back in time and enjoy the true soul of Paris, like locals.
https://european-experiences.com/paris-experience/
https://european-experiences.com/inside-paris/
A look at the Pebworth Morris Men in action... such fun to watch them having fun!
