One arrives as a tourist and leaves feeling like a local! Small group tours with The French Connections: Get ready to fall in love with France with your head, heart and stomach!! The adventure begins being transported to the heart of Southern France, into city of Toulouse - where you will have a day to relax after your flight and experience this dynamic and beautiful “City of Roses.” From there, y
ou will be escorted via motor coach to the quaint town of Mirande, located in the Gascony region, to spend the next week eating, drinking and breathing in the authentic Southwestern French culture. The Gascony region boasts a rich and diverse countryside throughout all four seasons and with its sweeping valleys and pure, clean air, it is little wonder why the area is known as the French Tuscany. This area of France distinguishes itself from all others, not just in its beauty, but also in the local produce- whether it be offering up the traditional foie gras, melon, garlic, Gascon wines or Armanac (a relatively unknown “eau de vie”), Gascony’s reputation is legendary. More than just a region, Gascony is a gastronomical way of life! How can there be anything but a sense of bien-être, or well-being where one lives and eats so well? And this sense of well-being is reflected in the traditionally warm and friendly nature of the locals...you will feel as if you have found a home away from home. As our guest, you will get to experience the quintessential French countryside on an intimate level, all while having your trip documented by your personal photographer. Imagine dining al fresco, soaking up the sun on the grounds of a bastide (medieval castle) or hiking through rolling hills, carpeted with sunflowers and fields of yellow flax, feeling as if you are in paradise....Later, you could spend the afternoon tasting wine from centuries-old vineyards, coupling Armagnac, Floc and Bellesandrine with the local cuisine such as foie gras, confit de canard and magret- you will know that you have discovered the great gastronomy of Gascony. And as you stroll down the cobblestone streets of Mirande, your nose will follow the sweet aroma of warm, fresh baked pastries, leading you to the local café where once there, you devour them along side an espresso- oh lala, C'EST BON !!! Other possible activities and excursions include: lunching on a riverboat cruise, relaxing as you gaze upon the beautiful French countryside passing by; having a walking tour in the city of Auch (made famous by d'Artagnan of the Three Musketeers), watching the pageantry of a bullfight, seeing the cathedral and cave of Lourdes, a beach picnic and shopping in Biarritz or even a day trip to Bilbao, Spain to visit the famous Guggenheim museum. Your trip is capped off with one final day in Toulouse to take in its incredible shopping, possibly touring the Airbus factory or treasure hunting in one of its open-air flea markets, and conclude with a farewell group dinner to say, “au revoir” before departing to the airport. Many of our guests have loved this tour so much that they have made return trips with us. It is our hope that you will simply fall in love with this very special region of France and its people, just as we have and it is our very special pleasure to introduce it to you! Your hostesses-
Erin and Kim
