If you’re like me, one of the most memorable parts of any trip is the food. While you can’t take the Eiffel Tower or the Alhambra home with you, a visit to a European cooking school can have you reliving your holiday over and over again just by entering your kitchen. Most people don’t know that you can get hands-on culinary training from the some of the best cooking schools in Europe, many of which offer short courses for visitors, many in English. Courses can run anywhere between one day and several weeks, but all yield results that last a lifetime
La Cuisine de Marie-Blanche-France, Paris, France
We start, of course, in the city known world-wide for its cuisine. Author of many cookbooks and a friend and collaborator of the late, great Julia Child, Princess Marie-Blanche de Broglie opened La Cuisine de Marie-Blanche back in 1975. Whether you take the daylong class, which features a luncheon, or whether you take one of the three to nine month diploma classes, you will be learning about French cuisine as created by one of the true masters. Classes are offered for the individual and for the group, and there are even classes that specialize in pastry. The school boasts a central location on the Avenue de la Motte Pic, right between the Place des Invalides, home to Napoleon’s Tomb and the Parc du Champ de Mars, home to the Eiffel Tower. Three-star accommodations within a block include the Hotel de la Motte Picquet and the Hôtel Le Beaugency.
L’Ecole de Cuisine Le Chapon Fin, Bordeaux, France
This city whose name is synonymous with fine wine is also famous for Le Chapon Fin, a restaurant that opened in 1825 and was one of the first 33 restaurants to receive a Michelin award, back in 1933. Le Chapon Fin is also home to L’Ecole de Cuisine Le Chapon Fin. As a student, you will not only get to cook, but you’ll also learn which wines compliment different dishes from the sommelier. Though the five-day course is open to all, don’t be surprised to find that many of your fellow students are professional chefs. Speaking of professional chefs, the school is run by Nicolas Frion, Le Chapon Fin’s own professional chef. There are many excellent Bordeaux hotels that are close to L’Ecole de Cuisine Le Chapon Fin.
Granada Cooking & Wine School, Granada, Spain
Heading to Spain, we find ourselves in the ancient Andalucian city of Granada, whose past as the Moorish capital has left it with a unique culinary legacy. Right in the city’s historic quarter is Casa Azahar, which opens its doors to a small number of students each year for its Granada Cooking & Wine School. These lucky few learn to prepare Mediterranean, Sephardic, and Mozarabic dishes using, greens and vegetables from local markets, olives from local groves, and wild herbs from behind the house. Field trips include the nearby Vinos de la Tierra Norte de Granada, where you’ll meet with master wine makers. The school is open from November to April for classes ranging from two to eight students. Some of the other perks include a view of the production of olives, olive oil, and cheese, tastings the famed Sherries from Jerez and Montilla and of course stunning views of the timeless Alhambra Palace. The same wonderful views can also be had from many Granada hotels.
Refúgio da Vila Cooking School, Portel, Portugal
Located just one hour from the Spanish border and two hours from lively Lisbon is the charming village of Portel. This is where you’ll find peace, quiet and some amazing cooking instruction at the Refúgio da Vila Rural Hotel and Cooking School. Here you’ll spend your nights in the historic villa manor house and your days learning from the hotel’s head chef Miguel Amaral. Each class lasts a week, and includes such unique lessons as curing sausage and baking Portuguese bread. The classes take place in the hotel’s homey kitchen, where you’ll take fresh local ingredients and the local flavors of the Alentejo Region and turn them into traditional Portuguese dishes. The hotel’s elegantly furnished rooms also make a homebase for exploring this beautiful corner of Portugal.
Nick Nairn Cook School, Stirling, Scotland
If you’d like a little razzle dazzle with your instruction, Celebrity TV chef Nick Nairn offers personalized attention in his classes limited to eight students. With the philosophy of allowing students to pick and choose classes, the Nick Nairn Cook School allows you to specialize in meats, vegetables, seafood and more. Between the Celebrity Chef Class, Master Class, Nick Nairn Class, Recreational Class and the Absolute Beginners Class, the school provides all levels of instruction, and with a wide choice of chefs (including Nick himself), there’s a wide range of expertise. The school also conveniently located, just 29 miles from Edinburgh Airport, and there are many fine Stirling hotels that put you conveniently close to the kitchen.
Whether you’re looking to work up a sweat or just doing your part to help out the environment, cycling is a great alternative to driving—especially within the laidback culture and vast beauty of rural France. You can follow in the footsteps (or, um, tire treads) of the Tour de France or take a different route. Before setting out, though, consider these helpful travel tips for cyclers:
Public Bicycles For Rent In Paris
Know Your Limits
Are you an advanced cyclist? If so, great! But if not, don’t think that you can’t take advantage of France’s beautiful trails. To find bike routes best suited to novice cyclists (and especially those traveling with children), stick to areas with river valleys, canals and paved trails. Also, just like ski runs, the cycling trails of France are marked according to skill level. Pay attention to posted signs.
Transporting Your Bike
In France, you can usually take your bike on a train without issue. However, there is one exception: the TGV. The TGV does not allow bikes under any circumstances so passengers must put their bikes on a different train and pick them up at the station later. Also keep in mind that if you choose to rent a bike (instead of shipping one from home), you will have to return it to the same place you got it from. So map your route accordingly.
Consider Your Accommodations
While it’s easy to find great France hotels in major cities, cyclists commonly spend much of their time in rural areas. The regions of Aquitaine, Bretagne and Normandie are full of trails and bike-friendly hotels. Consider the lovely Edward 1er in Monpazier, or one of the many great hotels in Royan or Bordeaux. There are also many bike-friendly hotels in Vannes (like the Manche-Ocean) and Dieppe.
The Chateau And Vineyards Of Montbazillac
With so many bike trails through France, it can be hard to choose. Here are some of our picks:
Montbazillac Chateau to Chateau Des Vigiers
Distance: 24.63mi./39.64km
Duration: 02:24
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Begin in quaint Monbazillac, right at the largest wine chateau in Bergerac. This trail takes you through vineyards, past famous estates and finally to the luxurious Chateau des Vigiers, where you may end your journey with a glass of wine overlooking a golf course.
Bordeaux To Royan
Distance: 81.18mi./130.65km
Duration: 08:06
Difficulty: Easy
This long but easy and beautiful trail cuts through the rolling hills that line the coast of the Aquitaine region.
St. Pol de Leon to Cumic Beach
Distance: 31.99mi./51.48km.
Duration: 03:06
Difficulty: Moderate
This coastal trail in the northern part of France starts close to the Roscoff ferry port and ends at picture-perfect Cumic Beach. Cyclists are rewarded with fresh sea breezes and spectacular views.
Calais to Paris
Distance: 172.1mi./276.97km.
Duration: 17:12
Difficulty: Hard
Not for the novice cyclist, this lengthy trek can easily be divided into several days’ worth of cycling. It begins in the beautiful port city of Calais and ends in the heart of the capital. Along the way, the terrain varies greatly; it is especially hilly in Sangatte and Boulogne.
We were reading the CNN.com travel section today when the word chocolate caught our attention. Of course, when does chocolate not do that, but the story about Koln and its many sites inspired us to collect a list of chocolate-related sites in Europe to visit the next time you’re abroad and jonesing for something sweet. There are specialized tours geared toward chocolate exploration – you can travel from cafe to chocolatier to cafe again, sampling and savoring cacao across the countryside. Or, if you’re itinerary is already set and you’re looking for a diversion until the next stop, there are a few sidetracks you can make.
We must admit, we had a bit of fun researching this article, and now our stomachs are growling, so while we break for the stash of Kit-Kats under the desk we’ll leave you to consider these tours and attractions next time you’re in Europe.
Cadbury World
The name is known the world over for their creamy milk bars and seasonal cream-filled eggs, and when you come to Cadbury World in Birmingham it’s probably the closest you’ll get to spotting an Oompah Loompah or two running the show. This is a whimsical journey through the production, packaging and marketing of Cadbury varieties – full of fascinating history and surprises. How many factories do you know have a simulated jungle to explain where cocoa comes from?
Ritter Sport Factory
You’ve seen Ritter Sport brands, those square, waffle-thick bars filled with whole hazelnuts, marzipan, or dreamy dark mousse. In Waldenbuch near Stuttgart is where you’ll find new bars produced, and at the factory you can watch a demonstration in German and English of how Ritter Sport varieties are made, plus stock up for the ride home! There are nearly 20 different bars available now, so if you find one you can’t normally find in your area, get ‘em while you can!
Planète Chocolat
Of course, if you’re headed to Belgium this year it’s a given you’re going to enjoy some chocolate. You wouldn’t go to Philadelphia without eating a cheesesteak, or Chicago without trying a deep dish pizza, right? In Brussels, there is Planète Chocolat, fine purveyor of chocolates created in the grand Belgian tradition. Guests are welcome to browse their chocolate museum and discover how cacao is pressed into cocoa to become the dessert we all love, and if you have time you can schedule a chocolate history walking tour through the city.
Bovetti Shop and Chocolate Museum
Pop quiz: can you think of 150 different ingredients to infuse in a chocolate bar? Bovetti Artisan Chocolatier bear the Bordeaux region of France has, and when you visit their shop/museum you’ll see for yourself what flavors await you. From rosemary to mango to even flower petals, surely if it’s edible they’ve enrobed it at one time.
Bovetti’s chocolate museum takes visitors through an actual greenhouse of cocoa plants where one can see a demonstration of harvesting, roasting, and production. You’ll learn why single-origin varieties (chocolate produced from cacao from one region) tastes differently from other types, and kids have the opportunity to mold their own tasty treat.
Wherever in Europe you find yourself this year, you’re certain to find a chocolate indigenous to the area that carries the unique flavor of the region. With the money you save on affordable European hotels, you can take plenty home as gifts, assuming you don’t eat everything on the trip back.
Not that we’ve done that before.
