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October 14-21, 2023
What’s included?
Guests are responsible for booking their own air travel, but once the official itinerary begins on Saturday we’ve got you covered.
All transport, accommodations, meals, wine and wine pairings, Chateau entry fees, and tips are included. If you wish to ship wine home, purchase wine or souvenirs to take home in your luggage, those are the only additional costs you’ll incur.
Friday, October 13
Option to arrive in Paris one day early. We recommend staying at the hotel from which we’ll depart Saturday morning. If arriving on Friday, October 13, you will need to book this hotel on your own, staying for one night:
Should you arrive on Friday, we can meet you to collect your luggage so that you can zip off unencumbered to enjoy Paris for the afternoon and evening. You’ll then be on your own in the city, and will need to make your way to the hotel in Versailles via train or taxi. The hotel is walking distance to the Chateau de Versailles, putting us in place at our starting point for Saturday morning. *Again, all expenses for the Friday before the official itinerary begins are at your own cost.*
Saturday, October 14 (official itinerary begins today)
Depart from the Novotel Versailles at 10am Saturday morning. We’ll tour the expansive gardens and grounds of the Chateau de Versailles via golf cart before enjoying a fabulous lunch with wine pairings at the on-site restaurant, Ore.
Afterwards, the restaurant staff give us exclusive access to the Palace from a back door, skipping the hours-long entry lines.
Drive to the Loire Valley town of Amboise, and get settled into our rooms at the boutique hotel, Hotel Le Pavillion des Lys. We’ll gather for an introductory session where we can get to know each other better and set our intentions for our week together in France.
Dinner this evening is a relaxed – and delicious – meal of charcuterie, cheeses, and quiche paired with local Loire Valley wines in the comfort of our boutique hotel.
Sunday, October 15
Sunday is market day in Amboise! After breakfast and a morning meditation session, feel free to stroll over to the riverside market to see the impressive display of fruits, meats, seafood, cheeses, and many other locally made wares. But don’t fill up at the market food stands, because we’re soon off to explore the vineyards and enjoy a wine tasting and lunch at Chateau de Montdomaine with charming winemakers Fred and Louisa Plou.
For those who are interested, we can walk as a group over to the Chateau of Amboise this afternoon to see the stunning views from the upper courtyard and visit the chapel where Leonardo de Vinci is buried.
Monday, October 16
Following breakfast and morning meditation, we’ll bid farewell to the Pavillon des Lys and stop for a tour of the beautiful Chateau Chenonceaux. After a simple café lunch nearby, we’ll drive to our accommodations for the remainder of the week – the quaint Burgundian village of Noyers, near Chablis.
Local chef Ollie Timberlake will cater dinner at our villa this evening.
Tuesday, October 17
Breakfast, and morning meditation session with Jenni.
Enjoy some culture and history today when we visit Vezelay, a hilltop village with a working monastery. Jenni will kick off with a walking meditation on the grounds of the abbey, then hear the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the nuns and monks singing during mass.
Enjoy lunch at Sy La Terrasse and free time to explore the village shops before we head back to our villa for some downtime.
This evening we’ll participate in a cooking demonstration with Chef Ollie Timberlake at our villa. Follow Ollie on Instagram (@andsomuchmore).
Wednesday, October 18
Head out for the Loire Valley winemaking village of Sancerre this morning for a wine tasting at the vineyard of our friends Lynne & Philippe Raimbault.
After lunch at Sacripanti, we’ll stroll the winding streets of the hilltop village of Sancerre for some shopping and breathtaking views.
Casual dinner at our villa this evening.
Thursday, October 19
Morning meditation with Jenni.
Our friend and local wine expert, Brendan Moore, joins us today to introduce us to some of his personal friends and wine producers in his home region of Chablis. We’ll experience a morning wine tasting at Domaine Seguinot in the village of Maligny, then a café lunch of Croques Monsieurs and salads at the local Chablisienne Bar.
After lunch, we’ll taste with another wine producer in the area, then capping off a wonderful day with a glass of bubbly at the Caves de Bailly.
Free time to walk off today’s wine consumption in our village of Noyers, before Ollie prepares dinner for us in our villa tonight.
Friday
Closing session and meditation with Jenni. Travel to Paris.
Dinner and overnight at the Novotel CDG.
Saturday
Morning flights to the USA.
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Belle Vie Discovery Retreat - France 