The EA Story

Coming home to France, and its Southwest, with Evelyne

French expatriate in Canada, I am like many in my situation – in love with two lands. Over the years, I have often returned to the region where I grew up, many times with English-speaking friends. I have watched my friends fall in love with the Southwest of France. I have watched their eyes and hearts glow as they experience the France of their imagination: welcoming homes, warm and hospitable people, breathtaking scenery, extraordinary cuisine, vibrant colours and joyful music.

I have dreamed of sharing my passion for the region of my birth, the French Southwest, with sophisticated North American travelers. I have dreamed of introducing them to the “other” South of France: the one that Europeans have long favoured over more tourist-overrun parts of the country such as Provence and the Riviera. I have dreamed of providing a travel experience that is in many ways like visiting a well-informed, English-speaking friend who understands your tastes, who knows how to extract the best of a region to suit your interests, who can eliminate logistical challenges and can take you to the places you wouldn′t have found on your own. After inviting experienced and sophisticated travelers to dream about their ideal vacation to France, I realized that there was a strong interest in the kind of travel experience I dreamed of providing.

This is how Expérience Authentique was born.

Today: 3 passions under the Expérience Authentique umbrella

Fueled  by the French mother’s energy to raise a bilingual family while developing my travel business ( Passion #1) ,   I started French Summer camp programs in Toronto, and later on trips to Quebec for Canadian children,  schooled in French immersion or francophone schools.  Today, in parallel to French camps in Canada,  Expérience Authentique offers linguistic stays and cultural experiences in France for  youth, adults and families.  Find out all of the details under the French Immersion  beret  . Voilà for Passion #2! 

While working and living in the French Basque country, I got to know the work of Michel Hacala. Michel’s paintings, sculptures and mosaics visually capture the love I feel for my birth region and its unique quality of living I long for. You will find photos of Michel’s work through this site and I have the pleasure to act as his agent here in North America. Voilà for Passion # 3! 

The common thread: to take you where French living is at its best….