Straight  from a web page from Rendez Vous France, the organisation in charge of promoting tourism to France, here is what Bordeaux fête le vin is all about:

….“Have you heard of Bordeaux fête le vin? France’s leading tourism event for Bordeaux wines, Bordeaux fête le vin is a major international festival celebrating wines from the Bordeaux and Aquitaine regions, held every two years in rotation with Bordeaux fête le fleuve. This year, it will be held from June 28 to July 1.

Wine, gastronomy and culture enthusiasts are cordially invited to gather along the piers, in the heart of Bordeaux (listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO) to take part in these exuberant festivities. An exceptional program has been planned allowing food and wine lovers to discover the architectural beauty of the city as well as its surrounding vineyards and cultural gems…“

I had the pleasure to be there two years ago with my childhood girlfriend, Florence. For 24 hours, away from the day to day responsibilities of  work and family, we caught up, laughed, biked along the piers, sampled lots of wine of course, ate, sat at patios by the river, listened to live bands, watched a spectacular light show on the beautiful facade of the La Bourse building .  We had fun, just like two worry free 18yr olds would again. Today’s Bordeaux , further to 10 years of profound transformations and rehabilitation, provides a superb setting to enjoy life, and the festive atmosphere of Bordeaux fête le vin makes it worthwhile to time one’s visit.

Expérience Authentique partners with a local  company whose travel services aim at sharing its passion for Bordeaux wines and showcasing the variety of the its wine regions. Feel free to call me if Bordeaux and its wines are on your mind!

Mugaritz and Arzak , around or in San Sebastian, Spain, confirmed their prestigious ranking in 2012,  respectively as # 3 and #8 as per the World’s  50 best restaurants .  San Sebastian is only a 20 minute drive from the trendy French towns most of my clients select as a home base  for their vacation,  ie ST Jean de Luz and Biarritz.  No French restaurant made the top 10. That being said, on both sides of the border in the Basque country you will find plenty of options to choose from, from casual fares to 3 star Michelin restaurants. San Sebastian also has created the first university program focused on gastronomy. The availability and richness of local ingredients has  enabled the Basque region to establish a strong reputation when it comes to eating well for many years. It has provided a fertile terrain for local chefs to express their personality and talent.

FOR INFO as appearing on the World’s  50 best restaurants web site:

Organised by Restaurant magazine, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 800 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes “best” is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets. The results are a simple computation of votes. Given that this well-constructed list is based on personal experiences it can never be definitive, but we believe it is a honourable survey of current tastes and a credible indicator of the best places to eat around the globe.

Have a read of this article accessible from the web site of Rendez Vous en France, the French government funded organization that  promotes tourism in France. It provides an update and a valuable resource on how to source restaurants with good value with a red Michelin restaurant and hotel guidebook in hands. Precisely in 2012, the red Michelin guide distinguishes restaurants that offer a 3-course meal in PAris under 35euros or 29 euros in the rest of the country. Such restaurants are coded as BIB Gourmand. A wikipedia search gives the following definition for Bib Gourmand:

Since 1955, the guide has also highlighted restaurants offering “good food at moderate prices”, a feature now called “Bib Gourmand”. They must offer menu items priced below a maximum determined by local economic standards. BIB (Bibendum) is the company’s nickname for the  Michelin man,  its corporate logo for over a century.

More background on Michelin red book and its star rating system here on Wikipedia.

Wishing you many BIB Gourmand experiences!

Good suggestions from Condé Nast Traveler for a successful family vacation as per this article.

I might add that the Basque country is a wonderful destination for families to do just that.

Atout France, an international organization mostly funded by the French government to promote tourism in France, launches once a year a magazine that features different facets of France. Atout France Canada and Atout France USA  this year have incorporated an article to profile golf courses in the French Basque Country, and established the region as the prime destination for golf in France. Have a read….

If interested in golfing experiences designed by Expérience Authentique in Southwest France, do refer to this page. Imagine great golf and much more!

Bonjour,

Below you will find a link to download a one page PDF document, either in English or French, with a recap of all the one-of-a-kind French living  experiences designed by Expérience Authentique for children schooled in French, and their families. They take place in Toronto, Quebec and Southwest France. Thank you for sharing the brochure at your child’s school, with teachers and principal, the parent`s association and other interested families or a link  on your Facebook page . MERCI!

1 page Info pamphlet in English – 2012

Brochure 1 page en français-2012

Also, here are the brochures ready for downloads for the Toronto day camp and the Quebec trip in both English and French:

QUEBEC 2012 – 1 page English brochure

QUEBEC 2012 – Brochure 1 page en FRANÇAIS

Camp Baby Point 2012, Toronto- in English

Camp Baby Point 2012 – en français

For those of you with contacts within the Francophone community here in Toronto, kindly share the news as you see it fits that Expérience Authentique will be hiring a number of French speaking counselors. Looking for both seniors and juniors staff to work at the Toronto day camp and Quebec city camp. Junior counselors typically come from a francophone high school and speak fluent French. Seniors staff also come from a francophone background and have prior experience working with children. The curriculum is fully developped and in place when they hop on the boat with the responsibility to bring it to life. Thank you for your assistance.

Click below for detailed job  postings…

Job posting for French speaking senior counselors               Job postings for French speaking JUNIOR counselors

The camp brochures are available for download right here….

March break coming up here for families in Ontario. The Globe & Mail newspaper published an interesting article on challenges and advice with a multi family vacation home rental. Lots of common sense but some good reminders learned from real life experience . Good check list to go through. It is focused on families with young children but worth using as an inspiring exemple to expand from when travelling with various age groups.

A number of properties that Expérience Authentique offers on the Basque coast are well suited for 2, or even 3 families, to share a mansion and the benefits of increased confort. Check out the selection….

Published by the local tourism offices, a few snapshots of places to visit to showcase the history of the region are caught in this video.