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Whether it is for a marriage proposal, a wedding anniversary, a romantic surprise, or any other occasion of love, we created, for you, about thirty romantic experiences which will totally amaze your sweetheart!

Be it under the Eiffel tower, with a dove, in a hot-air balloon, on the wings of an airplane, while showered by 1000 roses, in a limousine, or with a fireworks display, thanks to our expertise, you will offer to your beloved the surprise of her/his life!

 

See Apoteo Surprise

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Based between Angers and Saumur in the Loire valley, le tasting room is a small French business run by Cathy & Nigel Henton. We have 25 years experience in the wine trade between us and run wine tastings, courses and Loire wine tours, working with a wide range of producers from all over the region. We operate regular tours and tastings all year round.

One interesting option they offer is a one-day “Escape from Paris Winter Wine Tour” (until 31 March 2012) which takes advantage of the region’s fast TGV rail links and makes combining the sights of Paris with the delights of a wine tour. They will collect you an return you to Angers TGV station – and the train leaves Paris (Montparnasse) at 8.00 am
Other tours are offered including a 2-day romantic wine indulgence – for other tours they can recommend local accommodation including hotels and gites.
Situated between Angers and Saumur this is the heart of Loire wine country to which they can offer an unrivalled introduction.

a  favourite amongst the Wines of Anjou  

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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Today we are very pleased to announce that we will start our new service on 17 February 2012. Initially we will operate the route with the NORMAN SPIRIT, which is flying the French flag. A further ferry under the French flag will be added on the Dover Strait as soon as we can be ready with a suitable ship.

With 5 crossings each way daily and fares starting from £29 each way this service restores some capacity on the short-sea crossing and offers travellers more choice.

It also means that DFDS becomes the major player in Dover crossings. They will retain the original Norfolkline route to Dunquerque.

The Norman Spirit has a long and varied history on the cross-Channel routes having been operated under numerous companies – most recently LD Lines. It originally entered service in 1991.

For more info see DFDS and LD Lines

Other short crossing options include P & O Ferries (Dover -Calais) or Eurotunnel

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In the  series on BBC2 “The Very Hungry Frenchman” he shows viewers the country he loves so much and the French recipes that inspired him- starting with his childhood home in the Jura. This is not an area much visited by tourists, but I suspect that many will now explore the region in search of “hidden” or douce France.

Situated south west of Besançon (25 Doubs, Franche Comté), this area is home to Jura wines and Comté cheese – a hard rich alpine cheese that is great for fondue – and a wonderful cheese soufflé created by Raymond. The wines are somewhat out of the ordinary with unfamiliar grape varieties such as Savignin, Poulsard and Trousseau. The most distinctive wine is the Vin Jaune, which is an unfortified white wine which develops under a flor-like strain of yeast!

For the programme he took over the local bistro -the Bistrot de Port Lesney

to find out more about Comté Cheese and a list of stockists see www.comtecheese.co.uk/

For more on the Franche Comté see www.franche-comte.org

The annual wine festival Percée de Vin Jaune takes place 4-5 February 2012

Best rates for hotels in Besancon -  Travel by train from London to Besancon via TGV
Le weekend in Besancon

View larger map

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Established over 100 years ago ,Roquemaure becomes the city of romantic legends. The town is decorated as it was in the 19th century.

There will be more than 800 costumed actors, floats and horse riders. Shop fronts are decorated as in olden times as is the post office and the lovers fountain. There is the traditional market including ancient trades, a music stand and wooden-horse merry-go-rounds.

Lovers will find themselves humming the most beautiful love songs to the sound of street organs and exceptional Limonaire barrel organs in the streets of the old village.

The remains of St Valentin are reportedly buried here. Unless you are a real romantic, better to hunt our the local wines – Lirac – mainly reds in the style of Côtes du Rhône and Chateauneuf-du-pape. (also nearby are the rosé wines of Tavel, considered by many to be the best rosé wine in France).

For more info see www.ot-roquemaure.com

go by train from London St Pancras to Avignon (10 miles away)

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Now there is a new high speed rail line linking Burgundy and Alsace (Lyon, Dijon, Belfort, Mulhouse) opens up another part of France with onward connections and ultimately direct links to Strasbourg, Germany and Switzerland.

Meanwhile to the south the TGV route from Provence now passes under the Pyrenees as far as Figueras in Spain and ultimately the TGV trains will dun direct from Paris to Barcelona and Madrid.

So Dijon becomes a major junction offering north to Paris, south to Provence and Spain – and east to Franche-Comté,  Alsace and all points east.

By Eurostar and TGV from London St Pancras International to Dijon

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Otherwise face an  on-the-spot fine!

Weekends and Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) tned to be tje highlights with parades and floats, music and folk  festivals. It all culminates on the last day of Carnaval with the the Nuit de la Blanquette (night of Blanquette) – the local speciality sparkling wine.

For more about the local wines

For more about Limoux Carnaval

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I tend to take Paris in small chunks, knowing that all being well, I shall visit often again. I have still got the Louvre on my must visit list, so I have been reluctant to revisit the tower when there are other fantastic landmarks still unexplored.

But maybe I should think again – there are new restaurants, a new app and the view from any level of the tower is well-worthwhile.

On the first floor is 58 Tour Eiffel which offers a cuisine which is both simple and tasty in a friendly atmosphere. But on 2nd Floor is the new Restaurant Jules Verne – (see picture) created by chef Alain Ducasse – more stylish in a very 30s retro way and expensive but with stunning views to distract you from the gourmet food.

There is a revapled website at www.eiffel-tower.com and to prepare your visit you can now download an app for your i-Phone  with maps, plans, opening times, weather etc.

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This tradition is said to date back to the Middle Ages. On Saint Anne day, July 26th, garlic and basil producers and enthusiasts come together for an event in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Tours. Colours ranging from white, pink and green will highlight your stroll among the bold stalls where the scents and festive colours take on a sensual nature.

more info – www.tours.fr/
Quartier des Halles – Grand Marché – Place Châteauneuf

Find best rates for hotels in Tours
By train to Tours from London St Pancras
 

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Designed to promote the wines produced all along this iconic river, the Paulée des Vins de Loire is also an opportunity to discover some talented young winemakers

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The Spirit of France will join up with its sister ship The Spirit of Britain. The two ships combined represent a step change in the level of service and capacity offered to cross channel ferry passengers.

At more than 43,000 tons and 213 metres in length, they are not only the largest ferries ever to work the Dover – Calais route but also the most technologically advanced.

When the Spirit of France and Spirit of Britain begin working together it will represent the realisation of the largest ever inward investment made by P&O Ferries into its shipping fleet, at a combined cost of €360 million.

The Dover – Calais route is officially the busiest shipping channel in the world with over 500 ships per day passing through its waters. The combined capacity of these two ships alone will amount to a staggering 3750 passengers between them.

After the demise of P&O Ferries’ cross-channel rival, SeaFrance, the arrival of Spirit of France represents a welcome boost for the Dover to Calais route as P&O Ferries continues to bolster the capacity of this vital link between Britain and mainland Europe.

For more info see P&O Ferries

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The most famous, the nosiest, the most mental, but also the oldest, is the Dunkerque Carnival. For weeks on end, groups called fisherbands take the measure of each other, confront each other with sarabands and songs, disperse and liven up the town, and finally come together in one huge choir to celebrate their sailors, honour Jean Bart, and claim, with body and voice, their herrings thrown from the top of the belfry.
If you’ve never done Carnival here, you’ve never seen a real carnival !

With its climax on Shrove Tuesday(21 Feb 2012)– or Mardi Gras – Dunkerque Carnival has its roots in the secular festivities which took place as local fishermen prepared to leave their families and sail to the fishing grounds off Iceland, sometimes never to return.

After two days of costumed parades, ‘Trois Glorieuses’ is now the high point of celebrations which are marked by balls that take place all along this coastal community from long before this iconic Tuesday until long after.

For more info see www.northernfrance-tourism.com or www.dunkerque-tourisme.fr
Of course Dunkerque is directly connected from Dover with Norfolkline Ferries(now  DFDS) – but beware that the port (near Loon-Plage) is some 18km from the town centre

Best rates for hotels in and near Dunkerque

Running from Auxerre (90 Yonne, Bourgogne) to Decize (58 Nievre, Bourgogne) via Clamecy(58 Nievre, Bourgogne) this is a delightful meander of 175km with a new metalled cycle path alongside the canal.

At Decize you can link to the Canal Lateral de la Loire and then the Canal de Briare to make a circular return route. on the website you can find information on hotels and B&Bs, cycle repair/hire shops etc – see www.le-tour-de-bourgogne-a-velo.com

Best rates for hotels in Auxerre

We can recommend the Hotel de la Poste in the heart of Clamecy – a few metres from the Canal.

the Hotel Le Bel Air in Decize is a little basic but clean, friendly and good value.

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Chablis Poster

Apart from producing excellent wines, Chablis (89 Yonne, Bourgogne) being the most northerly of the Burgundy Wine areas, it is also a pleasant small town with a weekly street market on Saturdays,

On 4 February 2012 the town holds its St Vincent Wine Festival to show the wines of the region.

In May  there is an added attraction with a local wine and flower market

Tasting and sale of wine from the Yonne district as well as a flower market and the sale of regional specialties

For more info see www.chablis.net

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Eurotunnel Folkestone- Calais

The following message from SeaFrance:

SeaFrance statement – 17 January 2012

The Commercial Court in Paris ordered the full liquidation of SeaFrance on the 9th January 2012. As a result, the company is no longer able to trade.

SeaFrance has always respected its obligations to its customers and regrets not being able to fulfil any outstanding customer bookings. The company has set up an automatic refund process for all current bookings and customers will be contacted about this process by email within 24 hours. Customers’ bank accounts will be credited with a full refund as soon as possible.

The staff of SeaFrance are grateful to all their customers for the loyalty and confidence they have shown and hope that they will be able to make alternative travel arrangements.

Any customers wishing to contact SeaFrance directly should call 0845 458 0666.

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This festival, organised by the town of Bordeaux, is an opportunity for fans of fine wine, good food and culture to enjoy a great festive moment. It will be a celebration of the senses on the largest square in Europe, right on the banks of the Garonne.

The riverbanks and the Esplanade des Quinconces will welcome more than 300 000 gastronomers and culture-vultures throughout this four-day event.

The festival spreads over 12 acres right in the heart of Bordeaux itself. Visitors will thus be able to sample vintage Bordeaux and other local wines, and also meet local producers, visit wine-producing chateaux and discover the Gironde area as a whole.

With over 400 000 samples, hundreds of visitors in the fields, initiations to proper wine-tasting technique and 40 000 people every evening, you’ll be so busy having fun you won’t want to leave! Come and join in with this enthusiastic celebration of wine (to be enjoyed responsibly, of course!)…

for more info see www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com

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Are you interested in the Tour de France? Do you like wine? How about a couple of days that canmix the two? We’re running a combined Tour de France and wine tour of the Jura for a group of between 4 and 6 enthusiasts.

As you may know “Le Tour” passes close by here without actually racing! Stage 9, the Time Trial between Arc et Senans and Besancon, is on Monday 9th and, although the full route has not been revealed yet, would appear to be a straight North Easterly run up, or near, the main N83. Arc et Senans is about 35 miles from here and Besancon is about 58 miles. Tuesday 10th July is a rest day so there is the chance to explore the beautiful Jura region and get to know the highly individualwines that come from the area. Wednesday 11th July has a stage running from Macon, about 75 miles from here to Bellegarde sur Valserine, also about 75 miles. Again with the route not disclosed until late May (small inadvertent press releases not-withstanding) we can’t give you any idea of thebest places to go but ….

We’re offering a two night break which will cover the nights of Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th July which will feature the following:-

• Two nights B&B accommodation
• Special “Introduction to Jura Wine” Dinner
• One day wine tour, including tastings at two wine makers, as well as picnic lunch and
• sightseeing
• Transport to and from a local restaurant for evening meal
• Picnic lunch for Wednesday 11th July

The cost will be €145 per person based on two sharing in our twin or double rooms. Contact us for details and availability (use the form below)

Enquiry form for B&B in Burgundy......

1. to enqure about price, availability, facilities etc
2. Name(required)
3. Email(valid email required)
4. Telephone No.
5. Dates you are interested in?
6. No. in party?
7. Message
8. Enter the characters shown (stops spamming)

 

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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16-24 December  2011.

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runs 16 -24 December 2011

to Limoges by train

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for more info see www.brest-metropole-tourisme.fr/

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We are approaching November 16th, the date when the decision of the Court of commerce will dictate the future of the Company, the Board of SeaFrance has decided, in liaison with the French National Authorities, to suspend the ship operations on the 15th of November at 04 00 hours. The suspension of service will last for 48 hours pending the decision of the court.

Having run into some financial problems efforts are being made to sell the company, but French law requires a legal ruling be passed before the sale can proceed.
Fortunately at this time of year there is little problem to re-book existing ticket holders onto other operators such as EUROTUNNEL, P&O or DFDS(Norfolkline)
The bigger problem in the longer term is the threat to competition on the crossing, having seen Speedferries demise a year or so ago and LD Lines withdrawing services to Boulogne.

DFDS(Norfolkline) has put on additional sailings to Dunkerque which increases capacity on cross-channel routes and increases departure frequency to 90 minutes – see DFDS(Norfolkline)

8-24 December 2011

Look out also for Noel au Chateau events (Christmas at the Castle)including:

6- 8 December 2011 – Chenonceaux (37 Indre-et-Loire)

3-31 December 2011 - Sully-sur-Loire (45 Loiret)

3-31 December 2011 -  Gien (45 Loiret)

also

10-11 December 2011 – Crafts Village Menetou-Salon (18 Cher)

For more info see  www.visaloire.com in French

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Its Christmas Markets 19 November – 28 December 2011 are well worth a visit, with some German influences being close to the border.

In Metz there is also the new Pompidou Centre gallery – an outpost of the Paris version and is less than 90 minutes from Paris by TGV.

For more info see www.noel-a-metz.com

Drivers should beware though that the ferry terminal is some miles west of the town of Dunkerque and to look for signs to Ferry not Port or Centre Ville.

Should you get to the city centre it is worth visiting the fishing harbour and each year there is a Christmas Market (3- 24 December 2011) in the Parc de la Marine. And each Spring there is a major Carnival which is well worth visiting.

For more info see www.dunkirk-tourism.com/

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Bookings by 1 December 2011!
P&O Daytrip offer Dover-Calais

Time it right and visit a French Christmas Market such as

Arras (25 November  – 24 December 2011)

Boulogne (10-11 December 2011)

Calais (3-19 December 2011)

Dunkerque (3-24 December 2011)

Béthune (27 November – 31 December 2011)

Lille (18 November – 30 December 2011) – a bit further (about an 75minutes from Calais via A16 and A26) but wonderful settting with Carousel and the Vieux Ville to explore)

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You can expect top-notch tutored wine tastings, inspirational cookery demonstrations, a lively French market and live music to indulge your love of France. Get information on buying property, learning the language, holiday ideas and hear about real life experiences of relocation in our enlightening talks. Those interested in making the move to France will love browsing through the thousands of properties for all budgets in the UK’s largest French property exhibition. There will be so much to see and do at the show that one day there may not be enough!

Book early for special offers  – www.thefranceshow.com

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