Nov 8-16: Cassoulet Tour of SW France

The LTH forum that taught me everything I knew about Chicagoland food while a student at the University of Chicago, and my year after UChicago working at the CME and The Girl and the Goat. I wanted to share with you the company I've started up here in the SW of France: The Goose in Toulouse.

We run food tours in one of the tastiest regions of the world. Think foie gras, cassoulet, Languedoc wines, Bordeaux wines, and piquant goat cheeses with that impossible-to-find-in-the-US layer of creme. It's a region of hearty food where pork and duck reign (although Bazas produces some damn good veal, and of course the mouth of the Girone has great seafood / oysters). In many ways its food is very Chicago (like The Publican).

In a very LTH fashion I've been scouring for the little places that truly shine. And I've found many. From visits to goat cheese producers in the hills of the Pyrenees to the world's best cheese caves in Toulouse, from small wine producers in the Languedoc to wine powerhouses like Petrus, I will be happy to show you around.

We've got two styles of tours: one is a group tour, and the other is a custom tour (for space limitations I am only able to offer some exclusive options, such as Petrus visits, to custom tours).

I'd like to invite you on the University of Chicago tour running November 8th-16th, 8 nights and 9 days. You don't have to be an alumni to come. Accommodation includes in Chateau Lynch-Bages' Château Cordeillan-Bages and Le Donjon inside the medieval walled city of Carcassonne.

It's simply a great tour. November is a great time here: the harvest has ended, the tourists have left, and it is just the perfect amount of nippy to enjoy a bowl of Cassoulet and a mighty glass of red wine.


Schedule: Nov 8-15, 8 days, 7 nights,
Toulouse, Saint Girons, Carcassonne, Bages Pauillac

Thurs, Nov. 8th: Toulouse:
Morning arrival times vary by guest. Morning check-in. Recommended museums / sightseeing
1pm Group lunch in Toulouse
4pm Visit and tour the caves of a Cheese refinery Xavier
6pm Visit to Victor Hugo Market
7pm Guided cheese tasting with cheeses from Xavier and coursed dinner

Fri, Nov. 9th: Toulouse -> Saint Girons: Cooking and Architecture
10 am Cooking Lesson
12pm Eat lunch of prepared foods during lesson
3pm Afternoon historical / architectural tour of Toulouse
6pm Depart for Saint Girons
8pm Dinner at Hotel Eychenne

Sat., Nov 10th: Saint Girons: Markets and Caves
9am Tour of Saint Girons market
11am Drive to Glacial Lake, Picnic in Mountains
3pm Visit to Prehistoric, painted caves of Niaux
8pm Dinner at Hotel Eychenne Cassoulet

Sun., Nov 11: Saint Girons: Goats, Artists, and the Medieval
9am Morning visit to cheese makers in the Mts
11am Visit Sylvie's house + Gil artist.
1pm Lunch of Goat Cheese and salad
3pm Tour of Medieval town Saint Lizier
5pm Saint Girons free afternoon: wine lesson with Mm. Bordeau, Antiques,or cooking lesson.
8pm Dinner in Saint Lizier

Mon., Nov 12: Carcassonne: Languedoc Wine
8am Departure for Carcassonne
10:30- 1:00 Tour of vineyard Clos du Gravillas (Bio vineyard doing fantastic work with rare grapes)
1-3pm Lunch together
3pm-5pm Afternoon tour of Carcassonne history
5pm Free evening. Dine in a cafe, explore the city by night, shop in the boutiques, or relax in the hotel.

Tues., Nov 13: Carcassonne:
11am tour of Cathar Castles
6pm Return to the hotel. Dinner recommendations provided. Evening concert if available

Wed., Nov 14: Pauillac / Bages (Bordeaux)
8am Departure to Bordeaux region
11 am Arrival and hotel check-in
12-3pm Recommendations and reservations of lunch of your choice / free time
3-5pm Tour of Crushpad facilities. Learn about making your own wine, and if participants desire, create a group barrel.
Free evening

Thurs., Nov. 15: Bordeaux Region:
10am Tour of Lynch Bages facilities, wine tasting, 2 wine lessons: the art of assemblage, and Bordeaux Great Terroirs
1pm Lunch recommendations
5pm Free Evening: options to rent bicycles or cars to explore the Medoc region and its Chateaus on your own pace

Fri. Nov, 16: Bordeaux Region: Au revoir!
Return flight to US or continue your travels in Europe.
Tour officially ends


Pricing & What's Included:
The price for the tour is $2,520 on a double occupancy basis ($800 supplement on a single basis)
- 1 night stay Hotel Albert 1er***, Toulouse with breakfast
-3 nights stay in Hotel Eychenne***, Saint Girons (Midi-Pyrenees) with breakfast
-2 nights stay in Hotel Le Donjon****, Carcassonne with breakfast
-2 night stay in Chateau Cordeillan-Bages, Bages (Bordeaux)
- 10 Lunches / Dinners
- Tour Guides
- All listed Excursions (Tour of Toulouse, Cheese tour / tasting, Cooking Lesson, Prehistoric Cave visit, Market tours, Visit to Saint Lizier, Visit to Glacial Lake, Goat cheese farm, artist's house, Saint Girons Market, Historical Tour of Carcassonne, Visit to Languedoc winery, excursion in Carcassonne, Tour of Crushpad wine facilities, Tour of Chateau Lynch-Bages plus 2 professional wine courses)
- Administration fees
- Transportation in a hired coach bus + driver
- Assistance in planning your flight, additional excursions, and travel recommendations for every step of your journey


visit [url]gooseintoulouse.com[/url] for more information

Thanks!
Marybeth