Les Liaisons Délicieuses

An Illumination and Holiday Celebration in Lyon
with
Jean-Marc Villard

In December, Lyon bustles with life and light as the Lyonnaise people prepare for Christmas and the New Year and also for their unique celebration of a very special religious holiday. On December 8th, every house, bridge, and shop in Lyon is illuminated with candles and decorative lanterns to celebrate the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception of the soon-to-beborn baby Jesus. At night, fireworks fill the skies over both rivers, and there is an excitement in the air that is found nowhere else in France, or anywhere in the world. By day, the food shops are filled to the brim with sumptuous holiday delicacies including, foie gras, caviar, truffles, wild turkeys, guinea hens, and sensational salmons. Christmas markets, with unique hand-made holiday gifts, tempt passers-by. If you too are tempted, join us in Lyon for a five-day pre-holiday shopping, cooking, and dining extravaganza. Extraordinary holiday spirit guaranteed!

Trip Itinerary

•	Arrive at the train station in Lyon in late morning.
•	Check into the Hotel Le Phénix at noon.
•	Enjoy a light lunch in Vieux Lyon, the historic district near the hotel.
•	Afternoon guided tour of historic Lyon.
•	Welcome dinner at Restaurant Christian Têtedoie’s new bistro, Contretête.

•	Cooking class focusing on creating holiday specialties, especially several preparations of foie gras, followed by lunch, where we will have the pleasure of enjoying our culinary creations.
•	Visit to Beaujolais with a degustation, a visit to a wine museum, and the opportunity to learn about the fabrication of the Crément de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine, which rivals many champagnes.
•	Gastronomic dinner at Restaurant St. Alban.

•	Visit to Les Halles, a large covered market with an extraordinary array of stalls selling first-rate produce.
•	Shellfish lunch at Les Halles.
•	Afternoon guided tour of La Croix Rousse, Lyon’s silk district.
•	Free time to shop and visit the Christmas markets in Lyon.
•	Dinner at one of Paul Bocuse’s brasseries.

•	Cooking class followed by lunch.
•	Afternoon visit to the Musée des Beaux Arts.
•	Plenty of time to shop in the numerous Christmas markets.
•	Gastronomic farewell dinner at Restaurant Christian Têtedoie.
•	A magical nighttime walk along the river to experience the aweinspiring illumination.

•	Morning free in Lyon for more shopping.
•	Depart for the train station in time for a noon train back to Paris.

Accommodations & Cost

Accommodations: All hotel bedrooms include a private bathroom and direct dial phone service.

Included in the cost: Four nights accommodations; all ground transportation; all meals including aperitifs and carefully selected regional wines; all cooking classes; and all sightseeing and private visits as described above. Limited to ten class participants.

Not Included in Cost: Airfare; train to and from Lyon; alcoholic beverages except as specified in the program.

Cost: $2,890.00 per person; $400.00 single supplement

Deposit: $800.00 per person.

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