Approaching Europe
CONTRAST TOURS
THE BRITTANY REJUNEVATION TOUR, 2027
(Precise dates unknown Yet) June 2027
In collaboration with Seaboard Wine, Savi's Wine, Wine and Words, and Giorgios Hospitality Group.
Limited to 12 Participants, plus the famous René, a Breton among all Bretons, and myself.
ABOUT THIS TOUR:
THIS PAGE IS NOT READY YET
IT IS BASED ON THE 2025 TOUR
BUT IT MAY GIVE YOU A FEELING
FOR THE TOUR
Mont Saint Michel
Type of room we get in Central Brittany's Manor
Low tide in northern Brittany
Gigantic "christianized" Menhir near our hotel on the North coast.
Our beach on the Northern coast
Des Amants dans mon Café
One of Saint Malo's sides.
Walking in the Bay of the Mont Saint Michel
Our Hotel in Central Brittany
Northern Finistére
Unpublished
Vue Imprenable
ITINERARY:
* Sunday August 31: Departure from RDU (or wherever you depart from) to Paris.
Of course you may depart a bit earlier, in order to acclimate and enjoy Saint Malo for a few days, as this little town on the ocean, has a lot to offer and explore.
* Monday September 1st: From the airport you will take a cab into the city to take a train to Saint Malo where the tour starts. There are at least half a dozen trains a day to Saint Malo, and I will guide you if need be to get the best train for you.
Dinner in town.
Of course you may depart a bit earlier, in order to acclimate and enjoy Saint Malo for a few days, as this little town on the ocean, has a lot to offer and explore.
* Monday September 1st: From the airport you will take a cab into the city to take a train to Saint Malo where the tour starts. There are at least half a dozen trains a day to Saint Malo, and I will guide you if need be to get the best train for you.
Dinner in town.
* Tuesday September 2nd: We spend the day at the Mont Saint Michel, about 1 hour drive from Saint Malo. There will be a fair amount of walking involved in this day.
In the morning we will have a private guided visit in English of the Mont Saint Michel and its Abbaye, offering a breath taking view on the bay. Then lunch at a very classic restaurant on the Mont.
In the afternoon we will have a private guided visit in English of Bay of the Mont Saint Michel, to understand its specificity, unique tides, moving sands etc. This will also allow us to see the Mont from a different perspective.
Return to Saint Malo and Dinner in town.
* Wednesday September 3rd: We leave Saint Malo for Central Brittany and our first stop will be at the main cider producer that we will enjoy during the tour as well as back here in the U.S. Bertrand the owner of the "Cidre de Brocéliande" will tour his facility with us, and explain how cider is produced.
We will then have lunch 30 minutes away in a restaurant that is a classic stop for the people of the region and beyond. This restaurant is always full, for it offers a pittoresque window in the region's culture. It feels as if it just stepped out from our parents'time, and the cuisine is what we remember from our childhood, in its deep French version.
After lunch, yes this is a busy day, we will have a fairy tale visit in the Brocéliande Forest. This is King Arthur's forest, and the knights of the Round Table still guard it, so walk quietly as you don't want to alarm them. We will have a private guided visit in English with a troubadour that will take us to the "Valley of no return."
There is no telling if this legend is true or not, but you might ant to let your family know, in case it is. Otherwise we will then end the day in a village about 45 minutes further, which has a yearly mega photography exhibit on its walls. This is a major attraction.
We will stay for two nights in a Manor nearby.
Dinner in the village.
In the morning we will have a private guided visit in English of the Mont Saint Michel and its Abbaye, offering a breath taking view on the bay. Then lunch at a very classic restaurant on the Mont.
In the afternoon we will have a private guided visit in English of Bay of the Mont Saint Michel, to understand its specificity, unique tides, moving sands etc. This will also allow us to see the Mont from a different perspective.
Return to Saint Malo and Dinner in town.
* Wednesday September 3rd: We leave Saint Malo for Central Brittany and our first stop will be at the main cider producer that we will enjoy during the tour as well as back here in the U.S. Bertrand the owner of the "Cidre de Brocéliande" will tour his facility with us, and explain how cider is produced.
We will then have lunch 30 minutes away in a restaurant that is a classic stop for the people of the region and beyond. This restaurant is always full, for it offers a pittoresque window in the region's culture. It feels as if it just stepped out from our parents'time, and the cuisine is what we remember from our childhood, in its deep French version.
After lunch, yes this is a busy day, we will have a fairy tale visit in the Brocéliande Forest. This is King Arthur's forest, and the knights of the Round Table still guard it, so walk quietly as you don't want to alarm them. We will have a private guided visit in English with a troubadour that will take us to the "Valley of no return."
There is no telling if this legend is true or not, but you might ant to let your family know, in case it is. Otherwise we will then end the day in a village about 45 minutes further, which has a yearly mega photography exhibit on its walls. This is a major attraction.
We will stay for two nights in a Manor nearby.
Dinner in the village.
* Thursday September 4: We first visit another nearby village, the type that seems to be stepping out of a Robin Hood type of movie. This is said to be one of the top favorite villages in France, and given how perfect it is in its representation of 14th century life, not too "cliché," this seems very credible.
We'll go to the castle that tops the village, and from which we have beautiful view on the surroundings, then see if we can help the French economy defeat obscurantism, by hitting the quaint shops where the lads are.
Lunch at the historic Crêperie of the village.
We will spend a good part of the afternoon absorbing the photography exhibit in ou village, and then pétanque.
Dinner in the village.
We'll go to the castle that tops the village, and from which we have beautiful view on the surroundings, then see if we can help the French economy defeat obscurantism, by hitting the quaint shops where the lads are.
Lunch at the historic Crêperie of the village.
We will spend a good part of the afternoon absorbing the photography exhibit in ou village, and then pétanque.
Dinner in the village.
* Friday September 5: We leave the manor for a megalith site in the Morbihan Golf, about 1.5 hour away. We will have a private guided visit in English of a the site, which features a once gigantic menhir (rock in the shape of an obelisk) that was 60 feet tall and weighed 300 metric tons.
We will hear the story of how scientists know it was transported over water, and from where, but how nobody has a clue how it was done 5 to 7 thousand years ago.
We'll then have lunch at a gastronomic restaurant in a port on the way of our second megalith visit.
That second private guided visit in English of the day, will be of a Unesco protected site, featuring an alignment of hundreds of Menhirs, and our guide will reveal to us what the latest theories are about this site otherwise inaccessible to mortals without a guide.
Full of the latest science on Celtic ancient history, we will then head toward the hotel where we will spend the next 5 nights in Southern Finistère, a beautiful setting between Britanish Cornwall and the Pays Bigouden.
Dinner on the port.
* Saturday September 6: This is our one urban day after Saint Malo, we go to Quimper, a lovely town on the Odet river, the same river that arrives to the ocean in front of our hotel, and one with gorgeous medieval architecture.
Time to help the French economy again, in this rather elegant town.
Crêpe lunch in the epicenter of the town.
After completing out tour of the town, we'll go to Cornwall and visit my other cider producer, a smaller sized one that makes gastronomic ciders with Cornwall's super tasty apples.
Dinner on the port of Concarneau.
* Sunday September 7: We go back to Concarneau where we had dinner last night, as today is the rare boat ride on the 18th century sail boat seen on this page. Suffice to say that this is not an experience commonly available. The crew will operate the boat, and I cannot wait.
Picnic on the boat.
Pétanque and dinner where we live these days.
* Monday September 8: Today we go west, way west, to the last point before America, about 1.5 hour from where we live. Before that we'll have have some lobster in a restaurant specializing in seafood and shellfish on the nearby bay, a bay with a story. Be ready for the lobster of your life.
After lunch time to burn some calories, hiking to the most western point in France and brave the winds.
Pétanque, and crêpe dinner in our peaceful port.
* Tuesday September 9: We first will have a boat ride up the Odet river that passes by our hotel, and which as we know, comes from Quimper and beyond. Going up the river will help us measure the importance of this river which is symptomatic of the Britanish landscape where such rivers may be found everywhere, and create remote ports, as well as sanctuaries for beautiful houses.
We'll then spend our last day in Southern Finistère in Pont Aven, the legendary village made famous by Gauguin. Pont Aven is also a village up a stream that hosts sea boats, and we'll have lunch in an excellent restaurant near the river.
After lunch we'll have a private guided visit in English of the village, notably explaining the connection between Gauguin and the town as well as its implication with the American School of painting that originated here. And then another attempt to help the French economy in this rather sophisticated village with beautiful shops and art galleries.
Pétanque, and dinner in our peaceful port.
* Wednesday September 10: Our lovely port was sweet, but time to leave a little more on the edge, the ocean edge that is. Today we cross Brittany for the North shore, what in my mind is "real" Brittany. I went there 50 years ago for an Easter vacation with my Economy professor from High School. I never fully came back. Brittany stayed on my mind since then, with its melancholic low tide and savage winds on the west and north front. You will not be disappointed, see a bit below.
But before we go through the central elevations, as it would be exaggerated to call that mountains.
We'll have lunch in a grocery store lost somewhere on our way. You don't see this kind of business everywhere, a community service type of private business, run by a rather young woman with a beautiful spirit. Nothing gastronomic, but excellent home cooking served with a big heart.
In the afternoon, we will make several stops at churches along our way, that are graced with unique architectures fruit of their people's devotion. These are called "Enclosed paroissiaux," and are somewhat unique to this part of Brittany. Stunning curiosities.
And then we will arrive to our hotel on the Northern beach, the most beautiful beach in Brittany I think. One maybe imagined after "2001 Space Odyssey," with probably thousands of huge boulders everywhere, leaving room for small patches of sand. Extra beautiful.
Pétanque, and dinner at the Hotel.
* Thursday September 11: It is time to get ready for survival in the 21st century. We are going to therefore have a class on how to harvest algies, and then how to prepare them is some delicious dish.
Lunch will follow
Walk from the hotel through the beach, to the site that is iconic of Brittany.
Dinner at a master Crêperie.
* Friday September 12: This is René's day. Given the format of this trip, René could not drive the second van, and we will all have missed him all tour long, although his DNA is all over this tour that he greatly helped design, refine etc. It is beyond fair to write that this tour would not exist without him, and would not be half as good either, for he is the quintessential Breton, which will seem obvious to you now, after observing so many of his fellow Bretons.
So today we drive to where René lives, about 1 hour away, in a Brittani's port of the North West coast.
We will have lunch there with some deeply Brittanish cuisine, and then will drive back mostly along the tormented and beautiful coast.
The big Pétanque Finale.
Local dinner.
* Saturday September 13: After a good hearty breakfast, one last walk or look at the unbelievable beach, and it will be time to say goodbye to Brittany.
We will drive back to Rennes and eventually catch a high speed train to Paris.
We'll settle in our cosy hotel in the heart of Saint Germain des Près before heading for dinner in a Right bank culinary Mecca.
* Sunday September 14: This is the regular end of the tour, unless you elected to extend your stay in Paris a little bit, as most people do. It would indeed be considered a bit harsh on yourself, not to enjoy this incredible city a little bit, and grab one last slice of civilisation before heading back to the land of all excesses.
I have not planned any tour of the town for this trip, as the people already participating have done this with me already, but I am organizing optional lunches and dinners, see the option page.
* Monday September 15: One last day in Paris, as tomorrow I am heading south. Come have lunch and dinner with me, see the option page.
* Tuesday September 16: This is it until the next tour with you folks. I hope you stay here as long as you'd like, I have to head south and fetch some wine so that there may be another new tour soon.
But as said before, I am happy to arrange your stay in Paris for as long as you wish.
La Tartine
ABOUT THIS VOYAGE:
Jean-Christian Rostagni
This is Your Hosts Lineup,
although René will not be an active part of this tour:
to learn more about these characters, click on the thumbnail and then on "Open" in the lightbox in order to see what they are up to.
René Tanguy
COST OF THE TRIP:
$10,260 per person based on double occupancy, travel insurance and airfare are additional, if 5 participants in "Superior" room in Southern Finistère Port, "Premium Mer" room on the North coast, and "Classique Double" room in Paris, with Saint Malo accommodation additional. $11,320 if 4 participants. Please see options page to see all room choices, alternatively and beyond the rooms listed here. Please note that 'Classique" rooms in Paris do not have A/C, but they do have fans and windows, so there should not be any problem of over heating in September. These rooms are also on the courtyard, and you wil not have street noise if you chose to open the windows.
The single accommodation supplement is $1,325 with Secondary Hotel in Southern Finistère, this is where I stay, "Premium Mer" room on the North coast, and "Classique Single" room in Paris, with Saint Malo accommodation included from August 29.
The prices includes hotel, meals, wine during meals, transportation, entrance fees when applicable, and should be considered all-inclusive, save for beverages in your room or at the bar, spa and other services you might want to enjoy that are not part of the group activities.
Travel Insurance: you will be quoted a rate based on your tour cost and other parameters if you'd like. If you chose to get some Travel Insurance from Travel Insured International, a highly rated Travel Insurance Company with which I partner, you will get a 10% of your cost as a credit toward your Contrast Tours costs if you choose a trip plan, 5% on an annual plan to which you may add trip cancellation/interruption as well. See here.
Please read our Viral Policy. and the way of the meals.
And here is how your deposit and payments are handled.
Photography: I will happily provide photographic assistance and share my photographer's perspective throughout the tour.
During this journey you will be able to compare wines from many different appellations, see what the differences are, and get to understand why there are such differences. Our meals will always be paired with wines and ciders that I import. Those wines are imported by Contrast Wines, a sister company to Contrast Tours, and are available in wine stores and restaurants in NC.
The exact itinerary is subject to modification due to scheduling and interest of the Tour considerations. Please note that this is an epicurean journey, and I cannot guarantee being able to accommodate all dietary needs. Please inquire if this is a matter of concern.
Please email me (use Contact Us button below) if you want to book or have any questions. You may also call me: 919-416-1111.
