Beguiling Spring Art Course and Cooking at La Creuzette

Limited Places Available

Overview

It is spring time in the French countryside. We witness the tender awakening of the kitchen garden and the blossoming spring flowers. Join Louis Jansen van Vuuren in the La Creuzette art studio, where the varied creative explorations will focus on diverse interpretations of spring flowers in aquarelle techniques. In parallel to the art course we will focus on cooking with the spring season, kitchen demonstrations illustrating the dishes and produce we use during the program, and wonderful excursions to beautiful places in the french countryside. The gourmet meals are served al fresco under the flowering wild Chestnut trees or around the summer kitchen table.

Subject to a minimum of 8 guests joining on the tour.


Cost Breakdown

La Creuzette holiday programmes are carefully compiled to ensure that you have the ultimate, hassle-free luxury holiday experience. Our all-inclusive land arrangement means that everything aside from flights, Schengen visas, train tickets, and personal expenses are taken care of as follows:


  • €3 350 per person sharing
  • Collection from Châteauroux train station on the 19th May and transfer to La Creuzette
  • Luxurious accommodation at La Creuzette for the 5 nights / 6 days
  • Full board accommodation (i.e. all meals with drinks, also at restaurants we visit)
  • Art course, materials, and instructions
  • All cooking sessions and excursions including entrance fees and gratuities
  • Transfer back to Châteauroux train station at the end of the week at La Creuzette


A non-refundable deposit of €1 000 secures your booking with the balance due on or before your arrival at La Creuzette. A single supplement of €650 for the week applies for single occupation.


Itinerary

Day 1 (Sunday, 19 May)

Collection from Châteauroux train station where the group will arrive between 12:00 and 13:00, and road transfer to Château de La Creuzette, your holiday residence in Boussac village. We stop for a delicious lunch at the famous l'Escale Village. You arrive at your holiday destination in time for tea, coffee and mignardises (typically French confectionaries). Take some time to settle in, relax and explore the grounds. We meet in the dining room of the summerhouse at 19h00 for champagne, followed by your welcome dinner.


Day 2 (Monday, 20 May)

Breakfast will be served at 09:00 in the main dining room. After breakfast, the artists will start their morning art session at 10:00. A full day will be spent in the studio with Louis: Morning session 10h00 - 13h00. A delicious lunch will be enjoyed at La Creuzette. Afternoon session 14h30 - 17h00. After breakfast, Hardy and the rest of the group will meet in the summer kitchen at 10:00 for a morning cooking session. We will be cooking from the La Creuzette cookbook, ‘The Story of a House’ and we will use easy molecular gastronomy techniques to take the menu to the next level. We show you easy ways of entertaining effortlessly. After a morning of fun in the kitchen and the art studio, we all sit down to a delicious lunch in the garden. After lunch, the artists return to the studio for their afternoon session and the rest of the guests will visit the 11th-century Château de Boussac. This gothic castle (privately owned) is filled with an incredible collection of antiques and beautiful tapestries. Afterwards, we will also have time to walk through the historic town of Boussac. Later, the whole group meets for drinks followed by dinner

Day 3 (Tuesday, 21 May)

After breakfast, the artists will start their morning art session at 10:00. Another full day will be spent in the studio and lunch will be enjoyed at La Creuzette.

After breakfast, Hardy and the rest of the group will drive to nearby Montlucon. We stroll through the medieval part of the charming village where we will have time to shop at some of the small boutiques and antique shops. We visit our wine merchant at his newly renovated tasting room for a special wine tasting and a traditional French lunch. After lunch, there will be an opportunity to buy some special wine and perhaps a good whisky with the help of a connoisseur. Tonight, we enjoy a cooking demonstration by a guest chef, followed by dinner.


Day 4 (Wednesday, 22 May)

After breakfast, the artists will have another full day with Louis in the art studio. The rest of the group will join Hardy to the Royal city of Bourges where we have scheduled a special visit to the new tasting room at the Villa Monin. We enjoy a cooking session with previous michelin chef Thierry Finet in the Monin tasting room, followed by lunch. After lunch, we will have some time to shop for interesting ingredients at one of the large restaurant suppliers in the city and also to visit the magnificent cathedral, and the adjoining archbishop’s garden. We return to La Creuzette and later, we enjoy cocktails followed by dinner.

Day 5 (Thursday, 23 May)

Market morning in Boussac. After breakfast, we all meander through the colourful market stalls that are laden with fresh fruit and vegetables, fragrant soap from Marseilles and other artisanal products from the region. The artists head back to the studio at 10:30 for their last art session while the rest of the group find inspiration for our lunch menu. Using the fresh ingredients selected at the market, lunch will be prepared and enjoyed at the long stone table in front of the La Creuzette summer kitchen. After lunch, we all (artists included) take a short drive to the Priory garden at Notre Dame d’Orsan (this was the inspiration for the garden design at Babylonstoren in Franschhoek and now also for The Newt in Somerset, UK). We spend the afternooon strolling through this magical garden. We return to La Creuzette where you will have some time to pack. At 18:30 we all meet in the art studio where there is a feedback session and an exhibition of all the art produced during the week. Our Farewell dinner follows in the dining room of the summerhouse.

Day 6 (Friday, 24 May)

This morning we will have a leisurely breakfast. After breakfast, we depart for Châteauroux from where the fast train to Paris departs.

Please note that this itinerary may be amended to accommodate suppliers, service providers and the weather.

Terms and Conditions apply

19 mai 2024 - 24 mai 2024

€ 3 350 per person sharing

  • Collection from Châteauroux train station on the 19th May and transfer to La Creuzette
  • Luxurious accommodation at La Creuzette for the 5 nights / 6 days
  • Full board accommodation (i.e. all meals with drinks, also at restaurants we visit)
  • Art course, materials, and instructions
  • All cooking sessions and excursions including entrance fees and gratuities
  • Transfer back to Châteauroux train station at the end of the week at La Creuzette

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