A beautiful rural landscape with diversified features makes Burgundy a perfect location for magnificent balloon adventures. Dozens of 14th century castles and ancient market villages with picturesque stone houses dot the lush rolling green hills. Burgundy is a vast parkand, ideal for low altitude exploration by balloon. Our highly creative pilots skillfully incorporate the best of the regional features into memorable flights for our guests. We will drift over roofs and treetops, while a tapestry of tightly patterned landscape changes below us. Beneath our baskets, the world class vineyards such as Montrachet, Meursault and Pommard slip quietly by.
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Day One
We’ll depart for our first late afternoon balloon adventure just-above-the-rooftops of 14th century castles and romantic villages, landing at twilight and followed by dinner prepared by our own chefs in the vaulted, candlelit chambers of 14th century Chateau Savigny-les-Beaune.
We will meet you in Paris at 9:00 a.m. for transfer to the walled, medieval town of Beaune, the center for wine making in Burgundy. We’ll arrive in time for an elegant lunch at Le Montrechet, one of the area’s most notable restaurants, then check in for four nights at Hotel Le Cep, our beautiful 14th-18th century hotel.
Day Two
For luncheon we’ll be the private guests of our good friend and one of Burgundy’s most famous personalities, the Countess de Loisy, who truly entertains us with stories of her ancestry, winemaking and the German occupation of her 15th century home during WWII. She will take us on a most interesting tour of her wine making estate and its extraordinary cellar, with 3,000 wooden wine barrels! Visit the 12th century monastic winery of Clos de Vougeot with its gigantic 2-storey oak grape presses dating from the same period. The winery is the home of Burgundy’s prestigious wine society, The Confrerie des Chevalier du Tastevin.
Then on to the 4 1/2 acre vineyards of Romanee Conti, the most expensive red wine in the world. Late afternoon balloon adventure through the lush vineyards of Burgundy, ending with an elaborate candlelit buffet in the ancient cellars of Chateau Savigny-les-Beaune. You will greatly enjoy the castle’s remarkable and unexpected collection of 92 jet aircraft on the back lawn, and more than 200 motorcycles on its top floor!
After breakfast we’ll visit the 14th-17th century wine cellars of Patriarch, the largest in Beaune with four million bottles. Our wine expert will touch on the pleasures of enjoying fine wine during a sampling of some of the 36 fine Burgundies open for tasting.
Day Three
Enjoy a lavish lunch at the Hostellerie de Levernois and free time to browse around Beaune’s quaint medieval square and pedestrian shopping area. Late afternoon balloon adventure followed by a festive dinner party prepared by our own chef, in a romantic, medieval setting.
Morning visit to the small workshop of Claude Gillet, making 50 wine barrels a day by hand, then proceed to the fairytale cliff-top fortress of 14th century Chateau de la Rochepot and its storybook village. The castle is one of the best existing examples of a Middle Age fortress.
Day Four
Late afternoon balloon adventure through Burgundy’s ancient, storybook scenery, followed by dinner and graduation ceremonies in the flower-filled orangerie of Chateau de LaBorde, Buddy Bombard’s home in France.
Explore the marvelous 15th century Hospice de Beaune, Burgundy’s most important architectural landmark which functioned as a charity hospital until 1979. Elegant lunch at Chez Morillon, one of Beaune’s most celebrated restaurants, with a visit to the Wine Museum of Burgundy, once the medieval residence of the Dukes of Burgundy.
Day Five
We’ll depart Beaune at 10:00 a.m. for transfer to Paris, with lunch enroute. Arrive Paris late afternoon.
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Five Days / Four Nights
2008 Departures
June 11-15
$ 8,940 per person, based on double occupancy |
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To check availability or receive additional information on Buddy Bombard Vacations, drop us a note, or call.... 800-777-7739 |
reprinted with permission of the Bombard Society
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