Vive La France!

Discover the Very Best of France!

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Vive la France!

A 10 Day Culinary Experience in the Heart of France
Paris | Lyon | Marseille | Avignon

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May 15 - 25, 2019

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Paris | Lyon | Marseille | Avignon

What Does the Perfect Day in France Look Like?

That’s just heart-wrenching stuff to hear.

That’s why I do everything I want before I die.

And I want to make sure you do the same!

I want you to travel more, I want you to spend more time with friends and family, I want you to eat more good food.

I want you to do the whole “Eat. Pray. Love” thing as much as possible.

And I want you to do it fast. Because you never know. Because if not now, then when?

That’s why I’m offering you this opportunity to travel across four of the most beautiful cities in France. There will be lots of food, wine, exploring and meeting wonderful new people.

But before I tell you about this amazing opportunity I have for you...

I’d like to tell you my story and my life’s mission…

"I never pursued my dreams and aspirations."

Dear Friend,

Do you wake up from the comfort of warm sheets and the plump softness of your bed?

Do you step out to the balcony surrounded by beautiful shrubbery with lemon and cherry trees?

Do you look to the clear blue skies?

Are you looking forward to the fun and adventure you’ll have with your family, friends, and your special lover?

Will you get to laugh and take in all the sights, sounds and smells France has to offer?

Will you capture blissful moments as you kiss under the Eiffel Tower, marvel at the Arc de Triomphe, and stroll through Le Palais du Luxembourg?

Maybe even a nice bike ride in Parc de Bercy to Noisiel?

Do you hear the jolly French Accordions that lift your spirits as you hold your partner’s hand in the Tuileries Gardens?

Does your mouth water at all the fine cuisine that welcomes you?

Think of streets teeming with cafes, bistros and exotic street food!

Think of croissants with perfect flaky crusts on the outside. And warm crusty French bread with real French butter (the best in the world), slathered on top.

And exquisite French Wines curated by the best connoisseurs just for you.

Then dessert. Oh, don’t get me started on desserts...

Crispy and flaky macarons. A bouquet of crepes lavished with nutella and strawberries.

And more desserts that your heart can desire.

It’s exciting to think about, isn’t it?

Well...

It doesn’t have to be a dream or a fantasy...

It doesn’t have to be a wish on your bucket list...

It doesn’t have to be a trip you keep putting off anymore.

You’ve worked hard. I’m sure you’d like to get away and travel!

Travel brings joy. Travel is the catalyst for romance. A chance for adventure off the beaten path. A chance to do something you’ve never done before!

After all, you deserve to enjoy yourself.

That’s what life should be about. You should experience new moments.

Happy and unforgettable moments.

And I don’t know about you...

But I am at my happiest when I get to travel and eat with friends and loved ones.

Good food, travel and time with friends has been the best investment I have ever made.

It’s paid in dividends.

I’ve found love, experienced different cultures, and met so many wonderful people from all over the world.

It’s shaped me forever.

Life is too short.

We’ve all heard that before.

But it really is.

You’ve probably also heard that the biggest regret people tend to have on their deathbeds is...

How I Deliver Life’s Most Exquisite Experiences to You

Hi... I’m Jerry Edwards.

I’m a Chef and CEO of Chef Expressions Catering and Events.

My team and I have been named National Caterer of the Year...twice. I have won over 50 National and International Culinary Awards, and I am also a Culinary Consultant.

I started my first business back in 1982. I love what I do now.

I get to travel the world with friends and family, cook with world-class chefs, and work with some of the best wine connoisseurs in the world.

A most memorable experience is when I cooked for the great Sommelier Robert Parker. We have become friends since then and he always makes sure I serve nothing but the best wines.

But I didn’t always do what made me happy. When I finished college and told my parents I wanted to be a chef, they told me that would never turn into a real career.

They persuaded me to get a “real job.” They meant well and thought that’d be the right path for me.

Being a chef in the 1960’s was not celebrated as it is today.

So...

I sold insurance door to door. I was making good money but I HATED my job. I couldn’t concentrate because I’d daydream about cooking in the kitchen all day. I became miserable.

I just wasn’t me.

Ever since I was 5, I would always gravitate towards the kitchen.

My Italian grandmother Luccia (Lucy), she was old school. She made everything from scratch. And I would just watch in amazement.

I’d always ask if I could help.

She’d let me knead the dough, make pasta, and finally she let me be the first to taste her secret, spaghetti sauce. I was so honored I think I had an out of body of experience. Since then, I’ve never looked back.

Cooking was my passion and my calling.

Then my family would visit my other Grandma, Vera in Illinois for the holidays. She also loved to cook. She taught me how to make my first pierogis. It was a family tradition.

It was one of my proudest moments of my life. Grandmother Vera and I made these soft buttery pierogies stuffed with ground smoked ham and onions. Drizzled with bacon cream sauce on top.

I’d go on to take that family recipe and run with it. It became a family favorite meal, even with my Mother’s Italian side.

As I’d got older, I’d read cookbooks and whip up whatever seemed the most challenging reading from Larousse Gastronomic and Julia Childs’ Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I’d share it with my family and friends.

And they loved my cooking.

So much that my friends would wake up an hour early every Friday morning. Just so they could get to eat my home-cooked omelets, sausages, and pancakes before high school.

During college, I studied psychology, but I’d take every food service job I could get. I'd work in restaurants and fast food joints as a cook.

I even had a short stint at a famous French Restaurant.

I eventually settled to work at an ice-cream parlor and accidentally made one big company a lot of money.

I worked at Lee’s Ice Cream as the manager and Ice Cream Maker, and one day we made “Oreo” ice-cream. It was our top-selling flavor back in 1981.

Before you know it, we got a cease and desist order from Nabisco, because we were using one of their brand names without permission.

But a little later in the year, they reverted their order once they figured out their sales of Oreo cookies and ice cream were up through the roof in our area.

We basically provided tons of free advertising for Nabisco with our signature ice cream flavor.

Even my parents realized I had a gift and passion for cooking. They could tell my insurance job wasn’t making me happy.

My father came to me and said.

“Look, I know you REALLY want to be a professional chef. There’s a woman below my office who’s selling her sandwich shop. She’s not making any money and the food is terrible. Why don’t you go talk to her and see if you can buy it from...”

Before he could finish, I got up and rushed out to meet the lady selling her business.

“I understand you want to sell your business,” I said.

And she was all too happy. She stressed about how she wasn’t getting any business and was ready to sell it for $5000.

“I only have $2000,” I said.

“I’ll take it,” she said. I handed her the check.

She handed me the keys and happily stormed away. It was all a good riddance to her. And that was the birth of my first business.

But it was terrible getting this started from the ground up. I had inherited a mess with only one frozen meatball sub.

I barely had inventory or any fresh ingredients to make food so I put a sign on the door that stated, “Under new management. Will open in 10 days.”

I got started immediately. I contacted my vendors that had sold to me at the Ice Cream store and asked them to deliver the goods and I would pay them the next week. Some were reluctant, but some were happy to help.

I am still doing business 37 years later with several of them.

With the support that I got, I was able to take off. I turned my sandwich shop into a delivery business waaaay before Dominoes or Papa John’s were delivering pizzas in my area.

Before you know it, I was a 22-year old with $75,000 in the bank! That gave me the opportunity to:

Travel
Invest more in culinary education
Meet tons of wonderful people
Most importantly, cook even better food.

So I traveled to Napa Valley and eventually to Europe. It was a great time in my life.

I have been taking people on culinary travels since 2006. And I've had an incredible time giving ordinary people experiences they would not be able to have without the connections I had garnered over the years.

John Paul Berry and I met as he would perform entertainment for our wine suppers. Little did I know that he was a world traveler and has been to over a hundred countries across the globe and taken people on trips across:

Italy
France
South Africa
Napa Valley
Argentina
Spain
And more...

He's now a good friend of mine and has become a full-time travel guide. He and I decided to team up and plan culinary tours together.

Since then, our mission is to get you to experience people, culture and just damn good food from all over the world!

Paris | Lyon | Marseille | Avignon

That’s why my company Chef Expressions and Travel Expert John Paul Berry’s Specialized Tours partnered to bring you this truly delectable and cultural experience.

We present to you a 10 Day Culinary Experience in the Heart of France. Across 4 of the most beautiful cities:

2 Nights in Paris: Hôtel Le Littré
3 Nights in Lyon: Hôtel Villa Maia
3 Nights in Avignon: Mercure Cites des Papes
1 Night in Marseilles: New Hôtel Marseille

And a completely tailored experience with:

Bilingual Tour Escort to manage every step of the program without language barriers
Private Coach charters to get you where you need to go quickly so you can make the most of your time having fun! AND I LOAD UP THE BUS WITH GREAT WINES AND BEVERAGES!
Private culinary pursuits in some of France's iconic restaurants including the world-renowned Paul Bocuse Restaurant
A cooking class guided by yours truly and some of my good chef friends from France. You’ll enjoy the intimacy of your family and loved ones and make new connections, and learn new delicious recipes!
Wine tours and tastings including some of the best wine from The Rhône Valley, according to acclaimed wine critic Robert Parker. Indulge yourself with wine that has spicy, warm and bold aromas that will put you in a state of bliss!

And you’ll still have free time to explore France to your heart’s content.

John and I have been very good friends for 20 years, and we know this trip will be the best one yet!

If you have any questions about the trip, we’ll be more than happy to answer them. But now I’d like to tell you where you’ll be staying next...

Where You're Staying

3 Nights in Lyon: Hôtel Villa Maia

Lyon is just an absolutely wonderful place. It’s just bursting with bistro after bistro and restaurants. Everything is nearby! That’s why John and I picked Hôtel Villa Maia.

Hôtel Villa Maia is a place with Italian roots that emerged from the Antiquaille site near the Roman theatres and the Old Town of Lyon. It’s a hotel you can call home from home. It’s surrounded by gardens with an atmosphere bathed in calm and relaxation. As always, strong customer service and making you feel like family are also part of their values.

2 Nights in Paris: Hôtel Le Littré

Hôtel Le Littré has been managed by the same family for three generations. They’ll welcome you as their own. Their key values are to listen to your needs and serve them. As of writing, they have 2,688 reviews and an 88% rating. Hôtel Le Littré is a timeless Parisian Hotel and a treasure located in 6th district of Paris. We’ll be near the streets of Le Monfort. Beautiful streets loaded with market shops, fishmongers, fresh vegetable and fruit stands, pâtisseries, wine, and cheese shops all within a 100 feet from where you stay!

3 Nights in Avignon: Hôtel Mercure Avignon Centre Palais des Papes

In Marseilles City, the New Hôtel of Marseille is ideally located, in the extension of the Old Port, opposite Palais des Congrès du Pharo, at the gate of the sumptuous Marseilles bay. It is a 5-minute walk away from Marseille's Old Port, the city centre and the beach. Perfect for when you just want to relax with a book or take a walk.

1 Night in Marseille: New Hôtel Marseille

Hôtel Mercure Avignon Centre Palais des Papes is located in the center of town, with direct access to Place de l'Horloge. The Mercure Avignon Centre Palais des Papes hotel is in an exclusive location at the foot of the Palais des Papes.

It’s only 2 minutes from the bridge and close to the train station. Meet up with your friends, family and loved ones on the terrace and discover the charms of Avignon! All in comfortable rooms in a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

Your "Vive la France" Itinerary

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Schedule your flight and depart the USA
Arrive in Paris France by early Thursday morning May 16th.

Welcome to Paris, France's capital and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture.

Scattered arrival on your own
Guide - meets group in the hotel lobby and provides a afternoon walking tour to Trocadero Gardens (17-min walk each direction)
Exploration time - Free time to do whatever you like in Paris
Assistant - meets group in the hotel lobby and accompanies them to the restaurant (one way)
Private Coach - arrives at the hotel and provides transfer to the restaurant - roundtrip (evening)
Dinner at Le Grand Colbert: 3-course meal
Le Littre - Paris, France