LOIRE VALLEY WITH LISA DONOVAN AND JULIE BELCHER
September 24-30, 2024
SOLD OUT!!
Experience the allure of the Loire Valley at Château de Jalesnes, a 17th-century Renaissance castle, with Lisa Donovan AND Julie Belcher.
September 24 - 30, 2024
From $5,000 to $6,500
6 days, 6 nights
SOLD OUT!!
Picture this: start your day with coffee on the terrace, followed by a grandiose breakfast buffet in the château's hall. Learn French pastry from the acclaimed baker Richard Ruan, then indulge in locally made galettes and crepes made by local experts Laure and Arnaud Grislin for lunch. Take a forest walk to discover the castle moat, a refreshing dip in the pool, all followed by a blissful nap in your luxurious bed. End the day with a natural wine tasting led by Manon Lavaud from La Tonnelle wine bar and a dreamy traditional French dinner. We'll make it all come true at Château de Jalesnes, a 17th-century gem in the Loire Valley. Join us for a gastronomic journey to remember!
What will you do?
The Loire Valley is all about breathing it in - from the intoxicating aroma of a Loire white wine to the undeniable fragrance of fresh plum pastries baking in the oven. We want you to get to know this region as the locals do, and that you will! This region of the Loire was the home of our co-founder, Julie Belcher, for many years – and it is a place to fall in love with.
During our time together at the château, Lisa Donovan will bring you into the genesis of her career as a pastry chef with a deep dive into traditional French pastry. Cannelé, éclairs, gâteau aux amandes - all new skills and recipes in your repertoire. Julie Belcher will teach the ways of sourdough bread baking at home. We will cook and master local Loire meals together, dishes such as Galipettes d’Anjou and Pâté aux prunes. We will taste every kind of cheese you can imagine!
Every bit of the itinerary is optional, so should you decide to spend the day napping by the pool or riding a bike along the river, we’ll be happy to see it. We want you to make this week your best vacation ever.
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While we hope everyone will be excited about the itinerary, all experiences are optional! Please feel free to sit out whenever you desire.
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Rêverie has carefully selected activities and experiences that we believe represent the best of the region and our own expertise, aiming to provide an optimal experience for the participants.
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Cooking is communal and we have the opportunity to cook together, learn from experienced cooks, and practice new techniques. We can’t wait to welcome you for our workshops!
YOUR ITINERARY
*Please note that changes to the itinerary may occur between now and your retreat start date*
DAY ONE
Tuesday 9.24.24
We will pick you up from the Angers Saint-Laud train station and whisk you away (lol) to the stunning Château de Jalesnes where you’ll be welcomed with a bubbly cocktail and smiles all around. After some time to settle into your castle room to unpack your bags, we’ll see you in the grand dining hall for our first dinner together. Bienvenue en France baby!
DAY two
wednesday 9.25.24
After a fanciful breakfast feast, you’ll join Lisa Donovan in the kitchen for a pastry dough workshop where you will learn the secrets to a flaky crust and then build your own lunch galette with your new friends. After an afternoon nap, we’ll join Manon Lavaud from Aux Saveurs de La Tonnelle in Saumur for a natural wine tasting on the balcony while we watch the sunset.
DAY three
thursday 9.26.24
Time to get out of the house, and what better way than to visit the famous Loire Valley Chenonceau chateau?! Built OVER the Loire River, this abode will welcome us into its galleries, art collections, and pristine gardens for a morning visit. We’ll satisfy our well-earned appetite with a picnic feast in the gardens. On our way back to our own château, we will stop at the Domaine Bobinet in Saumur for a visit to their vineyards and a tasting of their delicious biodynamic wines - one of our favorites in the region!
DAY four
friday 9.27.24
You’ll spend this day at the château perfecting your sourdough game with Julie Belcher, making a sourdough focaccia and pizza dough from start to finish. We’ll end the day with a big ol’ Rêverie style grill party on lawn, complete with bubbly and a game a pétanque (that’s French for bocce ball - which is italian for throwing heavy balls at a little bitty ball!). We’ll spend the day together like old friends on vacation - that’s what you’ll be by now!
DAY five
saturday 9.28.24
Oh, Angers Angers (pronounced AHN-ZHAY). A gorgeous city with a story to tell ! We will drop you off at the huge Saturday market at Place LeClerc where you can explore local vendors and do a little shopping. From there, you can head into the city and make your way to the medieval Château d’Angers for a tour, or you can spend the day shopping in the city center. You’ll have the option to eat a Rêverie sandwich picnic lunch or you can sit down for a lunch on your own (not included in price) at one of Angers’ fabulous restaurants. We have plenty of recommendations as this was Julie’s home for most of her twenties! After a full day, you’ll head back to your new home for a final dinner at the château.
DAY six
sunday 9.29.24
Our last full day together - oh no! It’s a good one though…we’ll have a morning workshop with Richard Ruan of La Boulangerie des Carmes in Angers where you’ll learn to make his incredible hot water pastry - used for everything in his bakery from savory lunch quiche to sweet sugar crisps. After our last lunch together and some time to pack up, we’ll head to the absolutely ridiculously charming village of Montreuil-Bellay. We’ll give you a moment to soak it in, and then we’ll meet for a goodbye dinner at the most wonderful little restaurant, L’auberge des isles.
DAY seven
monday 9.30.24
You’ll enjoy one last breakfast in the Château de Jalesnes dining hall before we all say our goodbyes. Our drivers will take you back to the Angers Saint Laud train station. May you leave inspired, refreshed, and filled to the brim with wine and pastries!
YOUR HOSTESSES and local experts
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Julie Belcher
Rêverie co-Founder and your Loire Valley guide, Julie will show you around her former home in Angers and beyond. She’ll also host an extensive workshop in all things sourdough - from starting and maintaining a starter, making a dough from scratch, and all the way to shaping and baking fresh yum yums in your own home oven.
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Lisa Donovan
Rêverie co-founder and queen of the kitchen, Lisa is a goddess of flavor and will transport you to a food universe you’ll never want to leave! You can look forward to tips and tricks from her expert mind in pastry and cooking. AND she’s a helluva good time! Get ready for some really good stories and mega laughs ;)
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Richard Ruan
Owner of La Boulangerie des Carmes in Angers, Richard was Julie’s mentor for several years and a truly talented baker. Richard will join us for a baking workshop, and you’ll have the chance to visit his incredible bakery when we spend a day in Angers!
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Manon Lavaud
An expert in Loire Valley wines and a wine-maker herself, Manon has years of experience in tasting and selling natural wines and currently works for Aux Saveurs de La Tonnelle, one of our favorite wine shops in the world ! Manon will come for an evening introduction to some of her favorite natural wines, and we may even get to taste some of her own!
WORKSHOPS
We’ll introduce you to Julie’s dearest baking mentor and one of the BEST bakers in France, Richard Ruan, who will teach you one of his secret recipes that will blow your mind. Manon Lavaud from La Tonnelle, a legendary natural wine bar and shop in Saumur, will guide us through an extraordinary tasting of local natural wines.
With Lisa Donovan, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to make and bake a pâte feuilleté, and how to master other classic French desserts and dishes.
Julie Belcher will lead a hands-on class for how to make a simple, homemade sourdough bread dough, and how to shape it into loaves, focaccia, pizza, and fougasse.
We can’t wait to invite you into the kitchen !
WORKSHOPS
French pastry technique workshops with Lisa Donovan
In-depth sourdough baking workshop with Julie Belcher
French baking workshop with Richard Ruan of La Boulangerie des Carmes in Angers
Intro to Natural Wines of the Loire Valley with Manon Lavaud of La Tonnelle in Saumur
* Due to the nature of the experience we wish to provide, we can accommodate vegetarians, but will be unable to accommodate any further dietary restrictions.
EXPLORE
We can’t wait to show you around! We’ll take a trip to the LaFayette open-air market in Angers to explore how to source local foods and plan meals around them, followed by a midday meal at our favorite - Fricot Restaurant. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the city as well, with its shopping, beautiful streets filled with cafés and bakeries, and of course the exceptional medieval Château d’Angers. La Tonnelle wine bar in Saumur will give us an introduction to natural wines. And of course, we can’t spend a week in the Loire Valley without visiting one of its stunning châteaux - so we’re due for a stop at the château Chenonceau, a marvelous castle built OVER the Loire River! For one of our final dinners together, we will venture out to Montreuil-Bellay for an enchanting dinner at L’Auberge des Isles.
OUTINGS
Explore the beautiful city of Angers and the Marché de Lafayette
Lunch at the fabulous restaurant Fricot in Angers
A day trip to the Château Chenonceau
Dinner at L’Auberge des Isles in Montreuil-Bellay
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything! Well, everything except for your airfare and train to the Angers Saint Laud train station. But once you arrive, we got you.
Transfers to and from the Angers Saint Laud train station (Gare d’Angers Saint Laud) to and from the Château de Jalesnes.
Workshops and all necessary materials
Recipes galore !
All meals (unless you go rogue)
All wine and beverages for the week, unless you wanna buy your own for an after hours party ;)
Private transportation while on retreat for all scheduled outings and transfers
All scheduled tours and events during our week
Château lodging, naturally !
GETTING HERE
*Cost of airfare to the closest regional airport or train station to our Château is not included in the cost of your reservation. Please let us know if we can offer any moral support or guidance with your travel plans - we’re happy to help! Our expertise is included in your Rêverie purchase.
Airplane
Guests will fly into Paris (Charles de Gaulle airport - CDG). From there, guests can take a train directly from the CDG airport in Terminal 2 to the Angers Saint Laud train station, or from the Gare Montparnasse in the Paris city center. We will arrange for pick up at the Angers Saint Laud train station. For a fee, we can arrange private transport directly from the Charles de Gaulle airport or from your hotel in Paris to the Château de Jalesnes.
Car
The Château de Jalesnes is about a 3-4 hour drive from the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport in Paris. For those comfortable using a GPS and driving out of big cities, this could be a great way for you to get around and have a little more freedom during your stay with us. If you allow for extra time, you can even take the back roads and enjoy that incredible scenery as you follow along the Loire River. Please let us know if you do decide to rent a car so that we may inform our car service.
Train
A few direct trains are available from the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport to the Angers Saint Laud train stations, and several trains leave the Paris Montparnasse train station every day to Angers. If you’d like to travel by train but are unfamiliar with the system, we would be happy to help you book your ticket.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel to the Château de Jalesnes, please reach out! We are happy to help make this part of your trip as easy as possible.
If you would like to extend your stay in France, we are delighted to partner with The French Travel , a locally owned and operated trip designer based in Paris. They are true experts who will help you perfectly plan your before and/or after Rêverie experience. Check them out for more info!
Our friends at Coucou French school offer some incredible online French language classes - whether you’re looking to brush up on your high school French or looking to learn a few phrases to feel more comfortable with travel, Coucou is the way! Check out their website for more information.