Itinerary for Unique 5Day South of France Sketch Tours

ITINERARY
Some locations will change depending on the 5 days you’re here, but they’re all stunning.
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Arrival
Private pickup from Toulouse Airport to Hotel d’albert in Caunes Minervois
Your flight number needed for this.
You’ll then be driven to Hotel d’Alibert in Caunes Minervois
to settle in.

Caunes Minervois.
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 10.00am we’ll have coffee together there and begin our sketch class.

We’ll take break about 12.30pm and walk over to Bar Fontaine nearby for a hearty lunch with drinks and enjoy the atmosphere.

In the afternoon we’ll walk across the bridge over the river and sketch plein air under the shade of the big plane trees.
We may decide to finish the day with a thirst quenching drink back at the outdoor bar before we end our day.

Olonzac Market (only on Tuesdays)
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 9.30am we’ll be picked up by our car and driven through picturesque scenes to Olonzac Market.
This is one of the best markets around with everything from linen clothing, tableware, antiques, french shopping baskets on one street, and an amazing array of food products in the other.
We’ll start with a coffee and first sketch the wander and sketch and shop (hard to resist)
Lunch will be 12.30 or so at LeTyzac.
After lunch we’ll sketch some of the ornate building facades in our loose and simple way.
Return to Caunes around 3.00pm.

Chateau Paulignan near Trausse
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 9.30am we’ll be picked up by our car and driven to the lovely nearby old Chateau Paulignan owned by a local family.
The interiors rooms are fascinating and the historical features are great for sketching. There is I believe a ghost from the 14th century.

We’ll take a picnic lunch and have it the trees around the chateau.
Return home around 3.00pm.

Le Somail on the Canal du Midi
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 10.00am we’ll be picked by our car and taken to a favourite spot of mine at Le Somail.
We’ll start with our coffee and look at the very old stone bridge crossing the Midi and watch the boats coming through.
This is a very good angle to sketch this landmark and get our composition working.
We’ll have lunch on the other side of the Canal and then at 2.00pm, we’ll take a look at one of the biggest second hand book markets around.
We’ll find a spot to sketch here once you’ve bundled up the books you can’t resist.
Our car will pick us ups at 3.00pm and we’ll return to Caunes.

Vin en Vacances Full Day Wine and Food Tour.
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 9.30am we’ll be picked by our driver and wine expert will be taking on a full day tour of food tastings, apero tastings, lunch with matched wines and sightseeing.
We’ll finish the day around 5.30 and be driven exhausted back home.

Lastours Cathar Castles
After breakfast in the courtyard at Hotel d Alibert, at 10.00am, we’ll be driven through valleys and forests to this almost hidden little village just above the babbling waterway where we’ll enjoy at seated view right up to the last 2 of the 4 Cathar ruins still standing. We’ll have coffee while we plan our composition and get started on this big view.
Lunch will be here and we could take it as a picnic down below the pear tree by the water if it was a lovely day.
Our lunch is also a sketch opportunity so lets be quick!
We’ll return home at 3.00pm.

There are very few opportunities like this to live French for a week and learn to sketch.
See you soon.