A French gourmet weekend
A gourmet weekend at the Chateau Montvillargenne near Chantilly in France was the rather refined location for a group of 52 members of the Jim Godsell & Friends group, based in the Birmingham area, this July. Says GTO Jim, “We set off in the wettest weather on record and it rained heavily all the way there and all the way back, but for our two days of sightseeing, we had the best of sunny weather. I booked the holiday through Gloucestershire-based Travelscope, who I am using more and more nowadays as I have made a very good contact there.”
On the group’s first night at the Chateau, they were seated in their own private oak-panelled dining room and were served with gourmet food, along with half a bottle of wine per person included in the price. “We had three such evenings of perfect inspiring food with wine included and special diets were also catered for,” explains Jim. “After dinner each evening, we were able to sit outside on the terrace on lovely balmy nights until the midnight hour – the breakfasts were also sensational!”
During the holiday, members enjoyed visits to Monet’s Garden in Giverney, the Chateau de Chantilly and the medieval town of Senlis. “I hired English speaking guides before we went, who bought everything to life – an absolute joy,” enthuses Jim. He continues, “I ended up with a group of very, very happy and contented friends and we all made an effort to dress up in the evenings – even the men! A big thanks go to Travelscope, which perfected the holiday to my very exacting requirements, and to my dedicated contact there, Alison,who looked after my every whim!”