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France

Buddy Bombard's Sightseeing by Air Balloon!

Founded in 1977, Buddy Bombard’s Europe is the world’s only vacation experience of its kind, combining a highly customized luxury tour experience with spectacular, low-level sightseeing by balloon each day throughout his  trips.

Each year Buddy Bombard  operate 20 departures in 6 European countries; Italy, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, France, and the Czech Republic, with 27 possible Trip Combinations for those who wish to experience two or more consecutive itineraries. Trips range from 5 to 10 days in length, with Trip Combinations ranging from 12 to 52 days.

A trip with them presents many opportunities to meet and talk with friendly European locals and some of Europe’s most colorful aristocrats. On each departure, travelers check into one luxury hotel for the duration of the trip, exploring the region each day by private car and for about an hour and a half each day, from the gondolas of our beautiful balloons. The group frequently float low enough to speak with greatly amused people in their gardens as we drift just-above-the-rooftops of ancient cobble-stone villages, medieval castles, or through lush, alpine meadows. The generous hospitality we are able to create for our guests by ‘dropping in’ at farmhouses and in picturesque villages is legendary, which makes our spirited landing celebrations shared with the locals, whimsical and full of fun. The  days are also packed with exquisite dining, visits to the most attractive features of the area and wonderful, private invitations to the castles and estates of local nobility, vintners and friendly villagers. Each evening a festive dinner party is planned—perhaps by firelight in an 11 th century ruined fortress, at a posh French restaurant or as guests of a Contrada competing in the spectacle of Siena’s Palio.

Sound like fun? It is! Buddy Bombard and his famous balloons have opened doors throughout Europe, allowing their programs to resonate with a cultural authenticity unattainable any other way.

Burgundy’s Medieval Castles
and World Famous Vineyards.
Five Days, Four Nights - Four late afternoon balloon flights scheduled.

Day 1 - 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. 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.

Day 2 - 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. 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!

Day 3 - 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. 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.

Day 4 - 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. 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.

Day 5- We’ll depart Beaune at 10:00 a.m. for transfer to Paris, with lunch enroute. Arrive Paris late afternoon.

Burgundy’s Medieval Castles & World Famous Vineyards
 

France

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