HOLIDAY OFFERS - Walking Holidays - Tickle Your Taste Buds

Tickle Your Taste Buds

Guided Walking Holiday

30 May- 6th June 2009

Price sorry we don't have a price yet. If you are interested in this holiday, please contact us and we will forward you the price and more details as soon as they are available.

How many of us harbour a secret desire to be shipwrecked on an island to have to fend for ourselves - living off the land. And how many of us would cope?

We're not planning on leaving you alone in the wilderness, but will open your eyes to the wealth of goodies you can harvest in your own back yard.

This will be a week of walking (2 - 3 hours per day), discovering the edible and medicinal properties of the plants of the mountains and trying out your cooking and preparation skills. You will be creating all your own evening meals with the help of our chef using products from the mountains!

Each day we will look at something different,
• Common plants - like spinach, nettles and dandelions, - learn how to make a delicious dinner to impress your friends without spending any money whatsoever - just a walk around the hills - or fields!

• Alcohol - what makes a good brew and the secret to making it! Discover new flavours you would never have thought of before - like larch?!

• Jams and cordials - discover new berries to add to your repertoire. And learn about the properties of them - what jam should you eat to get rid of the runs?

• Herbal teas - discover a whole new world of tea - a far cry from twinings peppermint tea (good though it is)

• Medicinal plants - you've seen them in the shops but where do they come from, how do you make them and what do you use for what?

• Essential oils - what are they, what are they used for and and how do you get from lavender to lavender oil?

Gilles Gaillard (click here and scroll down -he's at the bottom) will be your guide . He's an expert in all things that grow in the mountains (he's made alcoholic beverages out of virtually everything!) and has his own farm where he produces essential oils from lavender and St John's Wort amongst others.

You will be staying in a converted farmhouse situated on the edge of the river Drac. There are four bedrooms with two people per room. Downstairs is a large kitchen and living room with fireplace and a private garden. It's very beautiful and peaceful and a perfect location to turn into a mini food factory for a week!

This will be a fun week, with lots of learning and laughing. The walking is more focussed on finding plants than strenuous exercise, so will be fairly easy with lots of stopping to gather plants and herbs.

We will show you how to make the different products and provide all the materials and equipment you need. If you want to take things home with you, we recommend bringing (or you can buy them here) plastic containers with good seals. These are lighter and less likely to break in your hold luggage, than glass, as of course you won't be able to take any liquids or jams on as hand luggage.