Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

We recently returned from an incredible journey through much of the southern half of France and northern region of Italy. Jennifer and her team helped us plan a a truly unforgettable 3-week trip that highlighted some of the best wine regions in both countries, along with a great deal of historical sites. We began in Bordeaux at the beautiful Les Sources de Caudalie. Apparently the spring had brought an overabundance of rain which translated into very green and healthy landscapes wherever we went, an unexpected bonus!

Jennifer helped us plan an itinerary that covered the Left Bank and Right Bank regions of Bordeaux with a highlight on St. Emilion, a beautiful medieval town. Next, Jennifer encouraged us to visit the medieval village of Carcassone. We were so happy she did! It is the largest and most heavily fortified medieval village in Europe—very impressive! We also visited Montpellier and the lovely Camargue region known for their indigenous white horses and pink salt, staying at the gorgeous Domaine du Verchant. Our next stop was Provence, including stays at two truly lovely but different hotels, Villa La Coste and La Bastide de Gordes, once again thanks to Jennifer’s encouragement. We enjoyed a lovely and delicious picnic in the forest overlooking an ancient bridge hosted by a burgeoning young chef/farmer, as well as a very interesting tour of the asylum where Van Gogh spent many years of his life.

From Provence, we drove through the beautiful French Alps into the Barolo/Barbaresco region and stayed at the stunning Casa di Langa. We spent our time there discovering the wines of the region among the green verdant hills. Our final stop at Lake Maggiore and Villa Aminta was truly magical! The lake is every bit as beautiful as Lake Como but so much less crowded! The highlight was our day spent on a private boat touring both Isola Madre and Isola Bella. Each island boasted the most amazing private homes (more like museums!) built by the Borromeo family. Each was so incredibly beautiful and well preserved and were surrounded by gorgeous gardens.

Each of the hotels that Jennifer helped us find was unique, luxurious, and welcoming. The restaurants she helped us choose were outstanding! Our drivers and guides were some of the very best we have ever had the pleasure of using. We couldn’t have created the same experience without the help of Jennifer and her dedicated team!

Villa Windsor interior room in Paris, France.

Villa Windsor is due to open to the public in late 2024. Photo: Fondation Mansart

My trip to Paris was most memorable and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Without Jennifer most of what I experienced just would not have happened —namely, my private tour of Villa Windsor (which, by the way, is not open to the public). Also Jennifer planned my trip to the villa on my birthday and even arranged birthday cake with a candle and champagne. How utterly charming and exciting to eat my birthday cake and drink champagne in the dining room of the Villa where the Duchess entertained royalty of Europe. Also traveling through the airport customs was a breeze with their expert greeters. Should I plan another trip in the future, I will most definitely use this service.

Traveler Lisa Malecha's adult kid and significant other hiking the Calanques outside of Cassis, France.

“Our adult kids and their significant others hiked back into the crystal clear blue waters of the Calanques.”

In July of this year (2024) my husband and I embarked on a trip we had been dreaming about for years—embedding for a couple of weeks in one of France’s many world-renowned wine regions. We picked Provence because we recently did a replant at our vineyard in Northern California with a couple of Rhone varietals and this was a good opportunity to learn more about these wines at the source. Our adult children joined for the first week—and were on our own for the second week.

Our desire was to spend our whole time at one location, within walking distance of a village. Jennifer found us the most amazing villa within walking distance of the iconic French village Gordes, a village built into the rock face of the Vaucluse Mountains, above the Luberon valley. Jennifer listened to each detail of our request, found us several amazing options, but after talking to me, and my daughter who helped organize the trip, she steered us to a villa offering a view of Gordes that you only see in the movies. We walked into the village almost twice daily—for our morning coffees and shopping, and our evening cocktail or meals. Hanging out at the amazing villa pool, reading in the French Garden, or cooking in the fully stocked kitchen filled out our request list.

Our location was within a 15-minute drive to another handful of amazing hilltop villages. And only an hour from Marseilles and a touch further to the iconic coastal village of Cassis, where our adult kids and their significant others hiked back into the crystal clear blue waters of the Calanques. Followed by an amazing array of bouillabaisse options in the marina.

We hiked from the villa to the Senanque Abby and its amazing lavender fields; rode bikes through the Luberon Valley; rode white horses along in the Camargue; went wine tasting in the Chateauneuf de pape region; had 3 1/2 hour lunches; went to the Van Gogh museum in Avignon; had a French chef cook for us at the villa; went to a lavender museum and olive oil pressing.

We can’t wait to go back! What a magical area with memories of a lifetime created with our family!

I just got back from a very special trip with my 87 year old parents. They wanted to go to Amsterdam and my sister-in-law and I gifted them this trip for the holidays. I have to admit we were a little concerned about their mobility, health in general etc. We researched and purchased trip insurance just in case….but fortunately we had no spills!

My parents were troopers and embraced every moment. Jennifer and her team planned the perfect itinerary—one activity per day and wonderful dinners every night. We had terrific tour guides who were informative but also very accommodating to our pace and interests.

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