Goût et Voyage Culinary Travel by French Quarter Magazine

This article was previously published on the French Quarter Magazine website.

“Interview with Goût et Voyage, Spotlight on Travel and Cooking”

Tell us a bit about Goût et Voyage.

Goût et Voyage creates lasting memories through French (and Italian) gourmet travel adventures. Martine Bertin-Peterson serves as the escort for all Goût et Voyage culinary travel adventures and serves as chef de cuisine for the Goût et Voyage cooking classes. Goût et Voyage trips attract couples, friends and single travelers from all over the world.

What led you to opening such a business about traveling to Provence, France and offering cooking classes?

I founded Goût et Voyage in 2014 to bring together my lifetime passions of travel, cooking and culture. The company was founded to offer the type of travel experiences I prefer- small groups ( no more than 6 guests per trip and we travel in one vehicle), lodging in small boutique hotels (no chains), only one hotel per trip to avoid the pack/unpack/pack/unpack syndrome and allow guests to experience the rhythms of Provencal life, dining at small “mom and pop” restaurants inaccessible to larger groups, hands-on cooking classes with local French chefs and truly unique experiences travelers would find difficult to replicate on their own.

I was born in France and am a native French speaker. I have visited many regions of France but always come back to Provence. Through my “Taste of Provence” travel programs, I hope to introduce clients to the beautiful countryside, vineyards, lavender, poppies, old stone mas, colorful markets, blue skies, tiny cafes and hill-perched villages that are the “authentic” Provence.

What do you hope people will get out of their experience with Goût et Voyage?

On the “Taste of Provence” trips, clients may start out as strangers but will end up as friends and they will have experiences that extend beyond the obvious. They will shop at the markets and cook Provencal meals in the homes of local chefs, they will visit picturesque small towns and villages, meet friendly shopkeepers and artisans eager to share their knowledge, dine at family-owned restaurants off the beaten path, explore Roman ruins yet undiscovered by hordes of tourists and much more. My hope is that clients will enjoy a slower, more relaxed pace with time to enjoy everyday pleasures like an apero at a local cafe. They will enjoy a long leisurely 4-course lunch on an outside patio, under an arbor or umbrella, in a small town where they can take in the unique sights and aromas of Provence and people-watch to their heart’s content.

The new “Taste of Provence, en français” travel program will follow a similar itinerary and feature the same popular activities as the existing trips, including cooking classes, winery visits, historic walks, market trips, hill town excursions and gourmet meals, but will be conducted entirely in French. Ideal for those travelers with an intermediate level of French language or higher, clients will converse with me and with those we encounter on the tour in French. They will use the trip to strengthen their French fluency and experience the richness of the region in a different way. “Taste of Provence, en français” provides a fun and authentic immersion alternative to the traditional classroom experience.

Continue reading the original post to learn about Goût et Voyage cooking classes, what to expect of a typical tour day in Provence, and a few French phrases you might want to know.

Book your spot now on a Goût et Voyage “Taste of Provence” tour.

About French Quarter Magazine

Isabelle Karamooz is originally from Versailles, France, and began her professional life working at the French Consulate in Los Angeles and later as a French instructor in Las Vegas, teaching French for Beginner to Advanced students at UNLV and the College of Southern Nevada.

Since the launch of French Quarter Magazine in 2014, she is currently the editor-in-chief of French Quarter Magazine (FQM), an online and a print publication that highlights cultural connections shared between France and the United States. Each month, the magazine offers its readers an overview of sophisticated lifestyle, culture, history, art-de-vivre, and exclusive interviews while being a direct marketing magazine distributed free.

All articles are in English and in French.

Image credits: photos published with the permission of Goût et Voyage