Cooking, Painting &

Photography Activities Itinerary

(See the itinerary at-a-glance)

This is the itinerary for a typical week...

MONDAY is arrival day, so relax and chill-out.

Enjoy the afternoon and evening with Apero (pre-dinner drinks and snacks), followed by a three course gourmet meal cooked by the chef.

TUESDAY after a brief introductory chat with your tutor, it's straight into the cooking, painting or photography.

A light lunch will be prepared by us, then it's back to your chosen activity for the afternoon.

Aperitifs are followed by a gourmet meal prepared and cooked by the "chefs".

WEDNESDAY MORNING is set aside for a trip to Sarlat's wonderful medieval market with its rich and seemingly infinite variety of subject matter.

After that, we'll come back here for a fantastic lunch. You can then either engage in more activities with your tutor, or have the afternoon off to do with as you please.

WEDNESDAY EVENING is your free time and there will be no formal meal.

So, you are free to go out for a meal and experience the culinary delights of the Dordogne.

A meal out might involve a great value five course dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, or a gourmet saunter around one of the area’s prolific ‘night markets’ (a local village affair where you’ll find stalls selling hot and cold local dishes and wine which you can consume in the village square on trestle tables cheek by jowl with the locals).

THURSDAY continues with lots more hands-on activities with your tutor.

A light lunch will be prepared by us, then it's back to your chosen activity for the afternoon.

Again, aperitifs are followed by a gourmet meal prepared and cooked by the chefs.

FRIDAY continues with lots of hands-on activities with your tutor.

A light lunch will be prepared by us, then it's back to your chosen activity for the afternoon.

Aperitifs are followed by a gourmet meal prepared and cooked by the chefs.

FRIDAY FAREWELL MEAL: Later, we'll join you for what will effectively be your last meal at Bombel - a farewell celebration!

Back to top

Itinerary At-A-Glance

(All times are approximate)

Monday:

• 4pm: (approx): Arrival

• 7.30pm: Apéro (pre-dinner drinks and nibbles)

• 8.00pm: Welcoming meal cooked by me (settle in and get to know each other)

Tuesday:

• 8.30am: Continental breakfast (tea, coffee and fruit juice, brioche and croissants, bread rolls and pastries, yoghurt, fruit and conserves)

• 9am: A brief chat with your tutor setting out the week ahead. Then it's straight into your chosen activity

• 11am: Coffee/snack break. Morning session continues

• Activities

• 12.30pm: Lunch

• 2pm: Afternoon session

• 4pm: Coffee/snack break

• 5.30pm: End of afternoon session (free time)

• 7pm: Apéro (pre-dinner drinks and nibbles)

• 7.30pm: Final preparations for dinner

• 8pm: Dinner

Wednesday:

• 8am: Continental breakfast – set the alarm early in order to spend some quality time at the market

• 8.45am: Depart for Sarlat market

• 11.45am: Depart Sarlat market for Bombel

• 12.30pm: Lunch at Bombel

• 2.00pm: More activities or afternoon off

Dinner: We won’t be cooking dinner, so, in the evening, you are free to go out for a meal and experience the culinary delights of the Dordogne.

For those without access to a car, please take advantage of your morning’s trip to Sarlat and buy some ingredients to cook later on using the Cookinfrance kitchen.

Thursday:

• 9.00am: Continental breakfast

• 9.30am: Morning activities

• 11.00am: Coffee/snack break. Morning activities continue

(For the cooks: by Thursday lunchtime, you will, with my help, have sorted out what you are going to cook for tomorrow’s farewell evening meal. Lucy will then shop for the ingredients in readiness for Friday’s session.

• 12.30pm: Lunch

• 2pm: Afternoon cooking session

• 4pm: Coffee/snack break

• 4.30pm: Late afternoon activities

• 5.30pm: End of the days' sessions (free time)

• 7pm: Apéro (pre-dinner drinks and nibbles)

• Dinner: This will be a buffet of dishes we’ve cooked during the day or a selection of local specialities 

Friday:

• 9.00am: Have a lie-in! Continental breakfast (tea, coffee and fruit juice, brioche and croissants, bread rolls and pastries, yoghurt, fruit and conserves)

• 10am: morning activities

• 11am: Coffee/snack break. Morning session continues

• Activities

• 12.30pm: Lunch

• 2pm: Afternoon session

• 4pm: Coffee/snack break

• 5.30pm: End of afternoon session (free time)

• 7pm: Apéro (pre-dinner drinks and nibbles)

• 7.30pm: Final preparations for dinner

• 8pm: Dinner

For the cooks: earlier in the week you’ll have formed into groups. Using the skills, techniques and knowledge you’ve acquired during a week of intensive cooking, your collective challenge will be to devise a two or three course menu for tonight’s farewell dinner.

Each group will be responsible for preparing and cooking one course out of the three i.e. a Starter, a Main Course or a Dessert.

With a full range of store cupboard items already here, a good selection of cookery books to browse through and me on hand to mete out sage advice, a great quality dish will be well within your grasp!

Saturday:

• 8.30am: Continental breakfast

• 9am: Vacate rooms

• 10am: Departure