Licking candy canes, building gingerbread houses, and decorating sugar cookies are typical American Christmas traditions. In
France
,
vin chaud, or hot wine, keeps you warm inside and out. During the holidays,
chestnuts roasting on an open fire
are sold throughout the city. When it's time for Christmas dinner, oysters with petite sausages are often served in
France
. The traditional dessert is called
Bûche de Noël, but you probably know it as a "yule log." Thin pound cake covered with buttercream frosting is rolled up, then frosted to look like a piece of wood. But, this is one tree you won't mind chopping with your teeth.
To celebrate the holidays,
The Taunton Press is running a
25 days of Holiday Savings Sweepstakes. The
Grand Prize? A 13-day
Barcelona
to
Paris
vacation package for 2 including airfare, on-tour accommodations, meals, sightseeing & more.
The French portion of the itinerary begins on the 4th day in
Carcassone, where medieval fortifications and fairytale turrets, dating back to the 5th century, provide a storied setting for a guided tour and tales of the crusaders and conquerors who occupied this city. In the evening, cruise along the romantic
Canal du Midi aboard a traditional Gabare flat-bottom boat. Dinner with wine and music at a private
Languedoc
vineyard follows.
Visits to
Toulouse, the snow-capped
Pyrenees
, and the Atlantic coast are included. You'll also get a taste of French Basque country, where
Cyrano de Bergerac
resided.
Wine tasting in
St. Emilion
and a cruise along the
Dordogne
river are just a few of the things you'll experience before taking the
TGV to
Paris
. In the City of Light, a local guide will lead you through the 17th-century
Tuileries Gardens
to the
Musée de L’Orangerie, to see an extensive
Impressionist
collection. Celebrate your journey with a
River Seine
cruise and toast the art of French living.
In a holidaze? Escape and enter.
Voilà - the link to the 25 days of Holiday Savings Sweepstakes:
http://www.taunton.com/promotions/25Days/th_register.htm