Oceania Cruises has announced it is expanding its Culinary Discovery Tours in the Mediterranean for 2016 with the addition of several new experiences. Available for the upcoming season onboard Riviera and Marina, the new tours are:
Antibes, France - Provençal Olive Grove Luncheon
Bandol, France - Provençal Lunch & Wine with Master Chef
Casablanca, Morocco - Chef Tour & Moroccan Cooking Class
Catania on Sicily, Italy - Chef Market Tour, Cannoli & Lunch
Heraklion (Iraklion) on Crete, Greece - Cretan Food & Wine, with Farm-to-Table Lunch
Palamos, Spain - Spain’s Trendiest Culinary Destination
Accompanied by a master chef instructor from the ship’s hands-on cooking school, The Culinary Center, guests will delve deeply into the local cuisine by exploring local food markets, vineyards, restaurants and farms. Many half-or full-day excursions conclude with a destination-inspired cooking class at The Culinary Center, featuring ingredients selected during the tour.
Antibes, France - Provençal Olive Grove Luncheon
Guests will enjoy a scenic 45-minute drive to Domaine de la Royrie, an olive grove dating to the 15th century, near the village of Grasse. The owners will guide guests on a walking tour and explain the artisanal methods for making superior extra virgin olive oil. Joined by a neighboring winemaker, the group will discover the flavors of Provence during a luncheon complemented by a tasting of regional varietals.
Bandol, France - Provençal Lunch & Wine with Master Chef
This tour takes guests to the private, stone cottage home of Master Chef Rene Berand, where guests will stroll through his gardens. Following a cooking demonstration of classical Provencal dishes, guests will be escorted to his nearby restaurant, Le Bistrot de Jef. Guests will enjoy a specially-prepared lunch in the restaurant’s glass-enclosed rooftop dining room. The Mediterranean-inspired lunch will be paired with local Bandol wines, all while guests enjoy stunning views of Provence.
Casablanca, Morocco - Chef Tour & Moroccan Cooking Class
This tour focuses on popular Moroccan cuisine, with guests and their chef taking a journey through the Central Market of Casablanca and the city’s famous olive market. The Central Market’s colorful stalls sell a variety of fresh fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers – such as preserved lemons and breads that will be purchased by the chef and used later for a class back on the ship focused on modern Moroccan cooking. At the olive market, olives of every imaginable variety and color are displayed beneath the building’s Moorish designed arches.
Catania on Sicily, Italy - Chef Market Tour, Cannoli & Lunch
The chef-guided walking tour begins with a sampling of Sicilian street food – like arancini, a fried rice ball with various fillings – followed by a stroll through the Mercate del Pesce di Catania street market, where locals sell everything from blood oranges to cuttlefish. Next, guests will enjoy a lunch of Sicilian dishes – and wines – at the Ostier Vinoteca. The day ends with a Sicilian-style cannoli from a family-owned patisserie.
Heraklion (Iraklion) on Crete, Greece - Cretan Food & Wine with Farm-to-Table Lunch
Along with the chef and a local expert, the group will meander through the streets of the Old City, stopping at bakeries and coffee shops for tastings of pastries, breads, coffees and olive oils. Lunch is served at Areutosa, an all-Cretan restaurant that showcases locally grown ingredients, cooking methods and recipes, enhanced by fine wines from the island.
Palamos, Spain - Spain’s Trendiest Culinary Destination
A small group will delve into a behind-the-scenes look at the Catalan region, boasting more Michelin chefs than anywhere else. The group will visit Can Solivera, a producer of artisanal Arbequina olive oil, and sample the fruity, fresh, aromatic oil. After shopping at the Forallac farm-shop, prized for 100 percent extra virgin olive oil soap and creams, the group will experience Catalan cuisine at La Placa de Madremanya for a seven-course tasting lunch with wine – and a cooking demonstration.
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