Mischka:

Already way too close to (or over?) the line of "hijacking" this thread.

Please feel free to ask any additional questions at http://communities.msn.com/RexBickers/messageboard.msnw

Or a new thread COULD be started (if and when there was any actual inteest in such a trip this year - - I'm not sure I could commit myself to anything more in 2004 than I already have going on).

Oop you're right Rex.

Humanone- sorry for taking over your thread

Tat, you can laugh but I have a friend who went to Tutti A Tavola and he thought it was great, so that is a good suggestion for Italy (it's near Siena).

I've seen some classes a lot cheaper in France than $1000 a day, that's outrageous. Here are a few:

www.3ponts.edu in Burgundy
www.cuisineprovencale.com (this one is in Arles)
www.each-lyon.com (this is Paul Bocuse's institute, but they have one-day sessions for amateurs, also www.institutpaulbocuse.com)

www.taste-of-europe.com is a Canadian travel company for teachers or something (although I think anyone can sign up) and they have several interesting cheap culinary tours

Tutti a Tavola (or TAT, if you will) was three days and cost something like $850 (summer 2001), including three nights stay in one of the cooks' great farmhouses. The classes started at 4 p.m.. the dinner and setting were amazing, and we did a trip to a market one morning.

thanks to all who responded! And don't worry Rex and Mischka, you didn't take over thread in any but an entertaining way. Except, I regret I couldn't take part in anything that wasn't in June or early July...tied to
the academic year.

Thanks and good luck, humanone - - hope you find what you are seeking, but should you not - - maybe June 2005 would work for me, if you or anyone else would have any interest in Fodorites' cook-share-teach trip, to just about ay country that touches the Mediterranean, the Alps, the Baltic or the North Sea (or even Portugal!)

try this website http://www.ciaprochef.com/travel.html CIA Travel Program

You all sound like alot of fun! I too am interested in reasonably priced cooking schools...I occasionally buy the BBC Good Food magazine here in Southern California and get the biggest kick out of it. They do sometimes list cooking schools..I will keep my eye out for one.
Also I was an invited guest to the International Association of Culinary Professionals (the trade association for serious chefs ala Charlie Trotter etc. ) and found this info. I don't know how much she charges but you could ask. She was a character and had a great personality and seemed to know alot about French cooking. She lives on her barge on the Canal Du Duex Mers Kate Hill's European Culinary Adventures Gascony France www.thefrenchkitchen.com or US booking agent 1-800-852-2625

I haven't seen the book, but there may be someplace in Alastair Sawday's Special Places to stay in Europe with Courses and Activities. Is anyone familiar with this book? www.sawdays.co.uk

Hi Again,
Just found a better link for Christina in Tuscany. This is her site.
Gerry
http://www.laghiandaia.it/indexen.htm

HI,
Somehow a previous response got deleted. This was to preceed my last post. I have just had an email from Kate Hill (www.TheFrenchKitchen.com) and her one day classes are about 190 Euros for a six hours of hands on cooking with some demos. She will do small groups or allow you to join a previosly scheduled class if the timing conflicts and there are openings. Another class I'm waiting to hear from is called
http://www.lacrique.com/. I will let youknow the response. Debra Winger at www.frenchfood.about.com has been helping me attempt to find a class and I thank her for her help.
Last year we spent an afternoon at a beautiful B@B called la Ghiandaia in Tuscany that we would recommend. Christina offered an afternoon class for three of us with dinner in her lovely dining room for about $200 Canadian. Here is the website http://www.tuscany.net/ghiandaia/. Christina is a character and spoke excellent English. Gerry