Gaystronotrip 2025

A WEEK IN FRANCE WITH YOUR CLASSIC AUTOMOBILE

I have the honor and the pleasure to present to you the great and unique gay event in classic cars, the GAYSTRONOTRIP 2025, which will take place from 4 to 11 october 2025, under the direction of Dominique De Taverny.

 Following the request of some participants of the Ledorga car tours, here is the Gaystronotrip. Gastronomy will be an important point of this outing. You will enjoy good local dishes and also more refined and elaborate cuisine. The months of October are often less active for outings in vintage cars, so let’s take advantage of this quieter time to meet up to discover “la belle France”. We are counting on you to respond in large numbers and favorably to this great 8-day outing. The success of the Gaystronotrip 2025 is in your hands….

PRESENTATION

 

ACCOMMODATION

For the first 2 nights, you will stay at the Ibis Style Angoulême Nord *** and its restaurant Le Deuche. The rooms are equipped with bathroom and toilet, a TV and a Wi-Fi connection. To park your cars, the hotel has a large private car park. This hotel is located at the northern entrance to the Angoulême metropolis, 5 minutes from the historic city center. In addition, Angoulême is easy to access with the N10 national road which passes on the outskirts of the city. This hotel restaurant is selected by the Le Guru guide, whose opinion on this establishment is as follows: “All customers love the superb French cuisine of this restaurant. Order a parfait cooked to perfection, and imagine the combination of a delicious dish with patient staff, that’s exactly what the Le Deuche restaurant offers you.” Note that this hotel has a decoration that will please classic car lovers, because it is on the theme of cars and comics. An original and unique decoration in a hotel.

IBIS STYLE ANGOULEME NORD – RESTAURANT LE DEUCHE

122 rue des Meneaux

16430 CHAMPNIERS

tél : + 33 (0)4.45.68.53.22

h0397@accor.com

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For the next 5 nights, you will stop at the Domaine de Fompeyre*** hotel and its restaurant La Table de Fompeyre. Located in the town of Bazas. Facing the ramparts and the Bazas cathedral, the Domaine de Fompeyre is a little corner of paradise offering impeccable quality of service and hospitality. The rooms are in a resolutely contemporary style with a view of the park, the palm grove or the town of Bazas. Note, to relax, 2 swimming pools: one outdoor and one indoor. The hotel also has a gourmet restaurant that serves delicious traditional and regional cuisine prepared with the best products of the region. Each dish is designed with particular attention to perpetuate the good reputation of the establishment. To park cars, the hotel has a private car park. This hotel restaurant is selected by the famous guide Le Petit Futé, whose opinion on this establishment is as follows: “On the edge of the Sauternes and Graves vineyards, the Domaine de Fompeyre houses a charming 3*** hotel as well as a restaurant La Table de Fompeyre, as much appreciated for its refined cuisine as for the view it offers over Bazas and its cathedral. The chef and his team work with regional flavors around a seasonal menu, in appetizing and original dishes that are renewed every month. And for perfect food and wine pairings, let us advise you.”

DOMAINE DE FOMPEYRE

Route de Mont de Marsan

33430 BAZAS

tél : + 33 (0)5.56.25.98.00

reservation@domaine-de-fompeyre.com

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PROGRAM

Saturday  4  october:

The meeting will begin with a meeting on Saturday 4 October 2025 in the late afternoon around 17:00 / 19:30 directly at the Ibis Style Angoulême Nord hotel. This will therefore leave the entire day of Saturday to make the journey from home to Angoulême. Thus, no activities are planned following this day of driving. You can, if you arrive early and wish, take a tour of the historic center of the city which is only a few minutes from the hotel. Everyone will take their own room for the next 2 nights that you will spend in this establishment. In the evening, you will meet for a drink, then for dinner at the Le Deuche restaurant of the Ibis Style Angoulême hotel.

Sunday  5 october:

In the morning, drive to Chabanais to visit the old coach museum. We know collectors of old cars, many and passionate. But a coach collector is rarer. Ivan Lavallade will open his private collection of about fifteen coaches from the 30s to the 50s, mainly Citroen, but also a Delahaye under restoration. A unique and rare place!

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Lunch in a local restaurant

In the afternoon, you will drive to Confolens and its museum station. The “station master” will welcome you at his ticket office and you will discover unusual objects (steam locomotive whistle, lanterns, tools, etc.). Let yourself be carried away into a world that is now gone by watching a documentary. Then you will take a ride on authentic old-fashioned railcars (the X3959 “Picasso” or the X2903 “Bleu d’Auvergne”): A rural getaway on an old railway line between Confolens and Roumazières at the pace of the old-fashioned train.

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Drive back to Angoulême.

Dinner at the Deuche restaurant of the Ibis Style Angoulême Nord hotel.

Monday 6 october:

Final departure from the Ibis Style Angoulême Nord hotel.

You will drive to Magnac Lavalette Villars for a visit to the Château de la Mercerie. The Mercerie estate, with its neo-Gothic castle dating from the end of the 19th century, was acquired in 1924 by the Réthoré brothers, Raymond (1901-1986) and Alphonse (1905-1983). The first, a washing machine manufacturer and then a member of parliament, was also a collector. With his brother, a self-taught architect, he planned to transform the castle into a Charente “Versailles”, a pastiche of classical architecture undertaken in 1939 and continued between 1947 and 1975. The whole, revealing the megalomaniac ambition of the two brothers, was not completed when Alphonse died. A large auction of furniture and works of art took place in June 1987. Since then, the association that looks after the castle has undertaken its restoration, but also continued the construction of the castle which was stopped in the 1970s.

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Lunch in the setting of the Château de la Mercerie.

In the afternoon, you will drive south towards Chalais and its castle. The imposing castle of Chalais attracts attention and for good reason, it dominates the town from its rocky spur. Enter the castle by taking its drawbridge, one of the few still in working order, and immerse yourself in the history of the Talleyrand-Périgord. Built on a promontory overlooking the town of Chalais, the castle is attested from the 11th century. It will have an eventful life: during the Hundred Years’ War, the castle was occupied by the English, then during the Wars of Religion in 1587, the Duke of Joyeuse camped there before the Battle of Coutras against the Protestants where he lost his life. François de Talleyrand had it rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century; only a square tower from the 14th century remained. Of this construction, the entrance gatehouse and the main building still remain today. The famous politician Talleyrand stayed there in his youth, between 1758 and 1761. During the revolution, the Prince of Chalais did not emigrate but was only imprisoned as a suspect, and kept his estates. When he died in 1883, Hélie-Louis-Roger de Talleyrand, his descendant, the last Prince of Chalais of the House of Talleyrand, bequeathed the castle to the hospices of the town of Chalais, creating an old people’s home in the castle itself. In 2011, the hospices put the castle up for sale, due to a lack of sufficient resources to carry out the necessary work. The monument was purchased at the end of 2011 by a personality from the entertainment and television industry, the imitator Yves Lecoq, who is passionate about old stones and is not at the point of saving his first castle. Many works have been carried out since this purchase, the most spectacular of which are the refurbishment of a large part of the roofs and the restoration of the upper parts of the keep, with the restoration of the patrol path.

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Attention! the castle is for sale so it is possible that the visit will be cancelled if it is sold and the new owner no longer wishes to open his castle to the public.

The rest of the day will take you to Bazas following the beautiful roads of the region.

 At the end of the day, arrival at the hotel Le Domaine de Fompeyre in Bazas.

Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel Le Domaine de Fompeyre in Bazas.

Tuesday 7 october:

In the morning, drive to the Roquetaillade fortified castle. Inhabited by the same family since 1306, it is one of the 10 most beautiful fortified castles in France. Admire the ramparts, towers, dungeons and the first Renaissance chimneys in Bordeaux. Behind its austere medieval facades, the whole world of the great architect Viollet-le-Duc (architect who restored Notre Dame de Paris and the Château de Pierrefond) awaits you. In a Gothic Revival style, his creations are adorned with exuberant colors and patterns, a prelude to Art Nouveau. A real movie set that has hosted Fantômas, Louis de Funès, Roger Moore…

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Then, drive to Cadillac where you will board “ l’ Hermine”. The boat privatized for our group will leave for Bordeaux for a mini cruise on the Garonne. On board, for the meal, a Gascon buffet will await you. You can taste local specialties while enjoying the view of the banks of the Garonne.

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In the afternoon, you will drive to the Château de Rayne Vigneau in Bommes. The Château de Rayne Vigneau is a magical property. Its terroir dotted with precious stones is one of the most beautiful in the appellation. The vineyard, in one piece, extends over 84 hectares. The Château de Rayne Vigneau offers unique visits and prestigious tastings of its wines, the best known of which is Sauterne. Its welcome, promoted to the international competition Best of Wine Tourism 2016 and 2018, confirms its quality.

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Return to Bazas.

Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel Le Domaine de Fompeyre in Bazas.

Wednesday 8 october:

Departure towards La Teste de Buch, a town very close to Arcachon. For this morning, no visit but quiet roads through the forests.

For lunch, you will have lunch at the restaurant “le fer à cheval”of the La Teste de Buch racecourse.

In the afternoon, you will drive quickly to the La Teste de Buch aerodrome. Here, several planes will be waiting for you for a discovery flight. The discovery flight carried out with one of the qualified pilots allows a flight over the coast, the Pyla dune, the Banc d’Arguin, or the beaches, the port of Arcachon and the tour of the bird island. A moment in the air just for the pleasure of the eyes …

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But also an exclusive visit just for you: On an 80-hectare estate nestled in the heart of greenery, go for an unusual local discovery. A dive behind the scenes at the Becquet racecourse (La Teste de Buch racecourse) to learn all about the pre-race rules and also to enter places normally closed to the general public: the jockeys’ and riders’ changing rooms, the weighing room (a mandatory passage for each jockey before each race). Continue along the training and racing tracks, flat and with obstacles at the Becquet racecourse. Then visit its training center which brings together more than 500 horses all year round. Pass in front of the cruxiformes, along the bridle paths, the paddocks, the canter tracks…

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Return to Bazas.

Dinner at the restaurant of the Domaine de Fompeyre hotel in Bazas.

Thursday 9 october:

Departure for the city of Saint Emilion, well known for its grands crus wines. You will visit the UDP Saint Emilion cellar (Union De Producteurs de Saint Emilion). With more than 80 years of experience and winegrowers who love their land, the UDP Saint-Emilion has always been committed to producing quality wines, an imperative of excellence written into the DNA of its appellation. This is why, sure of the quality of its products and wanting to present its wines to the general public, the Union de Producteurs de Saint-Emilion has had a shop in the heart of its production facility since 1992. This wine library, a space dedicated to promoting the wines of the cellar, offers visitors or people passing through the possibility of being accompanied in their choice by our teams by tasting the different products. Around fifty châteaux and different branded wines are thus offered for sale, offering a wide range to meet all expectations. Located at the gates of the village of Saint-Emilion, the shop allows passing customers and tourists in Saint-Emilion to find quality wines representative of the Saint-Emilion terroir and for all budgets.

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Lunch in a local restaurant

For the afternoon, you will drive back to Saint Emilion to park at the entrance to the city. Saint Emilion being an old city, it is not practical to drive around and especially to park in the city. You will walk to the Cloitre des Cordeliers. The site of the Cloître des Cordeliers is famous for its underground galleries, which result from the extraction of stones that were used in the construction of Saint-Emilion and certain districts of Bordeaux. With a length of 3 km, they run under the city of Saint-Emilion and under the vines of various castles. Located at a depth of 20 m, they offer a constant temperature of 12° in summer and winter and total darkness conducive to the aging of the house wines, produced since 1892 using the traditional method. During the visit you will discover the underside of the medieval city of Saint-Emilion and also the production of sparkling wines. The end of the afternoon will be free to discover the city of Saint Emilion.

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Return to Bazas.

Dinner at the restaurant of the Domaine de Fompeyre hotel in Bazas.

Friday 10 october:

Departure towards the royal castle of Cazeneuve in Prechac. Some 60 km south of Bordeaux, the Château de Cazeneuve is best known for being the residence of the kings of Navarre. Overlooking the Ciron valley, Cazeneuve is a fine example of a medieval castle, surrounded by an impressive rampart walk. The Lords of Albret lived there from the 13th century, followed by illustrious owners including the most famous: Henri IV. In the royal apartments furnished with perfectly preserved period furniture, admire the bed of the spouses; the one called the Vert Galant occupied it with Queen Margot. If the interior is fascinating, also stroll in the park among the immense umbrella pines, discover the Queen’s cave and the bamboo grove of more than 100 years. And since you are in a wine region, do not miss the medieval cellars where great Bordeaux vintages age.

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After the visit, you will head to Biscarrosse for a meal in a local restaurant.

For the afternoon, a quick trip to the Seaplane Museum in Biscarrosse. Located on the legendary site of the former Latécoère base in Biscarrosse, the Seaplane Museum traces the history of the seaplane. From transatlantic flights to New York and Fort-de-France to firefighting, you will discover the world of these airships of yesterday and today! This aeronautical museum presents, as part of its temporary and permanent exhibitions, restored seaplanes, uniforms, souvenirs from famous pilots, reproductions, photographs, engines, propellers, archive pieces, flight logs, trophies, suits, paintings by Air and Navy painters… A variety of media that invite you to live a unique experience in the footsteps of the greats: Latécoère, Saint-Exupéry, Mermoz, Guillaumet and many others. A real journey through time over 1250 m², in the heart of buildings formerly occupied by workers from the Landes seaplane base at the beginning of the 20th century.

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Return to Bazas.

Dinner at the restaurant of the Domaine de Fompeyre hotel in Bazas. For this last evening, you are invited to participate in a white party and a more festive meal. You can take out your best outfits as long as they are white for the evening and dinner.

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Saturday 11 october :

You will have the last breakfast together at the hotel Le Domaine de Fompeyre, then everyone will be free for the weekend. For those who wish, they can extend their stay in the region, or return home.

TARIFFS

The price is  €1420 per person in double room or €1745 per person in single room and includes hotels, breakfasts, warm  meals, visits, guided tours and attractions during these 8 rally days:

– 2 dinners (4 courses) at the Le Deuche restaurant in Angoulême

– 2 nights at the Ibis Style Angoulême Nord*** hotel in Angoulême

– 4 dinners (4 courses) at the La Table de Fompeyre restaurant in Bazas

– 1 festive dinner (5 courses) at the La Table de Fompeyre restaurant in Bazas

– 5 nights at the Le Domaine de Fompeyre*** hotel in Bazas

– 7 self-service buffet breakfasts at the Ibis Style or Domaine de Fompeyre

– Every evening before dinner, a friendly drink

– 6 lunches in restaurants in the region

– All visits to monuments or museums.

– All attractions

– All documents necessary for the smooth running of this event (road book and other…) 

Please note : Those travelling alone, please reserve a single room, not a double, unless you have found a roommate yourself. The organisation cannot select or find participants for you to share a room.

Important: all meals are “all inclusive” for these 6 days, including among other wines, table water etc.

Not included in this price are individually ordered consumptions in bars, restaurants and hotels and the use of the Minibar.

Your registration is final only upon receipt of the total amount of the registration and payment must be made by 31 may 2025 for the Gaystronotrip 2025.

In case of cancellation, a fee will be retained on your registration:
Up to 60 days before the Gaystronotrip: Your registration can be canceled free of charge
Between 59 and 30 days before the Gaystronotrip: 80% of the total registration is refunded
Between 29 and 15 days before the Gaystronotrip: 50 % of the total registration is refunded
Between 14 and 8 days before the Gaystronotrip: 20% of the total registration is refunded
Last 7 days before the Gaystronotrip: No refund of registration

Warning: this document has no contractual value and may be subject to change if necessary.