Some 30 members from the Club Suisse de Monaco left the Principality behind in late April and headed off on a spectacular journey through the hinterland of the Riviera for the association’s inaugural gourmet rally.
Blending beautiful weather with classic cars and fine food, the two-day excursion is a new addition to the Club’s vibrant programme of events, but aligns perfectly with the association’s goals of fostering a sense of community spirit and building social ties.
Starting on 27th April, the first stop of the rally was at a member’s private home near Grasse for a lunch featuring the finest Swiss specialities. Club members were invited to unwind in the pretty 65,000sqm gardens and were gifted with a bottle of olive oil from the estate as well as a cow made from Swiss chocolate before getting back into their cars.
Then it was on to a spot nestled between Lorgues and Flayosc: the famous vineyards of Château de Berne. After a tour and a degustation experience, the group headed to the one Michelin starred restaurant Chez Bruno, where Chef Benjamin Bruno greeted the members with a gourmet meal loaded with local truffle dishes.
The next morning, on 28th April, the rally set out for Château Sainte Roseline, a charming wine estate in the Var’s Les Arcs-sur-Argens that houses artworks such as Marc Chagall’s The Meal of the Angels mosaic and a bronze relief by Diego Giacometti entitled The Miracle of the Roses in honour of the 14th century nun, Saint Roseline.
Then came a jaunt through the medieval hillside village of Callas in the Var. Here, at the final stop of the tour, the drivers and their passengers enjoyed another delicious gourmet menu, this time courtesy of the Hostellerie Les Gorges de Pennafort.
It was here that the most beautiful car of the rally, a 1959 Triumph TR3 A Roadster, was crowned, before the participants made their way back to Monaco.
The Club Suisse de Monaco, a social club for people interested in Switzerland and Swiss culture, economics, politics and health, dates back to 1949, making it one of the oldest associations in the Principality, as well as one of the most respected.
To find out more about the Club and its events, click here.
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Photo courtesy of Club Suisse de Monaco