Fête du Cognac, Fête du Cognac, Cognac/Nouvelle Aquitaine – 27-29 July, 2023 . Takes place along the banks of the River Charentes and features concerts and local gastronomy, including of course the famed drink of the same name. Details: lafeteducognac.fr Festival d'Avignon © A Hocquel, Vaucluse Tourism Festival d’Avignon, Avignon, Provence – 5-25 July, 2023 . France’s most important theatre festival has a backdrop of the majestic Palais des Papes, the largest medieval gothic palace in the world. The event takes over the entire town with fabulous performances in the historic streets. Details: festival-avignon Cite des Climats de Bourgogne: A network of cultural and tourist venues dedicated to Burgundy wines opens to the public in mid- June. Known as the Cité des Climats and Bourgogne wines they are based in three key Burgundy wine producing areas: Chablis, Beaune and Mâcon. Discover the history and culture of Burgundy wines and take a tasting. Details: citeclimatsvins-bourgogne.com CroisiEurope launches new cruise through the captivating Oise Valley: Europe’s largest river cruise operator, CroisiEurope, has launched a brand-new 6-night, hotel barge cruise through France’s beautiful Oise Valley. Starting and ending in Paris, highlights include Château de Malmaison, bought by Napoleon Bonaparte for his wife Josephine, plus the Chateau de Chantilly, and a masterclass Macon Climats by a member of the Confrérie des Chevaliers Fouetteurs to learn how to make perfect crème Chantilly. It also takes in the Pissaro Museum in Pontoise, follows in the footsteps of Van Gogh at the Musée de l’Absinthe in Chantilly Auvers-sur-Oise, and the Armistice Memorial in Compiègne. Fully inclusive with gastronomic meals and great wines, bikes and jacuzzi. Details: croisieurope.co.uk Coming up Rugby World Cup France hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2023 . 7 glorious weeks of sports: 48 matches, 660 players, 20 teams from 5 continents, and 45 days of rugby – and festivities. A whopping 450,000 fans are expected to visit France and millions will watch the games on television all around the world. The matches take place in 9 host cities each with their own unique character and charm: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris, St Denis, Saint-Étienne and Toulouse. The Olympic Games are coming! Around fifty official Games Preparation Centres are gearing up to welcome athletes prepping for the 2024 Olympic Games, with an Olympic sailing test event scheduled in the Bay of Marseille in early July. In September, skippers will be training for the 2024 America’s Cup off the coast of Saint-Tropez. Meanwhile, Nice – the traditional venue for the Ironman France triathlon challenge every June – will be hosting the final of the men’s Ironman World Championship in September for the first time in 40 years. 92 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 93
