TOURS & CRUISES

FRANCE

Say bon appetit in Bordeaux

SAY bonjour to four days of fine food and wines on spring and summer tours of Bordeaux, France, led by Jean-Pierre Moulle, head chef for more than 20 years at the Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.

Moulle and his wife, Denise, will host afternoon cooking sessions in their farmhouse kitchen. Mornings will be spent at local markets, investigating Bordeaux specialties or visiting local wine chateaux.

“It’s a unique opportunity for our guests,� Moulle said. “We have access to many places the public usually can’t go.�

Tours are scheduled May 23, June 20, July 4 and Sept. 5 and 19. They will visit Bordeaux and St.-Emilion; chateaux Bonnet and La Louviere; and the markets in Castillon and Creon.

Cost: $2,400 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $300), including accommodations, ground transportation, most meals and wines and drinks during meals and at destinations. Airfare is extra.

Contact: Two Bordelais, the Tours of Jean-Pierre and Denise Moulle, Berkeley; (510) 848-8741, www.twobordelais.com.

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RUSSIA

Glasnost for filmmakers

Get an insider’s look at Russian filmmaking during a nine-day UCLA Extension study tour to the Moscow and St. Petersburg film festivals.

The June 19 trip will be led by Vladimir Alenikov, who has made feature films and documentaries in Russia and the United States. “We are seeing a renaissance in Russian filmmaking,� said Alenikov, a St. Petersburg native who moved to L.A. three years ago. “There’s a lot of production going on, and government is spending money to help the industry.�

The itinerary includes five nights in Moscow, with passes to the 26th Moscow International Film Festival from June 18 to 27; admission to screenings, parties and meetings with filmmakers; and a tour of a Russian film studio. The group also will spend four nights in St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Film Festival of Festivals from June 23 to 29.

Cost: $3,655 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $1,200), plus a $260 UCLA Extension course fee. Included are air transportation within Russia, lodging, most meals and tour activities. International airfare is not included.

Contact: Crown International Travel, (800) 421-9537, or UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies Department, (310) 825-9064.

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GREECE

Port to port

in the Aegean

IsLAND-HOP through the Aegean Sea on 13-night tours that include a week aboard a three-masted schooner. The tours begin April 23 and depart Fridays through October, except August during the Athens Summer Games.

The cruise, aboard a 132-foot yacht, visits the islands of Thira (Santorini), Mykonos, Delos, Tinos, Paros, Kea and Siros. Morning sailings will be followed by afternoons and evenings in port.

The package also includes two nights in Athens and a four-night bus tour to classic Greek sites, including Olympia, home of the first Olympic games, Delphi, Corinth, Nauplia and the monasteries of Meteora.

Cost: $2,195 per person, double occupancy (single surcharge $735), including lodgings, cruise, most meals, bus tour, all entrance fees and English-speaking guide. Airfare to Greece is not included. Cruise cabins include private baths.

Contact: Viking Tours of Greece; (800) 708-4546.

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ITALY

Paint and shop near Rome

Paint the town red while you brush up your art skills on a 12-day tour to the Lazio region, outside Rome.

The June 6 painting tour will visit castles, gardens and villas, including the medieval village of Ninfa, Hadrian’s Villa and Pompeii. UCLA art instructor Glenn Vilppu will lead the tour.

A secondary focus will be shopping, with an emphasis on visits to villages where jewelry and ceramics are made.

Cost: $3,395 per person, double (single surcharge $695), including accommodations, most meals, airport transfers and tour escorts. Airfare from Los Angeles to Italy is not included.

Contact: Personalized Travel, Sherman Oaks; (818) 994-2402, www.artistravel.com.

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CUBA, TRINIDAD

Feel the

island vibe

CAtch the rhythm of the Caribbean on a seven-night Latino and Caribbean culture study course in Cuba and Trinidad sponsored by Cerro Coso Community College, Ridgecrest.

The spring break trip, which begins April 9, will include five nights in Havana and two in Trinidad. Students will meet with historians. The course is open to all California residents who register online.

Cost: $3,165 per person (single surcharge $477), plus a $54 tuition and enrollment fee. Included are international airfare, lodgings, most meals and sightseeing.

Contact: Leo Girardot; (760) 384-6292.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles 90012 or e-mail [email protected].