Allan, your description of the Bordeaux Cycling vacation package was an understatement! My wife and I had one of the most enjoyable vacation experiences ever!

Living out of the Pitray Chateau for six evenings was most relaxing, especially owing to our gracious hosts (Pierre-Edouard and Alix de Boigne); combined with the great accommodations (ours was the "Bamboo Room"). Not having to pack/unpack multiple times made for a very pleasurable experience as well.

The cycling routes you selected contained great variety, historical significance, and natural beauty. The casualness of the group rides allowed people of various skill levels, experience, and objectives to participate together yet "split-off" and do their own thing as desired, another advantage of having the Chateau as an "operational base" for several days. We especially enjoyed having a dunk in the oversized pool upon our return from riding!

Thanks also for your helpful tips regarding riding technique and bicycle maintenance; upon our return I improved my work commute time by 1 mph, (now averaging 19 mph covering 30 miles one-way on hilly terrain). As a relatively new "road bike rider," I have noticed significant improvements in both overall speed and technique from this experience.

The arranged group activities were entertaining and informative: the Bataille de Castillion reenactment; our visit to Chateau Malle and Sauterne/Graves wine country; and of course the Criterium event, heralded by the pre-race luncheon at the Chateau!.

And of course, we must mention the Chateau meals and vin! The provided breakfasts, lunches, and suppers were comprehensive in variety and a gourmets' delight, especially when accompanied with Pitray's outstanding vintage selections! Although the suppers at the various village restaurants were enjoyable, we increasingly came to anticipate with desire the Chateau suppers more and more throughout the stay.

Thanks again for a totally wonderful experience, one that we can heartily recommend to both experienced as well as novice riders - or perhaps "less passionate" spouses/significant others.

Best Regards,

Rick and Lora Beth C., Reading, Pennsylvania

Lora and Rick enjoying breakfast at the Chateau.

I've participated in a number of cycling trips with various companies and cycling at Chateau de Pitray during the Wine Harvest has been my best experience to date. First of all, Allan and his family are amazing hosts. They made us feel immediately comfortable, at home and part of their family. Secondly, Chateau de Pitray is magnificent. The building, the rooms and the grounds are beautiful. My wife, who is a professional artist, was so inspired that she created 11 oil painting in the week we stayed there. That's what Pitray will do to you. Third, the food and wine is exquisite. The meals we enjoyed at the Chateau and local restaurants were wonderful. The winery tours and tasting's were fun, interesting and added to the overall experience.

The town of St. Emilion is not to be missed. Most importantly, the week was about an amazing cycling experience. Allan mapped and led long guided rides every day, being flexible with how our small group was feeling. We toured through the beautiful countryside and medieval towns, often stopping for coffee and baked goods. We had challenging climbs and long stretches along the along the Dordogne river. The weather was ideal, which helped create the perfect cycling and vacation experience. I would highly recommend cycling at Chateau de Pitray during the Wine Harvest ! Sandy and I will return there soon. Thank you Allan.

Pat C., Pennsylvania

Sandra and Pat.

My son and I just returned from an incredible six day biking vacation in the Bordeaux region of France. We saw the trip offered in RBR newsletter in March, and it was one of the great finds of all time. After reviewing the website (www.lostendetours.com) we answered Allan Reeves' ad, and booked the trip. The result was a feast of riding, dining and relaxing in a magnificent chateau winery; enjoying some incredible scenery and history, and making new friends who are also fellow bikers. Oh yeah, we also watched Christophe Moreau win the Criteria de Castillon, the first pro race in France after the Tour. Allan, a Californian and Frenchmen, lives and rides in the Bordeaux area for at least a month every year (visiting family). He personally took us out each day to a new part of the region, and acted as tour guide and ride support. He also included side trips to local points of interest. Thank you Allan and RBR News for a terrific vacation!

Jerry O., North Tonawanda, New York

Jerry and the group attending the Criterium de Castillon lunch at Pitray.

This part of France is just gorgeous. TSome days we rode hard and long, other days we dropped into smaller groups. It is easy to find your way back to the Chateau. The terrain is a great mix of flats, rollers, and short climbs. There is always something great to look at. Staying at the Chateau de Pitray is an unforgettable experience. The rooms are enormous and tastefully furnished – somehow very cheery, unlike a museum. And, yes, the food. At dinner, Allan’s aunt would ring the little bell and another amazing course would arrive – pheasant, homemade desserts, pates and mousses, generous offerings of cheese from all over France. Fresh fruit and of course, wine. Allan’s uncle is a wine expert and loves to share his knowledge as a grower, producer, and marketer of fine Bordeaux reds. Allan was always affable and open to suggestions. We had no issues whatsoever with the cycling, accommodations, or transfers. So we got the absolute most out of every hour of our perfect holiday.

Peter H., San Rafael, California

Peter (far right) and the group while out on the day's ride.

The visit to Pitray and the Pyrenees counts as one of the best experiences of my life. The friendship, hospitality and general camaraderie distinguishes this very personal adventure from the strictly commercial varietals. Alan and his family are generous with their time and expertise and insure that this will be a vacation that you will always remember.

Bill V., Mill Valley, California.

Bill out on a ride.

It was our good fortune to ride with Allan on the Wine Harvest tour. Our past experiences include several bike tours in the U.S. and one in Italy. We had a personally guided tour in Italy and I did not expect France from Inside to meet the excellence of that experience. We were pleasantly surprised that Allan, along with the hosts of Chateau Pitray - Alix and Pierre, not only met but exceeded our highest expectations. Allan is a very accomplished cyclist who also has the skill to help in those unlucky moments when there are mechanical failures. The roads were some of the best we have cycled with several historical sites and a couple of locations with Tour de France connections. Allan was very knowledgeable and would give brief descriptions at each location. Alix and Pierre are very gracious and accommodating hosts. All made us feel welcome even though we did not speak the French language. We had the pleasure of Pierre giving a private wine making tour for our group that was personable and friendly. The rooms in the Chateau were charming and it was easy to imagine how it must have been to live in earlier times. We highly recommend France from Inside if you have a passion for cycling.

Dave and Wendy, San Diego, CA.

My wife and I recently had the great pleasure of spending a few days at Chateau Pitray in the Bordeaux region of France, to cycle some of the local roads with Allan Reeves, our friend and guide. I had visited the year before but I wanted to return with my wife so that she too could enjoy this beautiful property and region. Being at the chateau was a magical experience. It is a very large finely built castle structure furnished with fine antiques, and set on more than two hundred acres of land that have been owned by the same family for more than four hundred years. For those of us from the “new world,” that is unfathomable. The Count and Countess de Boigne, the current owners in residence, were charming and gracious hosts.

The area surrounding the Chateau provided great opportunity for cycling, sightseeing, and wine tasting. The roads for cycling were uncrowded and all well paved, and Allan led us on journeys through the beautiful vineyard covered countryside, along the Dordogne River, and charming old French villages. We dined on wonderful fresh food in and out of the Chateau and visited the not-to-be missed nearby medieval town of St. Emillion. We will certainly go back.

Lew and Peggy K., Mill Valley, California

Peggy and Lew (on the left) with my aunt and uncle.

My bike trip to the Bordeaux region of France with Allan of France From Inside and the stay at Chateau de Pitray exceeded all of my expectations by a long shot. The riding each day brought us on different rural routes through the most fabulous landscape dotted with magnificent châteaux, vineyards, and quaint villages. The best part of all was that Allan led the group on roads with very little traffic. One of the highlights was eating dinner and lunch with the owners of Chateau de Pitray. They prepared incredible meals and served us wines from their vineyard. They made us feel very welcome. I would like to do another trip with Allan some day. He is a great guide with a wealth of information about the regions and biking.

Nancy P., Aspen, Colorado

Nancy and John out on a ride.

Thanks again for a wonderful week. The best compliment I can give you; it never felt "transactional". It was as if we were old friends from the this side of the pond, meeting to ride in your "neighbourhood"; eating in your old haunts, drinking wine and sipping coffee.

The graciousness of you and your secret weapons (your aunt Alix and uncle Pierre), the owners of Pitray, is what made it so special. There aren't adjectives effusive enough in praise of "Pitray."

Grinding away on the flats adjacent to the river, the exhilaration of the hills, relaxing in a quaint cafe, it was truly invigorating, exciting and beautiful. The road network must be seen to be believed. The way you made every ride and every rider comfortable; that's a talent.

Your knowledge of the "just so right" restaurants and what was best on the menu kept it simple and delicious. St Emilion; the wine, the wine class, the fire works, wineries, "oh la la, c'est magnifique."

Seth Brown., Arizona

Seth and his wife Sherryl.