We had an amazing night debuting our upcoming “Travels with Darley: Brittany, France” episode at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to a sold-out crowd with Smithsonian Associates. Inside the S. Dillon Ripley Center, set between the Freer Gallery of Art and Smithsonian Castle on The Mall, attendees were treated to top travel spots in Brittany, France, including our never-before seen half hour episode coming to PBS and Amazon Prime this winter.
Kathy Richards of Cook Travel was the lucky travel agent who won the chance to attend my Smithsonian event through our “Best Beyond Paris” Sweepstakes. She flew down from Long Island on JetBlue and stayed at the historic Willard InterContinental. From stand up paddle boarding with a French champion along the Pink Granite Coast to the “fattiest pastry in Europe,” kouign-amann, I shared top tips on places and cuisine to experience in Brittany, including hidden gems and my favorite location… Saint-Malo. This medieval walled city is surrounded by 17th century forts. You can walk along the wall to explore and also hike to a fort during low tide on sandy land bridges. Once the massive tide rolls in, the bridges are swallowed up. I enjoyed one of my top five happy hours in Saint-Malo, helping to sail an old wooden boat with Yann of Coastal Sensations. Who can’t agree that toasting with Muscadet wine and fresh oysters by a fort in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel isn’t really epic!
Seated inside a theatre, I took the stage to also reveal tips and tricks for traveling to the Cote d’Azur and Champagne in Northeastern France, where I’ve created three more half hour episodes airing on PBS and Amazon Prime. Our French Riviera episode made headlines in The Washington Post in a special feature by Andrea Sachs What’s it like to film a TV travel show? I joined the crew of “Travels With Darley to find out, which includes an in-depth behind the scenes on our Emmy-winning team’s filming along the Cote d’Azur in Southern France. The feature story includes some of my top picks for global adventures and a special video “Unexpected Adventures in Cote d’Azur.” While in France, we also worked together on popular Facebook Lives hosted on The Washington Post’s Lifestyle pages, both at the Nice Christmas Market and Chez Mamo.
Watch a video recap of the event created by Atout France.
The Smithsonian audience seemed to really enjoy the Brittany, France episode, especially learning about the various delectable food options, including crepes, galettes, cheese and cider. I don’t think, though, that they were too impressed with my galette making skills! I took a class a Breizh Cafe and not even I would eat the galette I made. After the screening, we all went outside of the theatre to enjoy savory and sweet crepes, French wine, cheese, shrimp and crab puffs, all treats you might find in Brittany. I was able to speak with many of the guests who attended, many of whom have visited France in the past and are planning future trips. I know Brittany is now on their travel lists!
Stay tuned for this episode coming to PBS stations this winter as part of a new season and check out our series now on Create TV and Amazon Prime for previous France episodes.
