Pascal Siegler and Charlene Dupray are extending a sweet offer to area residents.

The couple began making hand-dipped chocolates in their Wilmington kitchen in 2006. In their early days they gained a loyal following by teaching classes in bon bon making and hosting a variety of social affairs. One of the things they loved most about those gatherings was the opportunity to share their knowledge of French culture and cuisine. 

Siegler and Dupray have now decided to team up with a Landfall Center travel agent to create a private, personalized guided tour of Paris and the surrounding French countryside.

“This is something that we’ve wanted to do for years and have put years of leg work into creating,” Dupray said. “It’s becoming harder and harder for tourists to find the types of authentic experiences that we have sought out over the years.”

They will guide a group of twelve people on a one week trip September 10-18, 2015. The excursion will include five days in Paris and two days in the French countryside where guests will explore the picturesque rural villages where Pascal grew up.

“We want to show people the France that we know and love,” said Siegler.  “I will take them to my favorite bistro in the country where a little French woman does all of the cooking. Then we’ll visit a retired antiquarian who, after a lifetime of selling in the Parisian flea markets, bought an old barn in the French countryside and created his own little antique shop.  These are the kinds of things we will do, things you cannot see as a tourist.”

Siegler and Dupray both speak French and still have strong connections to Siegler’s native area of France. Anyone who is interested signing on for the trip must make a $500 deposit by March 31st. For more information, visit their travel website.

South ‘n France Bon Bons offers seven signature filled chocolates, available both online and at Port City Java cafés. The company won Best in Show at the 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2012 Wilmington Chocolate Festivals.

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