Kate Kilbourne was born in Princeton, New Jersey in 1963.  She earned a degree in French Language and Literature from Tufts University in 1985, and along the way spent a year studying at the Université de Nice in the south of France.  She moved to Paris in 1998 to study painting, and also worked as a feature writer and columnist for France Today, a francophile magazine published in English. Kate's articles focused on French culture, food and travel.

 

Kate has owned the Cave Yuccas in Trôo, France, since 2000.  In 2005 she began restoring the cottage above the cave which she now rents out as a vacation home.  Kate is an excellent bilingual guide to the local markets, chateaux, and vineyards, and she will do everything she can to make your week in this ancient troglodyte village a magically memorable holiday.

 

"Having lived in France and studied French my whole life, it seemed to be my destiny to live, at least part time, in France.  I became enchanted by Trôo whilst on a romantic vacation with a boyfriend in 2000. It was a combination of the charm of the cave village, the sheer beauty of the views from the property, and the amazing local food and wine. It's been over 15 years since, and the enchantment has not yet worn off!"

 

Since 2000 Kate has spent every spring and fall in Trôo, her two favorite seasons.  She lives the rest of the year in San Francisco, California, where she enjoys printmaking (linocut and etching).

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Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Kate met the desires of many artists to get back to travelling and painting in Europe by expanding the offerings of Plein Air Holidays.  Now you can choose from Plein Air Holidays in France, Italy, Spain and Croatia.