... Two weeks in Provence, and how I wish it had been a year as in Peter Mayle’s book…..
We booked our hotel, car hire and accommodation independently. We found our cottage by leafing through a Blake’s Cottages – France book, and we were actually able to book on line, so we instantly knew which ... Read review
Tacx RLV HD - Giant Of Provence (France). Trainers - Accessories. Climbing the Mont ... more
Ventoux (1,909m) is a challenge for even well-trained riders. This legendary mountain, the 'Giant of the Provence', lies in Provence in the dry sun baked south east corner of France. This well balanced DVD includes two lengthy ....
10x8 Photograph (25x20cm). Mandatory Credit Photo by Chris Hellier / Rex Features Gordes, ... more
one of the most fashionable villages in the Luberon Regional park, enjoys splendid views over the Luberon hills. Vaucluse area, France. VILLAGES OF PROVENCE, FRANCE - 2005 572520a
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Advantages: Great views, great food, great dink, historical and artistic attractions Disadvantages: Those Roads, Expensive generally
...in Provence
------------------------
Provence is divided into five regions. These are :
• The Riviera and the Alpes Maritimes
• The Var and the Iles d’Hyeres
• Bouches-du-Rhone and Nimes
• Vaucluse
• Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
We stayed in The Alpes Maritimes about 20km NE of Nice and a similar distance from Monaco. The village in which we stayed ... ...with the basics of the Provence diet, which include Salade nicoise, fine Mozzarrella and Buffalo tomatoes and Mesclun salad leaves. With loads of olive oil.
There are plenty of Museums in Nice, including a contemporary art museum and Musee Matisse. You will see plenty of evidence of the influence of art in the entire Provence Region. We visited Nice town centre just twice, and we found the best way was simply to relax and soak up ... more
.....if only!
Just back from one of the best holidays of my life. Two weeks in Provence, and how I wish it had been a year as in Peter Mayle’s book…..
We booked our hotel, car hire and accommodation independently. We found our cottage by leafing through a Blake’s Cottages – France book, and we were actually able to book on line, so we instantly knew which cottages were available for what weeks. However, we booked six months in advance and many of the cottages which we liked were already gone, so my advice is to book as early as you can, not that we were disappointed with our accommodation at all, quite the contrary. Our gite, which would have slept four, was a tad over £800 for two weeks, although the prices rose quickly after this, as is the norm for accommodation of this kind.
We booked flights through British Airways. The prime reason for this was because we wanted to pay with BA miles. In total our flights cost us £62.90 which was purely the taxes. However, in the name of research, I checked the BA website, and a ticket booked approximately four months from now would be approx £170 including taxes from Glasgow, and £101 from London Gatwick. On the other hand, if you fancied a last minute trip to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, you can expect to pay over £500 for an airline ticket.
We flew via Gatwick Airport, from Glasgow and on to Nice Cote d’Azur, which is the second largest airport in France, and conveniently situated for Nice, Cannes, Monaco and St Tropez.
Finally l’auto… we booked this through www.holidayautos.co.uk, which was the cheapest I could find at £299 for two weeks. What I liked about this company was that they would reimburse you for the non-waivable part of the insurance excess if you do have a scrape, and as we were scraped twice when our car was left unattended this was a much welcome benefit.
You could of course take the channel tunnel or ferry, and drive your own car south, and I would allow at least two days to do this.
Regions in Provence ------------------------ Provence is divided into five regions. These are :
• The Riviera and the Alpes Maritimes
• The Var and the Iles d’Hyeres
• Bouches-du-Rhone and Nimes
• Vaucluse
• Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
We stayed in The Alpes Maritimes about 20km NE of Nice and a similar distance from Monaco. The village in which we stayed in was called Chateauneuf Villevieuille, which is an extremely small quaint village with one church a couple of restaurants and a patisserie. We found it delightful, but we wanted a peaceful break - it took about 45 minutes to get to Nice, due to the roads which are very mountainous and narrow. One of the main sites here is a place called the Ruins. This is the remains of a medieval village, which can be reached by climbing the hill from Chateauneuf Villevieulle. The climb takes approximately 30 minutes, but you will be rewarded with wonderful views of the valley and the Nice Coastline.
The main towns in this region include Cannes, Nice and (technically) Monaco.
Nice ----- You do not have to be in Nice very long to figure out why the region is called Cote D’Azur. The sea is a wonderful blue colour and the views are amazing. Close to the waterfront you will find a fantastic fruit and vegetable market which is open every day except Monday, when it is a massive flea market. There are plenty of bars and restaurants surrounding the market stalls and the atmosphere is great. A trip here will soon familiarise you with the basics of the Provence diet, which include Salade nicoise, fine Mozzarrella and Buffalo tomatoes and Mesclun salad leaves. With loads of olive oil.
There are plenty of Museums in Nice, including a contemporary art museum and Musee Matisse. You will see plenty of evidence of the influence of art in the entire Provence Region. We visited Nice town centre just twice, and we found the best way was simply to relax and soak up the atmosphere over a leisurely lunch, ideally overlooking the sea front and the Promenade des Anglais.
Prices for lunches were typically around 8 EUR to 12 EUR for a Salade Nicoise or similar. Drinks were quite expensive, and you can expect to pay around 9 EUR for two glasses of lager.
Cannes -------- We visited Cannes the day after the opening of the Film Festival and so things were quite hectic. We ended up soaking in the atmosphere of the film festival and we also whiled away an hour or two watching some local gents playing boules in the square. Cannes, as you might expect, has plenty in the way of designer shops, lining the main Avenues. It is also the point where you can catch a boat for the fifteen minute journey to the Iles de Lerins, which are mainly covered in Eucalyptus forests and have tiny chapels. This is a great place to go walking if you want t avoid the heat. The temperatures averaged between 24 deg C and 30 deg C during the first two weeks of May, and it hardly rained. There is a small public beach, but most are private hotel beaches.
Monaco/Monte Carlo -------------------------- I have always wanted to go to Monaco, being an avid Grand Prix fan, and it was fantastic to be able to walk the streets of Monaco and imagine the F1 races gone by. The work to build the stands and get the circuit ready for this weekends race was going on in earnest, although you could still drive down much of the circuit. Monaco is for the rich with direct taxes being abolished over 100 years ago, due to the wealth generated from the town’s casino, which used to attract visitors from both Italy and France alike. (The Italian border is perhaps a twenty minute drive away). Parking is a nightmare in Monaco, as it is in Nice, and my advice is to use one of the Parking Garages. The parking was quite reasonable and we paid around 10 EUR to be parked most of the day.
The town of Monaco is quite steep, as the skyscrapers are built into the rocks. The town is quite small, and can be covered fairly comfortably in a day. The Casino is a must visit attraction. You can enter for free and admire the hallways, and play a few fruit machines, or you can pay a reasonable entry charge to play at the main tables. Close by the Casino is the Hotel de Paris, where you simply have to stop and have a drink/people watch.
The harbour is a must see attraction, and you can admire all the expensive boats and dream….one day.
St Paul de Vence -------------------- Chances are you may never have heard of St Paul de Vence – we certainly hadn’t until we got to the region. But this was far and away my favourite place to visit on this trip, and we went a couple of days in succession.
St Paul de Vence is a “perched” village ten kilometres from the sea. It is a favourite spot for artists, and there are about 60 boutique art galleries in the village. The village still has its ramparts, as protection. As you approach the gates to the town you will see the Lacan Cannon still embedded into the rampart walls. As well as art galleries, the village has an imposing church and local history museum. This has to be one of the quaintest and most attractive places I have ever visited.
Just outside the village walls you will find two more of the village attractions. The village square is filled with men playing boules and you can relax with a glass of wine at the Café de Paris. At the other side of the square is the Hotel La Colombe d’Or. This is quite exclusive, and you would never guess it was a hotel from the outside. It is frequented by the rich and famous and its dining room contains a priceless collection of impressionist art. Very expensive though, and I doubt you would get any change from 200 Euros for a dinner for two, not that I got the opportunity to test this theory. The wine in the Café de Paris was a more affordable 2.3 EUR a glass.
Other Sights ------------- We were actually on more of a walking holiday, and we tended to stay away from the traditional tourist spots. We found some great walking routes at Lac de St Cassien, which is a sort of three fingered lake just over the border into Var, and close to the town of Grasse. We also walked in the Levins area in the Alpes Maritimes.
We did take a trip over to St Tropez, and we found the scenery generally more attractive as you got to the region, however on the downside, in the summer it can take hours to get in and out of the town, as the place becomes overrun with tourists.
Other Information ----------------------
The region is abundant with herbs, olives and olive oil, and there is some great choices. The locals often drink Pastis 51, which is a liquorice aperitif similar to pernod. Menu choices usually include :
Salade Nicoise, which includes tuna, lettuce, olives, green beans, eggs tomato, and anchovies.
Pan Bagnat : a crusty roll stuffed with tuna, olives, pepepers onions and salad, steeped in olive oil and then pressed. This is delicious and usually costs 4 EUR.
Bouillabiasse : this is a fish soup originating from Marseille. Usually the soup is served and then the fish is eaten afterwards. This dish can be expensive.
Fruits de Mer : mussels, scallops, crawfish and giant prawns.
Daube de boeuf : beef in red wine.
Tarte au Citron : Lemon Tart
Shops typically close at noon and may not open again until 330pm or so. Supermarkets tend to close at lunchtime on Sundays. Provence is also famous for its scents, using natural products.
The roads are crazy and this was definitely the aspect of the trip I enjoyed the least. The main toll road is the fastest way to get across the region, but there are frequent stops to pay tolls, which are typically 1.2EUR – 2.4 EUR.
This is a great region, and is a great location for a relaxing break. We enjoyed our location high in the Alpes Maritimes, but it may not be suitable for families and certainly not if you do not plan to hire a car, despite its apparent close proximity to Nice. If you want to be nearer the action, it would be better to choose a hotel in one of the main towns.
Advantages: 300 days of sunshine per year Disadvantages: hard to get there
I recently went to St Paul-de-Vence for my holiday. I am lucky enough to have a friend who owns a beautiful 5 bedroom house with a large swimming pool, so accommodation wasn't a worry for me. I was quite happy to sit by the pool and soak up the sun, but I also enjoyed going down to the village to look in all the lovely small shops and local markets. I thought I would write this review and share it with you. I hope you enjoy it"
St Paul-De-Vence.
... ...mountains and sea, overlooking the Mediterranean sea on the world renowned French Riviera. It stretches over 1,700 acres and is home to over 3,000 inhabitants, 300 of which live within St Paul village.
St Paul de vence is one of the most visited, best preserved and well kept medieval towns in France. No cars are allowed into the town because of the narrow streets, which adds to the charm of this town. Only residents are allowed to take their cars ...
keak123 26.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Provence (France)
Advantages: great views and fab food Disadvantages: a bit isolated
In September I went on holiday to the Var region of Provence, France for two weeks with my partner. We found a place to stay by searching on the net and didn’t know anything about it before we went so we were pretty pleased with what we found.
Our criteria were as follows:-
- somewhere with a pool not shared by many people
- a good base to explore the region (near cote d’azur) from
- near vineyards
- somewhere fairly quiet i.e. not ... ...The apartment
===============
The apartment itself was very nice. We had a 2 person apartment in the main building which comprised large double bedroom with en-suite, kitchenette with dining area and a balcony with seating. The apartment was adequate for us. The only minor point was as we were in the eaves you had to be careful not to bump you head at one end of the bedroom; this was less of an issue for me at my 5’3”! The bathroom ...
EmmaJ 07.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Provence (France)
Advantages: Fantastic scenery, hot weather, 'interesting people' Disadvantages: Hard work to organise, a very long way to drive
...**ACCOMODATION**
On the way to Provence we stopped off for the night to break the journey. We chose to stay in one of the Formula 1 hotels.. this is a huge chain in France with one in pretty much every major city and town. This is almost the equivalent of a Holiday Inn or something similar but not quite so lavish! Believe me, we are talking budget here... 25 euros for bed and breakfast between us! Fantastic value but dont expect anything in the ... ...a fantastic house in rural Provence for about £150 per person for two weeks.... we had to pay electricity on top of that (grand total £30) and obviously had to buy our own food to cook but it was sooooo much better than a hotel.
French supermarkets are usually cheaper than ours so we were able to feed ourselves really well... we had a budget of about £10 a day each for everything. It worked out pretty well though... some nights we ate out, others ...
miniloopie 26.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Provence (France)
Advantages: History Art Beauty Disadvantages: 2,500,000 Other Visitors
...Saint Paul the Count of Provence the King of Naples in 1481 Provence passed under the control of France. During 1426 the village was swept by plague. The entrance into the village is through the Porte Royale or North Gate part of the 16th cent. fortifications added at the order of François 1st. (1515-1547) to strengthen Saint Paul against the power of Savoy and the castle at Nice. Charles Quint or Charles V Holy Roman Emperor, King of Castile, The ... ...and 1536 from Nice, the territory of his ally the Duke of Savoy.In 1560 "disturbances" were recorded at Saint Paul, I have been unable to find the nature or cause but as this coincides with the outbreak of one of the religious wars of the period it would seem likely that this was the reason. Saint Paul was besieged twice during the Wars of Religion by the Huguenots without yielding, a fact still celebrated each year by the Catholic Church in Saint ...
richard1952 08.09.2002 (10.09.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Provence (France)
Advantages: sun, great food, scenery, wine Disadvantages: cold in Winter, hard to get around on local transport
...two weeks last September in Provence settling our daughter into what would be her home for the duration of her stay in Cadanet. Her house had been provided along with a low rent by the local Mairie.
The house was situated in one of the many ancient streets that wind around the hill topped by the ancient but ruined chateau. Caves are visible in the rocks beneath the chateau and were once habitated, especially during WW2 when they were used by the ... ...Our latest trip to Provence was in April to bring our daughter home, her work and placement at an end. Her little house was full of goodbye cards and pictures from the children she had taught. We re-visited our favourite Provencal haunts and also visited places we had missed on the last trip.
We visted Arles where Van Gogh spent the last years of his life, and where he was committed to an asylum. We were hoping to visit museums, galleries and some ...
cpwill 15.05.2001 (19.05.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Provence (France)
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Ok.
Today I'll try to show you round my town, Aix-en-Provence...
Aix is a wonderful city in the south-east of France, near Marseille, in the "Bouches-du-Rhône"; the weather there makes it europeean, american, even japanese people's favourite holidays destination in France...
A large part of inhabitants is student, so Aix is a young and dynamic town, always lively, winter as summer! 130000 inhabitants... among which 40000 students!!
Many of them are strangers, they come from everywhere, England of course but also Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain, Russia, Italy, Romania, Poland...
That makes Aix a cosmopolitan town, where to meet new persons is really easy and pleasant.
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I am not a city lover preferring the peace of more isolated places. However there are a few exceptions and Aix-en Provence is one city that I always enjoy and would have no hesitation in recommending. Aix (pronounced x) is situated 25 km from Marseille in the centre of Provence.
Getting there
************
By plane the nearest international airport is Marseille 25 km away. There are frequent flights from the u.k with several airlines. Fares vary enormously so it?s worth doing your homework before buying! Marseille airport has several car hire outlets and again I would suggest you check via the Internet, as it is usually cheaper to pre book from the U.K.
There are fast rail links from Paris to Aix and the TGV station is well situated in the centre of town. The train journey takes only 2 hrs 50 mins and I have used it several times ...
A trip to Provence is incomplete without a visit to its capital, Aix.
I love Cours Mirabeau, with its pavement lined with brasseries.
In summer it has a very enjoyable athmosphere.
I remember going to a cafe in the late afternoon, ordering a slice of almond cake, which is a local speciality, and just sitting down and relaxing watching the world passing by.
Aix was founded by the Romans and in the middle age was a very important university.
Today, there is still a large part of the populations who are students, and this contributes to a merry ambience.
You can visit some Romans ruins.
Personally, I would advice you going there for 2-3 days and exploring Provence being based in Aix.
The nearest airport is Marseille. ...
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