We flew into Nice, rented a car and headed to Provence. On the way we stopped by the Gorges du Verdon. It is called the Grand Canyon of France and while not as massive as the Grand Canyon, it was spectacular. The drive around it was terrifying but the views were amazing. We ended that evening in our bed and breakfast in St Saturnin de Apts (Au Point du Lumiere). We were very late getting in because our Hertz Never Lost managed to get us very lost and it took forever to find our hotel. The owners of the B&B were incredibly nice and brought us a delicious dinner to our room since everything was closed by the time we arrived!
The next day we headed to Isla sur de la sorge, a small town in Provence known for it's Sunday market. The town was very cute with several water mills and a very large market. We meandered through the town eating French figs and browsing through the pottery and linens on display. After the market we hopped in the car and headed for Avignon.
Avignon was the seat of the Catholic Church from 1309-1377 when the Pope left Rome because it had become to unsafe. The Pope's purchased Avignon and built the Palace of the Popes. It is an enormous structure mainly built for fortification but also quite extravagant. The inside is mostly bare now but the audio guide lets you know how it was in it's prime. In Avignon we also saw the Bridge of St Benezet - built in 1171-1185 it was the only bridge to cross the Rhone river, Parc des Rochers des Domes - the park built at the top of Avignon with incredible views of the surrounding area and several large and small squares full of cafes and cute churches. After Avignon we stopped in Venasque for dinner and had a delicious meal (Theo, thankfully, slept peacefully through dinner!) and then headed home for the night.
The following day we started off in Les Baux, a beautiful hill town with the remanants of the old town preserved on the top of the hill. We took an audio tour of the old town but had to cut it a little short when Theo got quite fussy. The mistral winds were strong that day and made it a bit chillier than we had anticipated. After calming Theo down we stopped in Mas de la Dame, a winery and olive oil producer just outside of Les Baux. The wine was delicious and we bought a few bottles, as well as some olive oil. Next we headed for Arles, city of Roman ruins and Van Gogh. We visited St Trophime church in Republic square, the Roman Arena (Colosseum), and foundation Van Gogh (art gallery showing modern artist's takes on Van Gogh). We had a pastis (anise flavored drink that you mix with water, very popular in Southern France) in the old forum square next to the yellow cafe that Van Gogh made famous. Arles was a very cute town and great for walking around in (especially when your 4 month old is sound asleep in his stroller!). After seeing all we could in Arles we stopped in St Remy-de-Provence for dinner and then headed home.
Our 3rd and last day in Provence we visited the towns of the Luberon area where we were staying. We began in Rousillion, a town named for the red ochre that was mined there. All of the buildings are red and the views from the top are amazing. Next we drove to Gordes and walked around the small town before visiting the nearby Abbey Notre Dame de Senanque. This abbey was built in 1148 as a reaction to the excesses of the Benedcitine Abbeys. It is a beautiful location with lavender fields (not in bloom in late Sept unfortunately!) surrounding it and a simple but beautiful chapel on the side. Next we drove by the St Julien bridge - a Roman bridge built from 27 BC- 14 AD. It is still standing and was still being used until a new bridge was built in 2005! Our next stop was Lacoste, an adorable little hill town that is a hike to the top but worth it for the view! We visited a children's store there and bought Theo an adorable bear hat. After Lacoste we headed to Bonnieux for dinner. Unfortunately Theo had his 1 major breakdown of the trip and Shane and I took turns eating dinner while the other stood outside with our screaming child. 2 hours later we put him into the car seat and he fell asleep as soon as the car started moving - so typical!
The following morning we left our B&B and headed for Aix en Provence where my cousin, Catherine, is studying for the semester. Shane and I walked around Aix (following the Rick Steves walking tour, of course)and had lunch at a cafe on the Cours Mirabeau, the main promenade of Aix. I ordered the house special, tete au veau, having no idea what it was. (The waiter told me it was very good and very French). I managed 3 bites before deciding it was not for me. That evening when we met my cousin, who speaks French, for dinner I asked her what it was. Tete a veau is head of veal! I was quite glad I didn't finish it! After seeing where Catherine lived we said goodbye and headed for St Paul, just outside of Nice. We stayed the night in Hotel le Hameau, a very cute little hotel in St Paul de Vence. The next morning we walked around the small town and had lunch at Columbre d'Or, an amazing restaurant that fulfills all of your Southern France fantasies - good wine, great food, relaxed atmosphere with fruit trees surrounding the outdoor terrace. Thankfully Theo was an angel and slept right through our 2.5 hour lunch! After lunch we headed to Nice were we quickly showed Theo the ocean for the first time (Shane waded in hold Theo) and walked along the Promenade des Anglais to see and be seen as they do in the French Riviera :o) After an hour of promenading we headed to the airport for our flight back to London. We landed at 10pm, went home to South Kensington and then left the next afternoon for the USA!
Prambulating along the Promenade
Shane and Theo enjoying a pastis in Arles
Shane and Theo in Rousillion
Palace of the Popes
Sarah and Theo at Gorges du Verdon
