Arles - A Roman City, very much alive today From Salon to Arles is now a quick drive through the Crau, semi-desert of small pebbles that human determination and hard work have managed to transform into a n agricultural paradise, specielly south of the A51 freeway where irrigation has transformed this once arid place into rice fields and north of the freeway into orchards, but some of it is still unsuitable for cultivation. Arles is worth several days of your time, specially from May to Septembere when the city tranforms itself into a Centre for the Arts, including sculptures exhibitions - this year it is all about Rodin -, concerts and a world famous photographic exhibition. You can download the program (in French) for this year here: Arles is built of a local white stone which gives the city its character and sense of continuity between the Roman buildings and the more recent constructions. Don't forget to bring a real film camera with black & white films! Nowadays obviously, you can fake the B&W film with any good digital camera, but that's not as much fun... For the foodies out there, you have to be in Arles on a Saturday morning to attend the local market which is stretching for 2.5 kms alongside one of the busiest arteries and featuring some 450 stalls, including fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, spices, olive oil, pots and pans, clothes, etc... Camargue - Delta between the Petit Rhone and the Grand Rhone Arles is the gateway to the Camargue, a wild area of wetlands, where humans, toros, wild horses, pink flamingos and rice fields compete with the water to survive and prosper. Its only city, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a traditional refuge for Gypsies who come from all over Europe on August 15th to celebrate the Virgin Mary. Not to be missed!
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You can keep Salon as a base for another night and go and explore the Massif des Alpilles and all the beautiful - and some very famous - villages west of Salon but staying east of the Rhone. You could also alter or shorten this itinerary to spend the night at L'Ousteau de Beaumaniere, one of the best establisments that France has to offer in terms of location, extraordinary food and luxurious accommodation. You won't get much change out of a 1000 euros for two if you want to do justice to the wine list and the gorgeous shop on the premises! But let start with another children play ground: Lamanon Lamanon is the only prehistoric troglodyte settlement known this side of the Rhone and its setting high up in the hills with views to the north into the Rhone Valley, it is the perfect place for playing endless games of hide and seek - trust me, i have spent hours there with my sister, cousins and my own children doing just that and enjoying a picnic under the beautiful pine trees. You can also do a bit of escalade over the rocky outcrops which hide the caverns. And if you are "sans infants" and you are there outside of week-ends and school holidays, you may well have the place to yourselves with your significant other, and i will let your imagination run wild over the romantic possibilities... Eyguieres - our first glimpse of the AlpillesFrom Eyguieres to Maussanne: the olive country From Eyguieres to Maussanne, and Mouries in between, you will find the most extraordinary plantations of olive trees, some more than 400 years old. No wonder that some of the finest olive oil in the world is produced here, although in very small quantities, compared to Italy, Spain greece and...Australia I recommend you subscribe to our Newsletter to access my article on olives and olive oils here Mouries will always have a special place in my heart, as I would not be here if it didn't exist - I explain... Mouries was the place where my Mum and Dad met towards the end of World War 2. The American troops were stationed near by, and although Dad was French, he returned with FFL and the American Mediteranean Debarquement contingent after spending a few years in Morocco and Nebraska in the US of A. It just happened that my grandfather, who shot all the ID photos for these young men, was invited by the local commander to a "bal" in Mouries and my Mum-to-be tagged along and was subsequently asked for a dance by a handsome, yet shy young man. She accepted, and the rest is, as the sying goes, history. It is fitting that it will be Mother's Day tomorrow in Australia, and this is a little tribute to her years of dedication as a wife for 645years and a Mum for almost as long...So, thanks Mum for having been - and up until this day - an inspiration and a model of positive thinking and optimism. Fontvieille and Alphonse Daudet Fontvieille is again a gorgeous typical provencal village which was made famous by the local poet: Alphonse Daudet. Daudet wrote poetry in provencal language and was very influential in reviving it and helping keeping it alive to these days. His main oeuvre, Lettres a mon Moulin - Letters to my Windmill" are all set around a famous widmill, still standing today. Les Baux-de-Provence Exploring Les Baux, a fortified village on a rocky outcrop near Les Alpilles will certainly take you the balance of the day, enjoying the sunset on the valley below planted with vines and olive trees. There are also a number of shops, galleries and antiques that will tempt you with their wares. Some are really beyond the ordinary tourist souvenirs and you can find beautiful furniture, homewards, tableware and linen. And if you like silver jewellery, then you have to visit Mr Moniquet, down in the Valley and you should do that just before retiring to the Ousteau de Beaumaniere for a sumptuous dinner and a luxurious night. And yes, it is an indulgence! But if you can afford it, go for it! It will cost you at least 700 euros for a night there including the fabulous degustation menu, a bottle of wine - choose carefully - a room and breakfast the next morning. But you could spend twice as much if you want one the suites and a Cote-Rotie with dinner! Now, if you can't spend that sort of money - and I never did - you should just go for lunch to get to experience the food, the service and just the confort and prettyness of the place (that includes the beautiful gardens and the pool). The lunch menu is a weekly surprise and at 99 euros per person, quite a treat! So no excuses... Going back to Salon...leisurely The next morning, you will want to linger over breakfast, try the pool and visit the somptuous shop, and then you might want to head up north towards St Remy-de-Provence, the paradise for antiques lovers Saint-Remy-de-ProvenceEygalieres - our last stop for the dayThe label may have changed but it is still the same good stuff in the bottle! At 9$ a bottle if you buy six, Vintage Cellars are doing their best to promote the current iteration of my favourite Cotes-du-Rhone for a few years in a raw.
We finished the 2007 vintage a long time ago, and it is a shame at it was certainly one of the best GSM i have ever drunk - in that price range, that is - and even if the current 2010 vintage could wait another couple of years to refine, it is still very drinkable. You could also try the Cotes-du-Ventoux if you like it rougher, or you could uprade to St Joseph and Cote-Rotie if you are prepared to spend more dough! Up to you, but I want to hear your reviews! The winery is about 40 ams south of Lyon, on the western bank of the Rhone just south of Vienne. We will stop there on our way back from Provence towards the end of ou I hope you enjoyed your evening at the Abbaye de Sainte Croix, as I would recommend you stay there for at least another night, and explore the countryside east of Salon de Provence. And to shed the calories of last night dinner, why not taking a walk to the near by Val de Cuech. It used to be completely isolated from the city and be very wild and quiet. It is now quite built up and if the wind blows in the wrong direction, you will hear the noise from the A6 freeway, but it is still a charming bit of countryside, worthy of the exercise! Let's embark on our day trip and you may want to stop at Aurons or just look at it from the road up to Vernegues. Vernegues was destroyed by an earthquake in 1909, and the remains of the castle which used to dominate the village has since been a fabulous plaground for children and parents alike. I have bben there so often that it feels like I own the place! Our next stop, Lambesc, was the epicentre of that earthquake, evaluated at a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale. Lambesc was completely destroyed in the process and damage occured as far as Salon and Aix, but only 46 people died in trhe process, although most people would have been in bed by the time it happened, as there was no television. Maybe some would have lingered at the local cafe for a late drink as it was June and warm. Maybe our next stop, Rognes, would be a good place for lunch at Le Piano Gourmand Eguilles offers a fabulous view of the "chaîne de l'étoile", "l'Etang de Berre" and the famous Mount Sainte-Victoire behind Aix. Take a stroll through the narrow streets of the old village nestled at the foot of its 17th century castle. You will come across beautiful houses, ancient communal washing areas made out of stone that has bleached over time and make sure you see the majestic Paul Odobez clock which has been keeping time for more than 131 years. If you are travelling with children, then you need to rush towards La Barben, where another old castle awaits you and a very nice little zoo hidden away in the garrigue. It used to be a fbulous place after lunch in the village, where, as children, we were suddenly left to our own devices as the parents would continue their geri important adult conversations... We will then drive leisurely back to Salon via Lancon and then stop for tea or later for a "pastis" at a bar near "La Fontaine Moussue" in the centre of Salon, before retiring to the Abbaye de Sainte Croix for a light dinner and a good sleep or you could try another institution near by: Francis Robin at the Mas du Soleil, my parents "cantina"!
Etang de Berre Stagnum Mastromela as called by the Romans and Pliny the Elder, is a nice body of water which used to be slated, but a lot less since the Durance canal is terminating there. There are a few small beaches tucked away around its shore, one of them I used to play at quite a bit as a youngster is Varage. But before you get there, you will pass through Saint-Mitre-Les-Remparts, another charming Provencal village worth a stop The old city of Istres is almost buried within quite a large, modern and quie ugly agglomeration, an overflow of Marseille and Salon-de-Provence, also housing the thousands of workers at the local oil refinery in Fos-sur-Mer and other heavy industries in and around Port-de-Bouc, an area to be avoided. However, the inner city of Istres is still quite charming with its church, fort and small picturesque streets. It is also the getaway to the gorgeous Etang de l'Olivier near by. You can drive around the Etang de l'Olivier and then back to the shore of Etang de Berre heading north and then east towards Saint Chamas from where you will have a stunning view of the Etang de Berre to the South and West. Good to be there around sunset as it will make for spectacular photos if the weather is good to you. You will then head north east towards Cornillon-Confoux, famous for its Roman Church and old buildings, as well as another beautiful viewpoint over the Etang de Berre. Salon-de-Provence After a day full of adventures, you want to drive the last 10 kms to Salon-de-Provence enjoying the fields full of vegetables or fruit trees with rows of cypresses in between to protect the precious crops that will end up in all the markets around as well as in Paris the next day via TGV special! For 60 years, Salon-de-Provence was my grandparents and then parents home and where I went for countless holidays and is the receptacle of many good memories. Most of my maternal ancestors are buried there, so it will always have a special place in my heart. I know every street and every shop in the old part of the city and I made a fool of myself at the bookstore there in 2005 as I could not count my euros - introduced five years earlier, but I was busy counting Australian dollars during that time - and was still familiar with the staff: one of these odd moments in life which are good subjects of conversation for years afterwards!.
Why not stay and have dinner at the Abbaye de Sainte-Croix on the outskirts of the city and enjoy the menu degustation at only 70euros. Bon appetit and bonne unit... The drive out of Marseille towards Martigues will let you go along the commercial harbour on an elevated road, which is probably the best way to get an understanding of the size of it and its technical installations - I love those big cranes! The A55 freeway can be quite scenic all the way at time going through rocky outlooks or giving glimpses of the sea or the Etang de Berre, this inland body of water north west of Marseille. You will soon have the opportunity to exit the A%% onto the D9 towards Carry-le-Rouet and that bit of coast that is away from the tourist circuit, but quite popular with the locals. You can stop for a swim at Carry or Sausset les Pins or la Courone. Don't expect sandy beaches as in "down under". These are peebles beaches with a mountainous background. For that reason, it is also popular with divers and spear fishing enthusiasts. Then from La Couronne, you will head north towards Martigues. Martigues used to be a tiny and charming village at the entrance of the canal linking the Etang de Berre to the sea, and it was, more than Marseille, the place to go for a memorable bouillabaisse on one of the little family run establishments often with a terrace overlooking the canal. Martigues was dubbed "the little Venice" for that reaso.
A night to remember at L'Avilla Hotel If you had chosen to stay at L'Avilla hotel, a little gem hidden away from the town centre, you could have woken up to that view! It is a cross between a traditional B&B and a boutique hotel. Take your time after brekkie to plunge in the pool a last time before hitting the scenic route to Marseille The road goes over the pass of La Gineste - over 400m high - and through a moon like landscape due to the bushfires that have ravaged this area for decades and the driving can be quite a challenge even after the fire has been extinguished because of the smoke that ligers long after the firemen have left the scene... In less than 25kms, you will then be rewarded with a spectacular view over Marseille and the posh suburb of Mazargues, where a distant surgeon cousin of mine used to have a beautiful house with a pool in the middle of a quite large "pinede" - a pine forest. It was the backdrop for many a family reunion with relatives that we didn't have a chance to see very often. It was paradise for us children at the time as we were losely supervised after lunch when the adults were tipsy with Rose de Provence and well fed by the resident wife/mother/cook extraordinaire! Marseille You will certainly like to spend at least a full day in Marseille to make it justice. The "Vieux Port" is obviously the centre of it,all lined up with restaurants all pretending to serve the best "bouillabaisse", this famous fish soup and fish medley, a fabulous treat if done properly, and with the freshest seafood Behind the harbour on its west end, you will find all the posh boutiques and the big names like H&M, Zara and the likes on Avenue de la Republique. Once a pretty dilapidated and unsafe part of the city, this has been cleaned up over the last 10 years or so, restoring all these haussmanian structures to their original grandeur! Another place you need to visit is "Chateau d'If", 3.5km away from the harbour. It is the local Alcatraz.
Although it was originally built as a fort by Francois 1er in the 1500s, it has actually mostly served as a prison until 1890. It has been popularised by Alexandre Dumas who set his novel " The Count of Monte Cristo" there. Be aware that the boat ride can be quite bumpy, as very strong currents surround the island and can make the trip unconortable. That's another similarity with Alcatraz, although the water would certainly be warmer in Marseille than in San Francisco! After a good night rest in Aix-en-Provence, you can stroll the Cours Mirabeau and the smaller streets around to get a taste of the splendid architecture of the place. Aix has been a rich city for a long time and is now a good place to live away from Marseille which is not far away either via the freeway or the TGV. A good friend actually lives there for three days a week and work in Paris for the rest of the week. It is a confortable 3 hours ride and certainly a better option than flying! En route for Cassis One can then rush to Cassis via the freeway and be there early to enjoy the village and its port, find a nice spot for lunch or be adventurous and take a picnic into one of the famous calques. But if one wants to take the time, it is possible to leisurely drive via the normal road and stop in La Bouilladisse (what a beautiful name...), Roquevayre and Aubagne. Even if you take the freeway, you will see these gorgeous places at high speed! Cassis This is one of my favourite places in Provence, as it was a regular destination in my youth when visiting my grandparents and I have returned numerous times with my own family. I have posted plenty photos elsewhere on this site, but thought you might like some more... You can walk to the Calanques and it takes from 1 to 4 hours depending on which one you want to reach and how fit you are. It is relatively easy to go to the first one shown here...
Or you can take the boat and see them all in a couple of hors, but it will cost you... But then, you can always replenish yourself at one of good restaurants on the harbour! La Combe de Lourmarin From Bonnieux, the Luberon mountain seems like a giant barrier on our way to Lourmarin on the south side... But in fact there is a passage, called La Combe de Lourmarin, a 10km sineous gorge worth the drive in itself. At the highest point, you can stop and then take a walk in the pine forest which grows on top. You don't have to rush if you have taken the precaution to book your table chez Reine Sammut at la Feniere for what can possibly be one of the best meals of your life! After lunch, leisurely stroll the streets of the village and visit the many art galleries offering great paintings and other treasures. You will need to cover only 40kms down to Aix afterwards, so enjoy with no moderation! LourmarinCadenet Another charming village before we cross the Durance river and its adjacent canal which provides the region with water for irrigation and keeps the fruit and vegetables growers happy all year round and us supplied with wonderful produce to cook with or be regaled with once prepared by the talented local chefs. The Durance River You could also choose to stay on the northern side of the river and go through Pertuis. Both routes eventually join the A61 freeway down to Aix Aix-en-Provence - Le Cours Mirabeau Bird eye view of Gordes Leaving Gordes, and going south via the small and picturesque roads criss-crossing the valley below the village, we will drive towards Saint-Pantaleon, famous for its church built on the same principles as the "bories" the famous shepherd refuges around Gordes, now transformed in multimillion dollars estates. The village is surrounded by lavender fields and vineyards and is very picturesque. Next we want to go to Goult, one my grandfather's favourite village in the region. It comes with a chapel, St Veran, a church, Notre Dame des Lumieres and..a windmill! If the weather is clear, you might spot the Mont Ventoux towards the north east, almost a 100kms away. And then, you will soon arrive in Bonnieux, the most famous village in Provence, thanks to Peter Mayle and his book "A Year in Provence" and obviously you will want to tour all the sites that Peter mentions in his book, including his house, that he had to vacate and sell because he didn't have any privacy left...
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AuthorBorn in France, well travelled, relocated to Sydney in 1997. Archives
October 2021
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