A Week in Provence

A year in Provence would be incredible, but a week is pretty nice, too! We just got back from our first trip to the region, and I doubt it will be our last.

We stayed at Moulin de la Roque, a beautiful Provencal estate located just outside the village of Noves. The 300 year-old estate has been renovated into villas and apartments; the three-bedroom villa that we rented, “La Bergerie,” was once the sheep pen. The villa overlooked “the biggest backyard in the entire world,” and the boys loved having the freedom to run around and explore. A large pool, trampolines, badminton, a petanque court and two cute little Belgian girls kept the boys entertained for hours, and we were able to supervise most of it from the comfort of our private terrace while enjoying some local wine! Guy and Gaby, who run the estate, really took to the boys and made us feel welcome. They gave us a tour of the old mill, which Eli enjoyed photographing. They also lined up a French-speaking babysitter, named “Fa Fa,” so we could go out for dinner two nights.

The village of Noves may not be a destination in itself—other than for groceries or morning baguette—but its proximity to so many of Provence’s popular villages and sites made it a good place to be based. We got in the car every day and made our way around the region. Oliver hates riding in the car, so the poor kid spent a lot of the trip in tears. But he was a trooper while out and about in the hot sun, all nice and sweaty in the BabyBjörn. Here were some of the highlights:

Avignon – We explored the alleys of the “City of Popes” (seven popes resided in Avignon from 1305-1378) and stopped to enjoy a carousel ride and lunch in the main square.

Cassis – We drove about an hour and a half, including a twisty stretch along the cliffs of the Route des Crêtes, to this great fishing village on the Mediterranean. We enjoyed lunch in the harbor, and the boys played on the beach.

The Luberon – In search of lavender fields, we headed to the Luberon region, passing through the town of L’Isle sur la Sorgue and stopping at Fountaine de Vaucluse for a nice lunch overlooking a beautiful spring. The boys napped in the car as we continued our drive, stopping outside the picturesque village of Gordes and finally finding lavender fields at L'Abbaye de Sénanque.

Eygalières – Ben and I had a great birthday dinner at La Petite Table. We returned with the kids for the Friday morning market and explored some old ruins overlooking the countryside.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence – This was probably my favorite village. It had more shops and restaurants than others, and we enjoyed checking out the local delicacies at the Wednesday morning market. Ben and I also had a nice dinner here one evening at Bistrot Découverte.

Les Baux de Provence– This medieval village, which is built into the rocks of the Alpilles, was Ben’s favorite. Cobblestone alleys with shops and restaurants led up to an old fortress ruins, where we had a picnic lunch and watched a weapons and catapult demonstration.

Pont du Gard – We had a fun afternoon at this Roman aqueduct bridge. The boys brought their scooters and sped along the paths, then cooled off with a swim in the Gard River.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape – We stopped in this village, the first wine Appellation in France, before getting on the road back to Basel. We hiked up to the castle ruins to see the views of the vineyards below, then headed back down for a dinner and a quick stop in one of the caves for some wine tasting. With two boys touching all of the bottles and one crying baby, it was more of a wine gulp, and we fled quickly without purchasing anything.

In retrospect, we spent a lot of time in the car, and maybe a two-week vacation would have allowed us to spread out the sightseeing and spend a little more time relaxing. But now that we have a lay of the land, we can go back someday and do it a little differently. Until then, I think we will check out the local wine store for a good bottle of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape; they say the strong aromas can transport you back to Provence, and its rocky terrain of garlic, lavender and thyme. Mmm.