fortune5

I booked our TGV train tickets to Provence in the states months before through the SNCF website and was successful doing so because of a Tripadvisor forum post by morgan(?) who was kind enough to post a step by step process. I saved about $400. We traveled first class for the same price of second class and had seats in the upper car (haute) of the TGV going to Aix and second class coming back to Paris. There was hardly a difference in first and second class maybe because there were five of us traveling so we got the two seats facing each other with the table in second class. My husband went to Gare De Lyon station on our third day in Paris to pick-up our TGV tickets. My husband narrated that at the station, he approached an attendant and asked “Parlez-vous anglais?” The attendant answered “Parlez-vous francais?” My husband thought touché and whereupon he coolly retrieved his French English dictionary, flicked through the pages and managed to form a complete sentence. When the attendant saw him trying his best to communicate, she spoke English and assisted him. He couldn’t retrieve the tickets from the machine so he tried the SNCF booth attendant who spoke English but couldn’t retrieve the tickets either. He insisted that she check again because he had a printed confirmation of the purchased tickets. She said maybe it is the wrong credit card and he insisted it was not. After demanding that she check again and again, she said with finality, “Sir, I cannot do anything”. My husband went back to the hotel to tell me he did not have the tickets. I got worried and thought booking the tickets and getting the best price was too good to be true; there must be a catch and this might be it. I insisted that my husband go back and show the attendant the confirmation I printed from the site but he said he did exactly that but to no avail. I told him that maybe we can just purchase a new set of tickets but to make sure we get the same rates and make sure we weren’t charged twice for the same tickets. Before taking that recourse, my husband went online and checked our credit card statement but couldn’t find the charges. He was about to go back to the station to make a second purchase but he asked me the third time,”Are you sure you charged it to this credit card?” I began doubting myself and so he checked our other credit card statement online and lo and behold there was the charge from SNFC. I used our other credit card to book the tickets. My forgiving husband looked at me (which to me was a long time), said nothing, turned around and went back to the station where he was able to retrieve the tickets instantly with the right credit card.

We arrived at the Gare de Lyon on Saturday an hour before our departure to make sure that we were in the right platform. It was packed with travelers. Boarding the train was 20 minutes before departure which I thought was too little time for us because we now had 4 luggages including the large suitcase. I also did not research on how to find our seats. We were all happily unaware that it would be a mad dash to the cars as soon as we were allowed to board. But it really is easy once you calmed down and think. It is all very logical. The tickets show the car and seat number which is also displayed outside each car of the train. It’s panic that slows us down. We finally boarded the train and settled down but still excited because this is our first time in a bullet train. The passengers in the same car were quiet and so we took the cue; my kids took out their legos and games, settled down, stayed quiet and spoke in hushed tones all the way to Aix. It was a comfortable and smooth ride watching the scenery whoosh by which is how it was going to be for me when my husband felt compelled to drive like Frenchman in Provence.

We arrived in Aix TGV station around 8:30 pm without any advance taxi reservations. Not to worry I thought as soon as we exited the station; there must be a taxi out there just like at the airport in Paris who will be willing take all five of us. Each taxi driver we approached said shaking their head “No, No”. One after another the passengers left the station until we were the only ones left. Meanwhile my two boys oblivious to our transportation problems, were finally able to stretch out and talk in normal tones were clowning around practicing Tae Kwon Do kicks on each other. Since the terminal was practically empty, it really did not matter. Around 9:30 pm, I spoke to the only taxi driver around to see if he can call another cab for all five of us. He said it will be 60 Euros for the two cabs and we decided to take it. We were on our way finally to the cottage. I have found this rental property through VRBO and after perusing many properties and making a decision based on the private pool and the reasonable rate. It was located on Bouc Bel Air and the taxi drivers had no idea where it was but he had a navigation device and my husband started taking out his Tom Tom. The taxi driver pointed excitedly to our Tom Tom and now I know why. Let me tell you about this Tom Tom. It became my husband’s best friend (girlfriend according to my kids because it had a female voice). It became our tour guide and savior. My husband is lost without it. Even as we arrived in the US, he pulled it out as we were driving home and when the kids heard her voice they excitedly called “Tom Tom!” It is like hearing a voice of an old friend. We heard her voice day in day out as we navigated through Provence. We felt so confident that we will find whatever village there is to see in Provence because of Tom Tom. Even in my sleep I can hear her say “turn left”, “turn right” or “turnaround as soon as possible”.

We finally drove into Bouc Bel Air which we soon saw was a suburb outside Aix-en-Provence. It is a ‘charming’ neighborhood but not at all what I pictured Provence to be. After circling the neighborhood three times, we finally found the house when a gate opened and we saw a woman waving at us. She said she heard cars circling the streets outside the cottage. She pointed to the house number which was written on a slab of stone propped on the ground near the gate. The cottage was concealed by evergreen hedge and concrete fence all around. As soon as my kids saw the pool, they saw nothing else. I was disappointed with the cottage which at that time I called a pool house. Everything looked makeshift. We were very tired and just wanted to have dinner and go to bed. After the house manager showed us around the house in less than 2 minutes, she left and said she will be available anytime if we need her. It was a warm evening and we were hot and sticky and the cottage did not have air conditioning. I saw the washing machine in the kitchen but no clothes dryer. Now how in the world will I dry our clothes I asked myself unaware that time of the intense and brilliant sunshine Provence gets in the summer. The house manager said there was a restaurant in the village which is a five minute walk up the hill. My husband went out to get us food and came back with the best gyros we have ever tasted. My boys practically inhaled them. I would have never guessed that I will try my first gyro (and the best gyro) from a small village in Provence. It was too late and too dark for a dip in the pool. No, it did not have any pool lights.

The following morning, we woke up early to the brightest sunshine I have seen. It made up for everything the cottage was lacking. The bright sunshine had an uplifting effect. I saw clothes pins on the counter kitchen and I thought of course they dried their clothes in the sun. How perfect and wonderful. Even now back home since it is summer, I dry my clothes in the sun and they smell wonderful. My two boys jumped in the pool and my little girl slowly eased herself on the steps of the pool. It was going to be a beautiful day. We couldn’t find a coffee maker but found a French coffee press and thought we might as well try it. My husband bought coffee from the mini casino in town and we made delicious coffee the French way. We had fresh, still-warm baguettes from the local boulangerie that bakes bread by wood fire. Slowly, we adjusted to the slow living of Provence; that delicious, soothing feeling of being unhurried. So from that day on when I smelled the unexplainable stench that came from the empty refrigerator, I sat outside and smelled the abundant rosemary bushes around the pool; when I couldn’t breath in the airless and dark bedroom, I went outside to smell the flower scented air and watched my kids swim; when I couldn’t stand the heat after hours of exploring a hillside village, I jumped in the pool with my kids and cooled down; when I was unable to use the dishwasher because a drawer knob was in its way and was blocking its door, I simply washed dishes by hand; when I couldn’t open the window in the bedroom to get some fresh air, I opened a nice bottle of wine and sat with my husband outside watching our kids swim.

On our first day by the time we were willing to venture out, it was around 12 noon. I resigned myself to not seeing the world famous L’ Isle sur la Sorgue market; there is still next Sunday but my husband insisted. With our rental car and the Tom Tom, we were all set to go. Ms. Tom Tom as it will be affectionately called by my husband gave us a choice of avoiding toll roads but we decided to take the toll roads and she, I mean it, navigated through the neighborhood and out to the motorway which we never bothered remembering because there will always be Ms. Tom Tom. I remembered my brother who said that when they went to France, he and his family of 5 paid a guide who doubled as their driver and included the use of his van for 400 Euros a day! He said it was worth every Euro because they would have never found the villages and sites on their own. Well, Ms. Tom Tom you are certainly worth every penny of the $300 we paid for. After a little over an hour we were driving in the town of L’ Isle sur la Sorgue. There were still plenty of stalls around but most were already packing up. We immediately looked for parking behind the post office and easily found one. Before we shopped, the kids got their ice cream which was delicious around the corner across the post office. In this wonderful market we bought: the first of my many baskets; small shoulder pack for my son; handmade soaps; handmade lollipop for my daughter; camembert and blue cheese; heavenly chocolate éclairs which disappeared as soon as I handed it to my son (this is their all time favorite dessert in France, they didn’t care which patisserie, we had to buy a few everyday); fresh baby lamb chops to be grilled later for dinner; three fresh big heirloom tomatoes which the nice seller sold me while he was packing up for only 1 euro. The following Sunday we came back and bought rotisserie chicken for lunch; foie gras to be brought home; jambon; more chocolate éclairs; small toys for the kids; more of those wonderful bags and baskets; nougat or turron; and Provencal tablecloths. Things I wish I bought now that I am back home: antique embroidered linens; bed quilts in Provencal fabrics; more Provencal tablecloths; St. Remy olive oil; and more bags and baskets as presents to friends.

The following day I was determined to see the Lavender fields and follow the Lavender route that Stu Dudley at Fodors recommended. We explored in the morning until early afternoon and the rest of the afternoon and early evenings were the kids’ time in the pool. We bought a couple of baguette jambon sandwiches and éclairs from the local boulangerie for lunch and we were off. It was the 23rd of June so it was a little early for the lavender blooms. We saw little of the blooms but discovered the village and the chateau of Lourmarin, Sault and the wonderful perched village of Simian La Rotunde which became my favorite village seconded only by Vaison La Romaine. The shops were closed in Simiane but we and a few people were the only tourists in town and it was a quiet, serene walk around the village (actually up and down steep walkways in the village). We found a small shop selling Provencal items, ice cream and snacks. We bought ice cream and cocas and sat in the corner where the owner put the table and chairs for us. How wonderful, friendly, and warm the French are I thought. After the cool break, we continued exploring and my daughter found a beautiful white cat napping outside on a window ledge of a house with wonderful dark wood doors and shutters and an inviting bench with cushion in warm Provencal colors. My daughter soon followed by sons sat on the bench and watched the cat. After they rested we went down the small path towards the village church where we saw a very old lone graveyard outside the walls. It became our topic of animated conversation as we all conjured up stories of why the grave is there. After leaving the town, we continued on the Lavender route but got confused a few times because I was following the recommended route while my husband preferred to listen to Ms. Tom Tom and we couldn’t agree which direction to take. We passed by fields on the route that were planted with wheat and wild flowers or maybe baby lavenders. I was so keen on seeing a lavender field in full bloom that my daughter kept saying throughout our time in Provence “Is this the lavender?” We finally found lavender fields and red poppy fields in full bloom on July 1 as we were driving out of Provence towards the Aix TGV station. My husband did stop the car which he called ‘suicide stops’ on narrow grass areas of the very busy roads full of cars at breakneck speed just to allow me to take pictures of the elusive lavender fields in full bloom. And what a site; it was like stepping into a painting.

The following day as promised to the kids, we went to the beach in Cassis. We went through Marseilles which we thought was big and crowded and too busy for our taste. I know that there is an older, prettier part of the city where you can walk and explore but we did not have time. We arrived in Cassis and found parking only after waiting patiently in the public lot for an hour. The kids were rewarded for being patient with ice cream and sort of slurpees at the first shop we can find. Cassis was packed with tourists and the only village in France where I thought I was in the US because I heard English spoken all over town. I explored the town while my husband and kids swam in the beach. The bathrooms at the beach charged $1 euro each to use. There is no sand on the beach but pebbles and rocks but the kids did not mind. My younger son piled up rocks and enjoyed it quite well. My boys also were unfazed by the topless women in the beach. To them it was not a big deal because we did not make it a big deal. They have been to the beaches of southern Spain.

The rest of the week we visited St. Tropez which was a 2 ½ hour drive but worth it because I like the shopping in St. Tropez and the kids loved Plage de Pamplone (beach just outside the town); picturesque Gordes which I thought was a beautiful village but it is where I’ve witnessed the one and only ugly thing about this travel when my children saw adults misbehave in the restaurant where we had lunch; austere but serene Senanque Abbey where I promised to visit again and tour even if it is in French for I resolved to speak French the next time I come back; Le Baux which was magical for the kids because of the castle ruins and trebuchets and where my daughter found her little piece of heaven at the La Cure Gourmande sucrecuitier; and Lacoste where I was fascinated by the Marquis de Sade castle ruins now restored by a designer and where the husband and kids sat on the café and waited for me to explore. This is also where my husband attempted to drive into the village and was so intimidated by the roads which were as narrow as some of the sidewalks in Washington DC. He had this fear that another car will come in the opposite direction no matter how often I reminded him that these are one way streets. The engine died on him several times and some of the local men laughed as they watched my husband backed out of the road to the main road. My husband was embarrassed but took it in stride. When the locals saw that we laughed at ourselves, they approached us and directed us to a better route and parking close to the village.

After a week’s stay at the rental cottage, we drove to Gordes where I booked three nights stay La Ferme de la Huppe. After driving from Bouc Bel Air in the hot afternoon, our rooms were a wonderful respite. This wonderful hotel converted from an 18th century farmhouse is where we thought we should have stayed in our entire time Provence. The rooms are tastefully decorated with period antiques but have modern amenities such as air-conditioning, cable, modern bathrooms and kept splendidly clean by the staff. The exterior and landscaping are picturesque. This is how I imagined Provence living. We had dinner at this hotel for two nights in a row and wished had dined there on our last night because the Chef/Owner had lapin (my favorite) in the menu and chocolate soufflé for dessert which I heard from other guests was divine. In the two dinners we had there, the Chef especially prepared meals for my three kids and they loved it. They also loved tasting the food prepared for us adults. It was an epicurean adventure for them. The kids were dressed for dinner every night; long sleeved dress shirts for the boys and nice dress for the little one. I even put on Dad’s cologne on the boys which made them feel very special and grown-up for dinner. On our first dinner, the adults had Une petit surprise (wonderful steamed fillet of fish with what I think was chanterelle mushrooms); followed by Tartare de saumon, sauté de petits ligumes, coulis de citron confit et piment d’ Espelette (scrumptious French version of Ceviche but with better seasonings); Part de cabillaud croustillant aux legumes grilles et jus cie de betteraves rouges (fresh and delicious grilled cod with vegetables); followed by Pre dessert (can’t remember what this was!); and finally Feuille caramelise aux framboises et sorbet melon (artfully presented, light as cloud raspberry and melon sorbet between caramelized pastry). The children had equally delicious (because I tried it too) roasted lapin with pan roasted potatoes and chocolate ice cream for dessert. Our top-notch waiter, Antoine made sure that the children’s main course was served the same time as the adults’ surprise petite appetizer and main appetizer; and their dessert served right before our main course.
After the children were done with dessert, my husband escorted them to their rooms about 50 feet and visible from the dining area where we were seated. While I enjoyed a glass of wine, he got our little girl ready for bed since the boys could take care of themselves and then came back just in time for the main course; all perfectly timed and orchestrated with great help from Antoine. We then enjoyed the rest of the dinner as a couple in a romantic, unhurried setting. Yes parents, with this kind of hotel and restaurant and most importantly the staff, it is possible to enjoy a gourmet dinner with little kids. The restaurant at dinner is not formal where jacket is required; it is outdoor but not casual where you can wear shorts and flip-flops. Tiffany is another top-notch waitress at La Ferme de Huppe who served us on the second night when we had an equally wonderful dinner. On our first breakfast there, we were served the best croissants in this planet; so buttery and dense. The table setting also included large cereal bowls which I thought was for cereal. When I asked for coffee cups, the waitress pointed to the cereal bowls; she said this is the Provencal way but if we prefer not to try then she will bring coffee cups. No, my husband said “We will try”. We discreetly watched one guest drink from the bowl and proceeded to do the same. I think kids have a natural inclination to drink from a bowl and mine loved drinking their hot cocoa from the bowls. The hotel was fully booked and the guests including Americans, Swiss and French (and all adults) were all nice and friendly. During our stay in this part of Provence, we explored Arles, its fascinating forum and arena and where my kids sampled bulls meat with rice; Vaison La Romaine my second favorite village; and drove through Cotes du Rhone which was a very beautiful drive and how I pictured Provence to be.

We did not plan on a special dinner on our last night but found ourselves back in Gordes at the end of the day of exploring. We decided on one of the restaurants in the town square where the entrance to the chateau is. I forgot the name. The evening was warm and there was a soft breeze; the chateau was lighted and all the restaurants were filled with people. The restaurant closest to the chateau walls had live music and at the end of our unremarkable dinner at the restaurant across the square, the band started playing mellow music. The next song was one of my favorite songs “Girl From Ipanema” sang in Portuguese. I told my older son to listen to the sax being since he played the sax in the school band and also called the attention of my younger son to listen carefully to the guitar because he started taking guitar lessons when he was 7. They listened only for a little bit, got up and ran towards the children running and dancing in and around the waterless fountain. I thought, well they are also telling me to listen; to listen to the laughter of the children in the square which is equally beautiful as the music being played.

cigalechanta

It's a hot day here as I sip on my Provençal Rosé and my longing for Provence has been helped by your wonderful, joyous trip report.
I await more.

Leely2

Well-written, colorful report. That cottage sounds like a real charmer.

Did you post somewhere about your days in Paris?

kansas

Thanks for your report, Fortune5.

One quick question: At The Ferme de la Huppe - are there several choices for your meal? Or is it just one meal they cook and it is served to everyone (I know your kids got a special meal). My husband has celic and has diet restrictions.

Thanks for any info. And I am enjoying your report!

kelliebellie

Do you know the model of your TomTom? My friend is heading to Provence in October and is going to buy a gps to take with her. We love our TomTom One, but I was wondering if it had all the features needed.

fortune5

To Kansas: We were told by a guest that the chef cooked a special meal for him because he did not want to eat the rabbit. I am sure the chef will prepare something for your husband. He is such a nice guy. You might want to give a days notice because he changes his daily menu.

To Kellibellie: Model 920 and European maps already included.

fortune5

To Kansas: Yes, there is only one menu served each night. It is a five course meal at 45 euros each (wine not included). My kids were only carged around 8 or 9 euros which included dessert.

TDudette

fortune5, your Paris and Provence reports were just lovely! Hub and I are going to do a similar trip in September so I read with great interest.
Is it necessary to re-program the GPS overseas? I'm assuming it just picks up from the "mother" satellite?
What airlines did you take that went to Montreal first? We used to get hung up in Heathrow-very nerve-wracking.
Thanks for a wonderful vicarious experience!

jgg

Fortune - we have a used our TomTom on two European driving trips now, and she always gets us there with no problems!! It is a good thing you said Toll Roads were okay. One time when we were driving in Italy, we accidentally pushed the wrong button saying we wanted to avoid toll roads (we didn't realize we had done this). She took us on an extremely beautiful, but none the less LONG way before we thought, something must be wrong, and realized our mistake. She quickly got us back on the motorway!

fortune5

To TDudette: saw hubby pointing gps to the sky on our first day (LOL) i guess that is what you call programming but seriously, I don't think he did anything special and I don't recall him saying he needed to reprogram. Can't reach him in his office this morning to verify but will post again if it is any different.

To jgg: actually avoided toll roads after the first day trip because it brought us to beautiful countryside which we prefer than motorways.