I am going to Provence for 10 days and was wondering if anyone had ideas for some off the beaten track cities to visit...small, few tourists, great food, etc.

Scott--<BR>Unfortunately, Provence has for too long been a destination for tourists from all over the world, and few "undiscovered" places remain. Those that are less touristy, that I believe are worth a visit and are charming in some way, are as follows (and I might be straying a bit outside the borders of Provence proper with some of these):<BR>-St. Remy-de-Provence<BR>-Fontvieille<BR>-Moustiers-St-Marie<BR>-Forcalquier<BR>-Aups<BR>-Rians<BR>-Cadenet<BR>-Cavaillon<BR>-Vaison-la-Romaine<BR>-Le Lavandou<BR>-Apt<BR><BR>These are just some of my favorites that aren't usually overrun with tourists. I'm sure you'll get lots of other suggestions.

Wayne & Scott,<BR>Referring to the list above: I went to St. Remy de Provence last September, and was surprised and kind of disappointed that it was teeming with American and other foreign tourists. Still a nice visit, though.<BR>Also went to Le Lavandou beach town and it seemed to be nearly all French. Lovely. <BR>

I don't know if "Dr. Betty" (A.W.) still comes around here - - but she waxed quite eloquently on their week in Forcalquier - - maybe it was summer of 2000. Worth doing a search in this. Maybe I'll do that, for old times' sakes - - and top, to see again what she said.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

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We will be spending one night in Vaison la Romaine on our way north to Beaune from a Canal du Midi cruise. Though the whole trip is to celebrate, the actual night in Vaison la Romaine is our friend's 50th birthday, and we would like to surprise him with a really nice room and dinner.<BR><BR>Any suggestions for a hotel with private bath, charm, $150 or less per night.<BR><BR>Also, any great restaurants that could be "memorable"? $100 a couple, with wine, would be preferable, although we could go more if it was worth it.<BR><BR>Thanks for all your help.

Hotel with charm: Hostellerie le Beffroi in the Haute Ville (old town really) and a great little restaurant called Brin d'Olivier within easy walking distance from the Hostellerie across the Pont Romain and bear left look hard because its small!

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My two favorite places are Gourdes and Seguret. They are relatively off the beaten path. Seguret is quite difficult to find (we saw it on a map, but no roads seemed to lead there -- it was only by sheer luck we happened up it).<BR><BR>Foodwise, we usually get a lot of things at the market and just have mini picnics for lunch each day while driving around.

Almost forgot, Orange, though it can be a bit touristy, is also an excellent spot. If you can get tickets to a concert at the arena (there or in the Arles collesium) absolutely do it.<BR><BR>A lot of places in Provence that are off the beaten path are just that -- and if you drive around and just follow backroads with no plan, you may have better luck than city hopping, although it's a lot easier if you speak even basic French. I haven't been back for two years, but I did find that the "big" areas (Nimes, Arles, even Orange) are a lot worse than the places not even on a map. And don't bother with Chateauneuf -- it's a quaint town, but it's one of the few places I found rudeness.

Before you start get a good map. <BR><BR>For the area that we have been discussing get Michelin # 245. Use it in conjunction with the Michelin Tourist and Motoring Atlas of France. The latter may be too heavy to lug with you but it is invaluable is locating small villages and hamlets because it has an index while # 245 does not. So you mark your places before you go. <BR><BR>Seguret, Crestet and Gigondas are all within a short drive just SW of Vaison-la-Romaine. Seguret has a great restaurant( up the hill behind the village), craft shops and a santon (type of local doll characters that we collect) maker. It also has a fountain with real character. Do you need a guide!!!