Back from Barcelona and Provence - thank you everyone
Sep 16th, 2004, 09:40 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Back from Barcelona and Provence - thank you everyone
Just got back from 12 days from Barcelona to Provence. Had a fabulous time and want to thank everyone that helped with my planning. Maribel's files were great for Barcelona. On her recommendation stayed at Condes de Barcelona. Had gotten great rate on Orbitz, 129 Euros and they upgraded us to superior. Really loved the hotel, elegant and in great location. Ate at El Principal, part of Tragaluz group - it was wonderful, chic and fabulous food. Also ate at Tenorio, on Passeig de Gracia. Was great atmosphere, price and food. Other highlights of Barcelona were Casa Battlo, Park Guell and tour of Palau de Musica Catalana, a feast for the eyes.
From Barcelona rented a car, drove up part of Costa Brava from Tossa del Mar. It was beautiful. Spent the first night in Montpellier, 45 minutes west of Nimes. Hadn't expected that much, but found it absolutely charming. Elegant core and extremely lively plazas. Stayed at Hotel du Parc, two stars, inexpensive and in great taste and condition. Lovingly taken care of.
On the Provence. Went through Nimes (elegant shopping area in historic core) and impressive ruins from one BC. On to Pont du Gard, which was eye popping architectural feat that pictures can't do justice. Next was Avignon. Again a fascinating historical city with unique aspects and real feel for the papal residency almost a thousand years ago. Beginning to feel that itinerary was maybe too ambitious. Two days of driving in and out of cities into very tight parking lots with a stick shift and a husband that was getting stressed out. The good news is that we arrived at our absolutely lovely, peaceful and relaxing hotel, Mas de L'Oulivie in Les Baux. Relaxing by the pool at the end of the day before venturing out to gourmet French food in beautiful terrace settings definitely was a good antedote. Want to thank Patricia (PBProvence) very much for great restaurant recommendations! Ate at Bistro de la Petite Francein Le Paradou. Fabulous food and pretty terrace. Second night ate at Le Margaux in Patricia's charming home town village Mausanne les Apilles. Food provencal style and good, but my husband and I agreed it was one of the most picture perfect outdoor settings we'd ever eaten in - the mold that every outdoor restaurant would love to get right - beautiful lighting, fountain with gargoyle, medieval stone walls surrounding and lit up ancient church right next door! The last night ate at Riboto de Taven - again an amazing setting, absolutely gorgeous at the foot of Les Beaux, wonderful gracious hosts. Unfortunately, we were a little disappointed in the items we ordered. Felt they were a little on the mild side in flavor. The dessert and wine made up for some food disappointment, but it was on the high side price wise, so hoped for spectacular.
The rest of touring in Provence was relaxing second day touring Arles and then the village of Les Baux. Loved them both, easier access in to them and less hustly, bustly than other cities. Arles was very colorful and had a more unique feel than the other cities mentioned. The last of our three days there, we drove an hour in to the Luberon villages and despite driving didn't regret it. Visited Gordes, Roussilon and Bonnieux. We felt Roussilon was the most unique and appealing to us aesthetically. Painted in colors unique to the natural colors in the soil, ochres, yellow, reds, very beautiful to our eyes. Also loved the rolling hills, vineyards, terrain of the area.
From Les Baux drove to our last 4 days in St. Paul de Vence and St. Jean Cap Ferrat. On the way to the Cotes d'Azur detoured off the highway and backtracked on the Corniche of the Massif d'Esteral, just wanting to get a sense of it. Immediately was blown away by the beauty of the area, the villas built up in to the hills, the charming villages and the extraordinary views over the coastline. I haven't made it to California yet, but my husband says it rivals or exceed Highway 1! We ended up going all the way to the end at St. Raphael and came all the way back! Drove through Cannes just to eyeball it, never had time to go back. Made our way through traffic to St. Paul de Vence and was rewarded with a gorgeous setting, beautiful views from our hotel and another relaxing stay at the pool! Stayed at Le Hameau and really loved it. Underhill, just to let you know, the waitress serving breakfast said there had been strife between the father that owned the hotel for the last 5 years and his son running it and that they had walked out and turned it over to someone else to run it September 1. She was not happy, but we felt the service was very good. Ate at Les Olivere restaurant nearby and liked it very much. Did a fabulous hike north of St. Paul out of the village our Courselouges, felt like we were hiking in Colorado! My husbands starting to relax because he doesn't have to drive in traffic and he's getting some aerobic exercise!
From St. Paul visited Nice, which we liked very much. The market in Cours Saleya was really cool. The view from the top of the Chateau was great. Then drove on the Moyenne Corniche to Eze. Loved it! Ended up at Chateau Eza for a reasonably priced a la carte lunch. It was my birthday and was saving my dollars for a great dinner! It was a magical setting for lunch and a great town. On to our hotel for two nights. Hotel Royal Riviera. Splurged for this 5 star hotel. Booked lowest priced room, but was rewarded again with an upgrade. They were aware that it was my birthday and generously offered us complimentary breakfasts during our stay! It was one of the most beautiful settings and hotels we've stayed in. The service and extra touches (orange and pomplemousse aromaspray for your pillow at night!) were sublime. Had birthday dinner at their restaurant Panorama and again felt it was fabulous. Can't say enough for the food, presentation and service in France!
Next day went to Monaco and Monte Carlo and enjoyed it, particularly the rock and palace area and the gorgeous park above the casino. That night ate at L'Oursin Blue in Villefranche sur Mer, which we were able to walk to from the hotel. Again the food great and serenaded by piano and Russian band!
The recommendations from all of you Fodorites helped immensely in my effort to pick out the best of the best. Downside was having a list a mile long of things I wanted to see, but couldn't possibly have fit in. Another gift that we had that made a huge difference is that we landed in Barcelona and left Nice in torrential rain, but in between had absolutely perfect sunny weather for 12 days!
Wanted to share my excellent adventure, hope it helps someone else in their planning. Thanks again all!
From Barcelona rented a car, drove up part of Costa Brava from Tossa del Mar. It was beautiful. Spent the first night in Montpellier, 45 minutes west of Nimes. Hadn't expected that much, but found it absolutely charming. Elegant core and extremely lively plazas. Stayed at Hotel du Parc, two stars, inexpensive and in great taste and condition. Lovingly taken care of.
On the Provence. Went through Nimes (elegant shopping area in historic core) and impressive ruins from one BC. On to Pont du Gard, which was eye popping architectural feat that pictures can't do justice. Next was Avignon. Again a fascinating historical city with unique aspects and real feel for the papal residency almost a thousand years ago. Beginning to feel that itinerary was maybe too ambitious. Two days of driving in and out of cities into very tight parking lots with a stick shift and a husband that was getting stressed out. The good news is that we arrived at our absolutely lovely, peaceful and relaxing hotel, Mas de L'Oulivie in Les Baux. Relaxing by the pool at the end of the day before venturing out to gourmet French food in beautiful terrace settings definitely was a good antedote. Want to thank Patricia (PBProvence) very much for great restaurant recommendations! Ate at Bistro de la Petite Francein Le Paradou. Fabulous food and pretty terrace. Second night ate at Le Margaux in Patricia's charming home town village Mausanne les Apilles. Food provencal style and good, but my husband and I agreed it was one of the most picture perfect outdoor settings we'd ever eaten in - the mold that every outdoor restaurant would love to get right - beautiful lighting, fountain with gargoyle, medieval stone walls surrounding and lit up ancient church right next door! The last night ate at Riboto de Taven - again an amazing setting, absolutely gorgeous at the foot of Les Beaux, wonderful gracious hosts. Unfortunately, we were a little disappointed in the items we ordered. Felt they were a little on the mild side in flavor. The dessert and wine made up for some food disappointment, but it was on the high side price wise, so hoped for spectacular.
The rest of touring in Provence was relaxing second day touring Arles and then the village of Les Baux. Loved them both, easier access in to them and less hustly, bustly than other cities. Arles was very colorful and had a more unique feel than the other cities mentioned. The last of our three days there, we drove an hour in to the Luberon villages and despite driving didn't regret it. Visited Gordes, Roussilon and Bonnieux. We felt Roussilon was the most unique and appealing to us aesthetically. Painted in colors unique to the natural colors in the soil, ochres, yellow, reds, very beautiful to our eyes. Also loved the rolling hills, vineyards, terrain of the area.
From Les Baux drove to our last 4 days in St. Paul de Vence and St. Jean Cap Ferrat. On the way to the Cotes d'Azur detoured off the highway and backtracked on the Corniche of the Massif d'Esteral, just wanting to get a sense of it. Immediately was blown away by the beauty of the area, the villas built up in to the hills, the charming villages and the extraordinary views over the coastline. I haven't made it to California yet, but my husband says it rivals or exceed Highway 1! We ended up going all the way to the end at St. Raphael and came all the way back! Drove through Cannes just to eyeball it, never had time to go back. Made our way through traffic to St. Paul de Vence and was rewarded with a gorgeous setting, beautiful views from our hotel and another relaxing stay at the pool! Stayed at Le Hameau and really loved it. Underhill, just to let you know, the waitress serving breakfast said there had been strife between the father that owned the hotel for the last 5 years and his son running it and that they had walked out and turned it over to someone else to run it September 1. She was not happy, but we felt the service was very good. Ate at Les Olivere restaurant nearby and liked it very much. Did a fabulous hike north of St. Paul out of the village our Courselouges, felt like we were hiking in Colorado! My husbands starting to relax because he doesn't have to drive in traffic and he's getting some aerobic exercise!
From St. Paul visited Nice, which we liked very much. The market in Cours Saleya was really cool. The view from the top of the Chateau was great. Then drove on the Moyenne Corniche to Eze. Loved it! Ended up at Chateau Eza for a reasonably priced a la carte lunch. It was my birthday and was saving my dollars for a great dinner! It was a magical setting for lunch and a great town. On to our hotel for two nights. Hotel Royal Riviera. Splurged for this 5 star hotel. Booked lowest priced room, but was rewarded again with an upgrade. They were aware that it was my birthday and generously offered us complimentary breakfasts during our stay! It was one of the most beautiful settings and hotels we've stayed in. The service and extra touches (orange and pomplemousse aromaspray for your pillow at night!) were sublime. Had birthday dinner at their restaurant Panorama and again felt it was fabulous. Can't say enough for the food, presentation and service in France!
Next day went to Monaco and Monte Carlo and enjoyed it, particularly the rock and palace area and the gorgeous park above the casino. That night ate at L'Oursin Blue in Villefranche sur Mer, which we were able to walk to from the hotel. Again the food great and serenaded by piano and Russian band!
The recommendations from all of you Fodorites helped immensely in my effort to pick out the best of the best. Downside was having a list a mile long of things I wanted to see, but couldn't possibly have fit in. Another gift that we had that made a huge difference is that we landed in Barcelona and left Nice in torrential rain, but in between had absolutely perfect sunny weather for 12 days!
Wanted to share my excellent adventure, hope it helps someone else in their planning. Thanks again all!
Sep 16th, 2004, 03:19 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for a nice trip report. I'm planning almost exactly the same thing for next summer. Starting in Barcelona and driving through Provence into Italy. So I have several questions.
First, where did you pick up your rental in Barcelona? Was it difficult driving out of the city? Also how many days did you spend in Barcelona and did you consider it enough, too much, too little?
You said you thought the driving might have been too ambitious? Was it hard to drive and/or park in Montpieler, Nines, etc. How long did you stay at Pond du Gard? Any specifics you could give would really help me. Also any more info you want to share about Arles. I've already been to Avignon and Les Baux so probably won't go there but would love to hear about the others.
Of the three hill towns - Gordes, Roussilon and Bonnieux, I've only been to Gordes. Do you think doing the other two would be worthwhile or were they pretty similiar to Gordes?
Also, would you mind posting websites for the hotels you stayed at? They sound great. Thanks
First, where did you pick up your rental in Barcelona? Was it difficult driving out of the city? Also how many days did you spend in Barcelona and did you consider it enough, too much, too little?
You said you thought the driving might have been too ambitious? Was it hard to drive and/or park in Montpieler, Nines, etc. How long did you stay at Pond du Gard? Any specifics you could give would really help me. Also any more info you want to share about Arles. I've already been to Avignon and Les Baux so probably won't go there but would love to hear about the others.
Of the three hill towns - Gordes, Roussilon and Bonnieux, I've only been to Gordes. Do you think doing the other two would be worthwhile or were they pretty similiar to Gordes?
Also, would you mind posting websites for the hotels you stayed at? They sound great. Thanks
Sep 16th, 2004, 03:33 PM
#4
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,508
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
isabel: If you like the Luberon, you can see all three. If you did not, no reason to return. In other words, the criterion is not how different those places will be but how pleasant they will be, IMHO.
And I would not knowingly miss some places you did NOT mention: Isle sur la Sorgue, Oppede le vieux, Lourmarin (accessible from Bonnieux but you have to drive through hills), the Abbaye de Senanque, etc.
To get to the specific question you asked: I first went to Gordes, Roussillon and Bonnieux at 17 (over 30 years ago) and have gone there regularly since. Each is different but they all have the same well-brushed chic Luberon feel.
So yes they are alike but each still merits a visit.
Roussillon obviously is the most unusual of the 3 because of the ochre colour. There is little there out-of-season and it really belongs to the tourists -- its great beauty is its raison d'etre.
Bonnieux is smaller, greyer and more "real' feeling. And jsut a few minutes from Menerbes, Lacoste and other worthy sites.
It is a small region -- if its your thing, see it all!
And I would not knowingly miss some places you did NOT mention: Isle sur la Sorgue, Oppede le vieux, Lourmarin (accessible from Bonnieux but you have to drive through hills), the Abbaye de Senanque, etc.
To get to the specific question you asked: I first went to Gordes, Roussillon and Bonnieux at 17 (over 30 years ago) and have gone there regularly since. Each is different but they all have the same well-brushed chic Luberon feel.
So yes they are alike but each still merits a visit.
Roussillon obviously is the most unusual of the 3 because of the ochre colour. There is little there out-of-season and it really belongs to the tourists -- its great beauty is its raison d'etre.
Bonnieux is smaller, greyer and more "real' feeling. And jsut a few minutes from Menerbes, Lacoste and other worthy sites.
It is a small region -- if its your thing, see it all!
Sep 16th, 2004, 06:16 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We stayed in Barcelona 3 days and 3 nights, including the first day of our arrival from Boston, so lost a little time with jet lag. I would say it could be enough if you just want to get a sense of it, don't love big cities and/or have too much else to do, but realistically, if you really want to see more of what it has to offer and you could stay 4 or even more days, there'd be plenty more to see. We didn't get to all of the Gaudi buildings. We didn't get to the Miro Museum or the Palace or the Matisse Museum. Probably 4 days would be ideal, 3's enough.
In terms of driving in to Montpelier and Nimes, part of the issue is that before you get to the historical, center ville, you have to drive through a good bit of the residential, business part of the city. In general, they're well marked to the city center and they have round a bouts, so if you miss the turn, you can go around again until you get it right! The stress of Montpellier for us was that we didn't know where the hotel was and the directions I pulled off of viamichelin.com were useless. Tried to ask locals near the closed tourist office but couldn't speak french well enough. Finally thought of going to a nearby hotel and a lovely young woman helped us. The issue of driving in to some of the other towns, such as Nimes, was that besides driving through the city core to the center ville, the underground parking lots, which for the most part were clearly marked, (though you didn't always know how close you were to where you wanted to be), had the tiniest spaces that were really hard for an american driver not used to driving a stick to get in and out of. Going in and out of as many cities as we did in such a short time was for us cumulative stress.
Arles, I thought, was one of my favorite towns. It was a little less medieval and more colorful or impressionistic, what ever that means. Just had a different feel to it. Easier access to parking.
We stayed at the Pont du Gard for maybe an hour. I think you wouldn't need much more time. Could picnic or have lunch there.
In terms of the Luberon villages, I agree with Tedgale that you'd probably want to decide if you wanted to be in that region and try some other villages. Of the ones we saw, I liked roussillon the best because of the colors. I heard Isle sur la Sorge was great, just couldn't do any more.
Backtracking to hotels. We picked our car up a 5 minute cab ride from our hotel in Barcelona. If you stay near the Passaig de Gracias, I think there would be many car rental places nearby. The drive out of the city was fairly clear and easy, didn't take that long.
Here are the websites for the hotels.
www.condesdebarcelona.com
www.hotelduparc-montpellier.com
www.masdeloulivie.com
www.le-hameau.com
www.royal-riviera.com
Hope you find this helpful
Karen
In terms of driving in to Montpelier and Nimes, part of the issue is that before you get to the historical, center ville, you have to drive through a good bit of the residential, business part of the city. In general, they're well marked to the city center and they have round a bouts, so if you miss the turn, you can go around again until you get it right! The stress of Montpellier for us was that we didn't know where the hotel was and the directions I pulled off of viamichelin.com were useless. Tried to ask locals near the closed tourist office but couldn't speak french well enough. Finally thought of going to a nearby hotel and a lovely young woman helped us. The issue of driving in to some of the other towns, such as Nimes, was that besides driving through the city core to the center ville, the underground parking lots, which for the most part were clearly marked, (though you didn't always know how close you were to where you wanted to be), had the tiniest spaces that were really hard for an american driver not used to driving a stick to get in and out of. Going in and out of as many cities as we did in such a short time was for us cumulative stress.
Arles, I thought, was one of my favorite towns. It was a little less medieval and more colorful or impressionistic, what ever that means. Just had a different feel to it. Easier access to parking.
We stayed at the Pont du Gard for maybe an hour. I think you wouldn't need much more time. Could picnic or have lunch there.
In terms of the Luberon villages, I agree with Tedgale that you'd probably want to decide if you wanted to be in that region and try some other villages. Of the ones we saw, I liked roussillon the best because of the colors. I heard Isle sur la Sorge was great, just couldn't do any more.
Backtracking to hotels. We picked our car up a 5 minute cab ride from our hotel in Barcelona. If you stay near the Passaig de Gracias, I think there would be many car rental places nearby. The drive out of the city was fairly clear and easy, didn't take that long.
Here are the websites for the hotels.
www.condesdebarcelona.com
www.hotelduparc-montpellier.com
www.masdeloulivie.com
www.le-hameau.com
www.royal-riviera.com
Hope you find this helpful
Karen
Sep 16th, 2004, 06:33 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Karen,
I really enjoyed your trip report. Nice descriptions, and, like the best trip reports, yours made me think I should follow your route, stay in your hotels, and eat where you ate.
Thanks for taking the time to write such an evocative report.
I really enjoyed your trip report. Nice descriptions, and, like the best trip reports, yours made me think I should follow your route, stay in your hotels, and eat where you ate.
Thanks for taking the time to write such an evocative report.
Sep 17th, 2004, 04:19 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Karen, thanks alot for the information. I'll check out your hotels. It sounds like a great trip. As I said, I've been to Provence before but the other three people I'll be traveling with have not. So I want to show them the best places, but would prefer to do some different things than I did the last time.
One more question. Where did you fly home from? I've just started to look at fligts - we aren't going until July. We can fly out of either Boston or New York but the other couple will be flying out of Atlanta. We don't want to back track to Barcelona and were thinking of going on into Italy and flying home from Milan but so far those seem to be very high prices. Also, what airline did you fly. The cheapest flights I've seen have been Iberia but I've heard awful things about them.
One more question. Where did you fly home from? I've just started to look at fligts - we aren't going until July. We can fly out of either Boston or New York but the other couple will be flying out of Atlanta. We don't want to back track to Barcelona and were thinking of going on into Italy and flying home from Milan but so far those seem to be very high prices. Also, what airline did you fly. The cheapest flights I've seen have been Iberia but I've heard awful things about them.
Sep 17th, 2004, 04:49 AM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Isabel: We flew from Boston to JFK and then Barcelona and returned Nice to JFK to Boston on Delta. Delta would be a good hub for Atlanta. The service was fine, the legroom is not the best unfortunately. I watched the fares which had been around 800 and got a price break in March for our September trip of $603. Felt lucky. Just to reiterate, It was a great trip, and glad I saw so much of the area, but it definitely was a fast pace and because we moved to so many areas, didn't always feel I did justice to any one spot. Always a trade off because I have such a long list of places I want to see that I feel I can't assume I'll get back to any area.
Karen
Karen
Karen
Karen
