am looking at two equally nice rentals for two weeks in bedoin or venasque. for those of you experienced luberon travellers, any thoughts on a preference? we want to be able to walk to markets, cafes etc., both homes are within the villages. as usual, thanks for sharing your travels!

I have not been to Venasque, but my friends and I went to Bedoin in June and we all loved it! The market was fabulous - not too big (we found the market in Iles-sur-la Sorgue to be a little large for our tastes) and the village itself is delightful, with just a few small cafes and restaurants. We stayed close by, just outside of Carpentras and really enjoyed the area.

No brainer - Bedoin. There really isn't much in Venasque. Bedoin is perfect. Nice grocery in town, 3 pizza places, 3 bike rental locations (1 is a dual bike rental/pizza - excellent pizza), about 8 cafes/casual restauants, several boulangeries, several boucheries, excellent tourist office, excellent Monday morning market, nice wine co-op just south of town a bit, a produce "stand" operated out of someone's garage on the main street in town, lots of activities/celebraions in town, the annual Dauphine Libere bike race usually goes through town on the way up Mt Ventoux, and even a nudist camp!!! What more can you want.

Stu Dudley

Another vote for Bedoin. If budget allows, dine on the terrace of Crillon le-Brave. The view is magnificent.

great! thanks for the replies it makes it a clear choice, plus the rental is more reasonable! all the more to spend in that good restaurant!

We spent 4 weeks in a Gite in Bedoin last year, and 2 weeks in '05. Our neighbors stayed in the Gite this past June and we prepared some info about the Gite & the region for them. Here is a portion of it:

First Sunday
We’ve visited perhaps 50-70 different outdoor markets in France. The one in l’Isle sur la Sorgue on Sunday morning is the best one in France for tourists. There are lots of vendors selling food, crafts, French soap, Provence fabric, and there is an antique market also – both Bric-a-Brac & serious antiques. The serious stuff is actually located in permanent shops on the “other” side of the main road circling town. The market, however, gets way too crowded for me around 10:30. The best thing to do is to get there at 8am. Go to the church, have a café crème & croissants & watch the vendors set up their stalls – it’s quite interesting. Then hit the market at 8:45.

It’s about 45 mins from Bedoin to l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Head to Carpentras and turn right & circle town. Drive past the exit to Avignon, and get on the D938 to Pernes. Just after you leave Carpentras, there will be another sign directing you to l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Do not take this road – keep on the D938 to Pernes & then on to l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Continue on to l’Isle sur la Sorgue. You will drive past some “outskirts” on a tree shaded road. When you see the old town, turn-around & head back the way you came & park in the first spot you can. You should get pretty close to town. I would leave the Gite at 7 to get to the market.

The market closes at 1PM, but the serious antique shops stay open all day. If you want to have lunch at the market, better pick a place between 12 & 12:30 – by 1 you’ll have a hard time finding a table. Plan on a 1 to 1 ½ hr lunch. Instead of a “sit-down” lunch, we always pick up a pizza slice at the market & have that for lunch. You could pick up an entire pizza & take it back to the Gite.

Also at the market, I suggest that you get some provisions for dinner at the Gite Sunday night. We get a roasted farm raised Chicken from Mr Roger – he’s near the Church. Also get some roast potatoes from him. There will be dozens & dozens vegetable & fruit vendors.

There is a large grocery outside of l’Isle sur la Sorgue on the way back to Pernes & the Gite. It’s on the left past a large round-about. It probably closes at 1PM on Sundays.

One of our standard meals in France is “Gite Chicken”
1 roast farm-raised chicken (poulet fermier) from an outdoor market or grocery
1 tub of crème fraiche epaisse (full fat) – about 2 cups
1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
Grated hard cheese – optional

Mix the crème fraiche, mustard, and optional cheese & heat in a sauce pan & reduce a bit.
Re-warm the chicken, cut into pieces, & spoon over the sauce.

First Monday
Market day in Bedoin. This is a really nice market. Mr Roger will be there too – so if you didn’t get a chicken on Sun, get one now (there are several other roast chicken vendors). Most days in Bedoin start the same way for us – and Monday market day is no exception. Walk to town (10 min walk). On the right is a Boulangerie. Pick up whatever you like. There will probably be a line. Next to the Boulangerie is a news stand. Pick up a copy of the International Herald Tribune if you want to find out what’s happening in the world (usually we don’t for about 3 weeks). Next to the news stand is the Bar au Cours. Sit under a shaded umbrella, order a cafe crème & have the croissants/pastries. They do not serve pastries at the Bar au Cours – so if you order one there, they’ll send you back to the Boulangerie. Get to the Bar au Cours around 8:30 & watch the market open. It will close at 1:00 – like most markets in France. The Bar au Cours closes 1 day a week.

Restaurants
There are a dozen or so simple cafes in Bedoin – most (perhaps all) have outdoor tables. They’re pretty rustic, but they look interesting. We dined at Basta Pasta one night - and though the food was OK but it was a little toooo rustic for us. There is another restaurant in town that’s a little more “elegant” (but still quite simple), called Chez Hortense. The food & ambience was quite good. However, their web site is closed, so perhaps it folded late last year. It is down a side road next to the grocery on the same corner as Basta Pasta. Les Pins is just south of town a bit, and it’s where we usually dine our first night there. The food is quite good and the outside terrace in very relaxing. The service needs a little help, however, because if a large group is there, they are quite rushed & it’s difficult to get your bill after dinner.

There are 3-4 pizza places in Bedoin. We’ve had several from the place associated with a bicycle shop. It’s located on a small road just where the main road forks in town with Mt Ventoux one way & Malaucene the other.

We usually reserve for 8PM at restaurants, and arrive at 7:45 and are normally the first diners there. Reserve a day or two in advance. Restaurants associated with hotels attract diners a little earlier. Except for the rustic places in Bedoin, most restaurants won’t even open much before 7:30.

If you want your check after dinner, you have to ask for it. L’Addition – pronounced “l’addissio (with a soft o), s’il vous plait” will get you your check.

Here are our favorite restaurants – in rough order of preference:
Key
Town – distance in Ks from the Gite
Name of restaurant, XX is the degree of formality (1 to 5 – 1 X being the simplest), lowest fixed price menu/highest fixed price menu (Euros) in ’07 Michelin guide, phone #, days closed, comments, GM 13 is the Gault Millau rating, * is the Michelin food rating (0 to three stars)

Gigondas 22K
L’Oustalet XX 27/55 04 90 65 85 30 Cl S, Tu, Wed. Nice outside setting on the square under the plane trees
Roaix 28K
Le Grand Pre XX* GM 14, PW 52/72/110 04 90 46 18 12 Cl Tu outside
Mazan 8K
Ch Marzan XXX hotel 35/62 04 90 69 62 61 outside. Beautiful Chateau setting – dine here on a warm evening so you can dine outside
Pernes les Fontaines 15K
Au Fil du Temps X * GM 12 48/68 04 90 66 48 61 Cl Tu, W no outside tables
Gigondas 22K
Les Florets XX Red 25/40 04 90 65 85 01 Cl ,W outside Beautiful outside setting – only dine here if it’s warm enough to dine outside
Vaison 21K
Brin d’Oliver XX 38/45 04 90 28 74 79 Cl June 24 to July 8, W, Su Outside
Bedoin
Pins X hotel 25/37 04 90 65 92 92 outside restful
Mas des Vignes XX 33/45 GM13 04 90 65 63 91 Cl M outside, view of mountains 6K east at St Esteve on the road to Mt Ventoux. Fantastic views – only dine here if you can dine outside. Take a hat.
Entrechaux 18K
St Hubert XX 26/48 04 90 46 00 05 cl Tu,W outside
Rastau 30K
Bellerive XXX hotel 25/50 04 90 46 10 20 outside, beautiful view of mountains & vineyards.
Seguret
Le Mesclun X GM 12 32/38 04 90 46 93 48 outside – Have lunch here – too far for dinner

Outdoor Markets - they close about 1pm
L’Isle sur la Sorgue Sunday
Bedoin Monday
Gordes Tu
Malaucene W
Sault W
Vaison Th
Nyons Th
Carpentras Fri – huge market
Uzes Sat

Odds & Ends
On the second or third weekend we were in Bedoin last June, there was a crafts fair in town. If this is an annual event, that would be June 12 or 19 in ’08.

Bedoin has many places to get bread, meat, vegetables in addition to the grocery & weekly market

Remember – most things closed for lunch – even groceries.


Groceries will accept your credit card.

You must bag your own groceries in your own bag. On your first visit, purchase a large grocery bag at the check-out.

Gas is the least expensive at gas stations associated with groceries. There is usually an attendant “booth” where you pay. The booths close for lunch. Some gas stations have automatic (un-attended) pay stations where you use your credit card to pay. However, US credit cards don’t work (long story). Often, gas stations close on Sunday – so gas up on Sat.

Stu Dudley