Fontaine de Vaucluse?? Good decision??
 

Hi there,

I am begining to wonder if I am confusing myself by reading too much on these boards.. I think I have decided on Fontaine de Vaucluse as the base for our visit to Provence at the begining of October. What we wanted was to be in a picturesque area where we can do a couple of easy hikes, visit Avignon, Gordes, Les baux, St. Remy, Pont du Gard...and definitely do an organised wine tasting tour of some description. We wanted to stay in a nice hotel that was on the edge of a town/ village with some restaurants as we would like to walk to dinner and enjoy a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. I have found a hotel in Fontaine de Vaucluse that is close to the village. I believe that the fontaine may be dry at that time of year?? I think I am afriad to take the plunge and chose somewhere as there are so many lovely towns and villages. Can anyone reassure me??

Thanks

Cailin

Cailin, not to confuse you more, but I think you'd be disappointed in this village (we certainly were). Yes, the water will be quite low I believe. The good news is the location for what you want to see is fine.

What about nearby L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue? There are many restaurants there and it certainly is picturesque with the stream running through its center. Pernes or St-Didier would be another possibility.

We stayed for a week in Venasque and loved it; it certainly would fit your criteria.

I wouldn't choose that location myself, either. I don't think that village is so scenic.

I've stayed in Pernes-les-Fontaines and really enjoyed that a lot and it's right on a major road that makes traveling around the Vaucluse and down to the Luberon very easy, as well as to Avignon. I believe you posted elsewhere to ask for a place to stay, and I had the perfect place that fit your criteria -- except for your insistence it be right in town and within walking distance to restaurants. The place I stayed (like many of the nice ones) was on the main road a couple miles outside of the village itself. Those are the places that tend to have nice gardens/swimming pool and easy access and parking. You'll have a car anyway, so I don't know why driving a mile or two into the village for dinner is something you don't want to do (or to another village, even Pernes which is bigger than some, doesn't have stellar dining options).

Anyway, I loved the hotel I stayed at just outside Pernes, which is itself an attractive and interesting village to tour for a day or so.

Thanks a lot Tuck H and Christina. Perhaps I will have to go back to the drawing board..It is good to know the opinions of others. To answer your question about wanting to be close to a town Christina, both my husband and i really like to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine with our dinner and given that we will be in the heart of a great wine producing region, we will definitely be trying out some of the local fare and so driving wouldn't really be an option for us. I do understand that the nicer hotels are a little bit out and we may have to compromise a little and perhaps take turns doing the driving. Christina, would you be able to tell me the name of the hotel in Pernes that you stayed in? TuckH, I will also take a look at Venasque. Thanks so much for your help.

We went to see the fountain 3 years ago in September. It was one of those "is that all there is" episodes. Subsequently have read it's better in March with melt runoff feeding it. In Sept. it was sort of a "small pond in a depression of rock, feeding languid brook" thing. A 2 on the scale 0-10

I enjoyed dining in front of the falls at Chez Philippe, visiting the Jewish Museum and paper facytory but for what you want, I suggest, IMHO, St Remy.

Cigalechanta..... My goodness! It was years ago.. but I,too, remember dining at Chez Philippe (mainly because my husband's name is Philip) . Your comment brought back lots of memories.

I had my first ecrevisse (sp?) there and my first Cavaillon melon topped with Beaume de Venise (France's best dessert muscat)

Mmmm yummy!!!

We have had the same delimna, and for the same reason! We like to enjoy a nice dinner with wine and dislike driving the poorly lit, poorly marked roads around the little towns in Provence late at night (not to mention the fact that neither my husband nor I have a great sense of direction and have enough trouble finding our way back sometimes even in broad daylight!)We solved our problem by staying in St Remy at a lovely hotel (which perhaps no longer exists) called Les Antiques. It was on a quiet side street and set back around a large courtyard, so very secluded and country-like, but a very nice short stroll to all of St Remy, to all the cafes and restaurants, and the market. But easy parking and an easy drive to all the lovely surrounding villages, which we could enjoy during the day, and sometimes, when we dared, at night. We liked it so much that we repeated the exact same vacation 2 years in a row! We did find Fontaine de Vaucluse to be lovely, and had a beautiful outdoor lunch at a restaurant on the river at the bottom of the walk up to the "Fontaine", but thought the choice of St Remy for our base was a great idea. Ile sur la Sorgue would also be a good choice. I do think that the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse would be a bit limited for your purposes.

Yes Ls Antiques is no more so we stayed at L'Hotel Les ateliers de Images. Tho you are downtown where it was once a movie theater and now a hotel on the main street. you go behind closed doors. you'd think you were in the country with the Alpilles looking down at you.
www.hotelphoto.com

Huge thanks for all your help!!! Am getting there!!