Provence is overrated
Jul 3rd, 2003, 03:54 PM
#21
Hey Mait. the North penis was stuffy but the woman who owns it was very nice. It was too formal for me. Next time the Calendal would be my choice. Those alleé trees are "Planes." Close up,they have that "camoflage design. I once took a photo of one close up to show someone.
things I look for in Provence:
the lacy wrought iron camponiles designed for the mistral to pas through without damage.
The cadran du soleils, the wall, often painted, sun dials.
The pigeonniers, often built in the houses,
the wonderful fanciful fountaines,
The lavoirs, the ancient stone wash houses.
And the men, who are not afraid to show their love for there cat or dog, kissing it in public.
I LOVE PROVENCE!
Jul 3rd, 2003, 06:11 PM
#22
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's not "overrated"; you simply didn't care for it that much, and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't know if having high expectations was a cause of your disappointment in this particular case, but having high expectatations certainly can cause disappointment when reality doesn't meet them.
I'm with Bob in that, while I've enjoyed my visits to Provence -- and would gladly go there again -- now that I finally got to see the Tuscan countryside, I'd say I prefer it.
Maitaitom, I'm curious why you dislike Aix so much, especially since we both seem to agree about Les Baux and Roussillon. I was there once, in May of 1994, and thought it was a beautiful town, with the Cours Mirabeau one of the most gorgeous main streets I've seen anywhere.
I'm with Bob in that, while I've enjoyed my visits to Provence -- and would gladly go there again -- now that I finally got to see the Tuscan countryside, I'd say I prefer it.
Maitaitom, I'm curious why you dislike Aix so much, especially since we both seem to agree about Les Baux and Roussillon. I was there once, in May of 1994, and thought it was a beautiful town, with the Cours Mirabeau one of the most gorgeous main streets I've seen anywhere.
Jul 3rd, 2003, 06:38 PM
#23
"Maitaitom, I'm curious why you dislike Aix so much..."
capo, I had seen the pictures of the Cours Mirabeau and thought this looked like a really quaint, romantic town. It took us almost two hours to get to our hotel in the incredible traffic from the offramp (made L.A. traffic seem like North Dakota traffic).
The vendors on the street sold some of the worst schlock (don't even know if that is a word), and the exhaust from autos as we sat at a cafe on the Cours Mirabeau made me wish that I smoked again.
The rest of Provence was fine, especially the aforementioned places in your post, but the happiest day of our vacation was leaving Aix for the beautiful waters of Cassis.
Maybe we were there on an "off" day, but it seems many people are disappointed with the Aix experience. That said, I would never tell anyone not to go there, because experiences (positive and negative) are what travel is all about. However, give me Les Baux, Roussillon and Cassis any day.
capo, I had seen the pictures of the Cours Mirabeau and thought this looked like a really quaint, romantic town. It took us almost two hours to get to our hotel in the incredible traffic from the offramp (made L.A. traffic seem like North Dakota traffic).
The vendors on the street sold some of the worst schlock (don't even know if that is a word), and the exhaust from autos as we sat at a cafe on the Cours Mirabeau made me wish that I smoked again.
The rest of Provence was fine, especially the aforementioned places in your post, but the happiest day of our vacation was leaving Aix for the beautiful waters of Cassis.
Maybe we were there on an "off" day, but it seems many people are disappointed with the Aix experience. That said, I would never tell anyone not to go there, because experiences (positive and negative) are what travel is all about. However, give me Les Baux, Roussillon and Cassis any day.
Jul 3rd, 2003, 07:47 PM
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I guess I was disappointed cos I had very high expectations of Provence.The images and impressions I got from movies, photos, Impressionist paintings and this forum didnt meet up to reality. Maybe I was there in the wrong season. The 40C heat didnt help- I remember comparing it to the Australian outback when I was driving down the highway from Lac Annecy.
If you asked if I liked Provence I'd say I did. But not as much as Tuscany or Andalucia. Maybe I never had any expectation of the latter. I'd say I was disappointed cos I'd expected more. Provence looked prettier in postcards than reality. It looked 10x better in Stealing Beauty and Passions of Mind. Whereas Dordogne, for eg, looked better in reality. It looked even more beautiful than in the movies Ever After and Joan of Arc. That is how I define "overratedness"- Reality vs my initial impression.
Some people found Cors Mirabeau in Aix beautiful. I thought it ordinary. Guess when I read fantastic raves about it I'd expected it to be much more.
A place like Venice is what I'd consider "beyond my expectation". No matter how many movies I've watched or postcards I'd, nothing compared to being there.I was overawed. But hen again, there are people who didnt like Venice.
The town in Provence which surpassed my expectation was Avignon and the hotel which surpassed my expectation was Chateau des Alpilles, which fitted my impression of a Provencal chateau.
If you asked if I liked Provence I'd say I did. But not as much as Tuscany or Andalucia. Maybe I never had any expectation of the latter. I'd say I was disappointed cos I'd expected more. Provence looked prettier in postcards than reality. It looked 10x better in Stealing Beauty and Passions of Mind. Whereas Dordogne, for eg, looked better in reality. It looked even more beautiful than in the movies Ever After and Joan of Arc. That is how I define "overratedness"- Reality vs my initial impression.
Some people found Cors Mirabeau in Aix beautiful. I thought it ordinary. Guess when I read fantastic raves about it I'd expected it to be much more.
A place like Venice is what I'd consider "beyond my expectation". No matter how many movies I've watched or postcards I'd, nothing compared to being there.I was overawed. But hen again, there are people who didnt like Venice.
The town in Provence which surpassed my expectation was Avignon and the hotel which surpassed my expectation was Chateau des Alpilles, which fitted my impression of a Provencal chateau.
Jul 3rd, 2003, 09:25 PM
#25
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn't have anything to add here really, except to say that given your experiences, Provence may have looked 10x better in Stealing Beauty because it wasn't Provence.
Stealing Beauty was set and filmed in Tuscany.
Stealing Beauty was set and filmed in Tuscany.
Jul 3rd, 2003, 11:13 PM
#26
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with much of what people say here.
Gordes, Bonnieux and Rousillon were my favorites.
I would imagine that many factors figure into how well you enjoy a region. I visited in late April/ early May and it was indeed breathtaking.
Perhaps you were a bit too late in the season and are having to put up with the terrible summer crowds. I'd imagine spring to be the most beautiful season there because there is so much coming into bloom.
Gordes was astounding. We stayed at Le Bastide de Gordes, which was fantastic, and I would imagine that WHERE you stay has an impact on your experience too.
I also remember arriving to Bonnieux early in the morning...we wandered past a fountain, and followed our noses into a beautiful bakery...bought some pastries and bread and sat out by the fountain to eat in the early morning light. There was nobody else around. It was so romantic and beautiful.
I would imagine small, very specific experiences of stumbling on to great little shops is another thing that makes these places so wonderful.
I also seem to remember watching the young local children laughing and playing, kicking a ball around in an alley, while a cat sat on the front step of a house licking her paw.
Yes, perhaps it was too crowded with tourists when you were there to be "lovely" and "breathtaking.
Who knows?
Gordes, Bonnieux and Rousillon were my favorites.
I would imagine that many factors figure into how well you enjoy a region. I visited in late April/ early May and it was indeed breathtaking.
Perhaps you were a bit too late in the season and are having to put up with the terrible summer crowds. I'd imagine spring to be the most beautiful season there because there is so much coming into bloom.
Gordes was astounding. We stayed at Le Bastide de Gordes, which was fantastic, and I would imagine that WHERE you stay has an impact on your experience too.
I also remember arriving to Bonnieux early in the morning...we wandered past a fountain, and followed our noses into a beautiful bakery...bought some pastries and bread and sat out by the fountain to eat in the early morning light. There was nobody else around. It was so romantic and beautiful.
I would imagine small, very specific experiences of stumbling on to great little shops is another thing that makes these places so wonderful.
I also seem to remember watching the young local children laughing and playing, kicking a ball around in an alley, while a cat sat on the front step of a house licking her paw.
Yes, perhaps it was too crowded with tourists when you were there to be "lovely" and "breathtaking.
Who knows?
Jul 4th, 2003, 12:16 AM
#27
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,833
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Intriguing Title ! For me there's nothing easier and more relaxing than vacationing in Provence. We don't even have to think of what or where my wife & I would do/visit. It's great everywhere: the landscape,the people, the food, the towns and their history, even Aix! We like it better each time we return there.
The funny thing is we have a definite preference for Provence over Tuscany. After reading some of the messages above I realize why. The first time we went to Tuscany a hotel valet made a big dent on our rental car but wouldn't admit it plus we got ripped off a few times. The second time we went we got stuck in a long traffic jam driving between Florence & Sienna.
The funny thing is we have a definite preference for Provence over Tuscany. After reading some of the messages above I realize why. The first time we went to Tuscany a hotel valet made a big dent on our rental car but wouldn't admit it plus we got ripped off a few times. The second time we went we got stuck in a long traffic jam driving between Florence & Sienna.
Jul 4th, 2003, 06:37 AM
#28
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,387
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DAX, you make a very good point. Our perceptions of a place are often coloured by factors that are specific to us as individuals, such as whether we had the ill luck to run into a rude or unscrupulous person while in a specific area, or what kind of weather we had, or whatever. I also wonder how much our own background circumstances affects our enjoyment. I love the mountains on a sunny day, but no matter how beautiful they are, they have undeniably wintry aspects - lots of snow and ice, which quite frankly I get enough of at home. Whereas I'd forgive Provence almost anything, because in general the climate is mild.
Jul 4th, 2003, 03:26 PM
#33
Guest
Posts: n/a
xnyxny & cigalechanta -
Stayed at the Villa Gallici and our room was probably one of the nicest and largest of many 5* we've enjoyed over the years, having been voted the Best Small Hotel in Europe back about 4 years ago. And well deserved.
And we naturally had dinner at Clos de Violettes which was excellent.
These are two stops one should make when visiting Aix - granted both are on the high end, but well worth the splurge.
Stayed at the Villa Gallici and our room was probably one of the nicest and largest of many 5* we've enjoyed over the years, having been voted the Best Small Hotel in Europe back about 4 years ago. And well deserved.
And we naturally had dinner at Clos de Violettes which was excellent.
These are two stops one should make when visiting Aix - granted both are on the high end, but well worth the splurge.
Jul 4th, 2003, 05:37 PM
#34
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,962
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you Wandering Texan for the comment "Provence is like the Texas Hill Country". I couldn't put my finger on it before, but you are exactly correct! Enjoyed Provence greatly, though agree Aix (big university/exchange program) is too big for me. Looking forward to discovering the Dordogne more in depth in Sept. Brittany, however, will always be my first love.
Jul 5th, 2003, 08:14 AM
#35
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry linwein, but I had to laugh when Clifton pointed out that "Stealing Beauty" was actually filmed in Tuscany. No wonder Provence looked so good, oui? 
I agree with you about Venice, by the way; it's an incredible city.
Maitaitom, thanks for your reply about why you dislike Aix so much. Sounds, at least in part, like you were a victim of high expectations regarding Aix, especially if you pictured it as some quaint little town. My then-girlfriend & I found it very romantic, especially when we wandered the streets west of the Cours Mirabeau in the evening. Sorry you spent two hours in traffic getting to your hotel. We arrived by train and had a relatively short walk to the center of town where we found a great inexpensive hotel. Our room was huge and had French doors overlooking a courtyard.
Interesting that pictures of the Cours Mirabeau (apparently) was what prompted you to visit Aix. For me, it was a comment, not pictures. In "A Year in Provence", which I had finished just prior to our '94 trip, Peter Mayle says he thinks the Cours is the "finest main street in France" (or something to that effect) and that intrigued me so we decided to go there. While there are plenty of towns and main streets in France I have not seen, of those I have, I would have to agree with Mayle. I love the towering plane trees, the fountains, and the fact that the height of the buildings on both sides is roughly equal to the width of the street (no, I didn't measure them; I read that.)
Funny, I don't recall vendors on the street selling "the worst schlock", not do I recall the auto exhaust on the Cours being all that bad. (I'm not denying your experiences; I just don't recall having similar ones.)
By the way, Cassis is another Provencal town I like. We stopped there on our way from Aix to Nice because a waiter at a restaurant in Aix told us about it.
I agree with you about Venice, by the way; it's an incredible city. Maitaitom, thanks for your reply about why you dislike Aix so much. Sounds, at least in part, like you were a victim of high expectations regarding Aix, especially if you pictured it as some quaint little town. My then-girlfriend & I found it very romantic, especially when we wandered the streets west of the Cours Mirabeau in the evening. Sorry you spent two hours in traffic getting to your hotel. We arrived by train and had a relatively short walk to the center of town where we found a great inexpensive hotel. Our room was huge and had French doors overlooking a courtyard.
Interesting that pictures of the Cours Mirabeau (apparently) was what prompted you to visit Aix. For me, it was a comment, not pictures. In "A Year in Provence", which I had finished just prior to our '94 trip, Peter Mayle says he thinks the Cours is the "finest main street in France" (or something to that effect) and that intrigued me so we decided to go there. While there are plenty of towns and main streets in France I have not seen, of those I have, I would have to agree with Mayle. I love the towering plane trees, the fountains, and the fact that the height of the buildings on both sides is roughly equal to the width of the street (no, I didn't measure them; I read that.)
Funny, I don't recall vendors on the street selling "the worst schlock", not do I recall the auto exhaust on the Cours being all that bad. (I'm not denying your experiences; I just don't recall having similar ones.)
By the way, Cassis is another Provencal town I like. We stopped there on our way from Aix to Nice because a waiter at a restaurant in Aix told us about it.
Jul 5th, 2003, 08:55 AM
#36
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 970
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Capo, Mayles' comment was one of the reasons we went there, but we drove like maitaitom and Cours Mirabeau was under construction, so we had much the same impression as he did. Just glad to get out of there!
Jul 5th, 2003, 09:03 AM
#37
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sue, yes, I understand that the Cours Mirabeau was under construction for quite some time. I wonder if Maitaitom was there during that period? That would certainly make it look less appealing.
I was in Aix a second time, briefly, right after the majestic plane trees had been severely pruned and the Cours didn't look as wonderful then either.
I was in Aix a second time, briefly, right after the majestic plane trees had been severely pruned and the Cours didn't look as wonderful then either.
Jul 6th, 2003, 06:55 PM
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yea haha, Stealing Beauty was filmed in Tuscany-no wonder it looked so good. Chocolat was fimed in Provence no? Which town was it?
Maybe it was because when I went to Tuscany it was my first time in Europe. Subsequently I've been to Spain, UK, Scotland so Provence seemed "ordinary". Seeing a hilltown or a walled city is always more alluring the first time.And even simple Italian architecture(eg farmhouse) was nicer than a French one.
My photos have come back and they do look nice. Maybe Provence photos always look better than in real life! I remember when I was driving there, the 40C heat was unbearable and the scenery was like tree,tree,tree,factory,tree,tree,tree,farmhouse,tr ee,tree,tree,wheatfield,tree,tree,tree,factory and an occasional lavender field. No wonder Van Gogh's paintings had rays radiating from it. He was painting the HEAT! Either that or he was hallucinating. No wonderhe cut off his ear there. I'd hv gone mad myself hvg nothing to paint but wheatfield after wheatfield.
Having said that Provence IS beautiful. It's just not as beautiful as I thought it to be.
Maybe it was because when I went to Tuscany it was my first time in Europe. Subsequently I've been to Spain, UK, Scotland so Provence seemed "ordinary". Seeing a hilltown or a walled city is always more alluring the first time.And even simple Italian architecture(eg farmhouse) was nicer than a French one.
My photos have come back and they do look nice. Maybe Provence photos always look better than in real life! I remember when I was driving there, the 40C heat was unbearable and the scenery was like tree,tree,tree,factory,tree,tree,tree,farmhouse,tr ee,tree,tree,wheatfield,tree,tree,tree,factory and an occasional lavender field. No wonder Van Gogh's paintings had rays radiating from it. He was painting the HEAT! Either that or he was hallucinating. No wonderhe cut off his ear there. I'd hv gone mad myself hvg nothing to paint but wheatfield after wheatfield.
Having said that Provence IS beautiful. It's just not as beautiful as I thought it to be.
Jul 6th, 2003, 07:15 PM
#40
Factory?? Not where I go!And the humidity is nothing as horrible as here in Boston today. But I look forward to seeing your photos, As the late Barry White said, "Ï can't get enough of your love(provence) baby!"
