pegprescott

I am just beginning to plan an 8 day trip to Provence in mid to late May. All your posts have been helpful. Stu can you send me your itinerary to [email protected](your email address doesn't seem to go thru). With such a short trip should I try to do western and eastern Provence (St Paul de Vence,etc) or just do the western part well? The Luberon is a must (maybe stay there for 3 nights in a small village - maybe Gordes,Menerbes or Goult) and then several nights in Uzes, Avignon, or St Remy) Would this provide good bases for driving? Are Arles and Camargue must sees? Or Aix instead? We would like a village /small city where we can eat well at our hotel or walk to restaurants as well as relax at the pool. I don't want to be changing hotels every night or two. Anyone know of the Bastide de Gordes right in the village? Thanks for your help.

StuDudley

>>Stu can you send me your itinerary to [email protected](your email address doesn't seem to go thru). <<

That's funny - I've received over 400 requests for my various itineraries via e-mail. I get about 5 or 6 each day. Nobody has ever mentioned a problem with my e-mail address. Try again.

[email protected]

liesablond

I live in Western Provence. I can probably help if you tell me more about what type of experiences you are looking for.

I definitely think you would be spread thin to try to cover both Eastern and Western Provence.

Your choices of Uzès, Avignon, and St. Rémy are all great. If you go to St. Rémy, I would stop by Les Baux de Provence, which is right next to St. Rémy, as well. It is beautiful and has a great outdoor musem at the summit of the hill, with a great view over the olive trees and vineyards.

Arles is so-so. The Roman Arena is worthwhile. There is a nice Roman Arena in Nîmes, also.

The Camargue is a swampy nature-preserve type area. It is beautiful (also full of mosquitos much of the time, so be prepared). Most people enjoy taking the Tiki II boat tour of the Camargue. It is very nice to see the wild flamingos all through the Camargue. Just a little west of the Camargue, on the coast near Palavas, is a large bird sanctuary.

Sommières is a nice small village with a Roman bridge, and a large cobblestoned pedestrian-only village center. They have a really nice open-air market on Saturday mornings, and also a large flea market with lots of brocante and antiques - also on Saturday morning - on the plane treed esplanade.

Feel free to ask me anything. I am an American living with my family with six children in Western Provence.

Liesa Blond
www.MasdePuechLong.com

pegprescott

Thanks Stu and Lisa for your responses. I did receive your helpful itinerary Stu (I had misspelled your email address the first time! That's what I get for doing travel plans online late at night.) I have decided to focus on Western Provence for this trip - 3-4 nights in St. Remy area and 3 nights in Gordes with maybe one night in Aix on way to airport in Marseille.

My immediate decisions on on hotels in St Remy and Gordes. After reading all your threads I decided on Mas de Carassins in ST-R but can't get affordable rooms for the dates I need - only suites left.I'm trying to stay at $200 (160E) or less. I'm waiting for replies from Mas de L'Oulivie (actually in Eygalieres not ST R), Hotel Le Moulin d'Aure, Domaine de Valmourine,Mas de Bournissac,Mas de Aigret,Auberge de Benvengudo, and La Riboto de Taven. L'Oulivie looks interesting. Is it a mistake to not stay closer to St. Remy? CAn you really walk in ST R from these other places anyway. Stu, I noted that you said there were good restaurants in Eygalieres (including Ollivie?). We are serious foodies and would like to eat close to hotel without a lot of driving for DH who wants to drink the local wines! Can anyone give me pros and cons on any of the hotels I mentioned?

In Gordes I have a choice between Mas de Romarins or Domaine de L'Enclos. What about restaurants? Stu mentioned he didn't recommend any in Gordes. Does that mean it doesn't make sense to stay close to town at Romarins?

Sorry - so many questions but need to make hotel decision soon before rooms are booked up!

loisco

Peg...we are doing the same things you are but in October and end of September. St. Remy and Gordes (thanks to Stu's advice and help) Probably we will end up with a day or so in Avignon while we return our lease car at the TGV.

I hope you keep posting here so I can find out what you end up doing. I also want hotels where we can walk to restaurants...with us it's not only the wine...but neither of us see well at night..!!

I will keep watching the boards for your "finds".

Underhill

if i remember correctly, there isn't much in the way of restaurants in gordes proper--more in the outskirts.

StuDudley

Underhill is correct about the restaurants in Gordes. Estellan just downhill a bit, is nice. It has outside terrace dining. Bartaville in Goult is only about 10 mins away. Bernard Mathys is 20-25 mins away. Joucas has some nice restaurants associated with their hotels - even a Michelin 1 star. We have never dined there. We've checked them out & when we're in the Luberon, we just don't feel like "fancy" hotel dining. I'm a big-time foodie too, and I don't go to the Luberon or Provence for my big time food adventures. I like the Dordogne, Lot, Quercy, Pays Basque, Brittany, and Alsace for that. My favorites in Provence are Bernard Mathys near Apt, l'Olivier just northwest of Uzes, and Table de l'Horloge just outside of Uzes (these latter two are not officially in Provence). There are some other nice Michelin starred restaurants, but I try to hold the cost to no more than 120E for 2 with wine & Kirs.

The restaurant in Eygalieres is Bistrot d'Eygalieres "Chez Bru". I have never dined there (exceeded my 120E limit) but some of our closest friends have (although they are not very adventursome diners). It has been written up in a couple of publications, and Michelin has awarded it a 1 star.

Our same friends who dined at Chez Bru, stayed at Mas de la Brune. These are very descriminating people and they usually stay at $700 a night places (or higher). They have stayed at Mas de la Brune twice - so they obviously like it a lot. Another set of friends who are also very descriminationg, stayed at Mas de la Brune twice - the first time after checking in at Ch de Roussan and thinking it a bit run down & then leaving.

I don't recognize all the hotels you mentioned, but Riboto I would catagorize as a climb from St Remy - not a walk. It's up near Les Baux - no way can you walk. Never been to Valmouriane, but I'm guessing it's the same as Riboto. Same with the hotel in Eygalieres - except it's mostly flat but too far away. Except if you head south of St Remy, most of the area around it is flat. My favorite restaurants are in St Remy, or north. Never had any trouble driving to/from restaurants near St Remy - we stayed there 2 weeks.

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

Chez Bru is wonderful and the owners charming. they have opened a smaller less expensive place nearby called Petite Bru.
Riboto is excellant and again run by a very nice couple.
We spent two nights at the Mas D'Aigret and liked it.

StuDudley

>>Riboto is excellant and again run by a very nice couple<<

We had my wife's 50th birthday dinner there with 6 other friends in '99. The setting is fantastic - can't do any better. I believe it was a Michelin 1 star at the time. I read later that they had changed their format and were only going to serve dinner to guests staying at the hotel. In the '04 Michlein Guide, it does not say this, however. Cigalechanta, were you a guest there & when were you there?? I'm guessing that they no longer serve to guests only.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

La Petite France in Maussane is another small gem. I believe the owner decided his Michelin star wasn't worth the hassle and went back to serving his wonderful meals at incredibly reasonable prices (25-32&euro when I was there last fall.

cigalechanta

Stu, we stayed there in 2003 but there were a few tables with guests who were not booked for sleeping there.
Did you see my post asking you how the food was at the Entraigues?

jpie

A very interesting thread! While I was looking up Riboto de Tavena I found a website that might interest you guys (if you haven't already seen it!):

http://www.cognoscentimag.com/provence.shtml

It gives reviews of Riboto along with 8 or 9 other well known restaurants in Provence. I would love to hear your thoughts about some of them if you have tried them. The page looks like their free "teaser" to get you buy reviews for other foodie areas. Is anyone familiar with the magazine??

jpie

cigalechanta

Hi jpie, We have been to La Chassagntte, a wonderful place on an organic farm in the Camargue.
The Oustau de Baumanerie ,
Nord Pinus,
Riboto de Taven.
All winners, but I wouldn't sleep again at the Nord pinus, at least in the room we had. We prefer the Calandel that we tried in another year.

pegprescott

Thank you for all the restaurant suggestions but I'm still having problems finding a hotel in St. Remy or les Baux - most are full or have only exp. suites left ...so I may need to rearrange my itinerary. Any suggestions for a different base for 3 or 4 days in addition to our three days in Gordes?

Only hotel options in St Remy at the moment are 2 Band B's but I can't find any comments or reviews . PB, can you advise on B and B's in St. Remy or Les Baux? Did someone say you ran your own B and B? They are:

Mas Dom Pater (found on avignon-et-provence website)
Mas Shamrock (in Special Places to Stay guide)

Other hotel options are :
Auberge de Benvengudo in Les Baux which is pricey - anyone know if it is worth it?

Moulin d'Aure - small hotel in Graveson. Would this be a lousy location?

Thanks for all your help.

cigalechanta

PB's B&B is the Mas de Greoux in Maucanne.

Here's a few other places.
Mas de Beaume in Gordes,
in St Remy, La Maison du Village
www.lamaisonduvillage.com
In St Remy, I'm staying one night at L'Hotel www.hotelphoto.com.

Underhill

for st-rémy, try the château de roussan; it dates from the 18th century and is only a little way out of town. the grounds are lovely, but there is no pool.

abbydog

In May I'm staying at a B&B a friend of mine just raves about, near St. Remy in Maillane, called Mas de la Christine. It is not expensive. You may want to check it out at www.masdelachristine.com.

cigalechanta

abbydog, that is a good find. While you are there be sure to visit the house of the Nobel Prize Poet of Provence,
MISTRAL.( now a museum) He lived there from 1876 until his death in 1914.
In the cemetary down the street rests his tomb.
A very good resto is the L'Oustalet Maianen. Both in Maillane.

abbydog

Thank you, cigalechanta! I am one of your (secret) devotees, and already have noted your recommendation for Oustalet de Maillane in my book!

pegprescott

Thanks all! I'll check out these new B&B possibilities.