Provence last minute rest./shopping tips?
 

Dear Fodorites.
My husband, our reasonably well-behaved 1-yr old daughter and I are leaving for Provence tomorrow and would like your best restaurant/shopping tips.

Our Itenary is: Nice airport - pick up car and head for Saint Remy our base for the week. In no particular order: Saint Remy, Arles, Nimes, Avignon, Aigues Mortes, Orange, Gordes and surroundings.

We'll focus mainly on Roman ruins, beautiful cold autumn landscape, great food and some shopping on markets and whereever we pass by.

Our plan is to head out as soon as our daughter wakes up, see XX, have lunch at a good restaurant, see some more XX and head home in time for normal dinner/bedtime around 18:00.
Playing/coffeebreaks thrown in as necessary.

1. Should we make phone reservations in advance when we bring our daughter?
We'll bring her own HandySitt, plate/cup/spoon/fork anyhow

2. What will you recommend for lunch (spending limit 125Euro/meal for all incl. ? bottle wine& soft drinks)

3. any particular shopping recommendations -
Textile, childrens clothes/toys/books, local food specialities and Santons?

TIA
Cecilie Thorning Jacobsen

I?ll try to be brief and helpful, but I could go on forever. I travel to Provence all the time for work (I?m leaving for Aix tomorrow), so please re-post if you have specific questions, and I?ll try to help.

St. Remy
You?ll find plenty of places to eat along the main drag, and you will not need reservations for lunch, and you?ll be fine with a one year old. For shopping, I like the fabrics and pottery best in St. Remy. It?s a little touristy (but should be less so at this time of year), but the quality is good. Also, I like to bring home those square blocks of olive oil soap ? they?re great to display and use or give as gifts, and they?re cheap.

Orange
I was just in Orange a month ago ? the theater is AWESOME. Not sure if it costs extra, but you should get the hand-held recording that guides you through. Be careful on the steps with a child. . . For food, you?ll find lots of small places, and won?t need reservations for lunch. Shopping is limited in Orange, in my opinion, but the theater and the tourist office across the street sell really neat theatrical masks. They?re a bit heavy, but I bought one and it?s a neat souvenir. The theater also sells some kids toys and inexpensive figurines to play with.

Avignon
I spend weeks and weeks in this town every year, so let me know if you need something in particular. For kid-friendly and good restaurants, try Le Moutardier or Forchette. I?m not positive either is open for lunch, but to find them, ask at the Mercure ? they?ll be happy to help you. I?m sure your daughter will really enjoy the carousel in the town center!

General
I?m sure you won?t miss the Pont du Gard ? I?ve been there 10 times, and still am amazed by it. I see a lot of families with kids and picnics there, so that might be a good diversion for a couple of hours. Bring home some good olive oil ? you can do tastings in many places, and French olive oil is great. If you are going to Chateauneuf du Pape, re-post, and I?ll tell you a great place to taste and/or buy wine. It?s also fun to drive up to the old castle.

Have a great time ? it?s a wonderful time of year for Provence! Again, re-post if I can help with anything else!

Dear Frequent Flyer,
I've saved the rest. recs for Avignon from a previous thread and we'll bring a 2000 Guide Michelin + some more recent guide books.

Which are the biggest supermarkets in Saint Remy and are any of them open Sunday after 16:00?

How about restaurants around Gordes - the villages are smallish so I guess "the main drag" doesn't have as wide a choice as Saint Remy? ;-))

We'll save the wine tasting for another time, but I'd love your recommendation anyhow.

I'll finish packing, but will repost if there are more questions.

Thanks a lot ;-)
Cecilie

I live just outside of St Remy.... you don't need to make reservations ahead of time if you have your daughter with you. Many of the restaurants in the area have been closing for dinner (for a variety of reasons like few tourists, the 35 hour workweek, etc.) - but almost everything is open for lunch.
It will be difficult to get dinner at 6 PM...might I suggest eating a good lunch (the stores are all closed anyway)
and a light snack in the evening.
Some restaurants in St Remy inself that I'm sure will welcome your daughter:
Jardin de Frédéric
Small, cozy restaurant with a small outdoor terrace. Good seafood dishes. Friendly owner and service is good.
Closed Wednesday and on Thursdays for lunch
Dress - Casual
8, boulevard Gambetta Tel: 04 90 92 27 76

La Source
Charming, small restaurant fairly off the tourist path. Very good food, lovely shaded terrace overlooking a garden for summer dining. Closed Wednesday
13, avenue Liberation Tel: 04 90 92 44 71

La Gousse d'Ail
Small restaurant with great atmosphere, just moved over near the church.
Chef/owner is actually Dutch - but the food is French and very good. Bouillabaisse is served on Tuesdays. Only minus is that there is no outdoor terrace.
Dress- Casual
25, rue Carnot Tel: 04 90 92 16 87

L'Apostrophe
Fusion cuisine - French, Thai, Antilles Islands, Chinese, Moroccan. The food is very good - although some portions are a bit too large.
It has a two tiered terrace with a view of the church. And the chairs are very comfortable. Prices are very reasonable - entrees were in the 5 - 7 euro range and main courses just a bit more.
17, place de la Republique Tel: 04 90 92 02 13

Patricia

The largest supermarket in St Remy is the Intermarche.... it's not open on SUndays. You'll find some small grocery stores open on Sunday mornings, but nothing on Sunday afternoons.
Market day in St Remy is Wednesday - with a small market on Saturday mornings.

Just over the Alpilles, Maussane's market day is Thursday.
Arles has a huge market on Saturdays and a smaller one on Wednesday
Tarascon is on TUesday

If I can answer any other questions you can post here or email me at [email protected].
I'm actually leaving for a short trip to the States on TUesday, but enjoy your visit here !
The weather is lovely here right now - not freezing, but in the upper 40s and fifties = and will probably warm up a bit more this week.

Patricia

Dear Patricia,
If you live that close to Saint Remy - where is the biggest/best supermarket?
We've reserved a gite close to the city centre.

Strangely our reservation papers from Gites de France only tells us the name and address of the proprietor of the gite, not the gite itself.
I guess I'll try phoning him either Sunday morning 9am before leaving Denmark or in the afternoon from Nice.

How big is Saint Remy anyhow?
We have problems printing out a map with the proprietors address...

TIA
Cecilie