According to <i>Travel &amp; Leisure</i>, in the June 2004 issue.

&quot;Scattered discreetly throughout the south of France, in meadows and town squares, is a clutch of intimate <i>maisons d'hote</i> -- delightful alternatives to the big-hotel experience.&quot;

One of them is in Arles and I hadn't know the following about Arles. Too bad about the disease, whatever it is. Dutch elm disease hit the Twin Cities (where I'm originally from) in the early 80s and devasted entire neighborhoods. It was very sad, making you realize just how important trees are.

&quot;The opening of L'Hoel Particulier in 2002 came not a moment too soon. Arles was in mourning. Wracked with disease, the plane trees in the Place du Forum had been cut back to nothing in the hope of saving them. With the swipe of a chain saw, the most famous square in provincial France -- whose architectural fragments include the pillars and pediments of a Roman temple -- had become almost unrecognizable.&quot;

http://www.travelandleisure.com/invo...BF21F79A742503

Well, they're not very secret anymore now, are they?

&quot;When a secret is revealed, it is the fault of the man who confided it.&quot; -- Anonymous French proverb

Oh Oh! Je suis in trouble!

I did see the article. The hotels looked beautiful. I had asked about the Hotel Particulier..it's over $200 euros/noc.

The current Budget Travel magazine features inexpensive hotels in Provence. I've yet to receive my copy in the mail but I took a glance at the newsstand copy. Those hotels sure look very nice, clean, charming, and inexpensive allright.

Hi
Where can you get a copy of that magazine? Is it available in UK or on-line?
Thanks

<i>Non, non capo!</i>

Travel &amp; Leisure is in trouble, not <i>vous</i> .

There is a British version of Travel &amp; Leisure, but the content is different from the U.S. version. Here in the states, there are some bookstores that stock the U.K. version, but it's not something that you'd find on every newstand. I suspect the same is true in the U.K--you may be able to find the U.S. version at specialty bookstores (or at the airport).

Possibly, you could order it from the publisher, which is American Express Publishing, I believe.

Blueskies, the URL I posted above is the full article.

Merci, elle. You're right. In fact, this quote absolves me from any responsibility!

&quot;How can we expect another to keep our secret if we [Travel et Leisure] have been unable to keep it ourselves?&quot; - Fran&ccedil;ois Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Mimi, I forgot say thanks for that link!


On another note...does anyone know what disease hit the plane trees in Arles, if the trees in the Place du Forum have survived, and how widespread this might be in Provence? Merci!

There was an article in one of the travel zines few yrs. ago, and Leslie Caron's small upscale hotel/inn was featured, among others. I've forgotten where it is; anyone know? I'm thinking a bit north of Provence, maybe Burgundy?

Don't know for sure, but plane trees are susceptible to attacks by anthracnose, twig cankers and leaf blights. Whatever they are. I'm quoting from a tree disease site. I googled &quot;plane trees Arles disease&quot; and didn't get anything; then french-googled &quot;Arles arbres malades&quot; and still didn't get anything.

One of the main roads around Fontvielle is lined with plane trees that have been cut back drastically b/c of disease, I assume.

FWIW, the French for &quot;blight&quot; is &quot;le mildiou&quot;.

So when you arrive in Arles and see all those cut-back trees, you can say, <i>&quot;Ah, le mildiou! Domage.&quot;</i> People will be ever-so-impressed.

Merci, elle. It sure seems like &quot;mildew&quot; would come from <i>mildiou</i>. M-W says &quot;Middle English, from Old English <i>meledEaw</i> honeydew; akin to Old High German <i>militou</i> honeydew&quot;...but there probably is a connection due to the close spelling of <i>militou</i> and <i>mildiou</i>.

Merci also, grandmere. Too bad about that road near Fontvielle. One of my favorite parts of Provence are those glorious plane trees lining the roads. I sure hope they survive whatever this disease is. In the Twin Cities, Dutch elm disease killed most of the elms it hit.

Grandmere, we have stayed there three times. Saw her there once. It's in Villeneuve sur Yonne, called the Auberge La Lucarne Aux Chouettes.

Grandmere, I found my brochure from there.It's a place we stay before flying back from CDG if not in Normandy.
It's:
www.lesliecaron-auberge.com
I notice when some post urls, it's read and one can just click it rather than copy/paste. How do I do that?

Cigale, thanks for the URL; it must be quite a lovely place to stay if you've been there that many times!

Well, it's a convenient place to spend the night before flying back. I love watching the kids fishing as we sit in front of the hotel's terrace that faces the river enjoying an apertif.

I didn't realize that it's so close to CDG; must get out my map.