Again, I find a wealth of information after a long day's work -- thank you one and all!


@ natylou: Thanks for linking in your trip report! I’m not sure how I missed it, and definitely look forward to reading it!

@ StCirq: I know I said that I want a wide range of experiences, but not to include terror! Thanks for the warning.

@ StuDudley: I obviously have a great deal more to learn! Thanks for making sure I understand my options for seeing the Gorges de l'Ardčche.

@ PalenQ: Yes, I have been to Rocamadour and was glad to see it. Thanks for checking.

@ natylou: OMG! I've been wondering what happened to you and hoping you were well.

And yes, I DID read your TR. Here's the note I made to myself at the time, thinking we had lost you forever:
" I didn’t add a post to sundriedtopepo’s TR, since she’s gone from Fodors, but if I had done so, it would be: “Great TR! You may just have “forced” me to add Sčte to my wish list, while confirming any number of other places."

I took many notes from, and much delight in, your TR.
And I am honestly glad to know that Fodor's still has your voice.

I always assumed it was the Italian form of St Remigius.

@ bilboburgler & Nonconformist: My guess is that those who are not Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox have little idea of who is or is not a saint, except for a few of the most well known ones. I think my favorite saint is Souci.

Not sure if Nimes was talked about above - my quick search found none - but it is a really unique town with a certain elegance and having some of the best Roman relics in France:

https://www.google.com/search?q=nime...w=1280&bih=625

And Nimes is also the home of denim - originally produced here I believe (de Nimes).

@ PalenQ: Thanks! Yes, Nimes is still in the running. I might even catch a festival there!

Ah yes that area you've chosen has so so so many neat places - hard to choose.

Happy Travels.

Indeed -- my challenge will be in trimming my wish-list to something manageable. I'm sure whatever I choose will be delightful!

Rocamadour makes absolutely no geographic sense on this itinerary, and honestly, unless you have a fascination with black virgins and holy sites where people struggle up mountains on their knees, and streets lined with cheap souvenir shops, it needn't be considered.

I'm very fond of Nîmes, even though, perversely, every time I've been there (4-5 times, probably), everything important was covered in scaffolding. I did have the best bowl ever of tellines with aďoli there. I can still taste them.

Mention of Nimes reminded me to ask whether you have read Ina Caro's "The Road from the Past"? If not, I recommend it. And remembering the book reminded me to recommend the Roman theater in Orange, if not already on your list.

@ StCirq: I don't think I've ever had tellines -- I'll have to watch for them!

@ thursdaysd: I have not read Caro's book and will add it to my reading list -- thanks! And yes, the Roman theater in Orange is something I hope to see -- for better and worse, I'm a bit of a sucker for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

I'm sure Avignon is on your list but make sure you clamber out on the half-broken famous bridge of Avignon - from, the end neat view of Avignon - I had the children's song in my head:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pont...w=1280&bih=625

If renting a car to see the gorges (Verdon, Ardčche, Tarn or others), you should also drive through the Mercantour national park. It's best to go in through Ventimiglia and after a few kilometers in Italy, you are back in France for absolutely fabulous mountain views.

drive through the Mercantour national park. It's best to go in through Ventimiglia and after a few kilometers in Italy, you are back in France for absolutely fabulous mountain views.?

Seems that taking the train to Sospel as I mentioned up thread you can go further and take train that dips into Italy and spirals back to France or Ventimiglia - would that be the same Mercantour Park? OP would not have to rent a car here then.

Hi Kja,
If you stay in Menton, one 'sleeper' small town north of there worthy of a daytrip could be Saorge. It sees far fewer tourists than most and has a dramatic location. It fairly ranks as an off-the-beaten-path experience. Bonne chance!
I am done. The end.

@ PalenQ: Yes, of course Avignon – and its bridge – are firmly ensconced in my plans. And as noted above, I appreciated your recommendation of the train that goes to Sospel; whether I choose that option depends on how it fits into my overall plan. I’m sure you know that I welcome a variety of ideas from people with various experiences, expertise, and interests, and I’m also sure you know that you can trust me to consider and weigh all these options.

@ kerouac: Interesting! I’d been thinking of including a bit of time to visit the Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Fontaines, and perhaps a few of the other chapels in that area with medieval frescoes, and it would seem that driving through the Mercantour National Park could be combined with that effort. It seems to be a large park. Would visiting just that most eastern part afford the kinds of views you mention?

@ zebec: Thanks for mentioning Saorge! It had been on my radar (from the Michelin Green guide and at least one Fodorite’s comments elsewhere on this Board), and if I do venture into the areas I just mentioned in my post to kerouac, it would seem well worth considering. And please don’t be done! Your suggestions are welcome.


Happy Holidays, one and all!

Thank you, one and all! I learned a lot and have benefited enormously from your input. I just posted a preliminary itinerary and welcome your thoughts:
Please help me plan a month in SE France

Here are our faves, for the area you are thinking of:

Lyon, at the northern edge of your planning region: wonderful city, I stayed there four nights. At the junction of the Rhone and the Saone; there's a fascinating urban renewal district at this point called (of course) La Confluence. You can take an interesting riverboat tour around La Confluence and the old city. Wonderful Roman museum (the emperor Claudius was born here). A well preserved medieval and renaissance quarter. Good food of course (a simple salade lyonnaise and a glass of red can't be beat on a sunny afternoon). The public transportation system makes American visitors weep, it is so good. After entering the new airport building by Calatrava, you can hop on the little connecting train (buy your ticket on the web beforehand) and in a few minutes you are in the central subway station. When I first entered the subway I thought I heard some kid's radio turned up way too loud but it turned out the subway's public address system was playing Gladys Knight, how good is that? And silk! Lyon has been the silk center of France since the last gasp of the old regime, then resuscitated by Napoleon. We visited a small atelier which made silk fabric for Hermes and had such a good time chatting with one of the artists. Go to the Musee des Tissus, a terrific museum of fabric since Egyptian times. The cloaks of the medieval bishops on display are ornate beyond belief. And of course the fabrics of the various kings and emperors are not too shabby either. Love love Lyon.

Uzes: not strictly in Provence, just a mile or two west. Beautiful small town, the center is on a mini-mountain. We stayed two nights at Albiousse, a B&B in a centuries-old aristocratic home. Try to visit on market day, when the center place is full of merchants and food stalls. And nearby is the Pont du Gard, you can't beat Roman engineering.

Gorges du Verdon: we drove slowly through this amazing canyon, past tumbled mega-blocks of stone, and stayed overnight, halfway through the canyon, in a very rustic B&B. In the middle of the night I had a terrible nightmare (okay, we did have a fair amount of wine during dinner), full of clanging sounds and animal shouts, I thought I had tumbled into Dante's inferno. When I woke up the next morning and talked to our host, it turned out that this was the annual herding of sheep up to higher meadows. Local color indeed.

Bonnieux: one of the "villages perches" and very lovely. Had lunch on a shaded terrace on a too-perfect afternoon.

St. Remy asylum: a very moving site, still a functioning mental hospital. There was an exhibit of artwork by clients when we visited.

Senanque: the view of this Romanesque monastery at the far end of intensely purple lavender fields is one of the archetypical images of the region; try to visit when the lavender is in bloom. Stunning.

@ EYWandBTV: Thank you so much for sharing your comments! Lyon is definitely on my itinerary for many reasons, not the least of which is the Musee des Tissus – I love textiles! The asylum where Van Gogh stayed – Saint-Paul-de-Mausole – is also a firm part of my plans. Uzes is on my itinerary, and I’m just now considering a possible route that would mean staying there – I’ll keep the Albiousse in mind if I do. Sounds like you had a delightful trip!

If you do go to Saorge on the train, take it one stop further south to Breil, and walk along and above the river Roya via Pične-Haut (a lovely stretch) and then on to Sospel, where you can pick up the train again (or walk back to Menton vis Ste Agnčs).