Patti

Just returned from 10 days in France--six in Provence, three in Paris (and one traveling.) I?ll just give a brief overview of the trip, plus details on some things that don?t come up every day here on the Forum. Please feel free to ask if you have questions about anything.

Took the overnight flight from Boston to Paris, uneventful, just the way I like my flights. We arrived on time and caught the TGV to Avignon. I had been following the debates here on the TGV?buy tix ahead, wait and get them at the station, etc. We purchased round trip tix on the spot?Paris CDG to Avignon, Avignon to Gare de Lyon, for E114, which I thought was reasonable, I was expecting to pay more based on the numbers I saw on the scnf website. The train wasn?t full and the ride was comfortable and fast, arrived at the Avignon TGV station in under three hours. We caught a taxi from the station to our hotel, Les Ecuries des Chartreux in Villeneuve-les-Avignon. This was a lovely small B & B, with just three rooms, two, including ours, were studios. Our room had three single beds, a stocked kitchenette, a loft and a good-sized bathroom. I believe we paid E65 per night. (Ah, off-season?) Villeneuve is a cute village with plenty of restaurants, an ATM, an internet place, and enough shops and bakeries to keep us happy. And it has some historical sights worth seeing. Once we unpacked and had some lunch we went over to La Chartreuse, the charterhouse. It was a huge, atmospheric building of gray stone, we wandered around happily, had the place to ourselves. There?s also Fort St. Andre, Tour Phillipe le Bel, and a couple of museums and churches that have historical significance. You can buy a multi-site ticket, which we did, but unfortunately never got around to using again. I think we figured that if you see two of the included items, it makes the multi ticket price worthwhile.

The next day, Saturday, we took the bus over to Avignon, I think it was E1 each way. Saw the Palais des Papes, the bridge, the park, wandered over to rue des teinturiers, which I loved.

To be continued...

Patti

On Sunday we caught a taxi (there is a taxi stand just off the main square in V-les-A) to the TGV and picked up our rental car, then it was off to Isle sur la Sorgue for the antiques market. I can?t imagine what it must be like in-season. Cars were parked everywhere! We found a municipal parking lot a short walk from the action. Stayed a couple hours, then back into the car and on to Gordes. Well, Gordes is beautiful on the approach but there really is nothing there. We had lunch, did a lap around the town, and went on our way. I?d say that if you?re going to Provence and you?re looking to cut something from a busy itinerary, Gordes should be it. Made a quick stop to check out a couple of bories, then cruised up to the Abbaye de Senanque. The setting is so amazing, it must be absolutely breathtaking when the lavender is in bloom. From there on to Roussillon, which was one of my favorite places on this trip. The ochre mines are a must see. We got there late in the day, the sun was low and golden and just lit up the red buildings and hills. Extraordinary!! As you can imagine, by this time we were pretty beat, so we made our way back to V-les-A. We parked in the free public parking lot right next to the hotel, there were always spaces, again I?m sure, because it was off-season.

On Monday, we went north?to Vaison-la-Romaine, with a stop in Orange to see the theater. Orange was right on the way and the theater was worth seeing. I loved Vaison, with its roman ruins below and medieval village above. I hiked up to the fort, the views were amazing, but there?s nothing else up there. Came back a different route, through the hills on a scenic Cotes-de-Rhone road, with vineyard after vineyard. We toyed with the idea of stopping to taste some wines, there were loads of places offering, but we didn?t.

More to come...

Patti

Tuesday we went to Arles, which I liked but it wasn?t my favorite place, and I?m not sure why. Too big? Too gritty? I don?t know?there was certainly plenty to see. We went to the amphitheater, the theater, the cryptoportiques (creepy and neat), St. Trophime church and cloisters, and the museum of antique Arles. Arles also had a multi-sight ticket and we got our money?s worth here.

Tuesday was a glorious, warm day so we decided to zip down through the Camargue to Ste. Maries de la Mer and the sea. The drive was very scenic and took about an hour. I loved the town. Yes, you could think you were at the Jersey shore, it did have that honky-tonk, beach town thing going on, but I loved it anyway. We walked on the boardwalk, picked up shells on the beach, stood in the water just to say we did. I knew back home in Massachusetts it was snowing so it made this all extra sweet. On our way out we took the scenic road and came upon hundreds of flamingoes feeding in the swamps, of course we took many pictures. Stopped in St. Remy for dinner, can?t remember the name of the place, wasn?t worth remembering, really.

More...

Patti

Wednesday was our last day in Provence. Went to Pont du Gard. Wow. The aquaduct is so impressive and the setting is so beautiful. There?s also a very nice museum there. It was another gorgeous day and I could have stayed and wandered around all afternoon but we didn?t have the time?had to catch a train to Paris.

Dumped the car and caught the 4pm train to Paris. Got to Paris before 7 and took a cab to our hotel, Hotel de la Sorbonne. The hotel was OK, nothing special, but I did like the location, right across from La Sorbonne and just down the street from the Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, and the Cluny museum. The room seemed so tiny after our place in V-les-A, but we didn?t spend much time there. I won?t go into detail about what we saw in Paris: hit some museums, wandered the streets, sat in the park, shopped, ate. I enjoyed being in the Latin Quarter?last year I went and stayed in the calm 7th. This area was a nice change of pace. Spent two full days in Paris and caught a late afternoon plane home Saturday. It all went too fast!

My one consolation? Now I can start thinking about my summer trip to Iceland!

Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions about Provence, the TGV.

Patti

blh

Patti, enjoyed your trip report! Thanks for sharing. The B&B in V-les-Avignon sounds very nice - also the village sounds like a good place to stay. We are searching for a place for October and will check it out.

susanna

Thanks for all the great info...we too will be in Provence for two weeks in September. Unless we are able to buy a discounted perns(sp) fare, I think that we will also wait to buy it, since it will be a Wensday. Your trip sounded wonderful, all those great towns, glad you had good weather too. thanks.

cigalechanta

Thanks Patti. You stayed in one of my favoritte villages V-lez-Avignon. Did you get to their Saturday morning flea market? That bench by the fountain is where I'd wait for the bus.

HelenJ

Hi Patti

Great report!! Did you pass through the village/town of Uzes? It is quite near to Pont du Gard and I have been looking at renting a cottage there.

Sue4

Thanks, Patti, for your great report!
I loved reading, as I am leaving in about 5 weeks for Provence, and am also staying in Villeneuve-les-Avignon. I'll also be taking the TGV direct from CDG.I bought a "Prem", so the plane better be on time!

I'm also planning on doing what you did, pick up my rental car from the TGV on Sunday, and drive to L'isle-sur-la-Sorge. I'm beginning to wonder, though, if I really want to do that, since it's so crowded. Do you think it was worth it?
I'll be heading for Lourmarin for a few days that day, so have debated about skipping the l'Isle, and driving on to Fontaine de Vaucluse or someplace else.
I'll be in Vaison la Romaine on their market day, Tuesday, so that might be enough.

Was it easy to find your way out of the
TGV station area with the rental car, and back again? I always get paranoid about picking up and dropping off the car! (I'll be solo, so have to worry about navigating alone).

cigalechanta

I took the train from Avignon to L'isle



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StCirq

Sue:

It's pretty easy getting out of and into the Avignon station - once you leave the rental car area you kind of go around the back of the station and then out a sort of driveway, then a roundabout if memory serves. But it's not scary. Just go to www.mappy.com or some other map site ahead of time and print out and memorize at least the first few miles of directions. As you probably know, France is extremely well signed - it's hard to get lost, though driving solo is a challenge in any new place.

Ronda

Patti, I'm just curious as to what the weather was like and how cold it was. I see you are from Mass. so your concept of cold may be different from my CA point of view .

kevin_widrow

Message to Sue -

Getting in and out of the TGV station is a breeze. Just follow the signs for Apt heading south from Avignon and you'll be on your way towards Isle-S-Sorgue. Is it worth it braving the crowds there? All depends on how much you like antiquing. I personally adore it, and the Sunday market in Sorgue is a true feast for the eyes. (If a bit tough on the wallet, as the prices for antiques there are at least 20-25% higher than many other places nearby). Still it is great fun to go and look, and the village itself is well worth a visit alone. Also, it is not clear that Fontaine de Vaucluse will be that much less crowded.

kevin_widrow

Message to Patti -

Great trip report. Couldn't agree more with your assessments of Gordes and Roussillon. I'll take the latter any day - one of our very favorite local restaurants is right in the heart of Roussillon as you head on up towards the bell tower - its called La Treille - and they specialize in an eclectic mix of Meditterean cuisine. The atmosphere is unique (some might say completely bizarre) and the food is amazing. The chef and waiter will happily discuss the most minute details of their dishes for hours on end if you ask them....

hanl

Nice report! We just spent the weekend in Provence too. Also went to the Sunday market at l'Isle sur la Sorgue. It was busy, but no busier than my local Lyon market on a Sunday - and we certainly didn't see many other tourists. I imagine that all changes in late spring/summer though, when the season gets going.

Agree with you about Gordes. We thought it was nothing special either (there are so many wonderful "villages perchés" in France, somehow this one seemed a bit overrated). Although it'll always stick in my memory as being the place we paid 15 euros for 2 coffees and a Perrier! (Lesson learned: *Always* check the bar prices before ordering!!)

Patti

HI Everyone,

Thanks for your kind words.

We decided to wait til we got to Paris to purchase our train tix because we wanted to be flexible--if the plane was on time we would catch the earliest train, if it was late there were trains all through the morning and afternoon. I have to say though, I'm very glad that the travel gods were smiling on us and we were able to catch the train we wanted. Hanging around the airport all day is not my idea of fun!

Sue4--I enjoyed the market at Isle sur la Sorgue, which has antiques, flea market stuff, and food, and is quite large. Follow the road that runs parallel to the canal to a small roundabout and go about a quarter of the way around. There were several parking lots that were free when we were there. You're right about the markets--if you don't get to this one, the one at Vaison will probably have a lot of the same things.

It was easy to get out of the TGV station in Avignon, and in general I found it quite easy to drive. At first I thought the roundabouts were annoying (they're everywhere) but they're quite handy if you're not sure which direction you should take. We'd just get in the middle and go around a few times to see what our options were. That'll be helpful for you since you won't have a navigator.


Cigalechanta--yes, we did happen upon the antiques market at V-les-A on Saturday morning when we went down to catch the bus. They have a vegetable/fruit market during the week as well, in the main square. I really can't say enough good things about the town.

Helen--we didn't get to Uzes, although I would have liked to, we just didn't have enough time.

Ronda--we lucked out on the weather. The first couple days were gray and gloomy, but no rain. Then it cleared and got warm--we had three high 60/low 70 days. I was expecting cool and brought a winter coat, but was able to ditch it during the day and put it on only after the sun went down. Coming from Massachusetts it was such a treat!

If I knew then what I know now I would have skipped Gordes and tried to work in Le Baux and St. Remy. Oh well, gotta save something for next time!

Now I can start asking questions about Iceland! And I've just learned that I'll be travelling to Budapest on business at the end of August.

Thanks again and please feel free to ask if you have questions.

Patti

Sue4

Thanks to everyone for replies about the TGV station and rental car. I feel better about it! I will probably go to the l'Isle market, as I might be sorry if I don't, I've heard so much about it.
And I will be in Provence for 2 weeks, so I do have the time. I might skip getting out at Gordes, though - and just look at it from afar (on my way to the Abbey de Senanque.

uhoh_busted

Uzes is very lovely. We had lunch there last year and watched a demonstration involving the centralization of elementary school systems...just like home only en francais! (Definitely a change from visiting monuments and churches ) Seriously, the town is quite nice, with a beautiful square bordered by some passages that reminded me of Place des Vosges.

elle

Another fan of Rousssillion unimpressed by Gordes here. . .

And I love love love Uzes. To date, the town is in the lead for our "where in France shall we retire" competition.

Vaison's awfully nice, too. We also like Beaumes-de-Venice.

cigalechanta

http://www.kuchtaworld.net/photos/mi...gordes_jpg.htm
I think Gordes is beautiful. Go late in the day when the day trippers are gone. I have a large beautiful etching of this village, my Provençal friends gave me.