Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Trip Report: October 2008 Provence, Costa Brava, Barcelona

Trip Report: October 2008 Provence, Costa Brava, Barcelona

Old Nov 8th, 2008, 07:55 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Trip Report: October 2008 Provence, Costa Brava, Barcelona

Many thanks to all the Fodorites who helped me plan this trip to Provence, Costa Brava and Barcelona. We were on our trip October 17 through November 3. I appreciate those who encouraged me the couple of weeks prior to our departure when we were giving thought to canceling the trip due to the economic surprises we were facing in the US each day. We took the trip and never gave one thought to what the stock market was doing - we were just very pleased that our dollar was worth more than it was several months ago when we first planned the trip.

Let me say that we were in Provence/Cote d'Azur for the first time last year and so taken by it we wanted to go back for more and see places we were constrained to see on that trip. Last year we based in Menerbes and visited St. Remy, Sur la Sorgue, Gordes, Abbaye de Senanque, Aix, Bonnieux, Joucas, Roussillon, Eze, Villefranche sur Mer, Vaison la Romaine, Apt (still my favorite market day) and Les Baux.

We are a married couple in our late 50's from Texas and we find that planning our own trips is quite rewarding.

Day One: Austin to JFK to Nice:

We flew Delta and were very pleased with how smoothly the trip went. We exited the plane that took us from Austin to JFK at a gate that was conveniently only two gates down from where we were to connect with our next flight. Had a little over an hour so we lunched at one of the airport restaurants and were surprised at the quality. We had delicious hamburgers made with aioli mayo and sliced fresh jalapenos - the fries were fresh and coated with crushed rosemary and sea salt - delicious!

I chose exit row seats for this long leg of our journey and found that it made so much difference in the comfort factor - in fact I took my roller tote down from the bin and placed it where I could rest my feet on it. Took half a Xanax 2 hours into the trip and honestly it didn't help me much in the sleep department…I dozed off and on and felt to be only in a sort of "twilight" sleep. Except for an hour of significant turbulence, the journey was pretty smooth and didn't feel like it was too long.

Day Two: Nice to Roussillon

We arrived early morning in Nice to beautiful sunshine and mild temps. Nice is an easy airport to maneuver through - they were very efficient in getting us in and out last year and this year was no exception. Our bags arrived with us and that's always a good thing! We crossed the outdoor walkway to the convenient Eurocar Rental office. All was going well - my husband was taking care of business at the counter while I stood back a few steps with our baggage. At one point some individuals tried to make their way with their luggage between my husband and myself and when I stepped back to get out of their way, they triggered the sliding glass door which absolutely blindsided me when it opened, knocking me down over my luggage and an artificial potted tree. This caused quite a scene - I was completely stunned and in some pain having twisted my ankle - everyone was wide-eyed while helping me get me up off the floor. Some way to begin the trip I thought to myself. Luckily my ankle was not seriously twisted but that evening when I took my shower I couldn't believe some of the large bruises that were on various parts of my body. WARNING…not all sliding glass doors are designed alike!!!! I wondered later how many times that has happened previously and how devastating it could be if it were a frail elderly individual taken out by that automatic door.

Prior to leaving for the trip, my husband made the decision to purchase a GPS and of course he had to find a good deal on ebay and of course this decision was made on a Sunday and we were leaving the following Friday. He found his "deal" and had it priority shipped - the Garmin arrived on Thursday the day before we left. Getting it set up in the rental car was a breeze, it was very user friendly and we immediately were able to program in our destination which was Roussillon. By the way, the car was a diesel Renault Clio, considered a compact I believe. It was pretty small but perfect for us and we were extremely pleased with the handling and the power, which is important driving through Provence.

Made very good time on the autoroute stopping only once at an AutoGrill for pastries and coffee. We shopped for groceries in Cavaillon at the very large Auchan. At that point we were pretty jetlagged and we were grocery shopping along with a multitude of French locals who knew exactly what they were after and shopping for the weekend with a vengeance. We were slow and having trouble thinking clearly as to what we would need to get set up at the house we rented. I was wishing that I had made a list ahead of time - we truly were brain dead. The one thing I knew I HAD to find again was the Dannon Fig yogurt that I enjoyed so much on the last trip.

We arrived at the rental house in Roussillon 2 hours earlier than the planned time to meet the lady who would give us the key, etc. Husband spent the time walking through the village and having coffee - I however spent the time somehow curled up in the front seat of the car draped over the stick shift and slept for about 2 hours in front of the house.

We stayed at a place we found on VRBO called "Villa Quatre Saisons". It has a main house upstairs and a smaller 2 bedroom apartment downstairs. We rented the downstairs apartment. It had an adequately equipped kitchen (except for the horrible vintage 1950's painted skillet) and this lower part of the house opened out onto a stone terrace that overlooked miles and miles of the gorgeous Luberon. Located a short walk from the center of the village, we found it to be a great location and the beds were very comfortable. We love Roussillon - it's a beautiful village and has tons of personality.

A word here about small villages in Provence at the end of October.
During the day there were few to a fair number of tourists visiting the villages but nothing like the numbers when we visited April/May, 2007. Not as nearly as many restaurants are open which greatly reduces your choices. After 6:00 p.m. the villages get dead quiet - there is virtually no activity. Not even much of a passaggiata which normally takes place early evening. It's a bit of a strange feeling but if you aren't looking for "nightlife" this isn't a problem. In fact we like to shop markets during our daily explorations and bring "home" fresh produce, meats, etc. and cook for ourselves most nights.

There is another serious shutdown in these villages normally between the hours of 1:00 - 3:00 or 3:30. A few cafes and bars will be open but we found some villages looking like ghost towns between these hours with all the metal doors pulled down.

We also discovered that in the smaller villages particularly, small grocery stores, banks, TI's, shops, etc. are shut down mid afternoon Saturday, all day Sunday AND many of them on Monday as well. This is something to give thought to when planning out your schedule of sightseeing in this area especially during "off" season.

Day Three: Coustellet, Suzette, Crestet, Seguret, Gigondas.

Amazing what a few hours of slumber will do for refreshing soul and body!

This was Sunday and market day in Coustellet. A pretty significant market - lots of food stands as well as crafts, soaps, clothing, flowers, antiques, etc. It didn't have a lot of the vendors that you see at every other market in the area during the week, there seemed to more basic, local producers who might actually only show up at this weekly market. There was a real busy and lively atmosphere - it was apparent many families had come straight from church service and it was fun people- watching. Lots of little children and babies, it was thoroughly enjoyable. This was our first opportunity to relax at an outdoor café over a satisfying cup of espresso and watch the activities of the market. We purchased boar, roquefurt and herbes de provence sausages. Along with that we bought fruit and a delicious pecorino pepper cheese. My husband had forgotten to pack his journal so we popped into a "papier" shop. Glancing around we didn't immediately see anything that looked like journals…we asked the shop-lady using some of our not so very good French and some English if they had books to use as "journals"…she said "oh a tobac shop". We turned and started toward the tobac shop and husband finally realized she thought we meant newspaper, as the word for newspaper is journal. Oh well.

Weather was sunny and temps in 60's - perfect weather to me! On our last visit to Provence the vineyards were just beginning to sprout green leaves on the vines, some were looking lush and some were just beginning to fill out. This year the grapes had of course been harvested and what was left was the most glorious colorful vines. Talk about autumn colors - when the sun was shining on the vineyards they literally glowed and sparkled with golds, oranges, yellows, reds, rusts - absolutely stunning and breathtaking! Many of the vines had some dark purple grapes left clustered on the vines. On this day we drove through areas of switchbacks galore and dramatic vista views. The Dentelles were pine-studded at times and other times they were bare stone. This area is full of attractive landscape - there is nothing that is not absolutely beautiful!

Suzette : Rick Steves calls it "tiny" and tiny it is. And ever so quiet!! It's main feature was a 12th century chapel perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking gorgeous vineyards and hills. We spent about half an hour strolling through this pretty little village.

Crestet was located up a very steep cobbled street. We felt as though we had the entire place all to ourselves - saw only 3-4 people as we wandered through this wonderfully medieval village. It had a lovely 12th century church and a pretty Renaissance fountain. There was a crucifiction statue with a backdrop of pinewoods, you could take a beautiful photo of it through an open arch in a stone wall. I remembered having seen this feature in "The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence" and it really is quite nice. There was a restaurant named Le Panoramic (it was closed) but you could see into it and actually straight through it because of glass windows on both sides…it offered breathtaking views from its dining room. I wanted to badly to be able to enjoy a lunch there. Very lovely little village and worth a stroll.

Seguret was next and this is where we enjoyed our picnic using the food items we purchased earlier at Coustellet's market. Again, we only encountered a half dozen people as we explored Seguret. A Santon workshop was located in the village's center and was pretty much the only shop open. There were castle ruins, a beautiful Baroque fountain (fountains, roses and church cherubs are my heart's desire!), and spectacular views. I can still remember the absolute stillness, the peacefulness and the fresh air while standing in the middle of these little Provencal villages. It's indescribable.

Gigondas was an unplanned stop but I'm glad we did spend some time enjoying what this little place had to offer. It was a little different from the perched villages we had been experiencing. There is a very nice large gathering space with huge plane trees . We got an ice cream and sat for a spell, enjoying the company of a couple of adorable dogs who drooled over our tasty treats.

We returned to Roussillon driving through exquisite scenery and landscapes. Every turn was a drop-dead gorgeous, must-take-a-photo view. And this is how it was the entire exploration of this area. When we got back to the house we prepared veal tenderloin medallions using fresh herbs from the market; we sautéed potatoes in olive oil and fresh rosemary; steamed little French green beans. Later we sat outside enjoying a cup of tea under a clear and star-studded sky. A very satisfying day, indeed.

High Praise of the "Garmin": I was skeptical about how helpful this navigational system was going to be in the remote winding "paths" of Provence. I am a believer now! Never would I have imagined how accurate and helpful this thing would be…once we switched the voice from the lady who we had difficulty understanding to the man's voice who was much more to our liking - the Garmin navigated us in and out of situations that last year triggered a lot of stress between this married couple. I am the designated driver of the vehicle when we travel and my husband is the designated navigator. I don't seem to get as frustrated as he does when we make wrong turns or when we aren't certain which exit to take on the roundabout, so we both agreed a long time ago that I would take the wheel and he would give me my instructions. But, he is completely compulsive when it comes to looking at maps and determining exactly where we are or where we ought to be or where we should have been. I accuse him of missing out on much of the trip because he is obsessed over the MAP! Well, it was oh so much better this time having the GPS…even though husband felt he had to double check periodically just to be certain we were not being steered in the wrong direction. Our Garmin is worth much more than what we paid for it!


(more later)
caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 9th, 2008, 05:55 PM
  #2  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm waiting for my husband to return to add photos as they are all on his laptop and he's still in Spain...lucky guy!
caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 9th, 2008, 06:06 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great start---keep it coming.
bobthenavigator is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 10:10 AM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Day Four: Le Thoronet Abbaye, Entrecasteau, Cotignac, Aups, Tourtour

Rousillon has a patisserie that we stopped at each morning to pick up our morning pastries for breakfast on our way out to explore. There truly is nothing like French pastry in my opinion. We never could decide which was our favorite, each offering we tried was so fresh, soft and simply perfect.

Our destination today was the Var Region. We knew we were being ambitious but were anxious to see another area of Provence. We drove through varied landscapes and on "roads" that honestly resembled peoples' driveways. The GPS sent us down some unbelievable roads with constant curves and switchbacks…wore me out!

Making our way through lovely woodlands, we arrived at the Abbaye du Thoronet which is one of the three Cistercian abbeys in Provence (The Three Sisters of Provence". It was the first one of these three to be built and just as the others it was built with stone blocks and no mortar. It is plain, austere and stunning. The abbey was built in the 12th century and was abandoned in 1731. Just as you enter the grounds of the abbey there is a beautiful large fountain. My husband is an architect and he was quite smitten with this place. Lots of photos. There were less than a dozen people visiting at the time we were there so the quiet and serenity added to the experience. Also, with so few tourists, you are able to get exquisite photos easily because you are not having to dodge bodies.

Entrecasteaux was our next stop. It's a very small village tucked away , surrounded by woods, with a plane tree lined promenade. In its center is a very large chateau which pretty much dominates the small town center and is fronted by lush French manicured gardens and several fountains. This is where we chose to enjoy our usual lunch of bread, cheese and fruit. Pretty village but if you don't take time to tour the Chateau then this stop will not take a lot of time.

Cotignac was a village I had very much looked forward to visiting, however, although it was quite lovely, this day it looked sad and deserted. To me it resembled a tiny "Aix" as plane trees lined both sides of its main street with shops and outdoor cafes up and down either side of the street. They looked to be charming but none of them were open to enjoy! Cotignac has one of the prettiest fountains (again…I adore these old fountains!) that represents the 4 seasons. I know this must be a delightful, picturesque place to be when there is more life to the village. They have a market day and I think it would be a great place to be on that day.

Aups was a little different from what we had seen on this day and it had a welcoming feel to it. It was larger than Entrecasteax and Cotignac and was livelier to say the least. There were lots of local older men clustered together socializing around a large fountain and the little church close by was chiming a melancholy hymn as vans full of colorful, fragrant floral arrangements were being unloaded for a funeral service.

Tourtour was wonderful. It has a lot of personality and much to explore for a village its size. The structure that houses La Poste and the Mairie is a noteworthy, pretty structure and is located adjacent to a large open space with commanding panoramic views of the region and Mount Ventoux. I have since read that the village sits up so high , it's referred to as "the village in the sky" and you sure see why when you look down and out from these vantage points. In this public space there are some interesting, whimsical metal and stone sculptures. A substantial climb takes you to a simple, lovely 12th century church St. Digne, not that large but it seems very imposing because of its location. We spent some time wandering through residential passageways and admired so many pretty details of arches, fountains and color combinations that I just loved. We were close to skipping Tourtour because we had a ways to go to get back to Roussillon - how thankful we were that we made this stop…Tourtour is a very special little place.

The drive back to Roussillon was a bit long and it also started to rain but we agreed that this had been a very fine day.

Day Five: Cucuron, Menerbes, Opped-le-Vieux, Gordes

Cucuron Market Day was our first stop and the verdict after spending a couple of hours there…it's a precious village (okay that is my descriptive word, husband would probably have chosen a more masculine word to describe it)! The market was set up surrounding a large rectangular "pool" that is in the center of Cucuron. Extremely large Sycamore trees full of golden leaves encircle the pond. Shops and cafes spill out onto the perimeter. We gathered up produce, a wonderful soft goat cheese, olives, bread and freshly made lemon and chocolate madelines. After shopping we strolled and explored the nooks and crannies of the village. The residences had beautiful details in their colorful shutters, door adornments, concrete sculptures, plants spilling down the steps up to their very enviable entrances and terraces. We ducked into their little church and it was really pretty. This endearing village struck a chord with us - we loved it!

Menerbes Revisited… Menerbes "called" to us as we were driving through the region. Although this is where we stayed last year, we felt compelled to renew our memories. Restoration work that had been going on at the top of the village, where we rented La Forteresse , was now completed so we were able to see the entire square of the Mairie without barriers and scaffolding. We drove our car to the very end of the "street" by the cemetery and reminisced how last year we approached this opening in the street, so narrow we didn't think it humanly possible to drive our car through it. However when we saw another car that had to have driven through it and the owner of the house had said we could park by the church so…we pulled in the side mirrors, held our breath and proceeded with such slow, extreme caution…voila!! This time we "cruised" through it with confidence (well, with a little more confidence than the first time). This is a sleepy little village but it has charm and views and texture that take your breath away!

Oppede-le-Vieux : As you approach, this "ruined" village is jaw-dropping. It literally clings to the side of a craggy cliff and looks intriguing! It's quite a walk up into the village itself, even the lower part of the village at the foot of the ruins. A little road close to the parking lot shows a "do not enter" sign, however, once we climbed up into the village we saw that some do drive their car up…there is lodging and a restaurant and residents who drive up this road. I would think if you weren't comfortable taking the hike up (which isn't extremely difficult but its periodic rocky steps are a bit uneven and steep) you could certainly take the little road and park inside the village if there is room. Anyway - husband hiked up further to the castle ruins while I stayed in the little plaza area to simply "absorb". This village is definitely remote and very unique. Hard to believe some people actually reside there but there are indeed nice residences throughout. The hotel looked charming and the outdoor café was serving lunches that looked and smelled divine! We were wishing we had not already eaten. I read later in travel literature that this little restaurant has a grand reputation for its fine cuisine. Next time. When my husband hiked up through the ruins, he reported back that there is a little church, Notre-Dame d-Alydon, extremely well restored and delightful. He commented that views from that vantage point were splendid. Wish I had ventured up with him this time!

Gordes was a village that last year we drove through but never really explored so we decided to do so. It's a marvelous photo opportunity upon the approach to the village. We enjoyed a café crème out on the tiny balcony of a small coffee bar and enjoyed tremendous views. Loved the relaxed attitude of the person in charge… he was playing a card game with friends over at a table in the corner of the bar and he had to play the round before he would seat us! We could take some lessons from him. I love to visit European churches - it's so interesting to me to see how some are extremely elaborate and heavily ornamented while others are very simple but charming. I walked into the church in the middle of Gordes and must say it was a sad experience. This church is in horrible disrepair. Very neglected. There were holes and rips in many of the framed paintings, walls that had been decoratively painted were all faded out to the point that you couldn't make out the designs. I'm guessing that another church somewhere in the village has more or less taken the place of this one. It's in much need of some tender loving care.

Day Six: St. Remy, Uzes, Pon du Gard

We wanted to revisit St. Remy because we had been told they had the most marvelous market day. When we awoke this morning it was pouring rain but we headed toward St. Remy nevertheless. Well when we pulled into the parking lot next to where the market spreads we were a little more than disappointed. It started to rain with a vengeance and there were approximately 6 vendors that had braved the weather. We remembered St. Remy to have great shops so we decided to give shopping a go for awhile. In the process we got soaked as the wind blew the rain sideways so our umbrellas were useless. It did let up a bit and we did buy some ceramics and provencal fabric napkins.

Husband decided he really needed to change a large sum of U.S. dollars he had been carrying around and so we tramped through the rain finding a couple of places that looked like small banks but neither would exchange. The last place told us to get the dollars exchanged at "La Poste". Of all things…we had no idea that the post office offered this service! Sure enough.

Uzes was our next destination and it was still raining off and on but when we got out of the car here, the wind had kicked up tremendously and the temperature had dropped considerably. Too bad the weather wasn't cooperating because we really liked this village. It's pretty good sized - it has a huge pedestrian only area. There is a grand main square space, place aux Herbes", that is surrounded by arched arcades filled with lots of nice shops and cafes. One of these was a vibrant, colorful candy shop "La Cure Gourmande". On this a gloomy, dreary, gray day it provided bright sunset colors that made it impossible to ignore and was very inviting. This glorious candy shop offered an abundance of French confections of all sorts. We sampled chocolates that looked identical to a mixture of olives and they were yummy. Of course we bought several items here - this shop was such fun.

While husband continued to photograph, I ducked into an internet café that was full of young people a whole lot younger than myself!! I'm guessing there is a college in this town. As I discovered last year, not all keyboards are alike are they!! For me to have been able to answer all the emails I needed to answer would have taken me far too long so I labored over my forced "hunt and peck" technique and sent one email to my daughter and copied everyone else just to let them know we were doing well.

Pont du Gard was a destination that we highly regretted not having visited on our trip last year. Thankfully the rain downsized to a mere drizzle. I actually was thinking we might be let down because of all the wondrous reports about this structure but no way…we were hugely impressed - it is truly an awesome achievement. My husband hates it when places like this become a Disney type attraction and he feared that might be what Pont du Gard had become. Not so. Its entire complex of museum, interpretation center, coffee shop, etc. was very nicely done.

Returned to the house in Roussillon and prepared olive oil sautéed chicken breasts with lemon and peppers along with potatoes and onions and green salad that we had purchased earlier at the Cucuron market.

Day Seven: Roussillon Market Day, Apt, Pernes-Les-Fontaines, Venasque

Market day in Roussillon was smaller than it was last year and I'm guessing it's because the weather was pretty gloomy and threatening.

Apt was the closest place we could locate that had an automated laundry. When we rented the house we thought surely when it said it had washer that it would also have dryer but it didn't. With the rain we weren't able to dry our laundry outdoors. So! We put our clothes in the dryer and struck out to do a little shopping in Apt. I bought a couple of olivewood pieces, a Provencal cup and saucer (I collect these on my travels), linens. We stopped in the church St. Anne and it was very lovely. One of the chapels was particularly stunning, filled with much gold, very white sculpted cherubs and a colorful stain glass window. While we were enjoying the interior we were treated to organ music provided by a young boy who was obviously taking instruction from his teacher.

Pernes-Les-Fontaines was not quite what I had expected, we found it a tad difficult to figure out just what was considered the center but while exploring we found about 8 of it's 36 fountains. We climbed high up to the top of the Mairie and the views were amazing. We walked through a beautiful stone covered bridge and happened upon a lively game of boule and I began photographing these gentlemen. What fun it was watching these men taking their game very seriously yet having a playful time at it! One man evidently made a particularly good shot and some of the men cheering, pointed to me as if to say "hope you got THAT shot on camera"! I gave them a thumbs up and they began to clap.

Venasque is a true perched village! It is remote, adorable, quaint and oh so medieval. Full of narrow curving passageways they call streets. We slowly drove upwards into the center before parking and beginning our discovery of this cliffside treasure. And you know, that again brings me to point out that traveling through Provence at this time of the year offered us the ease of parking just about wherever we wanted to park. Vastly different from when we came during Spring.

Back to Venasque…we first saw the Romanesque Notre Dame church and 6th century Baptistry. It's supposedly one of the oldest surviving religious buildings in France. We walked through the village passing a potter's workshop and we were able to watch the young man from his open window while he worked. There was a charming auberge with a significant fountain in front of it. Also at one end of the village there is a medieval wall with three towers or turrets I guess they are. At this end of town you can look out over the region with stunning views, one of which is of a cemetery at the foot of the village. This village is charming and very lovely. It is a must see by anyone's standards.

We stopped at a Hypermarche on our way back to Roussillon to get gas and groceries. Decided on butterfly porkchops, sweet potatoes, green beans and bread to have for dinner…turned out to be perfect on a chilly night after a long day's adventure.

About Round-Abouts… How I wish I had a dollar for every roundabout we encountered on this trip…large ones…small ones…I could finance our next trip to France!! And I love them. Last year they presented a bit of a problem to us as we were both trying to read all the complicated unfamiliar names of French towns listed on signs for each exit and invariably we'd disagree on which turn to take…oftentimes sort of laughing that we reminded ourselves of the proverbial Chevy Chase's " European Vacation" when he would circle and circle and circle again looking for the right exit. But with the help of the GPS system this time, it was heavenly having this confident voice tell us that we would be approaching a roundabout in 200 metres and then as we would approach it, it would say, "take the 3rd" exit…AWESOME! I began to realize how many traffic signals and intersections this roundabout system eliminates - it saves so much time. I am a fan.

(to be continued)


caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 10:29 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>>Cotignac was a village I had very much looked forward to visiting, however, although it was quite lovely, this day it looked sad and deserted<<

Probably because you were there on a Monday when many shops close, and/or you were there at lunch when everything closes.

Stu Dudley
StuDudley is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 10:49 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 293
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nice report!!

Boy my day three would have ended outside with a great bottle of Gigondas rather than tea.
StephenG is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 10:49 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
sounds like a wonderful trip. I am bookmarking for future reference.
telechick is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 02:30 PM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Stu: I absolutely agree.

Stephen: Thanks - yes it was a long day but those places are so close together and they are really small.

telechick: it IS a wonderful trip. Italy has always had my heart but Provence is nipping at its heels!
caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 02:41 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
bookmarking
cobbie is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 03:10 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,534
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 1 Post
Thanks for this wonderful trip report, the part about Provence where my heart lies.
Re: Cotignac. The fountain along with the next droguerie, are two of the most photographed images in guide or style books on Provence.
Like that painted door in Roussillon, but I have seen it painted with differnt scenes through out the many years.
cigalechanta is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 07:34 PM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
cigalechanta: Last year i sent my photo album for lots of my friends to view...quite proud of some of the lovely doors of Provence that I had "discovered" in some of the smaller villages. I had two friends email back to me a couple of the very same doors that they had photographed on their trips. So much for thinking that surely "I" was only one of very few to have seen these. One of them was a blue door from the tiny village of Joucas. You probably have that one too!!
caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 10th, 2008, 07:39 PM
  #12  
yk
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
About the roundabouts & GPS...

On our recent trip to France, there were times we had one roundabout right after another. our GPS kept saying

Enter Roundabout. Take second exit of Roundabout to Roundabout. Enter Roundabout...

yk is offline  
Old Nov 11th, 2008, 08:00 AM
  #13  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
YK...we had many funny moments with our GPS. If we decided to go in to a different direction in the middle of a medieval village - he was hysterical...the car image would oftentimes spin and he would say the infamous "recalculating"..."recaculating"...

And when he would pronounce some of the difficult lengthy street names we would miss our turn because we were laughing hysterically at his pronunciation. Who would have know we'd be getting an entertainment value along with the navagational value!
caroltis is offline  
Old Nov 11th, 2008, 09:03 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great trip report. We are planning a trip, June 2 - 17 and we've looked at Stu Dudley's report, and now we'll use yours, to help in the itinerary.


mwinnick is offline  
Old Nov 11th, 2008, 10:44 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,006
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you, Caroltis. I almost broke off a 27 year old relationship because of the roundabouts and driving on the French Riviera and Provence. We just got a GPS and used it yesterday. Eureka!

Love your report. I'm anxiously awaiting your photos.
Treesa is offline  
Old Nov 11th, 2008, 10:50 AM
  #16  
yk
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
After we got home from our trip, my husband "accidentally" muted Daniel (nickname for my GPS). I find it all the better now with him mute. No more recalculating, recalculating, recalculating... (Well, he still does, but I can't hear him no more.)
yk is offline  
Old Nov 15th, 2008, 07:23 AM
  #17  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My husband and I are researching apartments in Luberon for our trip in June and have found some apts that look nice in Lourmarin. However, I would prefer Roussillon. We are finding very limited options for smaller apts (2 people) there. The Villa Quatre Saisons does not have any pictures of the apartment. Would it be possible to email you directly with questions on this property and your experience. Would you stay here again?
mwinnick is offline  
Old Nov 15th, 2008, 03:19 PM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi caroltis

I read you great trip report, thank you and am really interested in renting Villa Quatre Saisons the main house.
Did you get to look at it? Do you think it would be good to rent for 3 couples in October?

I would value any information you could give to us above the property. Was it in a good location etc.

Thank you for any help you can provide
aussie_10 is offline  
Old Nov 17th, 2008, 09:35 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We are planning a trip to Provence and have looked at the Quatre Saisons apartment you stayed at. One comment you made had us puzzled, and a bit concerned, so maybe you could clarify what you meant? You had said 'It had an adequately equipped kitchen (except for the horrible vintage 1950's painted skillet)'. I assume you were referring to one of the pans but could you clarify, and if you felt the kitchen and cooking area was still good. Also, distances being relative to each of us, when you said it was a short walk to town, how short is short and is it all up hill?

Lastly, is it possible to reach you by email? We'd be interested in possibly getting some more pictures of the place as right now it's on our short list.

Thanks.
mwinnick is offline  
Old Nov 17th, 2008, 03:08 PM
  #20  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry I have not answered these questions and I have also not continued any further in my trip report. We returned home to a lot of sick family members and then my husband and I have each taken turns with what seems to be the flu!! Hopefully I can get back to putting together some of my photos and finish the report. To answer some of the most recent questions...

Actually some of the photos on the VRBO website do show photos of the apartment. I'm so sorry but I didn't take photos of the interior of the apartment.

We did not get to look inside the main house but I think the photos indicate the main house looks nicer than the apartment.

I know the "skillet" comment was weird...it's just that we cooked several evenings and this thing was awful to cook in and to clean. Just a very "small" negative - we should have just picked up a decent nonstick pan at the Auchan or Hypermarche and donated it to the cause!! Other than that the kitchen was definitely adequate.
I wouldn't suggest however for more than 3 people to stay in the apartment at the same time. It's pretty "cozy" with the kitchen,dining,living all sharing the same area.

As far as the upstairs main house being large enough for 3 couples...hard to say not having actually seen it. It does have a very nice outdoor sitting area. In the VRBO photos there is a photo of a table with couple of chairs overlooking the hills...this is the outdoor area that comes right off the apartment on the lower level. The other photos are of the outdoor area for the main house. If there is nobody in the "other" part of the property whether you rent the apt. or the main house - all the outdoor spaces are able to be used.

I'd be happy to give you my email address for further discussion...
[email protected]

And you are right...not many properties are available in Roussillon and the ones that are available are pretty pricey.

I could walk into the heart of the village in 5-8 minutes I'd say. From the Villa there are two different walks you can take. Going one direction, you walk on level ground and then down a bit until you get to the main street that runs through the village...you take a right onto that street and it's quite a steep but direct climb. However if you go the way I usually walked, you take a right out of the house and the road is a very gentle climb and it brings you out in the very heart of the village close to the church and cafes, etc. This is a very do-able walk for anyone and it makes for a lovely, quiet walk.

To give you an idea of the placement of the house to the village: As you enter Roussillon from the "south-east" (D-104) you enter the village on its main street Rue de la Poste. The heart of the village is on your left and as soon as you pass through this old part you begin to go downhill (rather steep) and when you get to the bottom there is a small roundabout. You take a left and then you immediately are at a large parking lot (on the right) where many of the tourists park. Then on your right you will come to a lovely restaurant which has a great reputation. Right next to the restaurant is Villa Quatre Saisons. You drive through a gate and the little parking area is at the lower level of the house. You could definitely park in front of the house on the street to unload your luggage at the house entry level should you be staying in the main house, otherwise you will need to carry luggage up a stairway from the parking area.

Regarding proximity to other areas of Provence...Roussillon was perfect in our opinion. We were able to visit villages in all directions - we felt very "central" to what we wanted to see. The villa is situated conveniently to walk in to the boulangerie for pastries for breakfast...between the house and the village center is quiet woods and ochre cliff. It's private enough but you don't feel isolated.

Would we stay there again. Yes. The apartment was definitely basic...no frills and certainly not professionally decorated but it was comfortable and all the positives outweighed the negatives. Hope this helps!
caroltis is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -