My most recent adventure was a trip to the Provence region of France over the weekend with four friends from the Korbel in Geneva cohort. We rented a car after work on Friday, drove to Annecy, FR, where we enjoyed some delicious pizzas for dinner, and then we made our way about three hours south to the village of Malemort-du-Comtat, where we stayed for the weekend.
None of us had ever been to Provence before this trip, but I was very set on going, and especially at this time of year. Provence is famous for many things, highest among which is its lavender. Mid-June through mid-August is prime-time for lavender in Provence, and I was eager to experience the region during such a beautiful time of year. Let's just say that our weekend exploring the region did not disappoint!! The scenery, villages, people, lavender, and the whole experience were all amazing. The five of us had an excellent weekend, and we'd love to go back again sometime!
The place we found on AirBnB was amazing! We stayed with this adorable older couple in their mansion in the village that was built in 1630. You read that right; the house was almost 400 years old. It had been completely refurbished and re-done (probably many times over the years), and it was absolutely beautiful. Our hosts were so kind and gracious, and the five of us were in awe of their home and hospitality. Some pictures of their home:
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The view of the local church from the terrace. The church bells
woke us up each morning, which I loved!!! |
On Saturday, we drove around the area and visited several gorgeous villages, including Sault, Venasque, Gordes, and Saint Didier. The weather was so nice that we drove with the windows down, in lieu of air conditioning, and as you drove through the country roads between towns, you could often smell lavender on the breeze from the nearby fields. Fresh lavender is one of my very favorite scents, especially combined with the fact of being in France and in such a beautiful part of the country.
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| A view of Sault, France |
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Lavender was everywhere. I loved its placement among the goods at this brocante
(an antique or second-hand store, often with totally random old stuff). |
There were so many beautiful doorways and buildings! Some of them with great pastel (and of course, lavender) coloring. I was shutter-happy, taking pictures at every turn.
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| The view of lavender fields, as seen from Sault. |
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| One of my favorites: a loop of lavender hanging on a garage door. |
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| Lavender fields from the road. |
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| Church tower in Saint Didier. |
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| I absolutely loved this church. You can kind of see above the doorway where it says, "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité". :) |
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| The definition of picturesque |
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| Beautiful views of the area from the hillside town of Venasque. |
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| The Provence crew in Venasque. |
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| France is the happiest of my happy places, by far and away. :) |
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| I desperately wanted to own this balcony so I could enjoy the views every day! |
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| This has to be the most amazing and awesome post office in all of France. |
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| The 12th Century Abbaye de Sénanque. |
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| I was a happy, happy girl all weekend long. |
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| Great signage in Gordes. |
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| I fell in love with this window; someone had their canned cherries out on the windowsill! |
A beautiful back street and the restaurant at which we ate a delicious dinner in Gordes.
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| Can I have this enclosed terrace, please?? |
During the day, we went wine tasting (and I bought four bottles because it was really delicious and crazy cheap!), bought some wonderful artisan nougat, enjoyed lunch on a terrace overlooking some of the lavender fields, saw a beautiful abbey, took tons of photos, and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the feeling of Provence.
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| Sunday's breakfast au terrace at our weekend accommodations. |
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| The fresh apricots everywhere were amazing!! |
On Sunday, we made a quick stop in Orange, France to see the Roman theater in the city. It was amazingly well-preserved, complete with a statue of an emperor! Even better is the fact that the theater is still actively used. I loved the well-worn steps from a thousand years of use. :)
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| The city of Orange really IS orange (or the roofs are, at least)! |
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| The beautiful colors of Provence. |
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| La Porte d'Orange, one of the original and most ancient Triumphant Arches! |
It couldn't have been a better weekend in Southern France. I'm so glad I was able to see Provence and experience some of the gorgeous small villages and towns there, perfectly perched amid rolling hills and stunning lavender.
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My spoils from Provence: four bottles of wine, delicious artisan nougat,
lavender honey, and lavender soaps. Wahoo!! Can I go back yet?? |
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