No flights to Marseille from Birmingham so a coach
trip to London Stansted for a Ryanair flight. I don't want to tempt fate on my
next flight but I don't have any issues with this airline. Always on time
and they haven’t caught me with my oversized rucksack. Waiting for me in
arrivals was Monsieur X, my best friend, crush, taxi driver, cook, and tour
guide. Ah Oui! A man who can multitask!
Our Provencal week covered a lot of area and Monsieur
X drove around 400km, our legs walked up a few steep hills and there was many
hours spent eating, drinking and watching the world go by. Doesn’t sound very
excited but the countryside views and atmosphere was a perfect break away from
City Centre pollution and my very stressful office life.
We stayed for the first 3 nights in Le Pontet, (only 15mintues drive away from
Avignon centre) in a 2 bedroom apartment which was a converted garage attached
to the owner’s house in a quiet residential area. It doesn’t sound great but
this accommodation was clean and modern and the owners (the wife speaks
English) were very welcoming and helpful. They even offered us the use of
their swimming pool (it was hot weather but not that hot). Le Pontet was
our base as it was centre to all the points of interest and villages we visited…
also good pizza at Pizza la Place (1 Place Joseph Thomas) too. Then we spent 2
nights in Aix-en-Provence, the flat we rented was in the centre
of the city, we called it the ‘Ne Pas Toucher Flat’ as the owner still lived in
the flat during the week and only rented it out at weekends. She left notes
everywhere saying do not touch her stuff.
We found these apartments on French website -
www.leboncoin.fr/locations_de_vacances
Le Pontet Apartment
Our first full day started with a coffee (well tea for
this English girl but sounds weird when writing about France) in Castillon (du
Gard on Google maps), it was so quiet I felt myself whispering, then on to the
centre of Uzes for lunch, passing the Haribo Museum on the way but
Monsieur X wouldn’t stop. Plat du jour at Le Provencal Bar, Place Belle
Croix looked and tasted good it was meat salad and fries until Monsieur X said
it was pigs stomach then I couldn’t eat it. After a walk around the town taking
so many photos of the Cathedral and its green views,the rest of afternoon was
spent at Pont du Gard. This was a Roman aqueduct bridge and I'm not sure if it’s true but Monsieur
X said it’s the biggest in Europe. Entrance fee to the bridge, the museum, cinema and parking was 18€ per car (up to
five people). The museum on how and why the Romans built this bridge was
interesting and I’m not a fan of museums. I imagine the Pont du Gard being
crazy busy during the summer months.
Castillion
Uzes
View from the Cathedral
Pont De Gard
Day two consisted of a morning coffee/tea in Saint
Remy de Provence, Monsieur X said it’s where the rich and famous go and he hadn't
visited this town for over 10 years and felt it had become ‘snobbish’. I felt he was right on both counts from the restaurant prices and that every other building
was an Estate Agent advertising homes for sale at 500,000 euros or more. Then a
few hours of exercise in Les Baux De Provence, a steep walk around the village
at the top of the Alpilles mountains
(Baby Alps Monsieur X called them), very touristy with lots of souvenirs
shops, however they were not tacky as the French don’t do tacky and they
were hidden away in the old buildings. Monsieur X’s tip don’t visit in the
summer as the road up to the village is so busy people have to park at the side
of the road and the queue can be half way down this hill.
Lunch was in Cavaillon at Le Coquet Bar, Rue Lamartin my first taste of quenelle, this fish dish with rich and salad was one of my favorite meals of the week it’s a shame they don’t sell it in England, and I could have eaten another portion. Also I ticked another place of my TV/Film Bucket list as we walked through the square where a dance scene in Mr Bean’s Holiday was filmed as per Monsieur X’s guide to Provence.
No time to stop and see more of Cavaillon, Monsieur X had two more places to visit on his daily agenda Gordes and then the Fontaine de Vaculuse. The drive though the French countryside was amazing anyway but Gordes (another village another hill) was beautiful, the green and blue view surrounding her took the last bits of stress away from this city girl. Wikipedia states the Russell Crowe film ‘A Good Year’ was filmed there, I must get the dust of the my DVD to double check before I cross it over the TV/Film bucket list.
Gordes
Fontaine de Vaculuse
Next day we left Le Pontet for Aix en Provence I had
been to Aix a few times but never for a night. It was a culture shock for me, a
student city lots of young people out drinking however there was no fights, no
one being sick in the street and the fashion was classy not trashy no ‘who can
wear the least amount clothes in the winter’ style I have seen some in British
cities. Saturday was another lazy day of window shopping, eating and drinking
and my personal highlight was a burger meal at Quick, yes with all the culture,
amazing landscape and great company this fast-food addict loved her burger and
chips, so much better than Ronald, the King and the Colonel back home.
Quick - Aix
Aix-en-Provence
Our holiday finished off where my healthy eating plan started in Pelissane, before the airport we stopped off for lunch at Café Tabac de la Place, 15 Place de Pisavis. Cesar chicken salad washed down with my last glass of wine for a while.
My body is back in Birmingham, but my head and heart
is still in Provence.
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