Destressing in Provence: 5 days in the French countryside

After a summer of learning to knit (my new get rich quick scheme), trying to find a new job, the hassle of buying a new car and going to the amazing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, it was time to leave the country  before I hibernate in front of the TV for the winter.  For this Francophile I needed my French drug, my Provencal high and merci to Monsieur X for the invite.

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

 

Another 20-30 minutes’ drive to the Fontaine de Vaculuse, which included a quick walk along the river to the Fontaine as we only had 20 minutes free parking. I was expecting a waterfall but it was a spring underneath a cliff and no one knows where the water comes from or how deep the spring is. With all this water I needed the toilet and I have to say these public toilets were the dirtiest I have seen.

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.

2012 Review: Inspired By The Box

Where do I start travel or television? The good, the bad or the ugly?


The highlight as to be the Olympics and Paralympics for travel and TV, it made a change watching real talent and real stars (note to self - cancel Sky Sports subscription. I’m bored of overpaid arrogant footballers) not wannabees and has-beens on reality TV shows. I loved going to London this summer during the Olympics, and I would argue with Disney over the ‘happiest place on earth’ tag because I’m sure during the summer of 2012 London won that gold medal.

It wasn’t all positives this year,  £800 for 2 nights room only in a London Holiday Inn Express, still chained to my desk and I wasted my time watching a group of one-hit wonders called Alcatraz, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour and the aptly titled Unforgettable – I liked them.  At least Damien Lewis’s Life lasted two seasons.

It was au revoir to Desperate Housewives and Harry’s Law and bonjour to Touch, Elementary and Homeland, even thou I’m still not sure if I enjoyed season 2 it was all over the place.  Guy Pearce’s Jack Irish, Arrow and Person of Interest were all 5 star and American Horror Story: Asylum and Girls (I think I’m getting old) were a dirty 1 star hostel which I walked away from after two episodes.

With foreign TV (meaning non English speaking shows) I was gutted I missed Romanzo Criminale season 2 the first time around on Sky Arts but the series link is now in place for the repeats and Vinicio Marchioni is my first crush of 2013. Then there is the French.  Braquo season 2 was magnifique bring on season 3 and Mansion Close was alright but did drag on a bit. Now for 2013 so far there is Hard on Sky Arts, watching a comedy about a straight-laced widow running a porn business should be interesting especially when I’m watching it with my Mom in the room. Merci it’s in another language.

Vinicio Marchioni

On the travel front apart from London being my top destination for 2012 I only managed two trips abroad.  In April I went to Switzerland for the first time – a long weekend of après-ski in Verbier and an hour running around a windy Geneva trying to see as much as possible.  The other was a beautiful week in Provence, visiting Nimes, Arles, Salon de Provence, Aix en Provence and Istres with Monsieur X as my personal tour guide, host and cook.

Windy Geneva

Hot Salon de Provence

My 'Disneyland' - Olympic Park

But what about 2013? More travelling for starters and until then I have my faithful box in the corner…it’s only the 6^th January and with new seasons of NCIS, Bones, Stella and Silent Witness starting this week and getting closer to the second half of Walking Dead season 3 and Sky’s new Kevin Bacon show the Following (FYI loving the EE Bacon ads) I think it’s going to be a great year.

New Year Resolutions?  Yes!

No more ‘R’s – repeats and reality (massive fail as I’m watching Celebrity Big Brother).
More ‘T’s – Travel and (Quality) TV.

My Bouches–du–Rhône Diet

‘You must have bread in the morning. It soaks up all the grease and fat you have eaten the night before’   Monsieur X

I started this Provence holiday 9 stone (57kg) with a Wii body of a 31 year old and wearing jeans so tight I was worried I was would either cut off my blood circulation or give myself Deep Vein Thrombosis.

I have red ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’ by Mireille Guiliano and all the French diets in women’s magazines, trying to add a few useful tips to my daily diet but failing after a few days. But now after a British summer of feeling inspired by Olympians and Paralympians while lying on the sofa eating too much saturated fat and an invitation to go to the South of France, it was time to immerse myself in the French way of life and diet with all my evening meals being perfectly prepared by Master Chef Monsieur X.

 

My French Diet

Tuesday

After a change of clothes from peeling off my too tight jeans into a pair of his baggy shorts I could breathe again. Our evening meal started off with prawns, then a barbeque of lamb kebabs with taboulé oriental (type of couscous), finished off with a few glasses of red wine and a couple bottles of beer for supper.

Wednesday

First full day in le Sud and my skin and hair felt and looked in better condition already.  Monsieur X’s weather warning of a strong winds - ‘Mistral’ had gone by the morning (but did sound like someone was moving brinks during the night) and it was blue skies and fresh air. Today's exercise was 2 hours walking around Salon-de-Provence.

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of specially brought thé anglais (English tea).

Déjeuner: ½ a large ham pizza, salad and leftover taboulé oriental, with added sunshine and wine.

Dîner: Beefsteak peas and casserole de pommes de terre au cheddar. I’m not sure if I have the translation right; it was potatoes cheese and sauce out of a can with extra added cheese. C’est magnifique!

Breakfast for a week

Thursday

A busy day sightseeing in Arles and Nimes = A lot of walking and very sore feet.

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of tea…on the go.

Déjeuner: Le Café de Olive’s (Nimes) plat de jour, mashed potatoes and beef, with chocolate mousse for dessert.

Dîner: Fish with white sauce, corn and more bread to wipe up the sauce.

 

Friday 

Today’s exercise was an afternoon walking around Istres and down (and back up) a very steep hill to the port.  

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of tea.

Déjeuner: Fish and Chips, but a lot smaller portion than a typical English Friday portion and this French meal came with salad and rice.  Dessert was a small chocolate ice cream.

Dîner: Beef burger, piece of pork and and raviolis épinards (spinach ravioli).

Istres - the view was worth the steep hill walk.

 

Saturday

It was the day before an Ironman competition, super fit men and women walking around Aix-en-Provence, making my own fitness of walking for 2 hours (and an hour waiting for a bus) feel pretty pathetic.  Oh well maybe I’ll be fit for next year’s Ironman or maybe I will have another beer thinking about it.

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of tea.

Déjeuner: A large ham pizza from Miramas.

Dîner: Spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce.

Sunday

We walked off our Déjeuner by taking Monsieur X’s daily running route though the Miramas countryside. It takes him 40mintues most days, today it took 2 hours…My excuse I didn’t have my running gear with me!

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of tea.

Déjeuner: A barbeque with pork, sausage, salad and potato salad.

Dîner: Leftovers – a little bit of everything, potato salad, diced carrots, chicken wings and more salad.

Miramas Run- if Boredville looked like this, I would run more

 

Monday

À bientôt France, time to go home.

Petit déjeuner: French bread and butter and a cup of tea.

Déjeuner: Vietnamese restaurant, Miramas near the train station. Menu fixe with a side chicken salad and rice.  I’m not sure what I was eating but it was very nice.

Dîner: A cold horrible chicken burger at Stansted Airport

Apart from beaucoup wine and beer my only snacks were 4 Oreos, no crisps or chocolate all week and as a self-confessed chocoholic I'm proud of myself.  Now a few days back in cold and grey England, my skin and hair still feels better, my skinny jeans are still tight but I can breathe, my Wii age is 28 and I lost ½ stone (3kg).

Even thou Monsieur X’s above theory is not scientifically proven and professional chefs and Nutritionists wouldn’t be impressed with my French diet  I will give his philosophy a go for a month at least. It’s a pity I can’t find ingredients fresh air and sunshine in Boredville…but I hope a positive mind, Fitness TV and sit ups while watching Criminal Minds* re-runs might help.


* My understanding of the French language improved when I watched Esprits Criminels in France or was this due to the fact I had seen these episodes over and over again.

Miramas - My Gateway to Provence

First it was ‘this time last week’ blues now I’m suffering from serious ‘this time two weeks ago’ blues. Last Tuesday I was on a plane, last Wednesday I was sitting outside a bar in Salon-de-Provence drinking a beer and watching the French world go by with my personal holiday guide Monsieur X, last Thursday, and last Friday etc.

No hotel to pay for as I was staying at Hotel de X, Monsieur X’s home, (he said there is one hotel in Miramas but I couldn’t find it) I just had to pay my rent in wine and beer. My ‘hotel’ was a beautiful house in a quiet road about 10mintues walk away from the train station.

I flew from London Stansted to Marseille with Ryanair for £80 (without luggage).  British Airways and Easyjet also offer direct flights from London airports but they were either too expensive or terrible times as I had to catch a coach from Boredville. It’s my third flight to Marseille with Ryanair and I have never had a problem but I was still worried something would go wrong or an extra charge would appear. However everything was OK and even thou my flight left Stansted late, we arrived 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. Bravo Ryanair!

I was met at arrivals by Monsieur X, then a free short shuttle bus ride to the Vitrolles Marseille Provence Airport Train Station, and a 20 minute train journey to Miramas, passing the Étang de Berre lagoon, the pretty countryside and not so pretty Chemical Plant. ‘Now you’re in Provence’ he said as we walked out of Miramas train station. On the left side of the train track there were two bars, a Vietnamese restaurant, and a few shops (some always seemed to be closed) and of course a Boulangerie – it wouldn’t be France without one.

After an early night to recharge my travelled tired body, Salon-de-Provence was our next day visit. 15 minutes train journey (the bus journey back took 30mintues) for an afternoon in ‘Salon’ taking the free shuttle bus from the station to the centre, then walking around the shops, and finishing the sunny afternoon off at a bar next to the Fontaine Moussue for a cool beer for 3€ and a guilt trip to whether I should sell the Duchess of Cambridge Closer magazine on eBay while watching people eat massive ice creams in the next bar.

Fontaine Moussue

Thursday was more planned out Arles and Nimes in a day, an early morning start to catch the 9.30am train to Arles. We would spend 3 hours in Arles before our next direct train to Nimes and Monsieur X and the woman at the ticket office said there wasn’t much to do there – they was wrong!

A walk along the Rhone, though the ‘entrance’ to Arles and around the outside of the Arènes d'Arles (Amphitheatre) and through the ‘Jardin D Ete’ following other tour groups along the way.  It cost 6.50€ for entrance into the Roman Amphitheatre and the smaller Le théâtre antique d'Arles.  I think my photos give the theatre more justice than my description of this amazing arena.  I felt it was kept in such a good condition for bullfights and concerts; it could have been build a 100 years ago not 1000 years ago. Also unlike some English tourist attractions it wasn’t ruined with Health and Safety signs. After we walked around the narrow streets stopping off at free photo exhibition full of creepy face photographs (the Arles photo festival was on from 2^nd July – 23^rd September) and after a coffee and a Fanta (4€) at a bar near the Van Gough Cafe, it was then a quick walk or maybe a slow jog to the train station to make it in time for our Nimes train.

Arles Entrance                                   Le théâtre antique d'Arles 

Arènes d'Arles

Next stop Nimes to meet up with Monsieur X’s friend for lunch at Le Café De Olive on 22 Boulevard Victor Hugo, taking photos of the Amptheatre on the way without stopping to take in the view of the Eglise Sainte Perpétue (we was late). It was time to take in the atmosphere, rest our over walked feet, drink and eat a tasty plat de jour of mashed potato and beef with chocolate mousse for dessert (12€). A few hours later Monsieur X’s friend showed us the Les Jardins de la Fontaine.  If Boredville City Centre had a park like this I wouldn’t want to leave. A big quiet park a few minutes’ walk away from the car horns of the city centre.  After saying goodbye to his friend we had time for a slower walk past this Amphitheatre on the way back to our Miramas bound train.  No time to go in but one Amphitheatre is enough history for one day and besides it is 3 metres smaller than Arles.

                      

Nimes - Les Jardins de la Fontaine

Now I was half away though my holiday and we had visited 3 cities already, so Friday we decided to take it easy and only visited one city Istres.  While waiting for our train, we went to the other side of the Miramas track and had a drink in the square - Place Jourdan, Very quiet, sunny and relaxing watching the fountains opposite the church.

 

Miramas - Place Jourdan

 

The centre of Istres was undergoing a lot of road works and it was too noisy to eat at some of the popular restaurants but further up the road we found a plat de jour for lunch.  Friday’s fish and chips with a difference, unlike the English Friday meal it wasn’t wrapped in paper and it came with salad and rice.  After lunch we took a short bus ride to the pond, and Étang de Berre was a massive pond, a very steep walk down to the port, lots of boats, not many people, and brilliant views of the pond which to me looked like the sea. The blue view made the steep walk back up worth the pain in my legs. Luckily there was a direct bus back to Miramas, so no walking back to the train station.

 

Saturday consisted of lunch at Aux Trois Viandes, 36 Avenue Général de Gaulle, Miramas, there was only the two of us in the main street at lunchtime. 2 large pizza and drinks for around 35€ - bargain. Then two buses to Aix-en-Provence, one to Salon-de-Provence, a long wait and a beer for the next bus to Aix as there are not so many buses on a Saturday.  30 minutes bus ride to Aix and it was just like any other Saturday in any other city – very busy and had to hunt for a table in the bars situated around the Hotel de Ville (town hall) maybe even busier because the Ironman competition was happening the next day and all the barriers were set up.

 

My last full day was a relaxing Sunday in Miramas, sitting in his garden trying to find some shade to read my book and after lunch we worked off our large lunch by walking though the Miramas countryside, getting a little closer to old Miramas - Miramas le Vieux… maybe next time. Boredville is going to feel even more boring now.

 

 

 

Merci Monsieur X for a relaxing break and

Merci Bouches-du-Rhône for the beautiful views.