Eating out, or more to the point eating outside, is very much a part of restaurant life in France. There are lots of places to choose from, and we love finding new ones. Here are a few restaurants we've just discovered as well as some old favorites.

Uzès

Restaurant Ten

Restaurant Ten, in the middle of beautiful Uzès, is somewhere we've been returning to since it first opened several years ago. One of the most delightful things about this restaurant, apart from the food of course, is the owner, Kate Tucker. A bubbly, warm, English girl from Devon with a million dollar smile who make you feel like she's welcoming you to her home every time you arrive.

And I'm pretty sure that Kate is the reason that celebrity chef and writer Rick Stein recommends and speaks so highly of Restaurant Ten in his fabulous cookery book Secret France.

Cocktails at Ten

Kate just get's it right; the ambience the vibe, the service and the menu. Doubtless drawing on her experience at The River Café in London (where Jamie Oliver also learned a few tricks) together with her French husband and their fabulous chef Damien Rolain, they've created an unpretentious little jewel of a restaurant. Interesting, well priced, beautifully presented, delicious food which never fails to impress, quite fabulous!

Crispy trout and quinoa salad at Ten

Restaurant Ten

10 Pl. Dampmartin, 30700 Uzès  +33 (0)466 22 1093

Open Wednesday - Sunday 12.00 -14.00 and evenings from 19.30

Reservations are advisable ~ tell Kate I sent you!

Click here for menu and website

Petits Fracis Provençeaux at Restaurant Ten

Other favourites in Uzès

Bec-au-vin

Le Zanelli

Pizza Duchy

Villa Curti we haven't here yet but it's recommended by Kate from Ten & it's where she goes out to eat!

Saint-Remy-de-Provence

Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau

We normally go to St-Rémy-de-Provence on a Wednesday, market day, and if we have visitors, after lunch we often go on to Les Baux de Provence to the incredible art show, Carrières des Lumières. We've eaten in several places in St Rémy but no one restaurant has really stood out. Then a few weeks ago we stumbled upon Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau, an old manor house and former school right in the middle of town where lunch is served on an expansive terrace.

The ambience was delightful and the staff cheerful and attentive. The overall concept at the restaurant of shared, family style plates was perfect, especially for lunch.

The building itself is an interesting property. The dining terrace restaurant is at the rear and there is a lovely courtyard at the front.

When you walk through the courtyard, before you reach the Terrace restaurant, you pass through a charming shop selling household goods, gifts and clothes.

On a busy day, should you have to wait for a table, you can watch the world go by out on the street from the comfort one of the restaurant's arm chairs and order a cocktail until your table's ready!.

Click for more information on Bistrot Les Pieds dans L'Eau

22 boulevard Victor Hugo , Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
+33 04 90 90 74 49

For restaurant ideas & information about St Rémy visit my friend Keith Van Sickle's website here. I'd highly recommend his guide book, 'An Insiders Guide to Provence' which you can purchase from this link.

Aix-en-Provence

Café Hôtel de Caumont

'Café' in France can mean many things, a place just for a coffee and lights snacks, somewhere serving casual meals, or an elegant restaurant such as the café at Hotel de Caumont, a beautiful art museum in the center of Aix-en-Provence. The dining room is exquisite, and when the weather allows the Terrace is a wonderful setting for breakfast, lunch or afternoon drinks.

My salade crevette was delicious and the desert trolley is outstanding!

Café Hotel de Caumont is open daily from 10.00 -19.00. Unfortunately it is not possible to make a reservation. Check their website for unusual hours

Click here for Café Hôtel de Caumont website

Hôtel de Caumont a historic property and center for the arts

And of course Hôtel de Caumont is not all about the food, it's primarily a wonderful art museum boasting a vibrant history.

Hôtel de Caumont was built in 1715 by the President of the Court of Auditors in Aix-en-Provence, François Rolland de Réauville, the Marquis de Cabannes, in the desirable Mazarin quarter of the city.

In 1758 it was purchased by François Bruny de la Tour-d'Aigues, the richest ship-owner, merchant and banker in Marseilles who named it Hôtel de Bruny. The property was inherited by Bruny's son who died shortly afterwards and so in 1796 it passed to his sister, Pauline. This resulted in a further name change to Hôtel de Caumont, after Pauline's husband the Marquis de Caumont.

Entrance to Hôtel de Caumont, Aix-en-Provence

During the late nineteenth century the property fell into decline. By 1939, it had been divided into apartments run by Resistance member Hélène Ardevol (1892-1976), who during WWII bravely sheltered other Resistance members in the apartments. Its' last private owner was General Isenbart who completed extensive restorations before he sold it to the city of Aix-en-Provence in 1964 when it became the Darius Milhaud National Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Hôtel de Caumont today

In 2010 Hôtel de Caumont was sold to Culturespaces (who run Carrières des Lumières and other fabulous exhibitions throughout France) and they restored it to its former glory. It was reopened on 15 April 2015, and now hosts two temporary exhibitions annually. A film on Cézanne is shown every day, and a variety of concerts, musical performances and lectures are scheduled. Currently, until September 18 2022 the work of Raoul Dufy is on display.

The gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit.

Tickets to the museum can be bought online, click here

Hôtel de Caumont  3 Rue Joseph Cabassol, 13100 Aix-en-Provence  +33 04 42 20 70 01

Click here for website of Hôtel de Caumont

Le Four Sous le Platane

How often do I hear from perplexed overseas guests 'We're going to a Pizza Restaurant  in Provence, we're not in Italy?'

We may not be in Italy (although it's not far away) but the French certainly love, and know how to make great pizzas normally in wood fired ovens, feu de bois. The terrace at Le Four Sous le Platane is one of our favorites.

And if we can, we try to grab a spot by the fountain from where the restaurant get's it's name. Scrumptious pizzas served as huge wedges with a green salad and glass of wine, yum!

Click for more on: Le Four Sous le Platane

Lourmarin

There's no where new to recommend in Lourmarin and sadly a few places we thought were great have changed owners, not for the best ~ Le Moulin in Lourmarin and Petit Resto in Vaugine.

But we still love:

Louche au Beurre ~ the best steak frites!

Pizza Nonni ~our favorite for Pizza

Gina's Café ~ delicious homemade food, great for lunch

Café Gaby ~ the place for people watching in the very heart of the village, be it for coffee, an apéro or a casual meal!

La Maison Café ~ Great cocktails and small sharing boards, we love coming here after the Friday market  or for an evening drink.

If you'd like more information, download for free:

A PDF Travel Guide for Lourmarin

A PDF Travel Guide for Uzès

I'd love to know any restaurants you recommend in Provence!

The post Restaurants we love in Uzès, Aix-en-Provence & St-Rémy-de-Provence appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

We departed Lourmarin just as winter had arrived, with Christmas round the corner. The trees were almost bare, only a few remnants of their golden autumn gown still clinging to the branches. Temperatures had fallen, especially when the Mistral blew her cruel, icy breath down the Rhône Valley. There were occasional early morning frosts and mists creeping across the ground at first light. But most days the skies were still cornflower blue, with bright, dazzling rays of sunlight illuminating the world with a clarity only found in Provence. Perfect conditions for the olive harvest.

It's barely been two weeks since we were there, and now, from so far away, it's hard to believe it's all just as we left it. The air perfumed with woodsmoke, and an air of expectancy swirling below the strings of twinkling lights. Below them, along the Lourmarin streets, carefully positioned baby sapins proudly displaying cheery crimson bows.

Brightly decorated shop fronts, our wonderful artist Isirdi's Gallery looking splendid.

Many strung with tiny sparkles.

A profusion of temptations enticingly displayed.

One of my favorite at this time of year, La Maison Franc, their beautiful lavender wands and boules a special treat for the Christmas tree.

Lourmarin's delightful new Boucherie was preparing to supply the village with an array of delicious, festive food!

The weekly markets still arriving, somewhat depleted except for food stalls, happy to help the locals to stock the local people's Christmas pantries.

Warm lazy days sipping rosé in the shade were a distant memory. But café terraces still bustled, their patrons swaddled in coats and scarves, huddled around steaming hot drinks.

Christmas markets were popping up each weekend, we visited this one in the pretty fishing town of Cassis.

Tethered boats bobbed in Cassis harbor where we enjoyed lunch on the quayside.

And in Aix-en-Provence, its famous Cours Mirabeau was lined with a white ribbon of festive stalls.

Provencal gifts from the region; lavender products, incredible carved chocolate sets,

Calissons, a local almond paste speciality.

Festive bow ties.

presents made of wood,

and Santons, the hand-painted terracotta scene figurines made to decorate Provencal Nativity Crèches.

The Christmas Traditions of Provence

The Santons

Santons were first created during the French Revolution by Jean-Louis Lagnel (1761-1822), an artisan from Marseilles. Traditionally a Provencal crib scene had about 55 Santons, depicting not only religious characters but local figures from ordinary life. To this day the Santons are positioned around a traditional crib scene surrounded by small buildings from the village.

Santon fairs take place all over Provence and officially mark the beginning of the Christmas season. We admired the Santon nativity scene displayed inside the magnificent cathedral of Aix-en-Provence, Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur.

Le blé de la Sainte-Barbe

Christmas in Provence begins on December 4th, the day of Ste-Barbe. In the days before Christmas little bags of wheat are sold or handed out free at boulangeries. Ste Barbe is celebrated by planting this wheat in small pots. The belief is, that if the wheat grows straight the year ahead will be prosperous.

Traditionally families grow 3 pots of wheat to represent the Holy Trinity. These pots decorate the table on Christmas Eve for the Gros Souper. This is a meatless meal, often beginning with a garlic soup, followed by a fish dish and thirteen desserts. After the Christmas day lunchtime meal the wheat is placed in the crèche among the santons, laid there to symbolise the fields.

Les Treize Desserts~ the 13 desserts

Les Treize desserts is an ancient tradition and steeped in symbolism, thirteen representing the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 Apostles.

Although it is now possible to buy a simplified, boxed version, traditionally the 13 desserts would have included dried and fresh fruit, two types of nougat, candied fruit and Fougasse, a flatbread made of olive oil and orange flower water. The custom is that the fougasse should be torn not sliced, to do otherwise is to cause financial ruin for the coming year! The desserts are often eaten after Midnight Mass and served together with vin cuit, a fortified wine. Everyone is meant to try a little of each dessert.

Provence and Lourmarin seem very far away from California. And since we left, winter has dusted our little village with a coat of snow. I've been there when it snows, when my fairy tale village seems even more magical, as it waits patiently for Christmas.

I hope you're waiting patiently, not too tied up in wrapping paper, tinsel and chaos!

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas wherever in the world you may be

and thank you for loyally following my ramblings!

The post Christmas in Provence appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

We continued our exploration of the Aveyron, weaving our way through the lush countryside with its deep red earth. We stopped off in more of the region's story book villages, (all one of 'Les Plus Beau Villages de France' ) where we unravelled a little more of the remarkable history of this lovely part of France. An hours drive north of our hotel, Château de Labro, we visited the medieval village of Conques and gazed in wonder at the gold relic of Saint Foy. The following day, traveling south back towards Montpellier, we found ourselves surrounded by the hills and gorges of the Tarn in Le Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses, a stunning UNESCO parkland. Here we sampled it's famous  cheese, made in the park's nearby caves. Our final stop was a step back in time where we learnt the fascinating story of the Orders of The Knights Templars and Knights Hospitaller.

Salles La Source

Salles La Source is a picturesque village nestled in the foothills of the Causse Comtal. It clings to the cliff on over three stories winding its way up to meet a rolling plateau up on the higher elevations.

The Cascade waterfall is its famous landmark, uniquely situated in the center of the village.

Conques

Conques is a simple, but breathtaking monastic village which tumbles over the edge of a wild gorge by the River Dourdou. As you wander its tiny streets it feels as if you've stepped into a fairy tale.

Narrow passageways wind their way through the village,

and steep cobbled steps lead you down toward the villages's focal point, The Abbey of Saint Foy.

The Abbey of Sainte Foy, visible from every vista, is on one of the pilgrimage routes to Saint-Jacques- de-Compostelle, a Catholic pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the alleged burial site of the Apostle St James.

The hushed cloisters of The Abbey's unadorned interior mystically adds to its magnificence.

In the adjoining Abbey Chapter building rests 'The Majesty of Saint Foy', a masterpiece relic statuette. The dedication of relics was commonplace in the Middle Ages but this one is particularly stunning, well worth the small admission charge to view it.

Only 85 cm high, 'The Majesty of Saint Foy', is made of yew, covered with gold, gilded silver, enamel and set with gems. It enshrines the skull of Saint Foy, a twelve year old, Catholic martyr who was tortured for refusing to renounce his faith. Legend has it that in 995 a miracle occurred when a blind pilgrim prayed to Saint Foy and had his sight restored. Pilgrims subsequently flocked to visit the relic, which, in the 12th century led to the rebuilding of the original abbey. This was later replaced by the great romanesque abbey we see today. Every year, on the Sunday following October 6 (feast of Saint Foy), The Majesty of Saint Foy', is transferred from its exhibition place, next to the abbey  and placed inside the abbey itself.

Timber framed buildings line the small square outside the Abbey hanging from the street above it.

Conques was perhaps the most impressive of all 'les plus beau villages' we visited in the Aveyron, an impression perhaps helped by the delicious steak frites we enjoyed in the warm sunshine below the Abbey's towering face.

Brousse le Château

Dating back to the 13th century this veritable fortress, like others of its kind, was built to protect its occupants from local invasions and during The Hundred Years War, from 1337, from the English!

The keep and towers of the ramparts which remain in good condition, are fine examples of late fifteenth century architecture.

We wandered the surrounding streets, seemingly deserted despite the evidence that people still lived there.

The village shop was a wonderfully preserved example of a timber framed, medieval building.

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

Situated in the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park, at the foot of the Combalou mountain, are the caves used to ripen the cheese, Roquefort Société.

The caves were created over a million years ago after the mountain collapsed. Cracks, known as fleurines were left in these caves creating a natural thermal regulation. The caves were first used in the Middle ages, restored in the 17th century and then enlarged by the Roquefort Société, a brand created in 1842 which brought together fifteen local merchants and refiners.

Roquefort is made from the unpasteurized milk of local Lacaune Ewes between January and July. Reportedly, this creamy, blue veined cheese was discovered when a young shepherd boy left his cheese in one of the caves by mistake; when he remembered and came to collect it he found far from being ruined, the cheese had improved, the natural conditions of the caves had enhanced its taste. Today micro-organisms found in penicillium roqueforti are added to the milk before the cheese is formed. Roquefort Société is the only cheese maker that produces all its penicillium on site.

The caves are 11 stories high with fleurines on every level.

The cheese is ripened in the stone cellars which can holding up to 300, 000 loaves of cheese and as many as 1, 400, 000 in an entire season. The cheese loaves are placed by hand on the salted wooden shelves, the air being constantly renewed by the natural fleurines.

It is here that the penicillium roqueforti develops. The salt melts and is diffused and the cheese becomes creamy. Taking between 14-25 days, the cellar master plays a key role in the process.

All the attributes of this unique environment, the stone, the wood and wind from the fleurines, play an essential role in making the distinctive cheese we know today.

Roquefort Société World War II heros

In 1942, the managing directors of the Roquefort Société, Léon Freychet and Jean Bosc, together with some others opened a 'youth hostel' in nearby Tendigues to hide people, weapons and supplies for the Resistance.

When the Village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon was invaded on January 1st 1944, Bosc and Freychet escaped. Freychet was later captured and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. He survived, and on his return from Buchenwald was instrumental in creating the company's worker's committee, a research laboratory and a training center for young shepherds.

La Couvertoirade in Larzac, the county of the Templars

La Couvertoirade lies in the Larzac Valley about 45km south of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon still in the Parc natural regional des Grands Causses.

Outside the village by the ramparts is La Cour Neuve (The New Yard), built between 1439-1445 during the Hundreds Years War. It was here that goods for the village were unloaded and through the centuries it was where the consuls gathered for public meetings.

Entering the village under the archway, to then walk along the medieval streets, one is immediately  plunged back into the past.

La Couvertoirade is one of several villages founded by The Knights Templar and then fortified by The Knights Hospitallers.

The Knights Templar were formed in 1118 by Hugh de Payens, a knight from the Champagne region of France to protect pilgrims traveling to The Holy Land. In 1128 the Treaty of Troyes gave them official approval and for 150 years they grouped together around settlements such as La Couvertoirade. The Order prospered acquiring land and many new noble members. But, in 1312, it was abolished by the Pope and all its possessions were given to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem.

The Hospitaller were a military order established around 1070 to manage a hospital for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem. In 1310 they had become the Knights of Rhodes. They enriched the villages of the Larzac region until the 16th century when they were taken over by the Hugenots. From 1530 they were known as the Knights of Malta. They wore a black habit, with a white eight-pointed Maltese Cross. Some members later moved to Russia where the order collapsed in the early 1800’s. In the 1830’s the Order was restored in England and still remains today caring for the sick.

Lodève

Our last stop in Larzac, the county of the Hospitaller, was Lodève where we visited St Fulcran Cathedral, a Gothic 13th and 14th century cathedral dedicated to St-Géniez and then St Fulcran.

Our trip ended in Arles back in Provence. An hour from home we stopped and eat dinner under the Roman arches of this beautiful city's amphitheatre.  Inspired by the Roman Coliseum it was built in 90AD and is still in use today. So much history in this mystical part of France.

The post The Knights Templars and cheese of the Aveyron appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Since opening in 2012 the stunning video art show at Carrières de Lumières has entranced millions. Situated just steps from the medieval perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence each year, the work of the Masters is splashed across the cavernous walls of this former bauxite quarry. This year, 'Van Gogh, La Nuit étoilée' pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest artists, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890).

From a selection of about 500 paintings, Carrières de Lumières’ talented artistic directors Gianfranco Iannuzzi, Renato Gatto and Massimiliano Siccardi, showcase Van Gogh's incredible genius. His story is told across the quarry’s 7000 square meters of walls, many of which loom over 15 meters high. Starting from the sun-drenched wheat fields of Arles, to Paris and then back to Provence, from where Van Gogh strove tirelessly to capture the light and colours of this region which so bewitched him.

"Van Gogh is one of the most important painters that ever lived. The exhibition produced for Carrières de Lumières highlights the artist's unique approach. We realised it was important to show the thickness of the paint medium and the impact of colors, and focus on the decisiveness of the brushstrokes and use of line, all of which are so characteristic of Van Gogh's works" Gianfranco Iannuzzi

As in the preceding performances there is an enthralling accompanying exhibit. This year's 'Dreamed Japan Images of the Floating World' profiles art from the land of the rising sun which inspired Van Gogh profoundly.

Vincent Van Gogh's childhood

Born in Groot Zundert in the Netherlands in 1853, Vincent Van Gogh was the eldest of six children. Inspired by his father who as a pastor used imagery to illustrate his sermons, Van Gogh began painting as a young child. Difficult, shy and socially awkward he left school at 16 and went on to work at art galleries in the Hague, Brussels, London and Paris.,

Van Gogh the young artist

During his time in London and Brussels, distressed by the plight of the poor and sick, this troubled young man sought to find his soul in painting. His work from then reflects the sorrow he felt for the disenfranchised.

The Potato Eaters ~ Vincent Van Gogh

In 1880, at the age of 27 Van Gogh enrolled at Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. From here he began to paint in earnest, initially mostly landscapes and then scenes from every day life. After his father's death in 1885 his paintings became more liberated and he began 'to paint what I feel and feel what I paint.' (Vincent Van Gogh)

Van Gogh in Provence 1888 -1889

Wishing to escape hectic city life, in February 1888 Van Gogh moved to Arles, Provence. Initially he lived in a room at Café de la Gare before moving to the La Maison Jaune. Surrounded by the natural light and colours of Provence Van Gogh found the perfect place to develop his talents.

His use of bold colours and powerful brushstrokes demonstrates the dialogue he saw between light and shadows. Expressed dramatically in the multi-coloured petals of one of his most famous pieces, The Sunflowers, les Tournsoles, flowers which are still so synonomous with Provence and which he painted both in full bloom and dying.

'The Sunflowers' ~ a series of three paintings, 1888.

The sunflowers at Carrières de Lumières.

During his time in Arles Van Gogh became fascinated by the local people which he considered to be so different from elsewhere.

Turbulent Housemates by Van Gogh

From Arles he continued to develop his unique treatment of light, depicted most famously in Terrasse de café le soir, Le café de nuit, La Maison Jaune and La Chambre.

La Chambre ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Brilliantly capturing the beauty of Provence within which he'd immersed himself, Van Gogh's work also continued to reflect the intensity of his thinking and his inner torment. The turmoil he saw and then painted in nature perhaps mirrored his own anguish, illustrated in the sublime but ominous atmosphere of the sky in Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône (1888) and La Nuit étoilée (1889).

La Nuit étoilée ~ Vincent Van Gogh

His paintings of the olive and cypress trees (1889) also show this chaos he saw in natural beauty.

After a brief collaboration with Paul Gaugin, who joined him in Arles, Van Gogh's unbalanced mind led him to cut off his own ear.

He was treated locally and again several times afterwards suffering from insomnia and hallucinations. Finally in May 1889 he admitted himself to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, an asylum for the mentally ill in nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He stayed there for a year still continuing to paint hoping to find solace in his work.

Van Gogh's paintings of the interior of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum

Van Gogh's irises painted during his stay at the Saint-Rémy asylum

During his time at the asylum Van Gogh also completed a series of self portraits.

His omin0us stare and the use of robust brushstrokes and intense colors mirror his agonized emotional state.

In May 1890, his health still extremely fragile, Van Gogh left Saint-Rémy and moved to Auvers-sur-Oise where he lived over a café. From here he famously painted the local church.

L'église d'Auvers-sur-Oise, vue du chevet by Vincent Van Gogh

Carrières de Lumières' 'La Nuit étoilée' ends with one of Van Gogh's last works 'The Wheat Field with Crows' (1890). Immersed into major landscapes he tried to capture the order of nature painting a threatening sky which contrasted sharply with the gold hues of a wheat field.

Unable to reconcile his increasingly disturbed state of mind on 27 July 1890 Van Gogh tragically shot himself. He died two days later never understanding his own genius or the fame that his incredible work would achieve. His astounding talent in over 2000 works remain on display as part of priceless collections around the world, magnificently portrayed in this year's spectacle at Carrières de Lumières.

If you'd like to learn more about Van Gogh there are countless places you can visit, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a good place to start.

Visiting Carrières de Lumières
Location: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nimes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 2020
Admission: 13 Euros, family and other discounts available. Booking online advance is recommended

Tips for visiting Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières
Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour transporting you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Maussane-les-Alpilles or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains in  Valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

The post Carrières de Lumières 2019 Van Gogh, La Nuit étoilée appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Recently someone who only had four days to spend in Provence asked me if I had to choose between a visit to Aix-en-Provence or Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, which would it be. Preferably I’d find the time for both but as stunning a city as Aix is, in June, on a first visit to Provence I think I’d choose Saint-Rémy. A happy little town, so charming and colorful and so typically Provence!

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~ why it charms!

It’s pretty! Meandering cobbled streets shaded under a canopy of plane trees, packed with cafes, restaurants, galleries and cute boutiques happily mingled together.

Yet steps away from the bustle there are secluded corners where fountains who happily chuckled to others over the years, Nostradamus, (who was actually born here) Van Gogh and Princess Caroline of Monaco, still gurgle contently. So many wonderful reminders of days gone by.

Come on a Wednesday, when a colorful market sprawls along its streets overflowing into its picturesque squares.

Blessed with over 300 days of sunshine this vibrant, historic Provencal town is small enough to sample in half a day. However with so much to discover both within its enfolds and close by, Saint-Rémy is a delightful base for a few days in this region of Provence.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~What to do

A great way to discover the secrets of Saint-Rémy is via one of its self guided audio. There are two available: 'Discover the town' and 'The Van Gogh Walk'. In French and English, lasting from an hour to a full day Price: €3.00, learn more here: Saint-Rémy Audio guide.

Estrine Museum and Van Gogh Interpretation Centre 8 rue estrine 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Tel: 04 90 92 34 72. Built in 1749, once a splendid hotel, Estrine is now a museum where The Vincent van Gogh Interpretation Center pays tribute to this incredible artist who lived in Saint-Rémy, May 8, 1889 to May 20, 1890. The museum also hosts a constant stream of exhibitions featuring the work of many other celebrated artists. Visit their website here

Saint-Rémy tourist board website has further information for other museums, chapels and sites.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~Where to eat

There are so many choices, many of which I have yet to sample, do tell me your discoveries, here are a few of ours:

L’Estagnol 7 Blvd Marceau 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Tel: 04 90 92 05 95 Price: €8 ~ €22 Delicious tapas salads and mains, Mediterranean with a fusion twist.

Chez Fanny's Place Mireille Moatti 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Tel: 04 90 92 90 89 Newly opened in March 2018 this quaint courtyard spot offers yummy salads and pastas Price: from €16.

Gus 31 Boulevard Victor Hugo 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Tel: 04 90 90 27 61 Delicious menu especially for seafood loversPrice €13 ~ €30. Open all year every day lunch & dinner. Closed Mondays November~March

L’Aile ou la Cuisse  5 Rue de la commune 13210 Saint Rémy de Provence Tel: 04 32 62 00 25
Price: €13 ~ €37. Wonderful family recipes in a gourmet bistro setting. Known especially for its mouthwatering pastries and deserts. Open every day April 1st to November 15th lunch & dinner, closed Sunday evening and Monday from November 16th to March 31st

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~ Where to stay

I've never actually stayed in Saint Rémy but there's some wonderful places, both in the town and close by including some really special luxurious gems.

Hotel and Restaurant Tourrel   Hotel Gounod

Hotel Le Vallon de Valrugues & Spa  Hotel Image  Le Château of Alpilles 5 

I'd also check what Alistair Sawday has to recommend. This Sawdays' suggestion caught my eye Appartement d'Anges, two beautiful accommodations for 2-6 people offering personalized tours and gourmet experience.

Le petit Bijou a really special place to rent from Vicki Archer, a wonderful authority on the area!

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~ What's nearby

Glanum Archeological Site

Route des Baux de Provence D5 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence 04 90 92 23 79 website

Part of Provence's rich Roman heritage,  just one km from Saint-Rémy, the site of Glanum was inhabited from about 500 BC. In the 2nd century BC it became a Greek town and from the 1st to the 3rd centuries, colonized by the Romans it was a resplendent Roman city with great public, civil and religious buildings. Destroyed by barbarian invasions around 260AD the survivors founded a new village that was to become Saint-Rémy. It was virtually forgotten until 1921 when excavations began to reveal its incredible past. Definitely worth a visit!

Open: 1 April to 30 September 9:30am to 6pm  1 October to 31 March (Closed on Monday)10 am to 5 pm with various holiday closures check website for details. Fees: Adults €8, reductions for children, students and groups

Les Baux-de-Provence

Les Baux-de-Provence is just 10 minutes from Saint-Rémy on route from Glanum. One of Provence’s most atmospheric perched villages, precariously hugging the craggy limestone of the Alpilles hills, with links to the biblical Wise Men and Monaco’s Grimaldi family, it’s a place where time has stood still….Read more about Les Baux here

If time is short visit both Les Baux and Saint-Rémy together, preferably on a Wednesday for Saint-Rémy's delightful market, enjoy lunch in the town. (Sadly Les Baux has disappointing choices). Leave time to include the audio visual art spectacle of Carrières de Lumières next to Les Baux, admission to which can be combined with the entrance to its' château ruins.

Carrières de Lumières

Just an 800m strole from Les Baux de Provence, each year the artistic talent of the maestros is splashed upon the towering walls and floor of this former bauxite quarry in Val d’Enfer at Les Baux. Set to a mystical, musical background, it is always a spellbinding spectacle. Previous years have included Chagall, Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo, this year the work of Picasso and the Spanish masters 

For more information: Carrières de Lumières  Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence Tel: 04 90 54 37 Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer) 7 days a week from March – January  Admission: €12.50 Euros, family and other discounts available. If time permits buy the combined ticket which includes the excellent audio tour of the château ruins at Les Baux. Check their website for details.

In addition to the local wine domains and olive mills there are also the delightful small towns and villages of Les Alpilles to explore such as Eygalières and Maussane-les-Alpilles. The splendid Roman city of Arles (23km ) is full of archeological treasures, including its original amphitheater and as another home of Van Gogh it has its own Van Gogh museum and sites to further tell his story.

Enjoy your visit to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and let me know what you discover!

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence ~Where it is

Nestled at the foot of Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of Provence.

Marseilles Airport: 70km (60min)      Avignon: 25km (30min)       Arles: 23km (36min)

Aix en Provence: 73km (65mins)      Lourmarin: 52km (55min)

The post Saint-Rémy-de-Provence appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Yesterday was special, leaving our paintbrushes and plumbing issues behind, we drove towards the jagged hills of Les Alpilles through Le plaine de la Crau, winding our way through the lush valley floor of silvery, green olive trees and golden vineyards

Suddenly, dominating the sky-line, hugging precariously to the craggy, limestone hillside the magnificent ruins of a medieval château became visible.

Squinting in the bright winter sunshine, one could almost hear the distant shouts from its ramparts and imagine the clanking of armour and swishing of velvet gowns as the ghosts of a bygone age scurried between the shadows of the medieval buildings of this mystical place, the stunning perched village of Les Baux de Provence.

We twisted up the hairpins approaching the village and as it fell behind us we followed the road’s curving path downwards merely a few hundred meters further towards the hidden bauxite caves nestled just below. Our destination was Carrières de Lumières where we knew its video art extravaganza would transport us, this year into the world of the artists Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, ‘from the fantastic to the wonderful’.

A visit to Carrières de Lumières was something I had been looking forward to all year, I wasn’t disappointed. An enchanting visionary thrill, each years’ multi-media spectacle is as captivating as the last, where within this vast, cavernous space, utterly breathtaking in its own right,

the incredible geniuses of the maestros are splashed upon the towering space of the former bauxite quarry in Val d’Enfer. Transformed by art of the world’s Masters, it is an unforgettable and heart stirring experience.

This year was no exception, once again we were entranced, both by the brilliance of the artists and the modern technology as unseen paintbrushes swept over 2000 digital images of incredible artistic talent across the 7000 square meters of the quarry’s walls, floors and ceiling.

Miraculously, the stage of Carrières de Lumières was consumed by the fantastical creatures and allegorical figures of the fifteenth & sixteenth century artists Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo.

Magically it was bought to life by an invisible conductor, skillfully orchestrating the music of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin as each scene faded in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of wonder.

Every year, no matter the artist, the length of time you stay or how many of the 30 minute performances you watch you will be spellbound.

Gazing in wonder you’ll be reluctant to tear yourself away

and you will leave enchanted but excited to return.

If you haven’t been yet hurry, there are just a few more weeks of Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo’s fantastique et merveilleux performance, it ends January 7th.

We will then all wait, in eager anticipation for next years spectacle, 'Picasso et Les Modern Espagnols' it opens March 2018, I’ll be going won’t you!?

Visiting Carrières de Lumières

Location: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nimes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 2018
Admission: 12 Euros, family and other discounts available.

Tips for visiting Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières

Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour transporting you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Maussane-les-Alpilles or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains in  Valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

The post Carrières de Lumières Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, ‘from the fantastic to the wonderful’ appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

"Provence appeals to so many because the region offers something for everyone.
From sea to sky, from mountains to meadows,
from history to contemporary, it is an endless canvas." 

Esteemed writer, Carolyne Kauser-Abbott's, perspectives about Provence. Visit the stunning city of Aix-en-Provence with her here.....

Carolyne is the author of three wonderful blogs; Perfectly Provence being my particular favourite. Carolyne grew up in Montreal and describes herself as someone who has France in her soul. Early in her career, as a fluent French speaker, she spent five months in Paris but left knowing she was destined to return. In 2003 she first visited Provence, biking in the Luberon and the Alpilles and was smitten! So in 2010, with her husband and black Lab, Jade, she moved to France for six months. Six months became thirteen, it's no surprise that they now return every year, who wouldn’t?!

As an avid follower of Perfectly Provence, I knew that Carolyne could offer some excellent travel advice about one of Provence's most delightful cities, Aix-en-Provence. Aix's location makes it a great base for exploring Provence, especially if it's your first visit; it's within an hour’s drive from the coast, the Luberon, Avignon and Marseille. Aix-en-Provence is a vibrant, sun-drenched university city, one of the jewels of the Bouches-du-Rhône region of Provence. Home to artists and writers, enthused over by a never ending stream of delighted visitors, whatever the time of year!

It's a city Carolyne knows well although initially it was not quite ‘love at first sight';  “This was the city I should be in love with and I was not, but that is because Aix needs to warm up to you.”(you can read her initial impressions here) and it did, as you will see from Carolyne's recommendations below!

What to see in Aix-en-Provence

"There is so much to do in Aix itself you might find it hard to leave town. The beauty of Aix is the windy streets and hidden gems. The old Roman and medieval town is very manageable on foot and intriguing enough to invite exploration. The fashionable 17th century, Quartier Mazarin, is a wonderful place to stroll and admire the grand city homes that were build for the wealthy families.

It would be almost criminal to not spend a bit of time on the Cours Mirabeau, at minimum a drink or meal in a café. After all, the Cours Mirabeau has welcomed many famous people over the years from Cézanne to M.K. Fisher.  Not to be missed along the way; the fountains in this “City of Water” and the Hotel de Ville and Place de Cardeurs. 
Other “must visit” sites in the city are Musée Granet and Hotel de Caumont.

The markets of Aix-en-Provence

Aix is for market lovers. There is a morning market everyday in Place Richelme where the locals and chefs go and three days a week in Place des Precheurs. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are Aix's busiest market days, in Place de Verdun collectibles, antiques and crafts can be found and flowers in Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, where there are also antiquarian and second-hand books on the first Sunday of each month.

Dining in Aix-en-Provence

Lunchtime

Dinner

The post Discover Aix-en-Provence with an expert! appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Easily reached on a day's excursion from Lourmarin is the one of the most magnificent cities of Provence, Avignon and vibrant university town of Aix-en-Provence.

The Mediterranean coast is a short drive further; Marseilles, and the quaint fishing towns of Bandol and Cassis.

Not more than an hour from Lourmarin are the charms of Provence's Bouches-du-Rhône region; the bustling market town of St Remy-de-Provence and probably the most splendid of all of Provence's perched villages; Les Baux-de-Provence!

Uzès and the World UNESCO Heritage site, The Pont du Gard, are under two hours from Lourmarin, well worth a visit!

Avignon

Aix-en-Provence

This colourful university city in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of Provence is only 30 minutes from Lourmarin. Stroll the famous Cours de Mirabeau, visit the wonderful daily markets and walk in the footsteps of Cézanne and other great artists, you'll be entranced!

Cassis and Bandol

St- Remy-de-Provence

Les Baux-de-Provence

Les Carrières de Lumières

Uzès

Pont du Gard

The post Cities of Provence an hour from Lourmarin appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.