Why you should include a visit to Lourmarin and the Luberon on a trip to Provence

Lourmarin is a tiny, medieval village huddled under the southern Luberon’s gently folded landscape.

Resplendent with vineyards, olive groves, abundant fruit trees, timeless perched villages and in the summer, endless fields of sunflowers and fragrant lavender.

A magical place of meandering, cobbled streets lined with crumbling clay tiled, golden stone buildings, watch the video here.

Lourmarin is full of vibrant cafes and restaurants, a handful of chic boutiques and enticing art galleries.

Every Friday it is host to a bustling market, colourful stores packed with locally grown produce.

Table cloths flap in the gentle breeze alongside baskets and all the treasures of a Provencal marché

A tour round Lourmarin’s mystical 15th century château should not be missed nor an evening at one of its’ lavish music concerts.

The nearby enchanting perched villages are well worth exploring, especially Bonnieux, Goult, Ménerbes, Lacoste,  Oppède-le-Vieux, Roussillon and Gordes & despite Lourmarin itself not being ‘perched’ its’ mesmerizing beauty has won it the honor of being one of ‘les plus beaux villages de France.’ Watch the video tour of the Luberon villages here

Every Sunday there is an incredible antiques market and Provencal market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a pretty 30 minute drive along the Luberon Valley. Get there before 9.30am as the parking can be very busy!

Just 68km to the north lies the stunning wall city of Avignon, watch the video tour here

37km to the south is the vibrant university town, Aix-en-Provence.

A short drive further the coastal towns of Bandol and Cassis and the sparkling Cote d’Azur.

It is no surprise that living near Lourmarin inspired Peter Mayle to write; ('A Year in Provence', 'A Good Year')  for the region's timeless beauty reaches into the soul, it is utterly captivating.

How to get to Lourmarin

The nearest major airport is Marseilles (MRS), a 45 minute drive from Lourmarin. There are numerous international connections to Paris, London, Frankfurt, Munich & other major European cities. If driving, Lourmarin is about 20km from the A7 autoroute traveling north and the A51 to the A8 is 20km to the south.

What to see and do in Lourmarin

Lourmarin is in the Luberon Valley in the Vaucluse department of Provence, in south eastern France. A small enchanting area of sprawling vineyards, olive trees, sunflowers, shuttered, limestone buildings and medieval villages. Stunningly beautiful, people come to stay in Lourmarin to just ‘be’; to spend long, lazy days under cornflower blue skies, lavender perfuming the air and crickets chattering through the night. It’s intoxicating, a place of artists and authors, a place to dream about and yearn for when you are far away

THE LOURMARIN CHATEAU

A part of Lourmarin since the 12th century, it now hosts many wonderful performances and exhibitions and every summer is home to artists, writers and musicians.

THE LOURMARIN MARKET

Every Friday 8.30am -1.00pm the streets are bursting with a vibrant collection of wonderful local produce & all things Provencal. Unlike some, The Lourmarin market operates year round.

Other Luberon Markets: (NB: some are seasonal)
Monday: Cadenet, Cavaillon, Lauris
Tuesday: Cucuron, Gordes. Lacoste
Wednesday: Merindol, Pertuis, Salt,
Thursday: Goult, Menerbes Rousillon
Friday: Lourmarin, Bonnieux
Saturday: Apt
Sunday: L'Isle sue La Sorgue

Where to stay in Lourmarin

RENTING A PROPERTY

You can rent my house, Maison des Cerises, right in the middle village!

Completely renovated (December 2017) it has air-conditioning, two double bedrooms – both with en-suites bathrooms – a terrace, separate laundry (washer and drier) Wifi, Smart TV and American style fridge freezer. Do contact me if you are interested!

Renting a house provides a tiny snapshot of what it is like to actually live here; having more space to relax and shop in the local stores and markets to cook at home. If my house is unavailable or doesn't suit, Nikki at Rent Our Home  offers a charming selection of other properties.

HOTELS & BED & BREAKFASTS

LE MOULIN DE LOURMARIN

Rue du Temple, 84160 Lourmarin  +33 (0)4 90 68 06 69 Price: €150 -€450 per night (breakfast buffet €18.00 per person) Closed: mid January - February. A boutique hotel set within an old olive mill  located in the center of the village.

HOTEL BASTIDE DE LOURMARIN Route de Cucuron, 84160 Lourmarin  +33 (0)4 90 07 00 70  Price from €140 great central location with pool, spa and restaurant.

MAISON COLLONGUE 44 Chemin de Collongue 84160 Lourmarin  + 33 (0)4 90 77 44 69 Price: From €150 per room Closed beginning of the year 5 luxurious modern bedrooms, within a Provencal Mas.Breakfast included, brunch on request €27. On Tuesdays, a fabulous dinner is served in the garden, €75 per person Lovely pool and gardens to relax in, on site massages can be arranged.

COTE LOURMARIN Impasse du Pont du Temple, 84420 Lourmarin  +33 (0)6 09 16 9180 Price: €170- 250. A beautiful, historic mansion offering accommodation in 2 elegant rooms. Decorated with exquisite taste by your charming hostess, for whom nothing is too much trouble. Breakfast included, brunch available on request €18.

MAS DE LA LOMBARDE  Puyvert  BP 32 84160 Lourmarin + 33 (0)4 90 09 97 40 Price: from €160 Closed November – March, check website.An exceptional place offering varied options; stay within the honied walls of an old Mas or at the neighbouring old domaine, both minutes from Lourmarin. Rent the newly renovated chic, apartment in the village. Enjoy the pool and the gardens from the shade of the old truffle oaks,  it will be hard to tear yourself away!

HOTEL AUBERGE DE LA FENIÈRE Route de Lourmarin [ D943 ] 84160 Cadenet  +33 (0)4 90 68 11 79 Price: €150 enquire from website (breakfast buffet €18.00 per person) Closed: mid January - February. Hotel Auberge de La Fenière is a 4 star boutique hotel just 2 miles from Lourmarin. One gourmet restaurant (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)and a more casual Bistro offering  a gluten free menu. (closed Wednesday and Thursday)

LAURIS

DOMAINE DE FONTENILLE Route de Roquefraiche, 84360 Lauris +33 4 13 98 00 00 Price: from €170

A luxury spa retreat just 10 minutes from Lourmarin set within beautiful grounds adjacent to its wine domaine, with two good restaurants: Le Champ des Lunes, & La Cuisine d'Amélie, gorgeous!

BONNIEUX

There are several excellent choices in this pretty perched village, which seemingly hangs on the hillside, just 20 minutes from Lourmarin

DOMAINE DE CAPELONGUE Chemin des Cabanes, Les Claparèdes, 84480 Bonnieux  + 33 (0)4 90 75 89 78 Price: from €180 enquire from website

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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.

L'Auberge La Fenière is a delightful hotel with an award winning, Michelin star restaurant and bistro run by renowned chef Reine Sammut and her daughter Nadia. On the outskirts of Lourmarin it's one of our favourites. We've enjoyed  their delicious food and the delightful ambience several times so I was intrigued to read fellow blogger, Keith Van Sickle's recent article posted in France Today and discover that it is now totally gluten free. L'Auberge La Fenière is the world's only gluten free, Michelin star restaurant! t's an amazing achievement and fascinating story which with the addition of a few of my own photos Keith has kindly allowed me to share.

An Oasis of Serenity in Provence ~ L'Auberge la Fenière by Keith Van Sickle

The Auberge la Fenière lies at the foot of a forest-covered hillside, just beyond the charming village of Lourmarin. It’s a hotel and restaurant that have been welcoming guests for decades, with beautiful old buildings made of golden stone. Next to them is a broad, inviting lawn bordered by olive and cherry trees and a large herb garden. You can feel yourself relax the moment you walk in.

The main attraction of L'Auberge la Fenière is undoubtedly its restaurant, the proud holder of a Michelin star since 1995. It draws food lovers from all over the world for its refined and creative cuisine. And, remarkably, there’s not a speck of gluten to be found anywhere, even in its many homemade breads.

Why no gluten? Let’s find out—it’s a fascinating story.

Since its beginning, the restaurant had been run by Reine Sammut, one of France’s top chefs and one of the rare women to be honored with a Michelin star. She created what she calls a “Mediterranean cuisine,” influenced by the many countries that border that wide sea. In the last few years, Reine has handed the reins to her daughter Nadia, another talented chef who has cooked in restaurants all over the world. Reine remains active in the restaurant but Nadia has made a number of changes, some subtle and some unmistakable.

About ten years ago, Nadia became very ill and doctors determined that she has celiac disease, a severe gluten intolerance, as well as an intolerance to lactose. This is a big problem for a chef! But the resourceful Nadia, who is also a trained chemist, decided to team up with her mother and convert the restaurant’s menu to make it entirely gluten-free. The menu is also nearly lactose free, though you can still order a cheese course and get milk for your coffee and things like that.

This menu conversion was quite a risk, to fundamentally change an approach that had been successful for decades. And it wasn’t without tension, because how do you tell your mother she needs to change? But Reine and Nadia persisted and three years ago the menu became entirely gluten-free.

Then came the big questions: what would the inspectors from Michelin think? And would customers still come?

The news was good on both fronts. The people at Michelin loved the new menu and the restaurant kept its coveted star, making it today the only completely gluten-free restaurant in the world so honored. And customers continue to flock to Fenière for its delicious food, with most of them not even realizing that it’s gluten-free!

This new approach to cooking means not only changes to recipes, but changes to the way ingredients are sourced and prepared. “The challenge is that gluten is found in so many places where you wouldn’t expect it,” explains Nadia, “like bouillons for sauces or chocolate for desserts. Even things that you would expect are ok, like chickpea flour, is often milled on equipment that also mills wheat, so it becomes contaminated.”

“The answer is what I call pure food. We source directly from local farmers as much as possible and work closely with them to make sure that they meet our standards. We even mill our flours ourselves—chestnut, oat, buckwheat, and others. Then we start from these pure ingredients for all of our dishes. And we cook at a low heat to retain all of the freshness and goodness of these wonderful ingredients. The result is pure flavors.”

And what flavors! A recent menu included a “bourbouillade,” a kind of stew made of whole baby artichokes in a broth with onions and herbs—the artichokes were so tender you could cut them with a fork. Another dish featured bacon from a special breed of pig that roams wild in the nearby countryside. The meal was topped off with a Paris-Lourmarin, Fenière’s version of the famous dessert Paris-Brest—a rich layer of thick whipped cream between two flaky crusts. At Fenière, the whipped cream is made of almond milk (homemade, of course) and the dish is so good that once you’ve had it, you may never go back to Paris-Brest again.

Bread is a specialty at Fenière and is one of the highlights of any meal. And interestingly, the chefs there use an ancient technique to keep their breads moist—cooking them in clay pots! Gluten-free bread tends to be dry, because gluten is what helps retains moisture. But it turns out that back in olden days, our ancestors had the same problem because wheat back then had less gluten in it. So they came up with the trick of using clay pots and Fenière does the same thing. What’s old is new again!

Besides the gourmet restaurant, Fenière also has a fun bistro that serves lunch and dinner, plus a Sunday brunch. It’s in a rustic, relaxed setting, just perfect for the casual fare it serves. And for guests lucky enough to stay in one of the auberge’s rooms, the morning breakfast buffet will definitely start the day off right, with a wide variety of fresh juices, breads, jams, fruits and nuts, plus eggs, prosciutto, yogurt, and chia pudding.

Nadia wants to change the world and her vision extends far beyond L'Auberge la Fenière. She has started a movement she calls Cuisine Libre (Free Cuisine), training other chefs in her approach to cooking. The famous Parisian baker Eric Kayser, for example, developed some of his bread recipes in collaboration with Nadia. She also gives cooking classes and has started her own bakery, and a book on Cuisine Libre will be published next spring. She is certainly keeping busy!

Many people today hear “gluten-free” and think “ick,” but that needn’t be true. One visit to the L'Auberge la Fenière will change their minds in a hurry. Article by Keith Van Sickle

Thanks Keith! I will definitely be making a return visit to L'Auberge la Fenière when I'm back in Lourmarin in a few weeks time!

L'Auberge la Fenière 1680 Route de Lourmarin, Cadenet, France  +33 (0)4 90 68 11 79

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Looking for somewhere to eat in the Luberon, not too far from Lourmarin?  As you search you will meander through endless vineyards, orchards, olive groves and at certain times of year, a vibrant carpet of lavender and sunflowers, until you arrive at that special place to eat in the Luberon.....
Here are some suggestions all within a 30 minutes drive from Lourmarin

VAUGINE ~ LE PETIT RESTO

BONNIEUX~DOMAINE DE CAPELONGUE 

LA BERGERIE 

BONNIEUX~LE FOURNIL

BONNIEUX ~ L’ AROME BONNIEUX 

GOULT: ~ LA TERRASSE

 MERINDOL ~LE BASTIDE DU GRAND TILLEUL 

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Where are the the best restaurants in Lourmarin? Where can you enjoy a paper thin pizza fresh straight from the wood smoke of a 'feu de bois' oven?  Perhaps you'd like to sample fresh, beautifully presented local ingredients within the captivating ambience of a former olive mill? Or be pampered by award winning chefs at a Michelin star restaurant? For a tiny village in the Luberon, there are several restaurants in Lourmarin to choose from you can dine casually in the square at any of the cafés in the centre such as Café Gaby, (our favourite for coffee) L'Insolite ~ here are some we like:

RESTAURANTS IN LOURMARIN

LA LOUCHE A BEURRE

PIZZERIA NONI

LA RECREATION

15 Avenue Philippe de Girard, Lourmarin, France +33 4 90 68 23 73
Price: From €17.00
Charming bistro food always fresh and tasty

L'INSOLITE

Place de la Fontaine, 84160 Lourmarin Tel:+33 4 90 68 02 03 Price: from €17.00 Delicious local food open all year 7 days a week, we love dining on the pretty rear terrace or on the street at the front outside

RESTAURANTS WITHIN A TEN MINUTE DRIVE FROM LOURMARIN

AUBERGE DE LA FENIERE

VAUGINES ~LE RESTO VAUGINES

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I told you last time about Lourmarin, but why should you go there too?
Quite simply, because it’s beautiful.
Twisting cobbled streets, limestone buildings the colour of honey,
faded shutters and clay tiled roof tops.
Chic boutiques, galleries, vibrant cafés and restaurants.
A fabulous Friday market,
linens, baskets, treasures from Provence.
A mystical 15th century château, lavish music concerts and soirées.
Local wineries, fairy tale perched villages of the surrounding Luberon.
The enchanting cities of Avignon and Aix-en-Provence less than an hour away.
The dazzling Mediterranean coast hardly any further.
But there's another reason to visit Lourmarin....

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A village or small town such as Lourmarin, is made up of a community of people living and working together just like any other town or city. So many of our visitors fell in love with Lourmarin but also repeatedly asked us "..but what do people who live here do?" Well for such a small place, with just under a thousand permanent residents, quite alot

There are medical, legal, engineering, construction and other business professionals, people involved in the wine business, artists and many shops, restaurants and places to stay. Lourmarin is a much loved tourist destination with a wealth of visitors through out the year from both France and all over the globe. I was told it was particularly loved by the British, Australians and South Africans many of whom own second homes here. I was also informed by a local that the first vines to be taken to South Africa were from the Luberon Valley and that one of the biggest wineries in South Africa is called 'Lourmarin'! Fascinating, I shall have to check this out! This tiny community in southern France was one I grew to love and know, where we bought food and wine, gifts and memories to take home. Where we enjoyed delicious Provencal food and where we came to meet some warm and generous people who I will never forget.

La Boulangerie

There is only one bakery in Lourmarin and most mornings usually began with a visit to master baker, Stéphane's Boulangerie, we were always greeted with a friendly smile, never mind an enticing array of delicious temptations.
I normally restricted myself to une bannette (a floury, slightly denser version of a baguette!) although croissants and pain au chocolat were often added to my basket when we had guests! The photo outside paid tribute to just how long this particular business had been around. What must it have been like to have visited Lourmarin then?

Mizso

There are always gifts to purchase wherever one lives, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and Valérie's jewelry shop made my life so much easier. Originally from Paris, Valerie moved to Aix en Provence and then Lourmarin where she opened Mizso
Valérie makes all her own jewelry, beautiful simple twists of leather and beads which she will happily customise for you with her wide variety of different leather ‘threads’. Talented and always helpful, anxious to assist in her excellent English, aswell as more than happy to dance with me on the streets of Lourmarin, when the music is good!!!

La Colline

Around the corner is Colline another spot where I often found unusual and tempting treasures!

Isirdi

Gerard Isirdi's gallery where we our painting was mastered in the square outside Café Gaby

La Cave à Lourmarin

The wine shop, which kept us well supplied with local vin rouge and of course a Provencal speciality, vin rosé.

Les Caves du Château

another excellent source for  purchasing the local harvest, set right into the Cave of the Château and also Lourmarin's local domain itself

Château Fontvert

Le Vival ~ Lourmarin's mini grocery store, totally deserves a mention. It is another place to buy wine, well most things actually. Sadly I never did find out the owners names but you could not have found a more friendly couple. Always cheerful and ready to help even though I was normally rushing in to purchase something, and not much of something, I had forgotten to buy at the hypermarket!

Lourmarin's Restaurants

La Louche à Beurre

(The Butter ladle) was a favourite and consistently excellent when one yearned for Steak frites.
Sitting in soft candlelight next to the crackling, raised open fire perfuming the air with a wonderful smoky wood, especially on a cold winter’s night, eating melt in your mouth slices of steak covered in a sauce of your choice, crisp green salad drizzled in olive oil and a bite of garlic and frites to die for, yum! The owner, Babette and her team, made you feel part of the family, tolerating my French and taking care of us too well!

Moulin de Lourmarin

What could be more delightful and more Provencal than sitting in an old olive mill to eat dinner? Delicious food, beautifully presented and utterly charming service where we always were made to feel as if we were the most special guests of the day.

Pizza Nonni

for crisp, crusty pizza straight from the feu de bois, wood oven, consistently excellent, always packed, always scrumptious and we were always taken care of by the friendly waiters!

Bistro La Cour de Ferme

Tucked in beside Auberge la Feniere, is the Bistro La Cour de Ferme,  just outside Lourmain on the road to Cucuron. The Bistro at La Cour de Ferme serves dinner in a converted barn next to its enormous kitchen range, oozing atmosphere and ambience!

Finally how can I forget the coffee shops where we sat so often? At either Café Gaby (sadly I only have this rather 'grey' photo snapped just as I was leaving, doing little justice to its warmth and vibrancy) or next door at Café de L’Ormeau where there was always a

smile and a cheery greeting, where no-one seemed to mind how long you sat and watched the world go by and the day unfold as you guilty nibbled you way through an almond croissant from La Boulangerie, how I will miss them all!

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