Villa Luxury in the Luberon
Last year Philip and I visited Provence at the end of July and because of the extremely hot weather the lavender had all been cut. Consequently, I planned a tour to be sure we would see the fields of purple lavender. The last thing I expected was that Europe would have had a very wet Spring that continued up until the week before we arrived. Unsurprisingly, the lavender has slight colouring and is still in bud, but certainly is not a purple haze. Although the lavender was a huge inspiration for this trip we had plenty to concentrate on for 7 days in Provence. The drive was only 3 hours from the Cote D’ Azure and we had time to visit the original home of Renior before we left Cagnes Sur Mer. The elegant house still sits surrounded by huge olive trees and provides a moving interpretation of his life here in his family home.
For the next week we are in a villa called Mas de la Salamandre in the Luberon. It is close to the villages of Bonnieiux, La Coste and Menerbe..Before our arrival, I had organised a visit to a Lavender distillery. It was a family-run lavender farm and we even had a chance to distil our own oil. Lavender production plays a significant role in the economy of Provence. It loves the dry climate, is very happy in the rocky soils and the scenic beauty enriches this already exceptionally picturesque landscape.
We were all excited to see the villa and it exceeded all expectations. Surrounded by a large garden and olive groves, down a long driveway lined with Cyprus trees, the spacious gorgeous rooms led off to a considerably large swimming pool and two outside dining areas. It also had a sauna and petanque court plus a very happy chef Alessandro who was thrilled to cook in the beautiful well-equipped kitchen. There were squeals of delight with the beautifully decorated large bedrooms and stunning bathrooms. We sat down at the dining table on the first night for Alessandro’s first stunning dinner of the week and I had a group of very happy travellers
An introduction to our surroundings could not have been better and the Brocante market of L’lise sur la Sorgue which was fun and very busy. Lunch in Gordes and a wine tasting at Domaine de La Citadelle which also has a corkscrew museum - I was definitely very indifferent about this, but, actually it was great and we had lots of laughs at some of the more erotic corkscrews. The wine in Provence is all blended and the most famous is Rose. Although white and red are produced, vineyards sit beautifully in this landscape between lavender fields and olive groves.
For the next two days we had a walking guide called Elisabeth. Firstly, in the walled city of Avignon. Elisabeth lives in Avignon and provided a locals view of her city and of course, the imposing Popes Palace which dominates Avignon. Thankfully, today it is used for concerts and events and as a huge tourist attraction.
Secondly, Arles, where Elisabeth provided a wonderful walk explaining how this city, sitting on the Rhone river flourished under the Roman Empire. She also brought Vincent van Gogh to life in the city he loved and worked in - showing where many of his famous works were actually painted Today the Forum and Amphitheatre are used by artists and locals. On our morning visit a group of children were learning about gladiators with fake swords and shields and others were having running races. Fantastic in an amphitheatre built in 45 BC.
Returning to our villa in the afternoon we had the opportunity to see this year’s Luminaires light show in the old quarries of Le Beax. This production was based on the history of the Egyptian world and the Oriental artist - Delacroix…It was an impressive presentation and everyone loved the experience. We had literally, a 15-minute walk into Le Baux Village – which is probably 5 minutes too much. The tourism of this quaint place has destroyed its soul and character.
How lucky are we to return each afternoon – enjoy a sauna, swim, rest with a beer or sit in the garden with a cup of tea. Alessandro works during the day to provide fabulous meals using local produce and French recipes.
We are all settling into our week, helping each other in the kitchen and always with ongoing banter and lots of laughs.
The weather is warming up around 28 deg, the nights are not so chilly – so maybe the lavender will flower soon.
Judith
