Le Prieure’

At just the right time of year, the scent of wisteria greets you as you make your way through the garden of Le Prieure’ in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.   While the village of Avignon is fun for a while, staying in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is really the better home base for the region and you just can’t beat Le Prieure’. 

In 1322 Cardinal Arnaud de Via, nephew of Pope Jean XXII,  built himself a palatial residence in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon - right across the river from the Pope's palace in Avignon.  Just before his death, he gave his residence to Chanoine monks to create a priory and it served this purpose until just after the French Revolution.  In 1943, the building was bought and converted into a hotel. 

While the rooms are spacious…the bathrooms are enormous!  Unusually large for Europe.  The rooms are each uniquely decorated by the owner and showcases her unique style and collections.  I had a nice deluxe room with 2 French balconies that opened up on the garden.  This was our first night in France and it was the perfect welcome to Provence…the room, the garden, the sunshine, the wisteria…just could not have asked for a more perfect welcome to the countryside. 

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is just across the Rhone River from Avignon - the epicenter of Provence.  It is a quiet village that is very accessible and a much better choice than Avignon if you are driving yourself….but be sure you have a GPS!  Avignon is super congested and very difficult to manage with a car.

Alexandre, the GM of the hotel, knows everyone in town and has a good relationship with several restaurants.  We walked to a square, had an aperitif then onward to our dinner at le Bistrot du Moulin.  The setting was charming, the food perfect, the service attentive and the dessert….divine!  At the end of our trip as we reflected, I asked Keith what his favorite memory in France was….‘that dessert at le Bistrot du Moulin’.  Of all the things in France, one single dessert stood out.  I guess I need to find the recipe!

Each night with turndown, the hotel puts information on your pillow regarding things you could do the following day including which towns are having their markets.  Market day is a fun way to experience authentic Provence.  We went to Gorde for our first day...wow oh wow.  The drive was short…30 minutes or so…and gorgeous.  Gorde forms the top of a hill and the buildings cascade down the sides creating a breathtaking approach.  I bought olives, sausages, wine, bread and some fruit then we sat on the wall of the city and enjoyed a nice picnic. 

For day 2, a drive to Chatteauneuf de Pape for wine, wine and more wine.  Overwhelming if you don’t have a plan, so it is best to get Alexandre (again) to help you sort out a plan or private vineyard visits.  My favorite part of this day was meeting Christine Esteolle whose father gave her 5 hectares of vineyards to produce her own wine.  She is in her 3^rd year of production and seems to be doing really well.  There are over 300 wines in the area, so again…best to have a plan.

The drive through Provence in Spring....pictured left.

Pont du Gard is another great day trip from Le Prieure’...or an add on to another market day.  http://www.pontdugard.fr/en  Pond du Gard is a World Heritage site and you could spend a whole day or just a few hours exploring the area around the Roman aqueduct.  A private guide of course makes the visit more interesting.  You can also take a picnic, go swimming, hike, etc. 

When staying at Le Prieure’, it is best to allow 3-4 days to take in all that is close.  Longer would be good, but the 3-4 days should do you well. 

Monaco Transfers

Short post...good tip!

When going to Monaco, it is best to use the helicopter transfers from the Nice airport - rather than having a driver take you. It is faster, easier, great views and certainly more glamorous.

Eze

With summer rounding the corner, people are planning for Europe in droves. The Euro & Dollar are doing favorably – for the most part – at 1.29 and there are a lot of great deals to be had! Last year was all about Asia, but this year... the MED is back in vogue!

SO, put the village of Eze on your itinerary. Eze is a quaint medieval village perched on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean just between Nice & Monaco. It makes for a great 1-night stay pre- or post- cruise, but not much more than that really. There are 2 great hotels in Eze: Chateau Eza and Chateau De La Chevre D’Or . I do have a preference between the two, but will leave it for you to decide. They both offer first class hospitality in a spectacular setting.

If you can’t overnight, book a table at Les Ramparts at Chateau De La Chevre D’Or for lunch. The food is extraordinary, but it is the view and the gorgeous Mediterranean sun that make for an unforgettable afternoon.

Lunch with my oldest and dearest friend Stephanie at Les Ramparts.

Monumental Checkbox

Sacre Coeur in Paris is an iconic landmark in the city. ‘I climbed the steps to Sacre Coeur’ is a check on the life’s to do list (or at least the ‘visit to Paris to-do list’). Europe is packed with one massive church after another - all full of opulent history and high church yet seemingly devoid of Christ. As in Costa Rica, at the center of every French town was the church building…yet the French people seem predominately agnostic.

I asked a few random people about faith, the buildings, Christ, the universal church, etc…almost unanimously, the church is a relic of the past. How sad! True the buildings themselves represent so much that was wrong with the organization of the church over the centuries, and that actually hasn’t changed much over time, but how grievous that a people group once rooted in Christ now sees faith as historic and irrelevant to today.

What was once a place for the people of God to gather and worship Him is now a monumental checkbox.

And so...

Climb the steps to Sacre Coeur....Check.

The Dream Team

What is it about the French?! They just really understand hospitality…maybe it is genetic.

I recently enjoyed time at four hotels across France – and visited at least 20 more. They were all wonderful and each offers something unique for each person. From Le Meurice in Paris, to Chateau Eza in the village of Eze, France offers a plethora fairytale hotel experiences. The one that I would return to tomorrow if I could would be La Villa Gallici in Aix-en-Provence.

We arrived late – around 8:30 in the evening - the welcome was overwhelmingly warm and generous. Flowers, fresh fruit and water were in our room to refresh us from the day. Nicholas (pictured on the left), is the delightful person responsible for guest relations - though he is more like your personal attaché while at Villa Gallici. He is quintessentially French and unbelievably vivacious. Dominique (pictured on the right), the charming General Manager, works tirelessly to insure every guest has a picture perfect and truly Provincial experience. Anette, the beautiful front desk clerk went far above and beyond with discretion and joy. The waiter, the night clerk, the day clerk, all were flawless and clearly love being a part of such a delightful hotel.

The commitment at La Villa Gallici is to making you feel as if you are at home (a grand home…) in Provence. This ‘Dream Team’ is truly doing it very well!

Definately a MUST DO while in France!

http://www.villagallici.com/