04.16.09
Driving through Provence
In a previous blog, “A Day in Provence,” I referred to our wonderful excursion with Mika from Hotel d’Europe. http://blog.parisambiance.com/page/4/ I also mentioned that thanks to the high-speed TGV train, a few days in Provence is a nice addition to a trip to Paris. Today, I remembered another wonderful visit to Provence.
On this trip, we again booked rooms at Hotel d’Europe, a personal favorite in Avignon. But this time, we decided to be a bit adventuresome and rent a car for a few days. Fortunately, the only challenging adventures were getting in and out of the rental car lot! The rest of the trip was dreamy.
We took off on our outing with a rough map and enough information to keep us going, but not enough to ruin our sense of discovery. We wound past vineyards, villages, and ancient ruins, stopping everywhere our hearts desired. The natural beauty and the sense of history were captivating.
We began with a bite to eat on the patio of Café Déco, in L’Isle-Sur-La-Sourgue, known as the antique capital of Provence for its Sunday morning market. We then drove to Arles and saw the amphitheater built by the Romans ten years before the larger version in Rome. We were amazed at the Roman ruins throughout the area.
From there, with hopes of seeing the beginning of the lavender, we headed to the Abbey of Sénanque near Gordes. It was early July, and the lavender was just starting to bloom; but the fields of poppies were a beautiful transition. Provence always offers season after season of enjoyment.