by Anne Woodyard | Dec 2, 2017 | Aigue Brun, Aix en Provence, Aix en Provence market, Aix en Provence restaurants, Ambiance d'Aix, Bonnieux, Cassis, Cours Mirabeau, fountains, France, France travel, French Word a Day, La Ciotat, Le Riad, Lourmarin, Luberon, Pavilion Vendome, Place de Trois Ormeaux, provence, Roussillon, Santons, south of France, truffles
Thanksgiving Week, 2017
Aix en Provence, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
We’re looking ahead to Spring – Aix en Provence for the Easter Festival.
What’s first on the Aix to-do list when we arrive? Flowers, of course! And what a glorious morning we have for our first market foray! 
The usual produce, flowers, clothes and textiles fill stalls, and the annual Santon Fair is set up beyond the grand Rotonde fountain at the end of Cours Mirabeau – every imaginable figure for your creche scene.
Most of the week we’re walking around familiar lanes, but for a couple of days we rent a car to see friends further afield. After a near-freezing morning, we’re off to La Ciotat, where we’re surprised to see hardy souls braving the water – from stand-up paddlers beyond the waves, to swimmers and sunbathers. 
Our friends Jean-Marc and Kristin (author of one of our favorite blogs, French Word a Day) have recently moved here from a few miles away, and after that chilly start to the day, it’s turned out to be perfect for a garden lunch. Kirk channels Van Gogh in one of Kristin’s hats, 
and we while away the hours together in the sunshine.
After stopping for some big box store supplies outside of Aix while we have the car, we take a side road home and pull off to take in a glorious sunset.
One more day with a car, and we’ve invited new friends Jim and Brenda to see more of the area – the lush and varied Luberon north of Aix calls us today, beginning with ochre-toned Roussillon, 
always a favorite.
Rewinding south towards Bonnieux, we pause at Pont Julien, 
a hearty Roman relic that survived when new bridges perished in floods over the centuries.
Just down the road is bonnie Bonnieux, where we pause for a look across the rooftops and the lower church – 
to the valley beyond. A few elegant doorways from centuries ago attest to the former wealth of the village,
popular again since Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. Pulling away towards Lourmarin, we’re grabbed with the sight of the village tumbling down its hill, framed in glorious autumn colors – wow!
Between Bonnieux and Lourmarin we stop for a half kilometer hike down a path beside an old mill trace to a stone bridge built by the pre-Luther Protestants called Vaudois. They left Italy where they were known as Waldensians and where they developed considerable skill as stone masons. 
This low, short bridge over the insignificant Aigue Brun stream has as an anchor on the right, a stone concave fan. Those Vaudois cut and laid those stones with such skill that the bridge still stands after about 500 years.
Last stop, chic Lourmarin, with its eye-catching chateau. 
The guys pause for a coffee 
while Brenda and I peek in the shops.
Mt. St. Victoire greets us in the sunset as we approach Aix, 
where a surprise awaits us. Our friend Xavier told us to call him when we got back since he had something to bring us. He’s a collector of contemporary art, but has saved for us a piece from his parent’s estate that he gave to them years ago – of a place he knows we enjoy. Venice! 
We’ve been looking for something for this corner – how nice to have a piece with a personal connection!
Friends and family make life so delightful….the family arrives tomorrow!
by Anne Woodyard | Jun 13, 2017 | Aix en Provence, Bonnieux, France, Le Riad, Lourmarin, Luberon, Plus Beaux Villages de France, provence, Roussillon, south of France, Theatre de Jeu de Paume
Easter Week 2017
The South of France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
Why not join us on our newest tour in September – Bordeaux and Dordogne
We’re sharing some favorite villages of the lush Luberon region north of Aix with our Aix Easter Festival tour guest today. And as she collects artisanal pottery, we’re seeking out more than just fabulous vistas. At the top of the russet-hued village of Roussillon 
is a tiny boutique specializing in local ceramics – and now Janice has a few choice pieces that will wing their way to her US home!
From atop the Castrum we take in the views – the shocks of red clay amidst the dark green of the pines, a lone poppy in the grass,
a chateau nestled far below. It’s a perfect day to take in all the colors of Roussillon. 
In the parking lot below, market stalls cluster 
among the surrounding colors. 
Beside the cliffs, scraped in decades past for their ochre pigments, 
we pause for lunch, then we’re off to our next village, Lourmarin. On the way we pass Bonnieux, tumbling picturesquely down a hillside – 
it always demands a photo stop!
After zigagging through the Luberon range, we coast down to Lourmarin, with its elegant chateau,
and wander through the peaceful lanes for a bit 
before returning to Aix.
This evening’s concert is in the historic Jeu de Paume, 
a restored handball court originally constructed for the entertainment of the nobility in the 1700s. Beneath this elegant ceiling 
we listen to tenor Mauro Peter sing Schumann, Strauss and Liszt, ably accompanied by Helmut Deutsch on the piano, before completing our day with a Moroccan feast at Le Riad – the best tagines in town! 
Our waiter effortlessly pours tea from yards above the cups – 
that takes some practice, I believe!
by Anne | Aug 26, 2015 | Lourmarin, Luberon, Roussillon, Uncategorized
August 2015
South of France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you!
How about celebrating Mozart in the matchless city of Bath, England in November?
Yesterday we went south to the Mediterranean, today we head north to the lush Luberon area of Provence. A couple of years ago when Cassidy and Connor were with us in Virginia we watched A Good Year, so we thought it’d be fun to show her the unique village of Cucuron, with the big basin that featured in a memorable scene of the movie. As we approach we notice a lot of people with full baskets and bags walking towards us – it must be market day! Yes – an array of stalls surround the iconic basin 
and there’s quite a buzz as locals and tourists browse the stalls,
pause for a cup of coffee, and catch up on the latest gossip.
There must be quite an abundance of water here – we notice no fewer than three open-air laundry shelters as we walk through the town. 
Passing an elegant clock/bell tower, 
we hike up to the church, telling Cassidy the tale of how we happened upon the annual May Tree celebration years ago, as the men of the town maneuvered a huge tree trunk up to the church, then set it up for the prettily garbed girls to dance around. We take in the vista from the top of town,
then make our way back down to the market square and enjoy lunch by the basin. 
Next stop, lovely Lourmarin,
where we stop by L’Apothecaire de Lourmarin – Pablo, the owner, found Kirk on Facebook through a post of a mutual friend. 
It’s always fun to meet social media acquaintances in person, and we certainly like his new addition to the boutiques of Lourmarin – a treasure chest of enticing things! Cassidy comes away with a couple of bracelets, and Pablo gives both of us his “it bags” – shopping bags with his logo.
We peek at charming lanes, point out the chateau and the unusual fountain, 
Cassidy tags it the barfing fountain 😉 and stop by Villa Saint Louis, a delightful shabby-chic B & B, where the garden is as inviting as we remember…
On our first Music and Markets Tour, in 2003, we picnicked with our group by this very basin.
Then we breeze through Bonnieux, stopping just to take in the view across the valley to Lacoste, 
pause at Pont Julien, a Roman bridge,
and pull off the road to walk among the vines, admiring the grapes nearly ready for harvest. 
If you’ve been reading our blog or following us on Facebook, you know we never miss a chance to stop in colorful Roussillon! Kirk drops us off 
and continues searching for a parking place while we walk through the village. Parking has been more of a challenge than we recall. Yes, the south of France is an ever-popular destination, and the highways and trains are jam-packed with French families heading south each August, but it’s never been this crowded since we’ve been coming. Kirk drove nearly to the next village and couldn’t find a spot!
Cassidy blends right in
to the ochre colored beauty!
A day full of beauty – in all shades!
by Anne | May 3, 2014 | Bonnieux, L'Arome, Lourmarin, Roussillon
Monday, April 21, 2014
Aix en Provence, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you! Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or in Amsterdam/Belgium
We’re off to the rolling hills and perched villages of the Luberon today, and make a quick photo stop in Lourmarin, where the tour buses are already rolling into town,
and another pause before passing Bonnieux.
We’re on our way to rosy Roussillon, a stunner for those who are seeing it for the first time, and a well-loved favorite for us who return time and again. All three of these lovelies are officially designated ” Most Beautiful Villages of France” – no wonder!
Taking our time,
we pause for photo after photo,
relishing the ochre hues.
Jill chose a perfect outfit for this town, didn’t she?!
We’ve left plenty of time for a leisurely lunch at L’ Arome in Bonnieux, recommended by our friends the Woods, whom we joined last spring on one of their Luberon Experience days.
Each dish is as beautiful as it is delicious, from this salmon tartare,
to my fork-tender lamb, the best I’ve ever had!
Ruth comments, not for the first time (she and Sam are on their third Music and Markets tour, and Jills on her sixth!), that we really should call our tours Music and Marvelous Meals rather than Music and Markets – what do you think?
Back to Aix, where we gather at Bar Teddy atop the Grand Theatre for a light apero (yes, it has been a few hours since lunch!)
and share the program notes that Stephen Ackert, Music Director of the National Gallery of Art, generously prepared for us.
Tonight’s eagerly anticipated concert, Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott, is even better than imagined. Delphine, our contact at the Easter Festival, with whom we met with in November as we planned the tour, chose wonderful seats for us – we’re in the center, fifth row, and feel like the duo are playing right to us! The program is delightful, taking us around the world via Stravinsky, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, de Falla and Brahms, and they respond to the thunderous ovations with several fabulous encores – an unforgettable night of music!
by Anne | May 20, 2013 | Gordes, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Luberon Experience, Roussillon
Monday, May 13, 2013
Delights in the South of France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you! Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or in Amsterdam/Belgium.
Our fellow Slow Travel Tours members, Charley and Kathy Wood, have invited us to join them for a day of their Luberon Experience tour, and it’s just a gorgeous day to explore this enticing area with them.
We’re staying in Lourmarin for a couple of nights, and buzz by the elegant chateau on our way to meet the Woods in Bonnieux.
After zig-zagging our way up and over the Combe de Lourmarin, we come out above the valley and snake down through upper-town Bonnieux to meet Charley at the Clos de Buis below, which they’ve filled with Luberon Experience guests for the week.
Several of the group are hiking with Kathy across the valley to Lacoste, crowning the opposite hill, and we’ll meet them there later.
Our first stop is the peaceful Abbaye St. Hilaire, where Charley points out the WC – carved into the adjacent cliff!
The Abbey, with origins in the 1300s, was abandoned for decades, and is now being slowly and carefully restored by a family who is also living there.
We enjoy the views of farms below and cliffside gardens,
then pile back into the cars to meet the rest of the group in Lacoste, where we begin our tour above the town at the chateau, now used as an exhibition venue, that was the former abode of the Sade family…
yes, THAT Marquis was chased out of THIS town and imprisoned in the Bastille. Across the valley you can see Bonnieux to the right.
Beyond the sculpture, gleaming white-topped in the distance, is Mont Ventoux, a yearly fixture on the Tour de France.
Kathy shares the history of this now quiet and peaceful place, and we walk down through the town, which is mostly inhabited by students and faculty of the Savannah College of Art and Design… not even a bakery is here any more.
Next stop, our perennial favorite (we were here last month, remember?) Roussillon.
The Wood’s favorite Provencal artist, Francoise, whose shop is just on the left as you enter the village, shows us her work, and at least one Luberon Experience guest takes home a beautiful painting!
I love her patio – what a perfect place to sit and be inspired!
We’re all roussillon colored as we sit down for lunch in Cafe des Couleurs,
then take time to stroll the lanes, a photo op at every turn, from the tower
to a poppy strewn cliffside.
A couple more stops with the group – the graceful arch of Roman Pont Julien,
and a hand- picked- by – Kathy poppy field, just right for a scarlet- surrounded photo. Once again, Mont Ventoux gleams in the distance.
Thanks so much, Kathy and Charley, for generously sharing a Luberon Experience day with us!
We take off on our own for a few more Luberon sights, such as Gordes, another of France’s official “most beautiful villages” ,
and leave time for a wander around Lourmarin,
where our chat with a sidewalk guitarist leads us to his shop – he’s also an artist! And while we browse and buy he entertains us with a Johnny Cash tune or two.
Each day’s proving even better than we could have imagined – one unexpected surprise after another, with gorgeous weather as a perfect backdrop.
by Anne | Aug 6, 2012 | Aix en Provence, Bistro du Paradou, Carrieres de Lumieres, Le Baux, Lourmarin, Markets of Provence, provence
The South of France – Aix and around
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We’d love to hear from you! Join us on our featured (and expanded!) summer Amsterdam/Belgium tour!
Thursday’s a major market day in Aix. There’s a fruit and vegetable market every day on the square closest to us, but on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday ALL of the vendors show up, from produce, to tablecloths and placemats, to pasta, to vintage, spreading through several squares, and during the summer the Cours Mirabeau fills with a clothing and textile market. This year it’s hugging the street rather than further over on the walkways – so we look at the vista of colorful stalls and ancient fountains as we browse.
The latest art installation in Aix (from June til 17 September) is Nicolas Lavarenne’s Les Yeux au Ciel (Eyes to the Sky),The first one we noticed was hanging from the side of the gorgeous old clock tower, which we nearly always take photos of every time we’re in Aix – the blue sky beyond the beautiful old structure stops us in our tracks often – hope we never get used to it! Lavarenne’s sculptures exhibit the dream of dance or athletics in midair.
We’ve kept the car for another couple of days so we can meet our friends from Virginia once again – this time in Kirk’s favorite restaurant, Bistro du Paradou. It delights us all, as always – from the melt- in- your- mouth roasted eggplant starter, through the Bresse chicken, to the dripping – with- flavor cheese platter.
During our
Music and Markets Provence tour, our Wednesdays go like this: Saint Remy market, lunch at the Bistro du P, and an afternoon visit to the cool (feels SO good on a hot summer day) spectacle of art and music in the ancient quarries of Le Baux. The former Cathedral des Images closed for a couple of years, and has now re- opened as the
Carrieres de Lumieres (Quarries of Lights) with a theme of Gaugin and Van Gogh.
Accompanied by music, we’re enveloped in the works of Gaugin
and Van Gogh – a fabulous way to spend an hour or so, seeing these marvelous works in a way impossible anywhere else.
On the way back to Aix Kirk mentions that he’d like to go somewhere this evening since we have the car just until tomorrow – and I’ve been thinking the same thing! And, surprise, both of us are thinking Lourmarin, a favorite through the years, in the beautiful Luberon area of Provence. So that’s where we end up for our last “evening out”, sitting at our own Café de la Nuit on one of Lourmarin’s prettiest squares.
The people- watching’s great, as is our light dinner (don’t need much after a Bistro du Paradou 4 course meal!) and the accompanying Django Reinhardt- style jazzy duo.
A full moon over the town bids us goodbye – Bonne Nuit, Lourmarin. We’ll be back, I’m sure 😉
The best way to describe us (Kirk and Anne Woodyard) is that we're interested in the stories that make the places we visit come alive.
We've visited Europe more times than we can count, learned some entertaining stories there, and met some warm and helpful people who also enjoy the wonders of music and life in Europe. Between our music-related travels, we split our time between our homes near Washington DC and in the the south of France. We look forward to sharing these stories and friends and experiences with you.