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Travelling Around France - Avignon, Salon and Arles
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Travelling to and around France -
Last week we turned off of the A9 at Nimes and onto the A54, which will take us into region of ‘Provence’ in the South of France. Provence, endless sunshine and skies clearer than almost anywhere in the world and where most of the well know artists through out the last few centuries have produced some of their best works. Provence, picturesque tiny villages perched up on white cliffs. Provence, fields of lavender, sunflowers, poppies, grapevines and olive groves.
You will need far more than a day or two to see the ‘real Provence’. The whole of Provence is steeped in history and spreads from Montpellier, along the Mediterranean coast almost to Toulon and up as far as the ‘Alpes du Sud’. This quick excursion round the Provencal area doesn’t follow any particular route, because once in Provence the rule book goes out of the window and you just follow where your heart takes you.
Our first place to visit is Avignon, in the north of the region, that houses the ‘Palace of the Popes’, which covers a surface area of over 15,000 square meters, and was built between 1330 and 1352. The palace, a striking fortress that dominates the centre of the city, has been restored and is impeccably maintained. Then there is ‘Pont St. Bénézet’, which is most famously known from the song ‘sur le Pont d’Avignon’.
Avignon, is a wonderful city to slowly amble round, where you will find many beautiful places of interest, and also is home to one of the regiments of the ‘French Foreign Legion’, where on a Sunday afternoon you will find lots of extremely smart, polite young cadets immaculately dressed in their cream uniforms, just idly roaming the town.
Villeneuve-les-Avignon, a medieval town and originally a Benedictine monastery, stands on the right bank of the Rhone, and compliments the city of Avignon.
Next, is Salon de Provence, in the centre of the region (or department as it is known in France) was home to the physician Michel de Notredame, better known to us all as Nostradamus, who lived here for the last 20 years of his life, until his death in 1566. Nostradamus, already famous for his remedies against the plague and other illness’s had moved here, from his birthplace of Staint-Rémy, just a few kilometres away. During his time in Salon, he started to write his prophetic descriptions of the future (known as quatrains) and every event is indicated exactly in space, but never in time. The town of Salon, very picturesque in it’s own right, is even more so with the Chateau Musée de L’empéri as it’s background. This is known as one of the most imposing monuments in the whole of Provence, which houses the Brunon Collections, the richest in France, with over 10,000 authentic items of military history and is one of the top ten most important museums of this kind in the world.
The l’armee du l’air’s, best air force school is based here in Salon, which has trained France’s air force officers for the last 50 years or so. It also is home to the one of the oldest fulltime Military Aerobatic Teams, the ‘Patrouille de France’. The clarity of the skies here is supposed to be second to none and is why the R.A.F.’s Military Aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, can also be found doing their training above Salon.
Salon, in the opinion of many people, including me, is one of the nicest Provencal towns. It has combinations of fountains and cool squares under avenues of plane trees giving shade along the boulevards and making the shopping area a delightful place to stroll.
Our next visit is to the town of Arles, a place where the river Rhone chooses to divide into two arms before it reaches the sea. Here you will find the fortified abbey of Montmajour, and the Fontvielle windmill, where author Daudet is said to have written his well-known ‘Letters’.
Arles, amongst the ‘Alpilles’ (the small Alps) is very near to Saint-Rémy where the famous Roman sites can be found that form the setting of the village Les Baux, perched high on the top of a rocky spur.
Just over the border into department Vaucluse you will find the Fontaine de Vaucluse, a medieval village tucked in the corner of the Plateau de Vaucluse, 25km east of Avignon with the amazing sight of a river gushing up out of the ground. At the source, it produces water at a fierce 200 cubic meters per second, making it one of the most powerful resurgent springs in the world. The water provided from five different rivers deep down within the chasm flows fast and furious during the winter months, through the centre of the small village of Vaucluse, whereas during the hot summer months of Provence the mouth of the chasm is completely dry enabling the visitors to walk inside the cave.
Set on the river Sorgue, the Fontaine remains the deepest water-filled chasm known to man and it took from 1967 until 1985 for any one to reach the bottom at -308 meters. For almost twenty years many teams of world wide experienced divers had attempted this feat, including France’s own famous Jacques Cousteau.
There is a 15th century working paper mill, now a site mainly for tourists to visit, where you can help to make your own paper to take away with you and likewise a glass blowing factory where you are invited free to watch the men at work.
Whilst in the department of Vaucluse, I feel that I must mention the National Park of the Luberon, where Peter Maile wrote his books, ‘A Year in Provence’ and ‘Toujours Provence’ (always Provence). Here, it is not unusual to see squirrels, wild boar and deer roaming in the gardens of the Luberon villages. Perched on mountain tops, most of the villages date back to the 12th century and it is very pleasurable to wander through the cobbled streets, admiring the houses that have been so well preserved and restored. The Luberon is a very popular area for visitors, especially hikers and people who like to set off walking for a few hours at a time. The National Park is well signposted and houses an array of Chambres d’Hotes, so if you wish to walk just a few kilometres or for the whole day, you will always find a resting place within your reach. The Chambres d’Hotes, are very reasonably priced and offer excellent over night accommodation usually with en suite facilities. Most often included in the price is the breakfast, which is normally taken outside on a long trestle table, with the family. Evening meals are usually on offer at an extra cost but there again with the family. Be prepared for this meal to take all evening, because particularly in this part of France, the French do like to take their time to eat and enjoy their meals.
I have covered but a small part of Provence, but hopefully it will give you an insight into what is on offer if you decide to go that way for a holiday one year. We haven’t even covered the excellent wines of Provence. Perhaps that could be another story!
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper (Written by Jill Attfield)
Boulogne House for Sale - Brittany Home for Sale More articles in this series: 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 19 - 20
Last week we turned off of the A9 at Nimes and onto the A54, which will take us into region of ‘Provence’ in the South of France. Provence, endless sunshine and skies clearer than almost anywhere in the world and where most of the well know artists through out the last few centuries have produced some of their best works. Provence, picturesque tiny villages perched up on white cliffs. Provence, fields of lavender, sunflowers, poppies, grapevines and olive groves.
You will need far more than a day or two to see the ‘real Provence’. The whole of Provence is steeped in history and spreads from Montpellier, along the Mediterranean coast almost to Toulon and up as far as the ‘Alpes du Sud’. This quick excursion round the Provencal area doesn’t follow any particular route, because once in Provence the rule book goes out of the window and you just follow where your heart takes you.
Our first place to visit is Avignon, in the north of the region, that houses the ‘Palace of the Popes’, which covers a surface area of over 15,000 square meters, and was built between 1330 and 1352. The palace, a striking fortress that dominates the centre of the city, has been restored and is impeccably maintained. Then there is ‘Pont St. Bénézet’, which is most famously known from the song ‘sur le Pont d’Avignon’.
Avignon, is a wonderful city to slowly amble round, where you will find many beautiful places of interest, and also is home to one of the regiments of the ‘French Foreign Legion’, where on a Sunday afternoon you will find lots of extremely smart, polite young cadets immaculately dressed in their cream uniforms, just idly roaming the town.
Villeneuve-les-Avignon, a medieval town and originally a Benedictine monastery, stands on the right bank of the Rhone, and compliments the city of Avignon.
Next, is Salon de Provence, in the centre of the region (or department as it is known in France) was home to the physician Michel de Notredame, better known to us all as Nostradamus, who lived here for the last 20 years of his life, until his death in 1566. Nostradamus, already famous for his remedies against the plague and other illness’s had moved here, from his birthplace of Staint-Rémy, just a few kilometres away. During his time in Salon, he started to write his prophetic descriptions of the future (known as quatrains) and every event is indicated exactly in space, but never in time. The town of Salon, very picturesque in it’s own right, is even more so with the Chateau Musée de L’empéri as it’s background. This is known as one of the most imposing monuments in the whole of Provence, which houses the Brunon Collections, the richest in France, with over 10,000 authentic items of military history and is one of the top ten most important museums of this kind in the world.
The l’armee du l’air’s, best air force school is based here in Salon, which has trained France’s air force officers for the last 50 years or so. It also is home to the one of the oldest fulltime Military Aerobatic Teams, the ‘Patrouille de France’. The clarity of the skies here is supposed to be second to none and is why the R.A.F.’s Military Aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, can also be found doing their training above Salon.
Salon, in the opinion of many people, including me, is one of the nicest Provencal towns. It has combinations of fountains and cool squares under avenues of plane trees giving shade along the boulevards and making the shopping area a delightful place to stroll.
Our next visit is to the town of Arles, a place where the river Rhone chooses to divide into two arms before it reaches the sea. Here you will find the fortified abbey of Montmajour, and the Fontvielle windmill, where author Daudet is said to have written his well-known ‘Letters’.
Arles, amongst the ‘Alpilles’ (the small Alps) is very near to Saint-Rémy where the famous Roman sites can be found that form the setting of the village Les Baux, perched high on the top of a rocky spur.
Just over the border into department Vaucluse you will find the Fontaine de Vaucluse, a medieval village tucked in the corner of the Plateau de Vaucluse, 25km east of Avignon with the amazing sight of a river gushing up out of the ground. At the source, it produces water at a fierce 200 cubic meters per second, making it one of the most powerful resurgent springs in the world. The water provided from five different rivers deep down within the chasm flows fast and furious during the winter months, through the centre of the small village of Vaucluse, whereas during the hot summer months of Provence the mouth of the chasm is completely dry enabling the visitors to walk inside the cave.
Set on the river Sorgue, the Fontaine remains the deepest water-filled chasm known to man and it took from 1967 until 1985 for any one to reach the bottom at -308 meters. For almost twenty years many teams of world wide experienced divers had attempted this feat, including France’s own famous Jacques Cousteau.
There is a 15th century working paper mill, now a site mainly for tourists to visit, where you can help to make your own paper to take away with you and likewise a glass blowing factory where you are invited free to watch the men at work.
Whilst in the department of Vaucluse, I feel that I must mention the National Park of the Luberon, where Peter Maile wrote his books, ‘A Year in Provence’ and ‘Toujours Provence’ (always Provence). Here, it is not unusual to see squirrels, wild boar and deer roaming in the gardens of the Luberon villages. Perched on mountain tops, most of the villages date back to the 12th century and it is very pleasurable to wander through the cobbled streets, admiring the houses that have been so well preserved and restored. The Luberon is a very popular area for visitors, especially hikers and people who like to set off walking for a few hours at a time. The National Park is well signposted and houses an array of Chambres d’Hotes, so if you wish to walk just a few kilometres or for the whole day, you will always find a resting place within your reach. The Chambres d’Hotes, are very reasonably priced and offer excellent over night accommodation usually with en suite facilities. Most often included in the price is the breakfast, which is normally taken outside on a long trestle table, with the family. Evening meals are usually on offer at an extra cost but there again with the family. Be prepared for this meal to take all evening, because particularly in this part of France, the French do like to take their time to eat and enjoy their meals.
I have covered but a small part of Provence, but hopefully it will give you an insight into what is on offer if you decide to go that way for a holiday one year. We haven’t even covered the excellent wines of Provence. Perhaps that could be another story!
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper (Written by Jill Attfield)
Boulogne House for Sale - Brittany Home for Sale More articles in this series: 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 19 - 20
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