The entry for Viens in Rick Steves’ book on Provence was just too tempting.

Since Viens is a walled town, and we were there on a hot June day, we leapt at the parking place that offered itself on the way into town. Like much of Provence, Viens has its quintessential lane of plane (Plantane) trees approaching the town. We nabbed a spot here, thinking ourselves lucky to get a shady spot in this sunny Mediterranean region, where cars left in the sun turn into ovens.

 

Our tourist instincts herded us towards the more scenic "old town" that Rick Steves had described for our picnic, but as we gathered our supplies out of the back of the car, the appeal of the quiet street on which we had found our parking spot captured our attention.

 

Dappled shade, Provence’s greatest natural resource, abounded under these trees. The lane outside the town commanded a panorama of tiled rooftops and fields beyond. The butcher truck, (a moveable butcher store that frequents the towns too small for their own butcher) was parked nearby, providing a delicious aroma of roasted chicken, and attracting a cheerful trickle of residents and friendly dogs. The faint tinny radio from the truck added to the cheer of the setting. Our food was fresh baguette, salami, a hunk of unidentified, fantastic cheese, tomatoes and peaches of unutterable juiciness (and of course, chocolate, for dessert).

 

Provence, so bountifully endowed by nature, also has one prevailing nuisance: the mistral--a fierce wind from the North which can blow incessantly for a period of days, anytime of the year. They say the mistral was what actually drove Van Gogh mad. We discovered there is a silver lining to a mistral, if it is the light, summer variety of the wind. Combine a hot, sunny June day with an abundance of shade trees and a breeze and you have the perfect conditions for a picnic. Our tree-lined lane, blessedly devoid of traffic, was also lined with benches. We ambled down from our car a few yards and sat on the first bench we came to, not another tourist in sight, with our delicious haul in tow. Just after noon, all the French were already home for lunch. We had the place to ourselves. Gazing at the view, mistral breeze barely ruffling our hair, we inhaled the wonderful dry aroma of herbes de provence growing on the wild hillsides below us. Biting into my first Provence peach, I wasn’t prepared for its juiciness, which burst out all over my hands and face. Picnics don’t provide the proper implements for taming a juicy peach. So I perched out awkwardly over the bench, legs akimbo, chin jutting forward, as the juice ran down my chin, messy but harmless, into the dusty earth beneath my feet. My husband rolled his eyes and handed me a napkin. I can still feel the sweet juice and the warm wind on my face.

 

Despite its plethora of souvenir shops and crowds, everytime I go to Provence, I have returned to Vaison-la Romaine, a town whose main attraction is the mysterious source of the Sorgue River. Nevertheless after three other visits,  I only recently discovered its real attraction--the parking lot outside of town.  Why is the parking lot the main attraction,you ask?  Best picnic spot ever!  The lot, on the right hand side of the road, looks like nothing much more than a good place in which to park a tourist bus or an RV. You would never turn in here! Indeed, if it is parking you are looking for, there are closer spots, just as cheap, further towards the town.

 

Clueless, conservative and fearing there would be no parking spots closer into town, we turned in. On the other side of the parking lot, out of sight of the road, the river Sorgue flows by. On this particular June day, it was a spot of unparalleled loveliness.

 

Find a hollow on the riverbank and sit down. The sandy soil of Provence will get on your pants, but never mind. (There are a few benches but they were always full, and the proximity to the water is the main point here, anyway, so insist on a riverside "table" at this four-star sandy bank.) The immense, ubiquitous plane trees line the river. The river is unimaginably clear and the plant life emerald green. You can see the tiniest little pebble at the bottom. The river current ruffles the marine plants and you see each little tendril’s tiniest motion. Families, school groups and lovers all find their own little spot here. Kids climb the trees or feed the greedy friendly ducks that ply the riverbanks. It doesn’t matter what you eat. With nothing particularly spectacular about it, this place (especially when accompanied by a beloved companion) has my vote as the most beautiful, peaceful picnic spot on earth. When you gets your hands and face full of juice here, you can wash them off in the river at your feet. If you do go on to visit the main attraction of the town, the Sorgue’s source, the walk into town is a little less than a mile, but hot, shadeless and worth missing. Nonetheless, I would rather endure the sun-soaked walk, or miss the tourist attaction altogether, than miss this parking lot/picnic spot, a little piece of unheralded heaven.

 

 

As you may have gathered, my taste in picnic spots run to the unprepossessing, and, somewhat inexplicably, to those in the vicinity of parking lots!  Once again, in search of a parking place in Provence, we trundled off the beaten path. After taking in the Roman ruins on the north side of town, we hopped back in our car to go see Vaison’s other main attraction, the medieval haut-ville and Chateau on the other side of the Ouvéze River. Just over the Roman bridge, take a sharp left down the hill to reach the dusty, charmless auxiliary parking (designed to accommodate visitors who want stroll the steep narrow lanes of the Upper Town.) My favorite picnic spot was, as you guessed it, on the river bank,  just next to the parking place. The Ouvéze is over a steepish, scramble-down embankment next to the lot. There are no benches, no tables and few trees. There is a stunning view of the medieval Chateau and dramatic rockface towering above us.

 

In the foreground were the real attractions: one enormous boulder smack in the middle of the river, and three boys. The fun of this picnic was mainly watching a universal joy: three rowdy boys enjoying a world-class swimming hole. Defying all safety precautions, they would clamber up this huge, hot boulder and hurl themselves, or each other, off the top of it into the lovely cool water below. I loved the spot, I loved the walk up through the cobbled lanes and charming fountains of the haut-ville afterwards. I found some of the best gift-shopping of the trip in the lanes across the Roman bridge later. But what I remember, months later, are the shouts of those boys and how much fun they had.

 

 

 

Two things we loved most about this apartment – it’s proximity to the gorgeous little village of St. Didier and its wonderful view from the terrace of the Dentelles. No need to go in search of a great picnic spot if you stay here; your patio gives you one of the best possible venues without even getting in the car. The furnishings are lovely, with extra little touches of care in the décor. The cool (but steep) stone steps up to the bedroom emphasize the age of this old farmhouse, despite its fresh new furnishings. The kitchen is a perfect place for long breakfasts of fresh baguettes and Cavaillon melon, purchased in the markets that morning.

Isle-sur-Sorgue, shopping heaven of Provence, is near LeThor, the hometown for this apartment. It’s world-famous Sunday market will provide you with more picnic supplies than anyone could need. The Margaillan properties have the unusual advantage of two double bedroom accommodations side-by-side, so they are ideal for two families or a larger group travelling together . Each bedroom also has its own shower and WC – a creature comfort rare for Europe and especially nice for mixed groups or two couples who are sharing the facility. Your hosts, Babeth and Etienne Margaillan are some of the most hospitable of our hosts and look forward to making your stay as enjoyable as possible.

We think the dappled shade of Provence is one of its most enduring charms. Along with the shady picnic spots described above you can also increase your dose of dapple on the patio area of the Hermann 2 cottage. Located only 40 yards away from your friendly hosts, this will be your comfortable refuge after busy days of taking in the myriad sights of the Provence region.