Provence Untour, Fall of 2006
by Bill & Ann Logan, Shelbyville, KY
Bill and I were in Provence on September 2006 for our second Untours trip at that location. Our first visit was in 1992 when Untours instigated the program in Provence. As in '92, our stay was delightful. We were very fortunate to stay in Isle Sur la Sorgue at Max and Regine's apartment. It was nice to renew our friendship, as Max was the representative during our first time in Provence!We landed at Charles de Gaulle (terrible, as usual) and flew on to Marseilles, where we were met by Regine, who took us by bus to Avignon, where we picked up our car and drove to our apartment on Max's property. On September 7 the group --30 to 40 of us-- met at Max's for orientation. After the usual informative session, we were served delicious snacks and wine. Some of the activities we enjoyed the most were:
- The trip by the Tourist Route through the Gorges de la Nesque, a beautiful trip. Much of the road is narrow and curvy, however, so keep your eyes on the road! From Sault to Bedoin is a lovely drive on a good road. We took our picnic that day, as we did many other times.
- The Sunday market in Isle Sur la Sorgue. We went early at 8:30 before it became crowded. It is a large market with everything under the sun! You'll have a lot of fun and find plenty to buy!
- Fontaine de Vaucluse is quite close. We left home early to beat the tour buses. The car park had only a few cars, and we were there earlier than the attendant, so didn't have to pay the 3 Euros. The village is quite charming with cute shops lining the street. It is very scenic --one of the prettiest places we have been. Bill walked up to the spring issuing from the mountain. I chose to stop along the way. We also walked through the paper factory, where there are additional shops.
- La Guingette, a casual outdoor restaurant in Isle Sur la Sorgue, which is very popular. We had been in '92, and the food is delicious. Go at noontime to watch the children playing in the river.
- Les Baux is a charming village. We arrived about 10 o'clock. We were able to park without any problem. We wandered the streets with their cafes, restaurants and shops and visited the small chapel and quaint church. The highlight was the visit to the Cathedral of Images where the paintings of Cezanne are projected onto the walls. This was the first year they've had videos, whereas before they had only slides. It was fantastic.
- Market Day at Gordes
- The Abbaye de Senanque
- Pont du Gard, Chateauneuf du Pape, and Orange. The directions from Avignon were confusing to us, but we're noted for getting misplaced, which is usually fine. However, these are the directions to Pont du Gard. From Avignon take the road to Nimes or Arles, (A 9). After that, catch the road --still A 9 , but N 100 appears above the A 9. This road will say Remoulins. We are still on the road to Nimes when 6 K from Pont du Gard. The signs to Uzes begin to appear also. If you have been to Pont du Gard before, you will notice that it is very touristy now with a huge parking lot. It is now not allowed to walk across the aqueduct for some reason, but you can walk across the bridge. We highly recommend this trip. We had an excellent lunch on the terrace at La Mere Germaine at Chateauneuf, after stopping at the winery. Afterwards we visited the Roman theatre and listened to the informative audio. Check out the accoustics.
- Any and all of the bakeries!
- The villages too numerous to mention.
- The Untours dinner at the Auberge outside of Pernes.
We have enjoyed many Untours since 1986 and hope to participate in many more. We loved Provence and feel that you will too.