Provence Untour, Fall of 2006
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.
Our apartment was very comfortable; we enjoyed the patio every day. Max and
Regina are perfect hosts. We certainly enjoyed the tomatoes he brought us!
Be sure to ask him about the "filling station" for wine. It was still there
from '92 --quite popular, we imagine!
We have enjoyed many Untours since 1986 and hope to participate in many
more. We loved Provence and feel that you will too.