Provence (T 41 – 55)

This was my third time in Provence and my expectations were high. I wanted to see it again through Sophia’s eyes -- someone who had never seen the rolling hills, the lavender fields, the olive groves, the vineyards, the lovely medieval towns, and the ancient farms against the backdrop of the Alpilles and the Luberon. But the first impression through her eyes was less than ideal: crazy traffic, rude drivers, way too many people, the outskirts of villages that were just plain and frankly a bit industrial. I wanted her so much to fall in love with my memory of it, but there was not to be love at first sight. It was even a bit of a letdown for me. 

But it just took time. Over the two weeks we were there, new and old gems revealed themselves. We learned that during Covid, the combination of high speed trains from Paris and lockdowns in the big cities contributed to an exodus to Provence – so yes, it got busier. The quiet gems like St. Remy and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue became more touristy and more commercial, but there were still quiet villages like Eygalieres, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, and Aureille that retained the quiet charm I remembered.

We spent nearly 2 weeks: 6 days in St. Remy for another small group immersion course, 3 days in Cassis, and 5 days in the small village of Eygalieres as a base to explore. Here are our highlights.

St. Remy

In St. Remy, our teacher did a great job of adding cultural immersion and taking us on a walking tour of St. Remy to re-discover its origins; to the Van Gogh sanitarium; to the Glanum Roman ruins, to the Wednesday farmers’ market; and to a couple delightful social hours with her family, hearing their stories and tasting delicious Provençal dishes.  

Cassis

During my first time in Cassis, the weather had been magical and we had gone on a beautiful but short boat tour to the Calanques, the rocky inlets that are part of the coastline between Cassis and Marseille. My second time was windy and cold, so no boat ride for us and not a great stay overall. So, this time I knew it could go either way, and the forecast was looking mixed. We lucked out and had one glorious, sunny day to get out on the water and to enjoy the town. The other full day, which was overcast and drizzly, we took the opportunity to check out Saint-Beaume (see below). 

Saint-Beaume

Saint-Baume is a mountain range and a pilgrimage site inland in Provence, historically and spiritually significant. The name Saint-Baume translates to "Saint's Cave" and is most famously associated with Mary Magdalene, who, according to tradition, is believed to have spent the last years of her life in a cave (grotto) here.

After a steep, curvy, and narrow drive, we arrived at a crazy-full parking lot, including large tour buses. We found the trailhead and hiked up a 2-mile, 1200-foot elevation path to the grotto where it’s said that Mary Magdalene lived in isolation, after she and many of Jesus’ followers fled to Provence to escape prosecution after the crucifixion.

Despite the steady stream of visitors, the path among the fragrant pine, oaks, and mediterranean forest was serene and mystical; sacred. Once we hiked up the trail and a series of steps along the cliff-face, we were met with a chapel inside a large cave with smaller altars dedicated to prayer and candle offerings. Despite the drizzle and the rain, it was one of the most special stops of the trip for me.

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Another new gem for me was the Fontaine de Vaucluse – both a spring and a gorge – the largest spring in France and one of the most powerful in the world. The source of the Sorgue river, it emerges from a massive limestone cliff at the foot of the Vaucluse Mountains and discharges more than 100 cubic meters of water per second during peak flow. The depth is also remarkable – the deepest measured is around 1,010 feet, but the actual depth may be greater. Because of rock instability, the actual site of the gorge was closed, but we were able to see the crystal clear water and the force with which it emerged a little farther down the cliff.  

We enjoyed the surroundings as well as the small namesake village which is built along the riverbanks and is nestled at the foot of the cliffs. (Last pic below is Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue a bit downstream).

The Camargue

Another area I was curious to see was The Camargue – a nature preserve at the delta of the Rhône River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is essentially a vast wetland covered by salt marshes, mudflats, and shallow lagoons, and known for its white wild horses, flamingos, and herds of black bulls.

We had initially planned on spending a night and a day there, but instead expanded our stay in Cassis and planned on a few hours while killing time between our checkout in Cassis and check-in in Eygalières.  Frankly, good thing we did. Having experienced the Mississippi River delta, we didn’t find the Camargue significantly extraordinary, didn’t love the main village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or its beaches, but we did have a fun time watching flamingos at the Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau. 

Eygalières

Our base to explore our second week in Provence was Eygalières. Why Eygalières? I had seen a post on this quiet little village on a facebook travel group and had found a beautiful B&B and thought why not? It was lovely and a pretty good base, other than a 7-km stretch out of town with the before-mentioned narrow, curvy roads with ditches on either side, which especially in the drizzle and dark, was not fun to drive. But I digress. Photos of this beautiful place below.

Visitors and Villages

Our last 2 ½ weeks were to be “guest” weeks, so Sophia and I planned a dinner near the village of Lourmarin at the only fully gluten-free Michelin-star restaurant in the world to mark the “end” of our solo mother-daughter adventure. I was both deeply grateful and melancholic for this magical trip between the two of us coming to an end.  I will always carry this time together in my heart with enormous love and joy.

Monica and my goddaughter Julia flew separately to Paris but met up on the same flight from Paris to Marseille to join us the Thursday of our last week in Provence. We booked a guided tour on Friday to see Rousillon, Gordes, the Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque, the Lavender Museum, and a wine tasting at Chateuneuf du Pape to give them an accelerated tour of Provence highlights before the long drive to our Dordogne week.