Avignon late May

[Karen Frerichs]

Friends are renting a villa in Villeneuve les Avignon for late May, and I'm invited!
Very exciting, but when I looked up my notes from previous trips, I realize they are 40, 20 and over 10 years old.
So, any recommendations for restaurants, day trips, etc will be much appreciated.
(Pont du Garde and Glanum haven't changed, I'm sure, but new ideas ?)
Thanks in advance,
Karen

 

[Amy]

In October, we had an excellent lunch at La Fourchette in Avignon. It's popular, so I'd reserve the day before.
As to daytrips, what are your interests? We based in Vaison-la-Romaine, which I can recommend as a lovely destination if you have an interest in things Roman or Medieval. We took a wonderful walking tour with Janet Henderson, if you're interested, I can dig up her contact info. I documented our week on my blog, it may give you additional ideas. https://argilman.wordpress.com/

 

[Karen Frerichs]

Thanks, Amy... La Fourchette is now on my list...
that's exactly the kind of thing I want; I realize I was a bit vague in my original request, but I think
up-to-date restaurant recommendations are what I'm really after.

I do have vague memories of Nimes, les Baux, etc
from my earliest trips, and have been in and out of Avignon on many more recent trips to the Luberon, and the
Cote d'Azur, so am now hoping to explore more to the west side of Avignon, where I haven't been (Uzes. Pont du Gard).

I have travelled with some of this group before, and do NOT want to wind up settling for lowest common denominator
place to eat because of disorganization...but have to remember that I'm not in charge (darn!). So having good suggestions on hand will really help. And having reservations keeps us on track, too.
Now, will take a look at your blog.
Thanks again.

 

[Pauline]

I like Uzes and have stayed there a few times. It would be fun for a day trip. It is a lively town. Perhaps too lively on the Saturday market day, but in May it won't be as crowded as in summer. Wednesday is a smaller market day.

I posted some info on Uzes for my May 2014 trip report but have no restaurant recommendations - sorry, we don't eat out that much in France.

The Pont du Gard is amazing. I have some info here - Slow Europe Day Trips - Pont du Gard. The Pont du Gard is a bridge on the aqueduct that went from Uzes to Nimes and you can find other pieces of it. If you go to Uzes, the origin is in the valley just below town, in a big park. And in Nimes you can see where it came into the city.

If any of your group is into prehistoric standing stones, the La Lèque Standing Stone (Menhir de La Lèque) is north of Uzes. More info here.

I like the Amphitheater in Nimes and Nimes has an interesting historic center. More info here.

 

[Karen Frerichs]

Thanks Pauline.... I just got lost in your posts about Pont du Gard, lots to see and don't know how I missed it on my visit to Nimes (but that was years ago... 1971), so time to go back and catch up.
And Uzes looks like an easy sell to my group, very pretty and a good day trip for a Wed. market day and lunch!

I am personally interested in all Roman ruins, and prehistoric sites, so thanks for the mention of the Menhir de La Leque; sadly when I dragged some of the current group to see some menhirs on a previous visit to Normandy/Brittany they were mostly underwhelmed, so my guess is that will be a pass this time. But I think I'll have to do another trip that is not so dependent on a group. Or on this group, at least.

We will no doubt head to the market at Isle sur Sorgue on Sunday, and possible some lavender fields in the Luberon another day, and we'll want to go back to Arles and St Remy, so I think I'll be happy with visits to Uzes and the Pont.

Many thanks for the help.

Karen

PS: ran into someone's (your?) mention of Iam McEwan's Black Dogs... thought I'd read most of McEwan, but poking forward to this.

 

[Kathy]

Karen, I hope you'll have some time to spend exploring the villages and countryside of the Luberon. You could stop by the Pont Julien, a Roman bridge just off the main road near Bonnieux. For an amazing view, I'd also suggest taking the road up to the Cedar Forest on the top of the Petit Luberon (accessed from Bonnieux). There's an overlook where you can pull over... the entire valley north of the Luberon is laid out in front of you. You can see north to Mont Ventoux and on a clear day to the edge of the Alps.

But you won't see any lavender fields blooming in May, I'm afraid. The lavender doesn't bloom usually until mid/late June, even July, though we did see some blooming at low elevations last year the first 10 days of June.

Kathy

 

[Karen Frerichs]

Thanks Kathy...

I have spent time in the Luberon, sometimes with some of this current group, so I know we'll want to go back.

I'm trying to remember when I went to see lavender, must have been the end of June, not the beginning, I do remember the lavender grower we spoke to saying that the harvest was getting earlier every year, global warming was real to him.
On that trip, I stayed in an auberge along the Aiguebrune, behind Bonnieux, and saw lavender everywhere we went.

(I did check re: availability for your place in Bonnieux, just to extend the trip for myself, but you are rented up... still looking forward to doing that sometime, because I did really like Bonnieux).

cheers
Karen

 

[Pauline]

Thanks Pauline.... PS: ran into someone's (your?) mention of Ian McEwan's Black Dogs... thought I'd read most of McEwan, but looking forward to this.

It is one of my favorite books of his and I re-read it a few years ago, but I can't remember the details of it! I need to read it again.

 

[Karen Frerichs]

It just came in to my local library... looking forward to reading it.
Thx for the tip!

Karen