Pauline
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Thanks to everyone who helped me plan our May trip to France. I am starting a new thread to collect travel advice.
Aix-en-Provence - 1 night: We are traveling the last two weeks of May, flying from Heathrow into Marseilles Airport, picking up a rental car and driving up to Aix-en-Provence for one night. I have a hotel booked. We have been to Aix on day trips, twice, but have never stayed there. We will have the evening and the next morning and afternoon there (Saturday).
Uzes, Languedoc - 7 nights: We have this apartment booked. Uzes and the surrounding area we know somewhat, having spent 1 week in nearby Nimes last March, 1 week in Uzes in May and 10 nights in Uzes again in October. For this trip I wanted to stay in Vaison-la-Romaine but we were late booking a vacation rental and I could not find anything I liked, so we decided to stay in Uzes again. We will do some hiking in the area (I have the maps and books that we used on the last trip) and explore north of Uzes, near the northern border of the Languedoc region. Perhaps we will make it to Orange on this trip, to see the Roman Theater.
Forcalquier, Provence - 6 nights: We have this apartment booked (recommended by Ann). This area is new to us. We spent two weeks in the Luberon 10 years ago, so saw some of that area, but we did not get east of Apt.
On the planning thread Ann says: "It's in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and has about 5,000 inhabitants". This is a similar size to Uzes. Small enough to be close to the countryside, but big enough to have a selection of shops and restaurants.
Also on the planning thread Kathy wrote: "Charley and I were just talking today that we really like the area up around Forcalquier... it's a small town but closer to the mountains. I think you would enjoy some of the villages in that area, and you can do some hiking around the Gorges de Oppedette or on the Montagne de Lure. There are gardens we like at Salagon and Valsaintes. We like the towns of Sisteron and Manosque and there are small interesting villages nearby too. Pauline, if you end up staying in this area, you'll want to get the Michelin Green Guide for the Alpes de Sud, since this is the Alpes de Haut Provence. The Winns cover a bit of this area in their Provence Byways book too."
I have the Winns book and will start reading. I will order the Michelin Green Guide too.
In Forcalquier we will want to spend a few days hiking. I have contacted the vacation rental owner to see if he can help us get organized for this, since he runs a walking company. We don't need a guided hike, but would like some suggestions of good places for 2 - 5 hour walks.
If anyone else has advice or recommendations for any of our travel destinations, please post.
This is a photo of an ancient standing stone (menhir) near Uzes that I read something about on our first trip, but we could not find it. We found it on the second trip, but only after a long drive on a very rutted dirt road, and we had to drive through a large group of hunters. But now I know how to walk there, and we will do that in May. (Sorry for the almost obscene look of this. I wonder what those prehistoric people were thinking about?
)
Aix-en-Provence - 1 night: We are traveling the last two weeks of May, flying from Heathrow into Marseilles Airport, picking up a rental car and driving up to Aix-en-Provence for one night. I have a hotel booked. We have been to Aix on day trips, twice, but have never stayed there. We will have the evening and the next morning and afternoon there (Saturday).
Uzes, Languedoc - 7 nights: We have this apartment booked. Uzes and the surrounding area we know somewhat, having spent 1 week in nearby Nimes last March, 1 week in Uzes in May and 10 nights in Uzes again in October. For this trip I wanted to stay in Vaison-la-Romaine but we were late booking a vacation rental and I could not find anything I liked, so we decided to stay in Uzes again. We will do some hiking in the area (I have the maps and books that we used on the last trip) and explore north of Uzes, near the northern border of the Languedoc region. Perhaps we will make it to Orange on this trip, to see the Roman Theater.
Forcalquier, Provence - 6 nights: We have this apartment booked (recommended by Ann). This area is new to us. We spent two weeks in the Luberon 10 years ago, so saw some of that area, but we did not get east of Apt.
On the planning thread Ann says: "It's in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and has about 5,000 inhabitants". This is a similar size to Uzes. Small enough to be close to the countryside, but big enough to have a selection of shops and restaurants.
Also on the planning thread Kathy wrote: "Charley and I were just talking today that we really like the area up around Forcalquier... it's a small town but closer to the mountains. I think you would enjoy some of the villages in that area, and you can do some hiking around the Gorges de Oppedette or on the Montagne de Lure. There are gardens we like at Salagon and Valsaintes. We like the towns of Sisteron and Manosque and there are small interesting villages nearby too. Pauline, if you end up staying in this area, you'll want to get the Michelin Green Guide for the Alpes de Sud, since this is the Alpes de Haut Provence. The Winns cover a bit of this area in their Provence Byways book too."
I have the Winns book and will start reading. I will order the Michelin Green Guide too.
In Forcalquier we will want to spend a few days hiking. I have contacted the vacation rental owner to see if he can help us get organized for this, since he runs a walking company. We don't need a guided hike, but would like some suggestions of good places for 2 - 5 hour walks.
If anyone else has advice or recommendations for any of our travel destinations, please post.
This is a photo of an ancient standing stone (menhir) near Uzes that I read something about on our first trip, but we could not find it. We found it on the second trip, but only after a long drive on a very rutted dirt road, and we had to drive through a large group of hunters. But now I know how to walk there, and we will do that in May. (Sorry for the almost obscene look of this. I wonder what those prehistoric people were thinking about?
)
