Things to do in Provence during Autumn

Being in Provence during Autumn is magical. Nature and landscapes always change. Just for the pleasure of the eyes, for your feed instagram or for the photo album memories, where you can find the field of lavender or poppies, the deserted beach, the flamingos in number. You will no longer look at the landscapes of Provence with the same eye! Each season is a corner of paradise. 

The hike in Autumn in Provence is a treat. The heat of the summer is over, the fresh air comes to cool us during the effort. The atmosphere is calmer, more peaceful, the tourists are more discreet. The fires have retired and the massifs are all open. Not to mention the autumn and winter light, which gradually approaches, on our massifs, the orange sunsets of the promenade. For the more adventurous, the bathing of the Indian summer.

Yes, here, even if you take your pet fleece or k-way as a precaution, temperatures allow you to enjoy an intimate bath. Provence has a great diversity of walks between its calanques that extend towards the east in the direction of the French Riviera. Not forgetting the beautiful Côte Bleue of Marseille in Martigues its magnificent authentic villages of the provencal hinterland, its massifs and its chains of mountains, like the Sainte-Baume, the Garlaban, the Sainte-Victoire, the Etoile. 

For those who wish to stay around Marseille and learn more about our city, here is a perfect  getaway for the autumn, which will make you discover a space impregnated by the human activity linking Marseille to its hinterland.

The hike is 7.1 km, with a vertical drop of 544m.

The little more of the promenade. On your return, take the opportunity to visit the Castle of the Buzine, house of the cinematographies of the Mediterranean acquired by Marcel Pagnol in 1867, located in the park of 7 hills and the workshop of Jean Innoncenti, master of faience around the Old Marseille.

Click here to enhance your South of France holiday with one of our luxury villas.

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Château de Beaucastel is not only one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s greatest wine estates, is also one of the world’s great estates. It belongs to the Famille Perrin portfolio of wines and is located on the northern end of the appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

According to French wine rules, the appellation’s wineries are permitted to use 13 different varieties (cépages) of grapes in their blends but unlike most other local wineries, Beaucastel uses all 13 varieties, though the major grapes are still Grenache, Syrah, and mourvedre, counoise and   cinsault with small percentages of the other varieties. Their whites as well as their red wines are world famous. The estate is organic, and they are converting to bio-dynamic production.

In California the Château de Beaucastel formed a partnership with their importer, Vineyard Brands, to create Tablas Creek wines, a  pioneer in the production of Rhône varietals (i.e. Grenache, syrah, mourvedre) in central California.

In Provence the Famille Perrin has entered into a partnership with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to produce the Miraval Wines in the Var region.

Visiting a top-notch wine estate and tasting the wines is always a highlight of a wine lover’s trip to Provence or the Rhône Valley. For a winery visit, write to Kirsty at [email protected].

However you will get a more extensive tasting of not only Château de  Beaucastel but also a wide gamut of Perrin Family wines if you visit one of the brand new tastings rooms, where a knowledgeable, English speaking sommelier (François in Châteauneuf; Richard in Aix) will explain the wines.  Look for “Famille Perrin”. You will have a great time!

In Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Famille Perrin, Place du Portail, (next to the Tourist Office in the center of the village. ) +33 (0)4 90 02 15 54 

10 to 6 :30, Monday through Saturday.

In Aix-en-Provence: Famille Perrin, 1 Place Forbin (at the opposite end of the Cours Mirabeau from the very large ‘Fontaine de la Rotonde.’) 10:30 til 7:00 Tuesday-Saturday. +33 (0)4 42 27 45 20

Château de Beacastel

Chemin de Beaucastel, Courthezon, Provence

+33 (0)4 90 70 41 00

Website

Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, Ala. 205 980-8802

Sharon Derham

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Avignon Gourmet Tours, a taste of Provence

Emotional Escapes prides itself on its local knowledge and experience, part of building this knowledge is working closely with local service providers who offers a unique experience to the visitors.

Emotional Escapes Provence has recently discovered one such local expert offering a unique tour to one of the region’s main cities that is Avignon. They have invited Aurélie who launched Avignon Gourmet Tours last year to present her project and services in this column.

How the concept of gourmet tours in Provence came to be.

An exclusive gourmet tour of Avignon.

Emotional Escapes Provence recommends Avignon Gourmet Tours  to visitors to Provence looking to sample the famed local produce of this rich region.

If you would like to keep informed of activities and quality artisans and restaurants in Provence, we also recommend visiting partner blogs Belle Provence Travels and The Provence Post.

Cet article Avignon Gourmet Tours, a taste of Provence. est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.

Finding the perfect location for your luxury vacation rental in Provence.

People looking for accomodations on the Just Provence site search through our portfolio of exclusive rental properties and get attracted by the high quality photos, as they pick through the list for the perfect setting for their family’s vacation in Provence. After this process,  questions we are often asked are: where is this property located, how far is it from the nearest village, Avignon or a famous landmark and, will this vacation rental be a good base camp for excursions? In this article we’ll look at how you can determine if a location will fit your needs.

There are few straight roads in Provence.

One important factor to take into account when planning your visits in Provence is that Provence itself is delimited by the River Rhône and mountain ranges, the Alpilles, Mont Ventoux and Luberon to name the most prominent. This means that travelling around the region will enable you to discover wonderful natural sites but also a lot of winding roads and curves. The region around Avignon is very well served in dual carriageways and motorways. But quaint medieval Provençal villages, that the area is famous for, have kept their character by being off those main roads. These are the places you might want to visit.

This factor of time spent travelling between points of interest will weigh heavilly on your choice of holiday rental destination.

Your time is precious.

The average stay in Provence in peak season is 2 weeks. In those 14 days you will want to see it all and enjoy the  “Must See” places that you have pin-pointed while planning your stay. Places you could associate with a holiday in Provence could be daily colourful markets, visiting a village you have seen in “A Good Year” with Russell Crowe, the magnificent millenia old Pont du Gard or touring the Côtes du Rhône villages for that wine experience you have anticipated for years. You will have to consider if they fit in your tight schedule and if they require a day trip, an afternoon or just a quick visit as you cycle by.

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You can use the search function on the  Just Provence website to sort properties by location. This also allows you to enter detailed requirements as for example chosing between a country home or a vacation villa near a village.

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In order to help you pick the ideal location for your stay in Provence, I have made this very simple map (thank you Google!). It highlights 4 important cultural centres of Provence, Uzés, Avignon, Saint Rémy de Provence and Apt.  Avignon being the gravitation point since it benefits from a fast train station, two motorway exists and an airport.

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Chances are Avignon will be your point of arrival in Provence whether you come in from Paris, London or Marseille. As you can see, all four centres are within a 30 minute to an hour radius of each other. Which means, for example, that when you pick any location in the red circle you will be able to plan, at least, a day out in these areas with ample time for visiting, enjoying restaurants and then getting home safely with time to spare.

During your stay it is a good idea to book a private tour, so an English-speaking driver guides you around the places of interest you choose without the hassle of driving around with your eyes focussed on the GPS instead of enjoying your visit of Provence.

Picking the ideal location saves you time and money.

As I mentioned in a previous post on planning your stay in Provence in advance, it is essential to make a short list of things you would definitely want to see and do during your visit so as to plan a memorable emotional escape in the South of France. By giving the location careful thought when choosing an exclusive rental properties you will ensure your stay goes as smoothly as possible.

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Do you have a favourite destination in Provence? Have you already considered a list of things to do and visit on your next trip? We’d like to hear from you.

If you have any questions or comments do not hesitate to leave a message or contact me at: [email protected].

Cet article Finding the perfect location for your luxury vacation rental in Provence. est apparu en premier sur Provence Emotional Escapes Blog.