PROVENCE LUXURY VILLA RENTALS

La Maison à Caromb review

Dear Emotional Escapes,
I found a fabulous, 250-year-old villa in Provence for 12 (10 adults, two young children) last fall that was a terrific value (just $3592 for the week, or $300 per person). It’s offered by “Just P... Read more rovence,” run by Timothy Dunn, who was a hands-on broker and very responsive. One of the big advantages of the villa is that Tim lives literally next door. We only needed him once, to help us with the wi-fi, but it was reassuring we could pound on his door if need be. The place is called La Maison à Caromb, located literally 40 minutes from virtually everywhere in Provence’s department Vaucluse, including Avignon, Saint-Remy, Luberon, Gordes, Carpentras, Orange, L’Isle-sur-La-Sorgue, Arles, even Aix.

Our tribe ranged in age from 75 to five months. It consisted of my wife and me, a niece and her husband, a nephew and his wife, plus their two children ages three years and five months, and two other couples who are close friends. In spite of the numbers, the villa is so spacious we never got in each other’s way. The villa is in the middle of the small, charming village of Caromb on a hill overlooking a pretty valley. Caromb central – if one could call the main street that – consists of the villa, a few shops and small restaurants, including a pizza place next door, and an old church. There are a couple other, more upscale, restaurants literally down the street, which our crew thought excellent. There are a number of vineyards in town, with excellent wine.

The maison is huge. Seven bedrooms I believe. Or was it 17?! There was so much space, I wasn’t sure. We all hung out in the main living room, which was huge (there’s that adjective again!). It has two fireplaces, comfortable couches and chairs, and a long table where we ate and occasionally fiddled with our laptops. The kitchen was probably the only facility showing a bit of age, but it was quite functional. We prepared meals for the children and an occasional breakfast there, and once cooked a chicken. There’s a two car garage underneath the villa, and plenty of parking on the street. The only negative of the place was the pool, which is pretty small. It was a bit chilly in mid-September (September 15-22), and the pool isn’t heated, to say the least.

One of the best features of the villa was the large, inviting terrace that we absolutely loved. Our routine was to have coffee and croissants from the local patisserie on the terrace in the morning, or at one of the outdoor restaurants just a block away, then head out to explore the area. We loved the markets of Carpentras and L’Isle-sur-La-Sorgue (among others), the jazz in Saint-Remy, the classical music in Luberon, the Roman ruins in Orange, the medieval city of Gordes. One of the couples is a big foodie (“enthusiastic” rather than “big” would be the better word), so some of the group usually stopped for a long, lingering lunch. In the evening we’d all (OK, not the two children) share the day and a few bottles of wine on the terrace. All in all, it was a very special vacation for friends and family, and La Maison à Caromb played a big part in making it so exceptional.

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Mas l'Arlésienne review

Dear Emotional Escapes,
We have stayed in your home for the past two weeks. Almost every day day we have travelled to nearby villages and points of interest. What an amazing time we have had! Loved grilling out, going to the... Read more grocery store and the Wednesday market. The people in St Rémy are so friendly and helpful. Mas l'Arlésienne has surpassed our expectations. What a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing with others. Close

Mas l'Arlésienne review

Dear Emotional Escapes,
We had a wonderful stay here in Mas l'Arlésienne. The location was great - We enjoyed walking into town as well as exploring some of the surrounding villages. The country and town were beautiful, the... Read more people very nice and the food and wine spectacular. So much to see and do in Provence - we'll just have to come back! Close

Mas l'Arlésienne review

Dear Emotional Escapes,
This house has been just perfect, it has a wonderful warm atmosphere which contributed hugely to our holiday. Thank you.