Sat 23rd Aug
Our Provence Apartment: here
It was quite an ordeal for all of us to reach Mallemort. Tom and Tara flew in from Rome then caught a train, Matt, Annabelle & Teddy caught the train from Paris to Avignon and then hired a car. Brett, Ali and Charlie drove from Montpellier and we had a 5 hour drive down from Beaune. The house wasn’t quite ready for our scheduled 4 pm check-in, that is a whole other story, but we eventually settled in and started to enjoy the comfort of the huge house and the luxury of the beautiful setting. The house backs on to a golf course so the views from the outdoor dining, lounge, pool area and 7 of the 8 bedrooms are just glorious. Annabelle had sourced a boulangerie and organised for Mark to collect some quiches for dinner so we feasted outdoors on this meal supplemented with some of the wine we’d gathered over recent days. Day One finished on a high.
Sun 24th Aug
It was the most glorious morning that we woke to and the view from our bedroom window was just pure bliss as the area was so peaceful. The little boys were soon on deck though so the tranquility didn’t last long. Who needs tranquility though when you can soak up the energy of two gorgeous little boys who were greatly enjoying each other’s company.
Our morning activity was a visit to nearby m L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a 40’ drive away, where the village had their weekly Sunday market (7am-2pm). This was advertised as being ‘mostly antiques’ but we found, to our delight, that there was an extensive food market there as well so we stocked up with supplies for our evening dinner. The town was meant to be very pretty but, with all the crowd and the many tented stalls, it was hard to see much of the place at all. We did wonder what the village would be like on a non-market day and if it would be deserted and lifeless? It was jam packed and pumping on this Sunday morning though, that’s for sure!
The afternoon was spent lazing around the pool and enjoying the glorious sunshine and dinner was a BBQ at home. One thing we all noted was just how delicious and tasty the local produce was. Tomatoes became a key talking point and the in-demand item on the menu. FWIW: I don’t think I’ve ever tasted cherry tomatoes with as much flavour as the ones from Provence. Day 2 turned out to be another winner!
Mon 25th Aug
The forecast had been for cloud but it was another glorious sunny blue sky morning. My suggested activity for today had been a visit to the village of Bonnieux but that was a 50 minute drive away. The consensus, the night before, though was that people were not too fussed about the amount of driving and would prefer just to stay local for the day. So we spent the first part of the morning walking up to the Pont Royal village area to have a coffee. It was a 12 minute walk up to the Club House and we were surprised to find that there was an actual barista serving, what turned out to be, very good coffees and we also had a most beautiful view out over the golf course. After that, we returned home to pick up the cars for the short drive into the village of Mallemort to get some supplies. Mark was very excited to find his favorite Tres Monts beer, which he’d been looking for since our arrival in Paris, so it was a hugely successful trip. It was midday by the time we got home and everyone was very happy to just spend a few hours lazing by the pool.
Our dinner tonight was being catered for by a local chef, Marie Lousada, and she had been recommended by the Scarf family. The menu for our evening was as folllows:
We were all excited when we were reminded of the menu and saw that tomatoes featured significantly in the entree. Initially I’d been a bit ho-hum when this menu item won the family vote but, since our arrival and experience with the tasty fruit, I was now quite delighted. The evening was a huge success and the meal was delicious. A huge thanks to Susan Scarf for the suggestion and to our Chef, Marie, for her culinary expertise. It was a great evening and we were very grateful for the opportunity to share this experience. Day 3 was another winner.
Tue 26th Aug
It was another glorious morning and we were all on deck early for the 50’ drive to Gordes. Wikipedia states that Gordes is considered the most beautiful village in the world and it was, indeed, a beautiful hilltop village. The last section of the drive up to the town was a bit winding but you eventually round one bend and then the most spectacular vista appears of magnificent historic stone homes scattered across the hillside. For future reference, I do think visitors would be better parking a bit down the hill and walking up to the village so that you could get a better look at the majesty of the landscape. Once again for us, though, we visited on a market day so the village was absolutely packed and it was a bit hard to see and fully appreciate Gordes in all its glory.
Our first stop after parking, which was no easy feat and is an Olympic style event in these villages on market day, was a catch up with some Aussie family friends from Canberra at a cafe where I got to have my first croissant! It was quite nice but I still think Shuk croissants are better than anything I’ve tasted in France thus far. It was a great spot for catching up with the Callaghans though and we had a comfortable shaded setting for sharing family news and travel stories. Matt, Annabelle and Teddy even found us and shared in the fun. Ali, Brett and Charlie didn’t fare so well with parking and didn’t dwell too long though as it was really starting to heat up. Tom and Tara had the best experience of Gordes though as they set out straight away and explored the village as soon as they arrived and before most of the crowd had arrived. So my advice for future visits to any Provence village on a market day would be to arrive and park early, then explore and then seek out a cafe.
Mark and I parted ways with the Callaghans after our coffees and went on to have a look around village markets but it was very crowded by then and very hot so we set off home at midday; our car registered 380C! The afternoon was spent relaxing back at the house and lazing around the pool for some but not for Ali who had, unfortunately, developed a toothache since her arrival in Europe. Luckily we were able to locate a dentist who could fit her in for an emergency appointment but this involved a 50’ trip to Marseille to which she was happily chauffeured by Mark. It was a successful trip however as one filling and 80 euros later she was pain free.
