Mermaid, tell us more about Provence

[Teresa]

You mentioned in another thread you and merman went to Provence last summer. It's on my list of places to go before I die.

what was it like, and how is the food (the most important thing about travel )?

 

[Cil]

Bumping up for Mermaid.
Tootsie, we have tooled around France as well, and I will be in the Languedoc region next month. My main event is quite often the food; it is quite easy to eat well in France and *not* gain weight!

 

[Chickpea]

Bumping up for Mermaid.
Tootsie, we have tooled around France as well, and I will be in the Languedoc region next month. My main event is quite often the food; it is quite easy to eat well in France and *not* gain weight!

Yes it is because you will be walking a lot and although sauces are exquisite and rich, portions are rational and not super-sized.
Eat well and enjoy the food - as long as you are moderately active you will be fine - trust me!!

 

[Smiling JOe]

Tootsie, a neighbor of mine, who is a working watercolor artist, takes a group to Provence and different places in Italy beginning every June. You can sign up for most any length of stay, and she reserves the houses, villas, cars etc for you. You can do things with a group or you can venture on your own with recommendations for things to see or do. She also will give watercolor lessons to those interested. They have been staying longer and longer with each year that passes. I have threatened to go on the trip with them, but have not been available to do so yet. I will give her number to anyone who is interested, just ask.

 

[Mermaid]

Tootsie, Provence is wonderful! I wrote a travel blog about on Fodor's (they of the travel guides). Here's the link to it, if you'd like to read it. It's entitled "French Kissing in Avignon..."

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34540151

I'd go back in a heartbeat. Indiana, like the Panhandle, is flat whereas Provence isn't. It was such a treat for us to be able to climb hills! The food's good--how could it not be, when we're talking of France?--and the wine's cheap. We drank LOTS of wine. To go to Provence is a have a great outdoors vacation, as opposed to Paris, which is more of an indoors kind of place. We moseyed around villages during market days, hiked in the hills, and had many picnics. We loved all the ruins. We found the people very welcoming and had no trouble getting around, though I speak a fair bit of French, so that did make it easier for us. We didn't bring our children with us, but I think it would make an idea family vacation, even for young ones. The French like children and are very accomodating towards them. It wasn't a terribly expensive vacation either, but that's strictly choice; how much you want to spend. You can have an equally charming Provencal vacation pulling out all the stops or watching your purse strings. Doesn't matter.

 

[Teresa]

Bumping up for Mermaid.
Tootsie, we have tooled around France as well, and I will be in the Languedoc region next month. My main event is quite often the food; it is quite easy to eat well in France and *not* gain weight!

we can look forward to your report before, during and after your trip! very exciting. how long will you be abroad?

 

[Teresa]

Mermaid:

can't wait to read your travel journal - what a great idea - when did you write about the trip - upon your return? we kept a handwritten travel journal on our Italy trip some years ago - it's so wonderful and hilarious to go back and read.

I'm going to read up on your travels and we can discuss!

I know of several SoWalians wanting to join in on a trip to SoFrance', so I'll forward the info to them as well... CJ, Uncle Timmy, Uncle Smiling Joseph, to name a few...

 

[newyorker]

Mr Newyorker and I went to France, including Provence, before the kids--and our experience was much like Mermaid's. But last February, we went to Paris with our now-older-teenaged kids. We had a wonderful time--my college does lots of terms abroad, so I was lucky to know of a great, but inexpensive hotel near the Pompideau Center--but what was so much fun was seeing Paris again through their eyes. Daughter (17 and "socially gifted" and very style conscious) fell in love with all things French. Son (19) fell in love with the food and the "cool" as well as the lefty political dialogue (he loves this sort of thing). In fact, daughter, now a senior in hs, has finally decided that French is a cool language, and has a new academic purpose (not seen before, alas!) The other day, we received a letter from her hs--she was named "French student of the month" (this was her first academic honor, ever!) So I agree with everyone that the food, the wine, etc are just wonderful in France--but given the effect it had on my daughter--I'd urge you to bring your kids.

 

[Teresa]

yeah - what an experience for kids. no doubt. especially Paris. we would love to visit Paris again - definitely one of our favorite, if not the favorite place, ever. Notre Dame was my first European cathedral to enter and it literally took my breath away (our very first day in Paris). Every day in Paris was like that - just fascinating.

we do not speak french, but we really really tried with the use of our language books - which is all that is expected. the french were wonderful and helpful to us, I believe because we truly respected their language and culture (although we certainly butchered the language terribly).

I wonder if going to the south of France you need to have a little more ability to speak French to get around?

 

[Mermaid]

Mr Newyorker and I went to France, including Provence, before the kids--and our experience was much like Mermaid's. But last February, we went to Paris with our now-older-teenaged kids. We had a wonderful time--my college does lots of terms abroad, so I was lucky to know of a great, but inexpensive hotel near the Pompideau Center--but what was so much fun was seeing Paris again through their eyes. Daughter (17 and "socially gifted" and very style conscious) fell in love with all things French. Son (19) fell in love with the food and the "cool" as well as the lefty political dialogue (he loves this sort of thing). In fact, daughter, now a senior in hs, has finally decided that French is a cool language, and has a new academic purpose (not seen before, alas!) The other day, we received a letter from her hs--she was named "French student of the month" (this was her first academic honor, ever!) So I agree with everyone that the food, the wine, etc are just wonderful in France--but given the effect it had on my daughter--I'd urge you to bring your kids.

Ah, NewYorker, I wish I could say the same about my own 17 year old daughter and 19 year old son! Daughter is in love with Italy. She's taking French in school strictly to get a grasp of Romance languages, to jumpstart her on the Italian she plans to take in college. She has no space in her heart for anything but Italy. Son is a homebody and unless his girlfriend takes him to Europe with her and her family, he probably won't go.

I on the other hand am a confirmed Francophile! I have plenty of friends who'd go to France with me (and a husband who likes it as well) but I have failed with my own children. It makes me kind of sad because I'd give anything for them to be as passionate about la belle France as I am. I have the feeling they might have to be considerable older before they allow their mother and father to hijak them away!

Tootsie, this is what I did with my travel journal. It's an excellent system. I brought a notebook with me (7" x 5" spiral) and every night back at our lodgings, I pour a glass of wine for Merman and me. I'd start writing and as I wrote, I'd read to him and he'd give comments back to me. Like 'did you note this bit, or what about that, or more/less detail'...etc etc. I was actually surprised that he took an interest in it and enjoyed my diary as much I did. That was nice. During the days while we were out, I'd bring along only a sheet of paper and a pen for jotting down notes, and it was from this daily jumble that I'd transcribe during our "Literary Cocktail Hour."