Provence Comes to Life:
A Fodor's Great Itinerary for Peter Mayle Country
Follow Peter Mayle's footsteps and experience the best of Provence for yourself.
This special itinerary, compiled by the resident-experts at Fodor's, gets to the
heart of the region--its history, its architecture, its markets, its
cafés, and more. Duration: 8 days
Days 1 & 2: Avignon
Visit the Pope's Palace then make a pilgrimage to the Les Halles market Mayle
describes in A Year in Provence. Drive to Orange to see the Roman theater, home
of the famous annual opera festival.
Days 3 & 4: Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Aim for a Sunday to peruse the famous antiques market along the waterwheels and
canals of the Sorgue River. Enjoy the unpretentious backstreets of the old town,
then make a half-day pilgrimage to Fontaine de Vaucluse, worth visiting for both
its lovely setting and its natural wonder, the torrent that wells up from deep
under spectacular cliffs.
Days 5 & 6: Bonnieux
Use Bonnieux as a base to explore other Luberon hill towns: Oppéde and
Ménerbes, ochre-red Rouissillon, and Gordes, with its mystical stone huts
called bories.
Days 7 & 8: Aix
View the handful of Cézannes in the Musée Granet, then visit the
artist's studio. Wander the twisting streets of the old town and visit the
cathedral with its Froment triptych and its 5th century baptistery. But mainly,
pull up a café chair on the grand and graceful cours Mirabeau and watch
the world go by.
--Excerpted from Fodor's Gold Guide to Provence and the Cote d'Azur, 4th edition. Copyright 1999, Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.
For more information on planning an escape to Provence, check out these great travel guides:
