Walking with Van Gogh
📍Saint Remy de Provence, France

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While researching for our trip to Provence, it felt like a big undertaking. It’s a large region that spans from the Southern Alps to resorts along the Mediterranean. I wanted to see as much as possible. A particular town that really spoke to me was the beautiful Saint Remy de Provence. Just south of Avignon, I knew it would be a perfect addition to our Provencal road trip. While there’s so much to see and explore in town, the most noteworthy attraction is the Van Gogh Walk.

Since I would list Vincent Van Gogh as my favorite artist, I was so excited to see the town and landscape that helped inspire so many of his works. Although the artist only lived here for a year, May 1889-May 1890, it’s where he painted over 150 canvases, including Starry Night. Along the Van Gogh Walk, you’ll find 19 markers that outline his career with prints of his most beloved works. The route takes you from the town center in Saint Remy de Provence to the Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole. A self-admitted patient for most of his year in town, this happened shortly after the infamous “ear” incident.

Interestingly, Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole is still a working hospital, but there are certain wings that you are free to explore. The cloisters and interior garden act as the resident art museum, with exhibitions rotating frequently. Many of these artists are local and directly inspired by Van Gogh’s work. Continue through the former monastery, up the narrow stairs, and you’ll find Van Gogh’s former bedroom. It had direct views of the lavender fields below, and Van Gogh could often be found painting there. Because the hospital was only half occupied in the summer of 1889, he was given an additional room on the ground floor to act as his studio.

From start to finish, our entire excursion took about an hour. The weather couldn’t have been prettier, and I protected myself from the sun with an oversized sunhat. As a lover of art, I’m so happy we made this detour to stand where Van Gogh stood. It was so powerful to see in person the cypress trees and swirling landscapes that make him a feature in every great art museum. If you stand and admire the scenery long enough, you may just begin seeing the world from a brand new perspective.

Sometimes travel is all about being on the go and adapting to the hustle of a city. In Saint Remy de Provence, it was a treat to slow down and really take the time to ‘stop and smell the roses.’ However, in Van Gogh’s case, it may be more about the irises. 

Love from France,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Antiquing in L’isle de la Sorgue
📍 L’isle de la Sorgue, France

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Our adventure in the Provence region of France continues with L’isle de la Sorgue. Because the River Sorgue runs through the center of town and offers waterfront dining, it is often lovingly known as the Venice of Provence. This small town is best known for its antique stores and vintage markets that open along the river on the weekends. Even though there was limited space in my checked bag, I found it to be such a pleasure to make time for some antiquing and finding plenty of home inspiration.

A Leisure Drive to L’isle de la Sorgue

From our hotel in Gordes, we drove through the stunning Provençal countryside. It seemed like the whole world was a vibrant shade of green, with so many farms, vineyards, and a smattering of beautiful maisons. Since I wanted to get to our destination as quickly as possible and potentially beat some of the crowds, we didn’t make any stops along the way. I did make a few mental notes for our next trip. I would love to stop at the small wineries to experience the best that the region offers.

Visiting the Many Antique Stores

With the small town beginning to come to life, so too did the 300 plus antique shops that call L’isle de la Sorgue home. Because we were there at the start of the day, many stores were just beginning to open. That gave us first looks at countless treasures. An entire day can be dedicated to perusing through, and you still won’t cover everything. While my bags were already fully packed with goodies from Paris, many shops offer international shipping and create a custom quote for you on the spot. This may be the best way to ensure that all of your antique finds, large and small, make it safely home.

Croissants at Cafe de France

Hunting for antiques can create quite an appetite! After a short shopping spree and walk through town, we grabbed a table at Cafe de France on the Pl. de la Liberté. The town square was beginning to buzz, and the spot made for incredible people-watching. Sitting under the shadow of Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges, we sincerely enjoyed our coffee and second croissant of the day. Inside was a belle epoque inspired bar I wanted to spend more time at. Again, I wondered about vacationing here full time. Such is the life when you visit a place as wonderful as Provence. 

Lunch at Café Fleurs

After croissants, lunch was not far behind. I had heard such wonderful things about Café Fleurs. Located right along the Sorgue River, I can’t think of a better place to dine and take in the view. You can expect perfectly made French dishes with just a bit of a global twist. The menu was entirely in French, and I had to trust my limited language skills and intuition while ordering. I made the right call! Out came an herb-encrusted steak with a delicious garlic sauce that I want to accompany every meal now. It was a big lunch, but that’s often a French mindset: light breakfast, heavy lunch, and light dinner.

Sorbet to Beat the Heat

So many great meals ended with dessert, and I wanted to grab a cool treat to help fight the warm mistral winds. On our way back to the rental car, we popped into an ice cream shop, locally known as a glacier. Even though there were a variety of flavors, I knew my choices as soon as I laid eyes on it… Strawberry-Basil and Fig. Delicious and refreshing, I felt like a kid again as I raced to eat the glace before it began to melt. I promise I shared with David, although I think he should have ordered his own cup. 

So with very full stomachs and even fuller hearts, we made our way home from Antiquing in L’isle de la Sorgue to Gordes. Our day in this artistic town was, in a word, perfect! Up next, I’ll share some details on our next Provence town that

Love from France,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

A Morning in Ménerbes
📍 Ménerbes, France

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I think I’ve finally found my ideal morning routine while in Provence. I would get up with the sunrise and watch the day begin from our sweet hotel balcony. After a very French breakfast of croissants, cheeses, and coffee, we would hit the road in our little rental car to explore a nearby town. I had a general idea of where in the area I wanted to see, but it’s such a liberating feeling to hop in the car to see where the day takes you. On our first day of exploring, our destination was Ménerbes, a tiny commune about 15 minutes from our hotel. Here’s a quick look at our lovely morning in Ménerbes, France.

Coffee at Café du Progrès

Even though we already had breakfast at our hotel, we needed a second cup of coffee to get going with the day. I had heard that the views from Café du Progrès were stunning and wanted to see them for myself. With an expresso in hand, we could admire the views of the valley and watch the small town come alive. I wish we could have visited in the afternoon because this café also serves as the town’s wine bar and is where locals like to unwind after the work day.

Explore the Village Center

With a population of only 900, you’ll be surprised to find so much to explore in town. After our cup of coffee, we wandered through the streets and daydreamed about a life in Provence. Since the shops have yet to open, it felt like we had the whole town to ourselves. We stumbled upon their quaint town hall and continued our exploration to Eglise Saint Luc. Since this small church is at the very top of a hill, we had sweeping views on the entire Luberon region. As we walked back down, the shops began to open and the day officially could begin. We wandered through the boutiques and even picked up some provisions from the market to enjoy when got home.

Lunch in Oppède

We decided to take a long way home and hopefully explore one more village before enjoying time at the pool. We had our GPS set for Oppède, and off we went. There are two distinct parts to this town. While I wanted to see the historic village, it was up a very steep hill, and we just weren’t confident our little rental could make it. Instead, we opted for lunch in the town center at Bistro de Pays Les Pouilvets. Since no one there spoke English, I was able to practice my French skills and felt pretty accomplished doing it. This restaurant was such an unexpected delight! I think about the salad I ordered almost daily.

And just like that, our first morning in Ménerbes came to an end. We drove by seemingly endless lavender fields and vineyards as we wandered back to our hotel in Gordes. Provence is truly a special place, and I feel fortunate to have experienced it firsthand. I wonder what town we’ll get to explore next!

Love from France,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.