We are so lucky, living where we do, as the roads around us are often used for professional cycle races, including the Tour de France. Since buying the house here, it has passed close by twice and we have taken every opportunity we can to watch the professional riders race along some of our favourite … More Watching The Tour de France
Sitting in the north of the Vaucluse, on the border with the Drome, Mont Ventoux dominates the sky-line. This mountain, with its white-scree summit, is an iconic landmark and its profile is instantly recognisable from afar, even as far away as The Camargue. The Giant of Provence rises to over 1900 metres, (it’s been as … More Mont Ventoux and an unplanned ride
If you are a regular reader of the blog, you will know that the Boulangerie at Simiane-La-Rotonde, just across the border from us, in the neighbouring Department of Alpes de Haute Provence, is by far our favourite. The Boulangerie itself is worth the hour long uphill cycle, but it’s not the only attraction as the … More Stepping back in time at Simiane
Deciding where to start with this A to Z wasn’t as easy as I imagined it would be, so why start with Avignon instead of perhaps Aix or Apt ….. Especially as we live so close to Apt and it is such a fascinating place too. In the end, it was quite a simple choice, … More Let’s start with Avignon
I can honestly say that yesterday felt like a holiday. I know that probably sounds a bit ridiculous – I’m in Provence, I cycle almost every day, I have stunning villages to visit and explore, surely every day should feel like a holiday. The fact is that generally it does and don’t get me wrong, … More Back to a Brocante – with a bit of planning ahead.
Looking for more information on the area then the following will be of use : Vaucluse Tourist Information – information on all aspects of visiting the Vaucluse Provence Guide Apt Tourist Office – places to stay, things to do and general info on the area around Apt : OT Apt Luberon Coeur De Provence – … More Local information
Over the last 12 months Jen and Chris Mallon have totally renovated a beautiful old townhouse (with Roman origins) in the heart of the old town of Apt to create smart and comfortable appartments that are now available to rent via http://www.cent-cinq.fr/en/ and during 2020 you can get a 10% discount on any standard rate … More Luxury town centre appartments in Apt
Situated in the beautiful village of Viens, with a boulangerie, alimentation & restaurant and surrounded by spectacular scenery and of course lavender fields, is this peaceful, eco-friendly cottage. Owned by Pascal and his wife Marina, who runs her own French Language School – Learn French in Provence Perfect for a couple, it’s a lovely … More Eco-friendly cottage Viens
I honestly thought we’d tried all possible options to get back to Provence, but it appears now that we may have found another route that is a bit bonkers, but seems (so far) to have been quite fun. This time we have incorporated a couple of market visits into the trip, which has not only … More Back to Provence…. Day 1… Exeter to Paris via Portobello Road Market
As you have probably gathered by now we tend to enjoy spending our time in France cycling, visiting brocante market & vide greniers and drinking coffee, with the days passing by in a blur and us inevitably falling into bed each evening tired and satisfied after the day’s activities. There are certainly worse ways of … More The Pleasure and Pain of cycling to a Brocante Market
Vaucluse Dreamer 