Sparkling Toulon

Eat your heart out London Regent Street. Toulon does its Christmas lights in real style - including the palm trees!

The fruits of the season

For every 5 kilos of olives the mill gives you 1 litre of oil. Here's a few litres ready and waiting in the making.

And on their way to the press

Oil ready for collection in just a couple of weeks - and to be enjoyed all year long.

Fog in the Luberon! Continent cut off!

The Luberon hasn’t exactly escaped the bad weather you’ve all been having up north. No snow but freezing dank conditions prevailed for days. We’re back to our normally sunny selves now but it made for a different outlook.

We walked along the ridge above Gordes looking down into the valley and took these shots. As we climbed through the cloud and mists, the Luberon and Vaucluse mountains poked above the valley floor covered in fog. Not great pics but we think you’ll agree a bit different to the normal stuff we post here.

Taster

And finally this morning a little taster.

One of our most popular houses introduced this year has been Domus Alba. A large house sleeping 12 situated at the western end of the Luberon valley in the village of Chavel Blanc. The convenience of this location has proved so popular that availability for 2011 is now limited.

http://provenceholidayhouses.com/prices_Large.htm

We are delighted however to tell you that the house next door is also now available for rent. Mas des Banquets also sleeps 12 and has a splendid pool.

Watch this space as they say!

Villa Micolari

The second house we've added to our portfolio of houses we offer for rent in the Alpilles is this one. The same owners are offering the introductory offer of 5% discount on any bookings made before Christmas.

The cottage is situated just a few minutes drive from the centre of St. Remy, a delightful old market town in the heart of the Alpilles area of Provence. The lovely old town centre has pretty streets, delightful shops and quiet squares and the lively boulevard surrounding the centre offers a great choice of lively cafes and restaurants. The whole area is rich in history. The ancient Roman town of 'Glanum', the St. Paul Mausoleum from where Van Gogh produced many of his paintings of the region, and the beautiful Alpilles mountains are a short drive away. Pine forests, olive groves and vineyards provide the quintessential provencal landscape. The historic cities of Avignon, Arles, Nimes and Aix en Provence are within easy exploring distance. The UNESCO world heritage site of the Pont du Gard, the perched villages of the Parc Naturel du Luberon and the Camargue are also very close as is the Mediterranean sea - within an hours drive. There is also range of sports and activities available in the area including walking, golf, tennis and horse riding

Click on this link to see the page
http://provenceholidayhouses.com/Villa_Micoulari.html

Mas du Pieou

We've added a couple of houses to our portfolio of houses we offer for rent in the Alpilles.

As an introductory offer the owners have given us a 5% discount on any bookings made before Christmas. The house is situated just five minutes drive from the centre of St. Remy, a delightful old market town in the heart of the Alpilles area of Provence. The lovely old town centre has pretty streets, delightful shops and quiet squares and the lively boulevard surrounding the centre offers a great choice of lively cafes and restaurants. The whole area is rich in history. The ancient Roman town of 'Glanum', the St. Paul Mausoleum from where Van Gogh produced many of his paintings of the region, and the beautiful Alpilles mountains are a short drive away. Pine forests, olive groves and vineyards provide the quintessential provencal landscape. The historic cities of Avignon, Arles, Nimes and Aix en Provence are within easy exploring distance. The UNESCO world heritage site of the Pont du Gard, the perched villages of the Parc Naturel du Luberon and the Camargue are also very close as is the Mediterranean sea - within an hours drive. There is also range of sports and activities available in the area including walking, golf, tennis and horse riding.

Click this link to go to the page http://provenceholidayhouses.com/Mas_du_Pieou.html

Dancing in the Luberon

Reblogged from the Torygraf

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/8118236/Provence-readers-tips-recommendations-and-travel-advice.html

DANCING IN THE LUBERON
The square in Lambesc was filled with music and as the band played it appeared that the whole of the village had turned out and were dancing with abandon. We bought luminous bracelets and crêpes for the children and jugs of rosé for the adults and chatted and danced the night away under the twinkling lights strung beneath the trees. Later we walked home carrying tired but happy children. The next day we drove through the Lubéron and stopped to have lunch in the dappled sunlight. I heard a cork pop and thought to myself – does life get better than this?

Sarah English, London

Art in Haute Provence

This shot was taken a few days ago during our wanderings in the Haute Provence.

What took my eye was the artist (name unknown), the same hand painted a similar image on the cooling tower of the power station at Bollene. State sponsored grafiti? If I ever find out I'll let you know.

Sometimes we need good news

Nothing to do with Provence but it's nice to share some good news sometimes don't you think.

Colours of the Luberon

Our part of the world certainly looks picture postcard pretty at the moment.

Pretty as a picture

Charming old bench, bright Autumn leaves - a pretty, if slightly wonky, picture of France!

Fabulous secret valley

Provence reveals more wonderful places to us every day. On a warm and sunny November morning we set off north up climbing through the Vaucluse hills up to Sault with Mont Ventoux in the distance, lower slopes ablaze with autumn colours.

Continuing north we crested the Col du Negron and stopped, breathless at the sight below us.

The Vallée de Jabron.

A bright and beautiful late October day

Bright skies, warm sunshine, beautiful colours in the vineyards and cherry orchards. A delightful walk through the Luberon valley.

Man of many talents

One man band spotted in Roussillon. Always something going on in this delightful Luberon village.

Could be Rome?

No just the garden at our local bistro

Try a Real Provence holiday vacation and we'll show you how to find this and other stunning views.

Autumn / Fall

Season of mists and mellow fruitfullness

I say, I say

My second botanic blog of the day ....

What do you get from the Trompettes de Jericho?

Give up?

Beans! But only in Provence

Didn't get to try them tho ....

Not many people know this ...

If the lavender is left uncut and the plant is in good condition, the little darlings have a second flowering on the tip of the summer flower. Isn't that lovely.

But only in Provence!

Weird and wonderful

Surprising what you find in Avignon. An upside down elephant right in front of the Palais des Papes!

Ripe for the picking

Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah? Its picking time in the Luberon again and ripened by the superb summer weather this year, these grapes are certainly ready for the picking. Word has it that 2010 is going to be a very good year.....

The 'Septembristes'

The 'Septembristes' - the people in the know about one of the best months to spend time in Provence.

We find them strolling Lourmarin market on a sunny Friday morning

pottering around the Marché Potiers in Roussillon on a warm sunny Sunday.

and enjoying dining outside in the evening at Le Fournil in Bonnieux.

We and the 'Septembrists' are just simply enjoying one of the best September's we can remember in Provence.

A little piece of Holland right here in Provence

Well why not bring it with you?

Lavender holidays

Friday was our day off, (the first in months!), and we went up to the Plateau de Sault.

To our astonishment there was still lavender to be seen or was being cut.

We always tell our clients taking Lavender holidays that 2nd week of July can be relied on to see the Lavender at it's best colour at least up on the Plateau, perhaps a couple of weeks before in the Luberon. The start of the year was very wet in Provence which made for a late flowering, however August is astonishing. June July & August for Lavender holidays. Wow!

Lavender, lavender everywhere

Its here, its now, its blooming everywhere! Yes its Lavender time in Provence and doesn't it look just wonderful. In the Luberon valley the small lavender fields in full bloom are hot spots for photographers and painters. On the Plateau de Sault the higher altitude fields are just beginning to show that beautiful colour we all dream about.

My six point football plan

1. Never again employ anyone other than an Englishman to manage an English team. Pay only by results. No contract longer than 3 months.
2. Eliminate work permits to play professional football for non-European people. We have enough Englishmen who want to earn a living playing the game, we don’t need to feed the talent pool of foreigners ever again.
3. Pick a much larger pool of players for the national squad, if the first 26 don’t perform bring in the second or the third without compunction
4. Establish an exclusive training programme for young players who want to play for their country on an expenses only basis and choose only from this pool. Seek commitment to the squad above all else
5. Accept a longer term view and acknowledge that we need to grow a team of Englishmen that are committed to country first and the rewards of professional football second.
6. Listen to the voice of the country in all things football.
7. Never listen to a rant :-)

Haute Provence

We're preparing tailor made holiday vacations for a number of clients visiting the lavender fields of the Haute Provence. Visiting the Gorge du Verdon to see the Canyon and driving the Route de Cretes is a must. How about this for a taster?

The tiny blue line is of course the river running through the gorge.

Nude Sunbathing in Bandol

Bandol, the perfect excursion for your day trip to the coast and that all over tan.

Reminder

Be there or be ........

Toulon v Cardiff Blues - Velodrome Marseille Sunday 23rd May

(Amlin Challenge Cup, Finale - 23/05/10 - 15:00 - Stade Vélodrome - Marseille)

Spring flower delights

A picture book of delightful wild flowers on a stroll through the countryside at the eastern end of the Luberon valley. The blue blue of Spring irises, miniature blue 'birds-eye' in a wild meadow, bright white garlic and wild thyme nestling against the old stone walls. What a picture.

Others are saying this

But it's true!

Our villas with private pools are ready now. We have contacted all our villa owners in the last few days to make sure that all the pools are ready for use. The weather forecast indicates sunny and warm Spring weather in most southern regions in the next 4 weeks. If you are frustrated at the prospect of being unable to get away by plane to somewhere in next few weeks, why not have a look at some of our villas where the pools have just been prepared for the summer, and sparkling, refreshing water has just been put in. Eurotunnel crossings have good availability.

Up up and away

The first hot air balloon of the summer. A beautiful blue sky April morning. A superb morning for a fabulous view of the Luberon valley from on high. Hot air balloon rides can be arranged as part of a Real Provence holiday and with a champagne breakfast on landing, it makes for a superb holiday experience.

Addicted to Cherry Blossom

I know we posted shots like these before but the truth is the blossom can sometimes be a photographers dream. As we go backwards forwards about our business I have to stop the car every so often just to capture the beauty of it. Here are two different orchards close to our own house at Pouraque.

I'm pleased with the results shall we say.