Experience Provence & the French Riviera

Provence State of Mind

Just the word alone conjures brilliant blues skies against which the dusty green of the olive trees reigns supreme. Van Gogh immortalized the light—so too many other painters, poets, and writers.

One, the writer and Provençal native, Frédéric Mistral, liked to remind God that when he doubted the world, to remember he created Provence. Like Paris, Provence is more than a place; it’s a state of mind, and no matter how many times I visit this land of fabled lore and pure light, or stroll a shaded street beneath its signature plane trees, Provence pleasantly surprises.

Provence is the land of crisp rosés and full-bodied reds, of resonant sounds like the clink of glasses and murmur of voices on a shaded terrace, the ubiquitous refrain of the “cigales,” the cicadas of good fortune and grace. Provence is the land of ochres and yellows, of fragrant scents of lavender, rosemary and thyme, and bread baking in the predawn hours. There is a solemn tranquility, about which Durrell said, “Landscapes of an almost brutal serenity.” There is a reassuring certainty to the rituals and traditions of life in the small villages—the markets, the meals, peaceful patterns and rhythms. And there is the light—light of heartbreaking clarity. In late summer into autumn, golden light blankets everything, as if in quiet benediction. There is a serenity that pervades in Provence that stems perhaps from the passage of time, centuries of life remaining nearly the same. Here is the land of van Gogh and Cezanne, of Petrarch and the Troubadours. Here is where shepherds still herd their sheep, and seek out quiet hillsides to eat simple fair: bread, cheese, a dash of olive oil. Here is a land of enchantment. And you, too, can become a part, if just for a brief moment in time.

Travel with Beyond Ordinary Travel has less to do with the crowded beaches and hilltop towns than with the shaded valleys and mystic springs, the orchards and vineyards, and long lunches with friends—in short the untrodden path far from tourist tracks.

As you wander the markets, catching aromas of bread baking, spices and soaps, you’ll become aware of a way of life that's basic and real; you’ll merge with the quiet simplicity that is the stanchion of daily Provençal life, a life whose rhythms and pace seem to defy the passage of time. When traveling, we're often reminded of the constant struggle between the soul's ideal and the human state (humanity's greed and consuming quest for power). And, standing beside remnants of a ruined fortress, it is easy to see that the dream is certainly weak in the face of history. But it doesn't mean one stops reaching for it, and sometimes as the bells of an ancient abbey chime, the sea laps, or the breeze blows through the plane trees, it's enough just to be part of it all. Just to be.

Often travel, especially in the face of uncertainty or fear, is the best action, for it destroys small-mindedness and misconceptions, and if it highlights cultural diversity, it also deepens our appreciation for our interconnectedness.

The Markets & Vineyards of Provence

The love of good eating is central to French culture. To understand the French, one has to understand the market. By this I don’t mean the supermarchés that threaten to take over, but the outdoor roving markets with local produce (look for the word “pays” which means “country” literally but translate to “it’s local.”) The French, for the most part, still shop daily. Compared to the American world of fast foods and take-out, the outdoor markets of Provence are an expression of a life lived in connection to the earth. They hew to traditional values of quality, freshness, presentation, and a real joie de vivre. Markets bring out a feeling of well-being and of being alive. They hark back to a simpler time and simpler way of life, existing virtually unchanged for centures, dependent upon the earth and her bounty, clocking the changing of seasons. They help slow the high-tech, fast-paced world, and help show the value of local products, community, home cooking, and what matters in life.

This is our most popular tour in Provence, and while a lot of focus is on food and wine, there is plenty of non-gastronomical culture! Churches, cloisters, spectacles, sound & light shows, artists galleries, and art museums. Provence has it all.