Amicable break-up

It’s starting to feel like the end of the school term around here.
 

I know most children were thrilled to be heading in to the holidays but I was always very hesitant for the term to finish and holidays to start. Not that the holidays didn’t offer excitement and potential (a day trip to Wellington, fish and chips for lunch one day, a cream bun another…those were exciting times) but it was sad for a chapter to end.

That week-long school lead-up as we slowly organised and packed up the classroom, starting with the big art clean-up and ending with the desk and chair stack at the back of the room, was tinged with sadness. Definite personality defect.

And so it is in Provence with just one day to go. The suitcases have started to be filled again. The ‘craft’ (reminiscent of Quality Time Together at school) has been secretly removed. The pens and games have been sorted out.  The enormous piles of pamphlets, tickets and postcards has been carefully packed away. All of it brings little memories of our nine weeks of living a different life.

On Saturday another New Zealand family will be moving in to ‘our’ house. Apparently they are staying for a month. It seems sensible and considerate to take the time to leave them a note of suggestions for places and activities they may enjoy.  Our approach to sightseeing has certainly been to first google the location and gather ideas, you could say our Provencal life has been one long Trip Advisor list of top ten things...although really the biggest gems have been surprise discoveries.

The nicest thing about this idea is that we took the time to talk about what our favourite things have been. Not difficult for a family that likes to indulge in overly-analytic conversations and self-indulgent reflections.

So, if you’re planning some time in this part of the world this list is for you. Take from it what you will.

Best patisserie - Peyrerol in Vaison-La-Romaine. We’ve sampled pretty much all of their cakes. This place will be fresh in my mind if I have to ask one of those svelte Singaporean women for a seatbelt extension.

Best bistro - Cafe du Place in Pernes Les Fontaines. Their plat du jour is always homely French cooking, we’ve eaten rabbit, guinea fowl, lamb and t-bone. Sauces have always been the star. And as long as the children had pens to write on their paper placemats and brightly coloured syrups to drink they were always immaculately behaved there.

Best market - St Remy de Provence on a Wednesday morning was certainly a level above anything else. An artisanal feast of products we didn’t see anywhere else. Vincent Van Gogh knew a good thing when he found it - although as he went completely mad there perhaps it’s sensible to just skim the surface. For closer to home, Bedoin market will always have a special place in our hearts. Our first love.

Best fruit and vegetables - Velleron. If you come to Provence you must go. Often. If meat weren’t so damned delicious this food experience might sway me.

Best surprise attraction - Carrieres de Lumières. Words don’t do this justice. Go. You’ll be changed forever.

Best museum - Pont du Gard. It’s a UNESCO site with an incredibly fascinating museum about Roman architecture, aqueducts, history and culture. Lucky it was 3pm and we were hungry for lunch otherwise we never would have left.

Best tourist attraction - Fontaine de Vaucluse. I imagine this place is heaving in July and August, but if you’re lucky to go either side of it you’ll see nature at its best and know what it is to feel peace.

Best boulangerie - Crestet. What it lacks in character due to its new building it makes up for with beautiful bread. These people aren’t bakers - they are craftspeople.

Best ice-cream - Restaurant Phillipe at Fontaine de Vaucluse. I’m confident in our sample size as it goes in to the hundreds (another reason for the extension). Michelin-starred ice-cream sundae indulged before 11am. But mostly Kirsty and Phil were right - location, location, location.

Best bridge - Let’s face it the Pont D’Avignon is quirky in its half-way to nowhere state and not many bridges can boast a famous song but you can’t beat the Pont du Gard. 2000 year-old genius. I think we saw the beginning of a Schaefer engineer that day. Just not sure which child yet.

Best church - L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue. This one’s controversial because we’ve seen some amazing churches, cathedrals and chapels. But George voted for our winner and his reason was that we saw it mid-Mass and he was quite taken by it. I couldn’t argue with that. Mind you I was surprised he didn’t say Venasque where in the medieval church he asked if could sit down and ‘do a pray’. Afterwards on being questioned he confessed his prayer was that he would live to a million. He might need to work on being more realistic with his requests. Best bit about churches has definitely been the childrens' genuine interest in them. They complained today when we would not stop and look at a tiny chapel in the heavy rain. And that is after they have been through over 50.

Best seaside destination - Cassis. We were in a 1950s French film at the Mediterranean for the day. Sailing up through the calanques was pinch-yourself material. I think Molly fancies working on super yachts when she grows up. Jamie wants a little wooden boat with a flag flying.

Best chateau - Gordes. 12th Century starkness with an amazing exhibition showcasing period clothing dating back centuries and a photographic display of petanque games and characters. All sitting in the middle of a village the Nazis occupied and then burned to the ground as they retreated.

Best Roman monument - we have a hung jury. George says the Maison Carree in Nimes, an amazingly preserved Roman temple. Molly votes for the amphitheatre in Nimes. Jamie the Theatre Antique in Orange and me the Roman village remains in Vaison-La-Romaine. It was all incredible, breathtaking and beautiful.

So that’s it. Our round-up of favourites. We tried to determine a favourite village. Impossible job. They are all amazing, quaint and curious little gems. Who would have thought that a group of children - 11, 9, 5 and 3 - would fall in love with cobblestones, fountains, ivy-clad stone walls and intriguing doors and gates.

The adventures we’ve had. And outside the buildings, settlements, attractions and food we’ve loved the freedom to explore the landscape with its big blue sky, orchards, grapevines and open vistas. Tomorrow we’ll enjoy a last nostalgic day in our special villa ending with a farewell aperitif with Robert and Jinette. But today the last word goes to Peter Mayle:

“Provence is still beautiful. Vast areas of it are still wild and empty. Peace and silence, which have become endangered commodities in the modern world, are still available”.

Provence has taught us to breathe deeply and just be. Pure gold.