When We Can Travel Again—France

When We Can Travel Again…

France

By Wendy Van Hatten

Passport? Check. Packing list? Complete. Euros? Got them. Covid vaccinations? All done. Destination? Nice and Provence. Airline tickets? Wait a minute. Not yet.

At this point in time, we have no clear idea when we can travel to Europe again. For the record, whenever that happens, we are ready. France is first on the list, with Nice, Saint Remy, Agay, Bandol, Cassis, Vaisonla-Romaine, Avignon, and more depending on our mood.

Why France and why Provence? My husband and I love discovering food and wine. Daily trips to the market, experiencing history firsthand, and wandering through streets and alleys to find the perfect pair of shoes or container of sel de mer is what travel is all about for us. That means we enjoy a lot of places. To start with, it’s back to France.

Do we have an idea of where we will begin? Of course.

We invite you to join us as we spend a week or so in Nice. Walk along when we once again amble the Promenade des Anglais, gaze at the impossibly blue Mediterranean, and wander through ocher colored streets in search of our next excuse to stop and have a cocktail. The flower market is always a favorite stop to pick up a bouquet of mixed colors and take some pictures of sunflowers bigger than my head. This time the Matisse Museum is on our list, as well as the Marc Chagall National Museum.

After a week or so we’ll head east, eventually ending up in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, a favorite town in the Bouches-du-Rhone area of Provence. This is a leisurely road trip, as we stop at some familiar spots and always find new ones. Why Saint Remy? This centralized small town provides our headquarters for day trips while we search out new places to explore, new foods to enjoy, and favorite wines to drink. Want to feel like you live in Provence? Saint Remy is the town to do just that.

Come on our first day-trip as we get up early and head to Cassis. Once called the poor man’s St. Tropez, Cassis is no longer treated like a second-class citizen. This fishing village with its pastel-colored buildings is probably the best kept secret of the French Riviera. The Mediterranean shows her aqua water turn to deep blue as the sun moves overhead. We will take the winding, narrow, almost death-defying road to the top of Cap Canaille. Trust me, it’s well worth the whiteknuckle drive. Look down on the town, out to sea, and feel like you’re truly on top of the world.

Cassis wines are a not-to-be-missed for us. These special Provence roses are like no others in the world. Due to climate, limestone soil, how the vines are harvested, and where they sit on the hillside all play into the delicate, yet not thin pink wine I like in my glass. Cheers!

Once back in Saint Remy, we’ll plan other days trips. Vaison-la-Romaine, with its largest street market, is a must. Bandol takes us back close to Cassis, where we’ll try more wonderful wines. In Les Baux-deProvence, with its rocky outcrop and ruined castle, we love the Carrieres de Lumieres, a former quarry with a light-based multimedia show projecting images of famous paintings. Picassos on the walls of a quarry? You really have to see it to believe it.

Of course, we plan to head back to Sablet, Gigondas, Avignon, and wherever else we feel like venturing after our morning coffee and croissants.

Maybe it’s another day for wandering the streets of Saint Remy, sampling foods at the street market, or buying hand-crafted glass knobs for my bathroom cabinets at home. Maybe it will be a day for people watching and enjoying the sunshine. The possibilities are almost endless.

Now… when can we buy those airline tickets?

Photos from top: Grapes by Cassis; Vaison market spices; Saint Remy market garlic; Olives Saint Remy