Mathilde Duvilliers
van Gogh Scholar
“
Vincent van Gogh wrote to his
From the fruit of the vine to
brother Theo from San Rémy in 1890:
the fruits of your labors, you’ll
‘What the Impressionists have found
experience an authentic taste of
in color will develop even more,
daily life in Provence!
but many forget the tie which binds
them to the past, and I will show
that I have little belief in a rigorous
division between Impressionists
and others.’ An excerpt from one is a jewel. Dine at your leisure tonight at leisure. There are trails to hike, bikes to
of many letters the famed painter
the hotel – the chef / owner has recently ride, horses to saddle and places to relax,
wrote during his most creative, and
been awarded the “Rising Chef” award by including an exquisite spa and manicured
Relais & Chateaux. Bon appetit! Meals BD gardens. Join us this afternoon for an
most conflicted, days in the asylum
informal lesson in the game of boules, a
at San Rémy. I am in love with this
4. BORIES, ABBEYS
favorite Provençal tradition. Meals BL
& BOULES
artist for his talent, his sincerity and
A little morning exercise can warm you
his sensitivity. I’ll share my insights
up for more adventures among the chalk
DAY 5: KAYAKING & A PUB CRAWL
on his complicated life when we walk
cliffs, fairy-tale villages, meadows and
After bubbling away deep beneath the
in his footsteps in San Rémy.
”
moorlands of the Luberon. In a nearby
hills of Provence, the most powerful
village, pick out the ingredients for a
spring in France bursts forth at nearly
traditional picnic lunch – perhaps a
20,000 gallons per second to feed the
baguette, fruits and meats, cheese, olives
mysterious Sorgue River. Paddle your
and, naturellement, wine… whatever
kayak along this picturesque waterway
tempts your palate! Walk past chalk and
from Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to L’Isle-
ridge, Bonnieux is your next destination. red-ochre cliffs, cedar forests, taupe
sur-la-Sorgue... passing by waterwheels
Look up to see its 12th-century church, moorlands and river-hewn gorges on
suspended in time! Back on land, travel
“vieille église,” presiding over the town’s your way to the beautiful Abbaye de
to Arles, once a major Gallo-Roman city.
narrow streets and ancient walls, look Sénanque; your path is a treat for the
Its ancient ruins date back to the 7th
out at views of tiny medieval villages in senses. Depending on the time of year,
century BC, echoing vestiges of the past
the countryside and look around at the you can see lavender in full bloom or
in its Roman Arena and Theatre. Stroll
picturesque homes magically clinging to golden wheat fields surrounding the
down boulevards lined with candy-colored
the rocks. Unwind over a pastis at a local 900-year-old Abbaye de Sénanque, still
shutters from 18th-century stone manors
café before continuing on to your lovely home to Cistercian monks. Picnic in a
and into leafy squares… stop for lunch
inn this afternoon. Set in a park-like Provençal meadow, then return to Joucas
and people-watching in one of its many
setting in Joucas, Hostellerie Le Phébus where the remainder of the day is at your
charming cafés. Arrive late afternoon in
12
B9)B&XOWXULRXVBBLQGG 30
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