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Time to dream of tomorrow

It has been a challenging year. We may have booked our holidays and then seen our hopes scuppered thanks to the closing of borders and travel restrictions. The recent resurgence in virus outbreaks and the possibility that advice could change in an instance all but destroyed most people’s hopes of time abroad. Of course, this is hard. However, what an excellent opportunity to dream of a better tomorrow! While 2020 will always be remembered as the year we stayed home, 2021 could be the time when you discovered places of stunning beauty, culture, and culinary delights. 2021 should be the year when you find your Provence. Let us put some flesh to this skeleton of an idea. Our only hope here is to help you envision your getaway and to help you travel in your imagination. Then, when the perfect holiday is designed, you can go book and begin to anticipate a better tomorrow. Go hiking in Calanques Settle back in your chair and imagine beginning your holiday surrounded by narrow inlets and the towering cliff-side rock formations. The sea is crisp around your toes but as clear as crystal. You will then ascend through narrow rocky pathways to overlook the vista of the bays. If one day hiking exhausts you, day two could be a boat tour and day three a gentle kayak up the coast. You could spend a day in some of the seaside resorts among the other tourists before hiring some bikes to get away from the crowds – seeking a private inlet of your own. This holiday would be a perfect spring trip. If you wait to go in the summer, you might be thwarted by bans due to the risk of fire. It is also too hot in this area of Southern France to properly hike the many trails available to you. Town hopping Provence is awash with some of the prettiest towns in the world. There are so many places where you could go and stay or visit for a moment before moving on. Take Eze, near Nice, as an example. This small town is perched on the side of a hill that overlooks the stunning coastline. The medieval streets are narrow, and there are nooks and crannies to explore over many weeks. You can stay still and soak up the slow pace of Provence life in this stunning spot. Alternatively, you might want to hop from town to town. Take in the seaside village of Cassis and tour the inlets by boat, take in the incredible ancient architecture of Oppede Le Vieux, spend a day in peace by the fountains of Pernes Les Fountaines or enjoy a glass of wine in Pernes at sunset or a wander around the stunning architecture in Avigon. If you are keen to take in the lavender fields of Provence then beginning in Siamiane-La-Rotonde and moving on to Sault and Aurel, you will enjoy the best of experiences of the area. Not only can you bask in the beauty of the fields but visit some gorgeous little cafes too. Finding your gem Provence may be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, but there are still pleasures to be had in finding your hidden gem. There are many small villages, towns and nooks off the well-worn paths to excite the possibility of so many adventures. So, today, you could begin your dreams of finding a spot of your own in a quiet corner of Provence where other tourists choose never to venture. We always love to visit Le Panier, near Marseille, for instance. This area is a hub for arts and artisans alike, and because people think it is a place that is overrun with trippers, it is often tranquil. It is a place where you could take a walk through the many galleries and shops of the local creatives by day and spend an intimate dinner by candlelight in one of the small, local restaurants. A unique area of Provence, usually only visited by boaters travelling through, is Camargue. It is like nothing you will find elsewhere in the area. You will fall in love with the wildlife, especially the flamingos and the startlingly beautiful white horses. You might also want to be careful to spot the black bulls that are frequent inhabiters of local fields. Alternatively, seek out Les Alpilles, which is said to be one of Van Gogh’s favourite spots. It is about 15 miles from Avignon, and mountains and small villages will spoil you. There is much to explore, and it is a place where you will feel most at home renting a small villa and going native for a while. Eat your way around Provence You don’t need any help imagining the possibilities of a wine tour around Southern France. We drop it in here as a reminder of long evenings in courtyards by candlelight tasting the most delicious wines. Yet, you may need more help envisioning a tour of some of the best food. The cuisine of Provence is more than Salad Niçoise – there is much more to discover than this. If a tour of food outlets sounds like your dream, then we suggest heading to the Avignon region, where the diet of fresh produce, fish, and Sisteron lamb, with the pates and pasta and the drenching of olive oil with delight. Go to Avignon and begin your journey, not at the restaurants, but the covered markets. You might be entering a shed, but inside you will be overwhelmed with the smells, colours and textures of foods of every variety. Everything will tempt, with the abundance of the local delicacies – from hanging hams to roasting chickens, huge ripe melons to the leaves of every herb for seasoning. And don’t forget the olives! And, the goat’s cheese. And, tapenade or aiolade. Oh my, your mouth will water, and your belts will bulge, but you will have lost yourself in paradise! If you don’t want to cook on this dream holiday of yours, then visit the Restaurant Christian Etienne, L’Agape, La Mirande, Christian Etienne and La Fourchette. A tour of these restaurants will change your view of eating for the rest of your life. Travel in your mind 2020 doesn’t have to be a time of Netflix and gardening. You may not make the physical journey abroad, but we invite you to dream of your perfect trip. Provence offers a million adventures, and today you can travel them in your mind ready to enjoy in person just as soon as you can. Su Stephens is Owner of Olives & Vines. Olives & Vines is a luxury holiday company based in the South of France offering stays at their beautifully designed holiday house and boutique hotel in Le Castellet. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Su Stephens

Stephens is Owner of Olives & Vines. Olives & Vines is a luxury holiday company based in the South of France offering stays at their beautifully designed holiday house and boutique hotel in Le Castellet.

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7 Comments

  1. Many of us have been dreaming of travel for several months now, it was one of the tactics that helped get me through the dark days of lock-down. Though I’ve woken to the disappointing news that British visitors to France have to quarantine for two weeks on their return which just isn’t practical for me. That would be 20 days of my annual leave gone. I’ll just have to keep dreaming of a visit next year.

  2. Until this disastrous year we have spent many a happy summer holiday in the south of France. We’ve never visited the Calanques. That picture with the different shades of blue makes it look quite idyllic. Another place that we are yet to visit is the Camargue. Not many of us Brits seem to
    make it there but when somebody does they always seem to return with rave reports of the region’s beauty.

  3. We’ve missed eating our way around Provence this year. Even though I’ve done my best to recreate some Provençal classics in my kitchen it really hasn’t be the same. Even though you can get most of the ingredients in our local supermarkets the food just doesn’t taste as good and I think a lot of that is down to not be able to buy the fruit and veg fresh from those great Provençal markets. And, of course, we just don’t have the great choice of seafood that you get in the south of France.

  4. I can remember looking at the calendar early in 2020 and thinking about pencilling in some dates for our annual summer pilgrimage across the channel and down the autoroutes to the south of France. As January was hectic we never got round to finalising dates but back then we never thought that we’d miss out on our annual trip to France. You are right we should be dreaming and planning for next year’s trip. Hopefully normal service, or something closer to it, will resume in 2021.

  5. Most years we’ve hired a gite in Brittany or Normandy and the family have absolutely loved it. Having seen all of these lovely photos and read about Provence’s charms it’s got me thinking that maybe it’s time that we ventured a bit further.

    I’m hesitant to say this but now the children are becoming teenagers possibly they could cope with a longer drive. I can’t see that being sat in a car with their headphones on is all that different to being sat at home with their headphones on. At least they would see something of France through the car windows.

  6. Reading articles like this one keeps me hopeful that we will all get back to the way we used to. This pandemic changed our lives but I hope that it is not forever and won’t be so long. I am really bored and I want to experience the outdoors soon. Here’s to hoping that everything will be fine. Cheers to a better tomorrow!

  7. With the problems that we are experiencing today, we are surely looking forward to better days ahead. There is no doubt that a lot of us are craving relaxation and refreshment to ease the physical and emotional burden brought by the pandemic.

    I have read a lot of articles describing the beauty of Provence. Most of these articles also highlight the rich culture of the place and its enticing cuisine. The features of Provence is naturally refreshing. The wide and open spaces are very much relaxing especially for leisure activities, while other activities, such as hiking and cycling may be tiring but allows you to explore Provence more and develop a stronger appreciation for nature as well.

    On the other hand, if you are fond of shopping in local boutiques, I’ve read that one can enjoy strolling around towns in Provence. I could not agree more that it has the prettiest towns in the world because it is definitely true. If I was planning to travel this year and explore new and refreshing destinations, then I will want to add Provence in my list, for sure.

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