Provence and its stunning towns
Avignon: " The City of the Popes " famous for its Theater festival
Cori and I loved rediscovering the beautiful Provencal town of Avignon during the "Theater festival" that takes place every year in July. Many stop here and rent villas for the Festival d'Avignon, when the town comes alive with minstrels, street vendors, and shows staged around historical monuments and in the streets. Avignon is an inland town of 85,000 and a real gem. Renting a villa in one of the nearby Provencal villages can be a great way to discover the city and its beautdul surroundings. It is ancient, full of history, life, youth, art, music and activity. It's not so large as to feel like a city, and yet there's so much to do and see you may want to spend more than a day here. It offers a great shopping area with "pedestrian only" streets and a myriad of shops of all kinds. Wonderful cafes and restaurants for all tastes and pocketbooks await you. Six major museums exhibit everything from rich art collections to porcelain, tapestries, and an excellent natural history library.
Provencal village
The Phoenician town of Marseilles is worth a visit
Marseilles is a marvelous 2600 year old seaport with a dynamic downtown, big parks, a medieval neighborhood, renowned shopping and wonderful seafood. This city of 800,000 is full of history. Originally inhabited by the Ligurians, it was developed by Phoenicians around 600 BC, then taken over by the Greeks in 540 BC, and conquered by the Romans 2000 years ago. So historical monuments and sites are everywhere you turn. Being the second largest city in France, it has a modern metro system and has been divided into "arrondissements" just like Paris.
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Beau Luberon Villa, Lourmarin - Provence
Marseilles offers an abundance of culture and delicious food
The personality of Marseilles exudes antiquity, the sea, museums, history, and seafood. Their most famous seafood dish is bouillabaisse, a world renowned soup/stew that offers as many as 6 different types of fish. It's delicious and highly recommended. Another local specialty is the "navette", a small Marseilles pastry baked in the shape of a boat. And don't miss the well known and well respected "Cassis" white wine, produced in the Cassis region just a few kilometers to the east.
Beautiful Vineyards near Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon region
Cezanne was born in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is a town known for its art. With a population of 124,000, its moderate size includes several universities and an art school, making the town vibrant and youthful. The old walled part of the town is at the center, ringed by a circle of boulevards and squares. It's fun to explore on foot, and you'll even find one of the 39 ancient towers still standing. The Cours Mirabeau is in the heart of Aix. It's a beautiful tree-lined avenue, and along one side are numerous terrace cafes and bookshops. The town offers so much - there's of course a flower market, lots of fountains, a wonderful array of shops, open markets, museums, and religious, architectural, and historical sites to explore. Cezanne was born in Aix in 1838 so you'll see and read references to him all over town.
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Oppede Estate, The Windmill
The town of Apt is famous for its fountains and crafts
Apt is a town of 11,000 and is entered through a fabulous stone gateway. It's a famous market town and its special charm and beauty are displayed at its best in the old part of the town (vieille ville) where the 11th century Cathedral was once on an island between two branches of the river. Here you find long, narrow streets winding between the houses, with several fountains and interesting little nooks here and there waiting for discovery. On market day, the squares are filled outside the old gateway and inside the town, and there are kilometers of streets packed with market stalls and lined with shops. Apt is known for its basket and wicker work, hat production, and candied fruits. Here also is the gateway to the best lavender fields. Its most famous museum is the Roman Theatre Museum in the Nassau mansion.
Petanque game also known as Boules - A favorite Provencal pastime
RentAvilla offers many apartments and villas within easy reach of these particular communities. Just give us a ring to get help in your selection, and when you go you'll have the time of your life!
Villa Puyvert, Provence Rental
