You're gonna love The Lavender Route!

 Provence in bloom is a sight that beckons travelers with a sensory symphony. The crown jewel? The lavender fields... transforming the rolling countryside into a vast sea of purple. But what makes these fragrant landscapes so irresistible?

Firstly, it's a feast for the eyes. Imagine vibrant violet stretching endlessly towards the horizon, broken only by a quaint farmhouse or a lone cypress tree. The sheer scale is awe-inspiring, a testament to both nature's bounty and human cultivation. This visual feast is amplified by the gentle sway of the lavender in the summer breeze, creating a mesmerizing wave effect. This is why we take you out on The Lavender Route! We'll start the day with our Provençal Classique Road Rally up the oh so famous Mont Ventoux in The Alps...(of Tour de France Fame).  We'll stop near The Summit at a wonderful Mountain Chalet; Chalet Reynaud for a really fun lunch on their giant patio... and then we'll finish the Road Rally by heading down the other side of this massive mountain and we'll tour The Lavender Route!

This video is from last year's Trip to Provence! Same time of the year! Hopefully Mother Nature is just as kind to us this year! Is that George Clooney in the video... 😂😂😂

Secondly, the aroma is intoxicating. The air itself is infused with the calming fragrance of lavender, a scent synonymous with relaxation and well-being. It's a natural perfume that lingers on clothes and hair long after you leave these incredible purple fields, a fragrant souvenir of your Provençal adventure.

Beyond the visual and olfactory experience, the lavender fields offer a glimpse into Provence's rich agricultural heritage.These fields aren't just beautiful; they're a working landscape, the source of the essential oil used in countless products worldwide.Witnessing the lavender's journey from field to bottle adds another layer of appreciation for this fragrant treasure.

Provence's lavender fields are more than just scenery; they're a chance to connect with nature, immerse yourself in a timeless tradition, and capture memories that will forever be tinged with the unforgettable scent of lavender and your Adventure To Provence!

Actually the fields are purple!

Our gift to you...

 Europe for the past ten years has been strongly discouraging single use plastics, resulting in the all too common convenience store bottle of water becoming less common and way more expensive... Here at Adventures to Tuscany, for both our Provence and Tuscany Tours we typically provisioned 3 bottles a day per guest for the week, so for our typical Provence Tour went through about 48 bottles per day or 336 plastic bottles for just one Tour Group! When we did the math, we realized we were responsible for several thousand plastic bottles and unfortunately, many of these never made it to a recycling plant...  

Just a small token of our appreciation...

So back a few years ago, we decided to get on board and be a little more environmentally conscious! With this in mind, we'll have a little gift for you when you get to The Villa on Saturday...   As a small token of our appreciation, each guest will get one of our official Adventures To Provence thermos bottles! We think you'll love these; they'll hold half a liter (17 ounces) they're super lightweight, double walled, vacuum insulated & powder coated 18/8 stainless steel thermos' bottles... You can fill them with water, coffee or even wine, and they'll keep beverages ice cold or steaming hot for almost 24 hours...  

They'll easily fit in the side pocket of your daypack and they're wonderful to take along for your daytime activities while you're with us in Provence!  We're typically out all day long... It'll be mid June, so it can get pretty warm, and it's nice to have something ice cold to sip on! Terese & I actually fill one of ours with ice water and the other with espresso and share throughout the day!   You'll find they'll also work well to fill with ice water and have at your bedside overnight while you're at The Villa! And don't worry, we think you'll find the water at our Villa, high in the rural Provencal countryside is ultra pure and tastes wonderful!

We first discovered these years ago when we were looking for something functional for ourselves, as it's not always convenient for us to find somewhere to buy water or coffee while we're out leading our Tours... and after a few years, we decided it would be a nice gift for our guests as well...  We think you'll enjoy these for many years!   So many of our guests over the years tell us they use them everyday! Got one of these from a previous trip with us?  Now you've got two!

Thanks again for choosing us for your Adventure To Provence!  We really appreciate it & we're looking forward to spending time with you!

Tommy & Terese

We've seen the rain!  best to bring an umbrella...

You can't there from here...

 So by now you should have received the large envelope we mailed to you with your Tour Voucher, (if you haven't received this yet, you should within the next day or so) which includes turn by turn directions to get you to the Villa from either of two directions: from Avignon for those of you taking the train down from Paris, and alternately, from Marseille for those of you flying into MRS (the Marseille Provence Airport) . We'll also include them at the bottom of this post.

We've attached a video below of the driveway and the approach to the Villa to give you just a bit of an idea as to how large this estate really is...  And lastly, notice that although you're already in the mountains of Provence, you're not just going down a long private road, you're climbing over 1200 feet of vertical ascent!  This hilltop setting gives The Villa just outstanding views out over the Provençal Countryside and of our nearby homebase village of Venasque!  Enjoy!

you'll want to turn your volume on and consider going full screen for this

Just a reminder; we’ll have cleaning staff working to prepare for your arrival, and you won’t be able to access the Estate until 4pm on Saturday arrival day.
Most of you have told us you’re coming from either Marseille Airport, or coming down from Paris on the train into Avignon.   In either case, set your GPS or Google Maps to arrive at : 

Ferme St. Martin

Chemin de Saint-Martin

84210 Venasque, France

Also in Europe, they use what's called Plus Codes; it's the digital version of a street address... so you can just type the plus code into "maps" and it will give you the exact location!  The Plus Code for the Villa is:  246X+CM Venasque, France

From Avignon

• If you’re coming in from Avignon, we suggest D942 to D235, to the D4… the driveway to the Villa is a left turn off of the D4 approx 100 feet south of its intersection with the D77 

From Marseille

• If you’re coming in from Marseille, we suggest you take the A7 north, get off near Cavaillion, take the D938 north, to the D31 north, turn right onto the D28 toward Pernes-les-Fontaines and follow D28 until you get to the D4, turn left onto the D4 and the driveway to the Villa will be approx 1500 feet up on the right.

• If your rental car has GPS, you'll want to make sure the audio is set to "English" before you leave the rental car agency. (if it's not, you may want to ask for assistance before you leave their parking lot ~ it can sometimes be very difficult to figure out how to do this)
• (You’ll see our Adventures To Provence banner at the driveway entrance)
• Also next week, Terese will send you a “pin” of the Villa’s location with the Google Maps driving directions… This pin will come to you on WhatsApp, so if you haven’t downloaded WhatsApp (from The App Store) you should do it now.  All communications from us while we're in France (June 8th on ward) will come via WhatsApp. It’s free!
• Please plan to arrive at The Villa no earlier than 4pm with a full tank of gas! And if you're going to be later than 6pm, please send us a message on WhatsApp with your approx ETA.

if you're not familiar with "pins" check out this shot video

So who are you guys really?

 We know what we do is a little bit different, and when you do what we do, you get a lot of questions...  Here at Adventures To Tuscany, we always tell people: "What makes us different, makes all the difference in the world."  So our guests often ask us: "what makes you so different?"   

Hopefully you’ve already read and know a little bit about us from our website and our introduction of ourselves on this Blog.  So this post focuses on who we are, how we got here, why we do what we do, how we travel, how we choose who to work with, and how we make money…

We thought we’d lay out for you our Code of Ethics that’ll let you see, transparently, what it is that we’re up to, how our company makes money, and what our mission & our goals are for our small boutique expedition company.

First, some basics. We’re full-time Tour Operators, tour guides, travel consultants, travel writers and expedition leaders... This isn't a part-time gig we do on the side a couple times a year;  this is what we do full time, and we work at it 365 days a year!

Goals of Our Travel Blogs & Expedition Operations

What we try to do is:

• Share our travel stories, travel tips, and photos
• Inspire you to travel and visit the places we go
• Provide you with quality resources & information to help you plan your trips
• Give back to the world in at least some small way
• Generate an income that lets us keep doing the above four things
• This last point is the one we’ll focus on in regards to our Code of Ethics.

Our Mission

At Adventures to Tuscany, our goal & mission is to create Expedition-Style International Tours that totally exceed your expectations in every possible way. It starts with our experience... We've personally been touring Europe for over 40 years and we're in our 24th year of organizing our Tour Groups. We're honored & proud that so many of our guests who have traveled with us, choose to do it again, and again... and sometimes again & again!... We know our success depends on providing our guests with the very best value and the most unique travel experience they've ever had. We work hard to do that and we hope you are already recognizing that! Our hope is that are guests are impressed enough to tell their family & friends... and we hope they'll consider traveling with us again... If we can improve your experience in any way, please let us know. 

How We Generate an Income
Like most self-employed people, we make money in several different ways and these can differ a bit each year. But here are the primary ways we earn our incomes and support ourselves.

Our primary source of income is our boutique Expedition Operations. For the last 24 years, we personally research, design, curate and market  Expedition Style Tours to just two destinations; Tuscany, Italy & Provence in The South of France. We strive to market totally unique, authentic & immersive, escorted & guided experiential adventure expeditions

We do not make any commissions from any airlines, hotels, restaurants, attractions, wineries or activities that we recommend, but we do get small referral fees from only two of the vendors we recommend; InsureMyTrip Travel Insurance, and AutoEurope.com Car Rentals. Purchasing travel insurance or renting a car from one of our links may earn us a small referral fee, but it NEVER costs you anything extra. We only recommend vendors and services that we believe are both relevant and good quality. We do not personally recommend any service we have not used ourselves. And when we use these services, we pay for them, just like you do. We again, only work with brands that we are excited about and genuinely believe in.

Our Code of Ethics:

• At the very core of our ethics is integrity; And integrity is the core of trust... and to us this means acting with honesty and fairness. It's doing the right thing even when no one's looking.  We call it "Our Golden Rule Philosophy".  It's our foundation for self-respect and a positive reputation. Our guests rely on us, and we want our word to hold weight.
• We will never recommend a product or service that we don’t believe in ourselves.
• We will only market tours & expeditions, that we genuinely believe are unique, alternative, immersive and of the best possible value.
• We will only work with brands that we believe in and are relevant to you
• We will never work with third party destination management companies that operate mass-market tours. 
• We'll never allow the components & activities of our Tours to be dictated by others – we control all the components of our Tours and our Villa accommodations. Our loyalty lies with you, our guests.
• We limit & always disclose clearly if we receive referral fees from a vendor or service provider that we provide a link or recommendation for.
• We are proud to be a long time member of the NTA (The National Tour Association) and adhere to the NTA's high standards & The NTA's Professional Code of Ethics. 
• We have been running our Expedition Operations for 24 years, and our company is legally incorporated.  
• Like most companies, we hire and pay for services like accounting, website development, advertising, computer maintenance, healthcare insurance,  office equipment, trade association memberships, travel insurances, business consulting and  Professional Tour Operator's Liability Insurance.
• We subscribe to the National Tour Association's Code of Professional Ethics to strive for the honest & truthful marketing of Organized International Group Travel.

What does all this mean 

• Well, it's quite simple actually; we believe in both Karma & The Golden Rule
• And these two concepts intersect in their focus on the impact of our actions
• The Golden Rule focuses on empathy and reciprocity. (ie: treat others how you'd like to be treated, creating a more positive and harmonious world.)
• Karma focuses on cause and effect. (Our actions, good or bad, have consequences for us, encouraging self-reflection and responsible choices.)
• Both principles ultimately nudge us in a similar direction: above all else, act fairly with kindness and consideration for others. 
• For us they provide different angles on the same basic truth: our morals, our ethics & our actions have the power to shape our our experiences... and ultimately our world.   
• That's it....    it's as simple as that..

Privacy Policy
We respect and protect your privacy. We will never share your personal information you provide us unless specifically agreed upon.

Hope you guys are getting excited about France!  We certainly are!  We're so close now, you can almost smell the cheese!   We've already started packing!

while John Mayer has had relationships with dozens of celebrities, (including Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston,  Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mandy Moore, and Natalie Morales among many others) and there are  equally as many rumors about who he wrote this song about, he actually has recently admitted he wrote it about his high school sweetheart

Don't Forget to Wear Sunscreen!

 Well it's almost time for us to start winding down The Blog... We've written 96 posts over the last 8 months and posted as many French words, and equally as many French menu items!  You should now, at the very least, and if nothing else, feel confident to do the three most important things a tourist worries about doing in France; understand the menu and order great French Foods,  figure out how much to tip the waiter... and lastly, and most importantly, ask for the location of the bathroom!

Hopefully The Blog has given you hints and helped you with your travel planning, your flights, hotels, currency exchange, Provence, Paris, Avignon, our Villa ~ Château du Soleil, travel tips, using credit cards in France,  international calling plans and smartphone tips, translators, phrasebooks, ATM's,  debit card usage and limits, overcoming language barriers, French Culture and Etiquette, packing tips, restaurant skills, dealing with jet lag, guide books, driving in France, Cafe & Wine Bar culture, pre and post Tour itinerary ideas, flight tips, car rental tips, maps, GPS units, two-way radios, Touring tips, Gordes, The Abbaye of Notre-Dame de Sénanque, Venasque, Mont Ventoux, St. Remy, The Pont du Gard, Roussillon, Le Sentier des Ocres (the red canyons), L'Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue, Le Baux-de-Provence, Les Carrières de Lumières, Sault, Arles, our Le Provençal Classique Road Rally of Mont Ventoux, our Mountain Chalet Luncheon, the Lavender Fields Route and our Wine Estate Tour, French Country Picnic, etc, etc etc....

We'll still keep in touch with you on The Blog over the next couple weeks, but as we get really busy leading up to our departure, there will be fewer posts...  And after we leave for France, we'll still communicate with you but less often on The Blog and more often via the new WhatsApp Groups!

This week, as we're all digging out our suitcases, watch for a large envelope in your mailbox that will have your Tour Vouchers, directions & important info about getting to Chateau du Soleil,  a couple simple maps with the location of The Villa and a suggested route, some luggage tags, and some fun info about Le Fete Blanc!

What else can we tell you... Bring sensible shoes...  Stop worrying about your diet... don't worry about "what to wear"  dress casual... bring  SUNSCREEN...  and an umbrella...   and forget about your budget; you're going to a magnificent Villa in PROVENCE!  BE HAPPY!   Not everyone can afford this opportunity!  (did we mention there's a CHAMPAGNE BAR!). You're gonna have a blast!  Commit now to making this the best vacation ever!

We're sincerely looking forward to making the best memories ever with you guys!  If our experience tells us anything; we'll all become close friends!  And sharing your vacation pictures with your friends is nice... But to actually share your vacation with your friends, creates memories that will truly last forever,,, A virtual bond that survives through time, knowing that the group of you have taken off, traveling around the globe together... experiencing some of the most awesome adventures and beautiful sights the world has to offer...  These magical moments are not necessarily measured by the experience itself, but often by our reaction to them... 

And when, as group, we can share these amazing experiences, and our reactions to them together, the memories increase a hundredfold!  And as we savor these memories and joys, it's important to realize what these experiences actually mean to us, and the real joy and total impact they have on our lives... Whether by tasting a new food, a different wine, a foreign language, a unique culture, or something as visual as an immensely fragrant field of lavender... experiential travel expands our horizons, and expands our lives to truly make us more dynamic individuals!  Get ready guys and Buckle up... We're going to have the most incredible adventure & make some amazing memories!  Don't forget to wear sunscreen...

                                                                    wear sunscreen!

10... 9... 8... 7... 6...

 Hi Guys, hope you are all well, and getting excited about your upcoming adventure to France!  Lots of excitement going on there right now as Taylor Swift just performed in Paris as the first stop on her 50+ shows on the European leg of her Eras Tour, and as she travels around Europe and comes back to Lyon, France in early June!    And of course all of Paris is in a complete frenzy over the upcoming Summer Olympics starting July 26th and running thru August 11th! And those of you heading there over the next few weeks will undoubtedly experience the excitement!

Today we're  less than one month out from the start of our first Beautiful Villages of Provence Expedition!  Terese and I fly out in just 3 weeks to prepare for your arrival!  And we know many of you are going over early as well, to spend a few days in other destinations before coming to meet us at Château du Soleil in Provence!  It's typically at this 2 to 3 week countdown that our guests start to get really excited and have questions... After 24 years of running OIGT (organized international group tours) multiple times a year, we understand this...  and we encourage you to give us a call if we can help you with any of your planning for your trip!

Also we remind you, that there's a good chance that we've previously addressed many questions right here on The Blog!  The simplest way to search The Blog is to use the "Search Box" in the very top left of your screen.  To search for something, just type a keyword into the search box...   So let's say you have a question about "how much to tip in France,"  Just type the keyword "Tipping" in the search box and all posts that address that topic will come up in the results.

Got questions about something The Blog doesn't address?  Shoot us an email to AdventuresToTuscany@gmail.com... We always try to respond to emails within 24 hours... need a quicker answer? give us a all at 610-657-7894

If you haven't seen "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe & Marion Cotillard, we highly recommend it... The movie was filmed very nearby our Villa, and many of the scenes take place in Villages we'll be visiting!

Join our WhatsApp Provence Group for our Group Communications while in France

This is a repost of an article about WhatsApp that we posted a while back.  We will use WhatsApp as our "primary"  group communication tool while we are in France.  By noon today (Thursday) you will receive a text from Theresa, (our VP of La Dolce Vita) with an invitation to join our exclusive Adventures To Provence WhatsApp Group.  (if you've already downloaded WhatsApp, you'll receive the invitation from What'sApp)

WhatsApp ~ it's easy & it's free!

In Europe, everybody uses "WhatsApp"!  It basically gives you free Texting and free Voice calls to anyone else who is on the WhatsApp platform... So while you're traveling with friends, and need to contact them, or you want to call or text from France back to the US, if you're calling someone else on the WhatsApp platform, it's free...  It works great for having a Tour Group Text String while traveling abroad and we'll definitely want to create one for your group so that we can all easily connect with each other!

The important thing to understand about WhatsApp and similar platforms is that you still need an internet connection for it to be totally free... So if you're at The Villa, you'll have free unlimited wifi... But say you're in your car, and you use WhatsApp, you'll connect to the internet thru your cellular data plan...

If ya know, ya know... If you don't, were gonna send you to a site where you can learn all about it in just 3 minutes... Don't worry about all the advanced stuff this site will mention. 

All you need to do is:

1. take a few minutes to watch the video
2. go to the App Store & download the App (it's free)
3. Get your friends & family to download the App

It's free & it takes just 2 minutes to download, and can save you a ton of $$$!

even if you're familiar with WhatsApp, this video 

has lots of great info you may not be aware of

  

As always, we encourage you to be aware & be careful...

 Hi guys,  Hope you're all getting excited about France!  We sure are!  Many of you have told us you're departing in less than 30 days... So the countdown begins!  Terese & I  personally will  be leaving on June 8th to go over, work on the Tour plans and prepare for your arrival at the Villa!

For those of you spending a few days in Paris, and
especially if you're staying at our recommended
hotel, Londres de Eiffel,  be sure to catch the
evening light show in the fields at the The Eiffel Tower...
(consider a blanket, a bottle of wine, a corkscrew
& couple glasses ~ It makes a  great memory! 

We also wanted to again mention that it is an extremely busy tourist season all over Europe... and of course in the larger cities like Paris & Rome, it is indeed crowded... This creates the perfect environment for pickpockets and we are hearing and reading that indeed, they are active in the bigger cities ! 

I've read several first-hand accounts on travel group sites of folks describing having been pick-pocketed recently...   A year or two ago on our flight home after our Tours, we sat next to a family from Colorado who was cutting their Italian vacation short because the husband had been pickpocketed in the Rome rail station. He told us a large man stood at the top of an escalator and created a log jam, and in the commotion of people bumping into each other, they lifted his wallet from his back pocket. He had all their money in the wallet... Very sad indeed... 

So we don't want to scare you... these activities are no different than in major metropolitan hubs here in the US like NY, Chicago, LA, etc... But indeed Americans are often picked on in Europe as they know we as a group, tend to be a little more naive, compassionate and trusting...  It's not just pick-pockets... there's a lot of tourist travel scams out there... be careful.  Just be aware of your surroundings... And be careful with your valuables... Don't wear expensive flashy jewelry or watches... it's like advertising that you're a target... My brother got hit a few years ago in Scotland (likely because they were traveling with expensive designer logo'd luggage...) Even Travel Guru Rick Steves got pick-pocketed on a rail car 3 years ago, and he's spent most of his career warning travelers about pick-pockets....

So what can you do???  To start with, this is a mostly big city issue... The bigger the city, the more tourists sites, the more likely that there's pickpockets around... be especially careful in any crowded area... In Paris, this could be the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Arc de Triumph, Seine River Boat Cruises, The Champs Elysee, Rail Stations, Subways, Airports, etc...

Be very careful not to carry your wallet in your rear pocket... Also be careful with purses and backpacks... A pro can sneak up behind you in a crowd and unzip you back pack / purse and you'll never hear/feel/ or see him...  In big European cities, often children are involved in pickpocketing & travel scams...  Use a money belt or a neck wallet... Today these are available in lightweight silk and fit easily under your clothing.... Don't put all your money in these; you don't want to be pulling it out every time you're buying a gelato... put the walking around money you need for a day in your front pocket, and put the rest in the neck wallet... Consider splitting your money up so not all of it is on one person, or in one place... 

And of course lastly, use credit cards more often instead of carrying a lot of cash... and use your debit card at ATM machines just to get enough cash for a couple days so that your not carrying around too much money...   

Again these issues are mostly a big city problem and are less of an issue in Provence, but of course, these things can happen anywhere... Your best defense is just to always be aware of your surroundings...

This is Taylor Swift from her Eras Tour Concert in Paris this week

Thinking of taking the Train?

 If you're thinking of taking the train in France, we suggest you spend 10 minutes with this Ultimate Guide to Train Travel in France!  Click Here

We're proud to announce we've partnered with AutoEurope!

We assume that most of you have made your rental car arrangements by now... But if you haven't, and are still searching, check out our new Adventures to Tuscany & Provence booking engine at:

Adventures to Tuscany & AutoEurope.  We've expanded our relationship in both Italy & France with AutoEurope and we're proud to announce that they have now supplied us with our own Booking Engine!  (full disclosure: we get a small referral fee from them at no extra cost to you if you book from our new site)

AutoEurope is by far the global leader in international car rental services and have been helping travelers find the perfect rental vehicle for their trips worldwide for over 60 years. They offer the most competitive car rental rates in the industry, guaranteed. With that said, here at Auto Europe, we don't believe customers should expect less because they pay less. Our rates will always be competitive, and we continue to remember this is also a service-based business. Auto Europe also understands that clients appreciate saving money whenever possible, so we not only take pride in guaranteeing the lowest car rental rates, but we also offer great deals on accessories, extensive car rental fleet selection

We've personally been using AutoEurope for all our rental cars for over 40 years! They're the agency for all the major brands ....  They make it super simple to find, compare and reserve cars from all the rental car companies and their prices are usually 20 - 25% cheaper than going direct! 

To check out the new site: click here

Tracy Chapman's recognition for this song was long overdue!

The Art of Savoring Provence: Balancing Leisure and Exploration

The Coliseum in the center of Arles

 Provence, in The South of France...  bathed in sunshine and steeped in history, beckons travelers with its lavender fields, charming villages, and vibrant culture. But crafting the perfect itinerary can be a challenge. Do you cram in every sight, or surrender to the languorous pace of the Provençal life? Our goal is always to design our itineraries to achieve a harmonious balance between active exploration and leisurely downtime during your vacation, focusing on the following destinations, and of course leisurely time at our amazing Villa:

The Touring and Active Exploration

• Gordes: A famous hilltop village known for its quaintness, charm, and honey-colored stone houses sitting atop a majestic rocky hilltop over 2100 feet in elevation, offering a view of the landmarks of its past, a majestic protective castle, a massive church with its defensive appearance, 
• Arles: an ancient city sitting on the majestic Rhone River, dating back to 800 BC, boasting incredible Roman ruins and a  home to Van Gogh. where he painted over 300 of his masterpieces from the surrounding landscapes
• Les Baux-de-Provence: Another truly ancient,  village  perched on a rocky outcrop, dating back to 6000BC offering breathtaking views and a medieval castle.
• Carrières de Lumières: A massive underground marble, granite and limestone quarry transformed into a spectacular 3 dimensional cinematic light show venue. If you're familiar with the Van Gogh exhibits that have captivated audiences across America the last few years, well this where it began, and it's 10 times more amazing than anything you have seen in The US!
• Venasque: what we call our home-base Village... A charming stone-built hilltop village nestled amidst vineyards, Cherry orchards, and olive groves.  
• Mont Ventoux: A challenging mountain in The Alps made famous by the amazing Tour de France Bicycle Race!  This massive mountain is where we'll stage our Le Provencal Classique Road Rally! Ventoux is legendary mountain nicknamed the "Giant of Provence".  We'll take a break at Ventoux's Summit for a wonderful luncheon at a famous Alpine Mountaintop Chalet!
• The Pont du Garde: A majestic 2000 year old Roman aqueduct bridge. If you think the Eiffel Tower is breathtaking, wait till you see & walk across the Pont du Garde!
• Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque: A serene Cistercian abbey renowned for its lavender fields. You've seen pictures of this your whole life!
• Roussillon: Another beautiful Provencal Village known for its ochre colored cliffs and colorful houses made from these colorful pigments
• Château Pesquie: we'll Tour this wonderful Wine Estate, have a Guided Tasting by one of their wine-makers, and we've arranged for an amazing picnic in a grove of 300 year old Plane Trees on the Estate next to The Château.
• The Provence Lavender Fields: no trip to Provence would be complete without a tour of its iconic purple tapestry!  We've timed your Tour to (hopefully) catch the Lavender Fields at the height of their bloom, and of course, before the harvest!  (Mother Nature controls this delicate timing)

And while all of these pursuits are going to be outstanding...  as we mentioned earlier, our goal is to balance these touring activities with leisure time at the Villa! 

The Relaxing Leisure Opportunities

• We think you'll find that Mornings at The Villa are a perfect time for a cup of coffee and some quiet reflection, or a stroll through the terraced gardens surrounding the Villa. The Villa's hilltop setting and gardens filled with statues & water features, provides an incredibly serene backdrop to catch both the sunrises & sunsets!
• Many of our guests like to enjoy a refreshing dip in the heated pool to start their mornings before Breakfast
• You'll find that Breakfasts at the Villa are among the most casual of times... We set up Breakfast as a Buffet in the kitchen... and as you get your coffee, juice and breakfast foods, you'll have your choice of a handful of places to relax and enjoy your first meal of the day; Inside, there's the Dining Room, and the the Solarium... the Dining room is a beautiful, large and little bit more formal setting, where as the Solarium is a massive, casual recreational "Great Room" with Post & Beam construction and walls of retractable glass on three sides... when we open all these glass walls, the Solarium transitions into a large Pavilion...  Outside, you'll have many choices: The table under the vine covered loggia just outside the kitchen doors... The large bank of sofas on The Terrace outside the Solarium... The dining table outside the Summer Kitchen at the Pool Bar... or even the loungers around the pool.
• During the days when we're out Touring, we try to get back to the Villa at a reasonable time in the afternoon so that you can enjoy a couple hours of leisure time around the Villa and at the pool before dinner
• We of course have the Wine, Champagne, Prosecco and Beer Bars set up, as well as Appetizers for our daily Happy Hours Parties... usually we set up Happy Hours either in the Solarium or down at the pool
• We typically, weather permitting, have our Dinners served by the Chefs, on the large Table outside the kitchen doors under the Vine covered loggia alongside the gardens...
• We think you'll find that the festive atmosphere of our evening dinner parties and our traditional after dinner cordials, just naturally transition into casual socializing around the various outdoor leisure areas throughout the evenings
• The Estate and grounds throughout the property are very large and expansive, and we think you'll find there's lots of areas to wander into if you prefer some quiet time away from others
• We're sure you've heard us talk about La Fete Blanc (the white party)... and as many of you probably remember our Festival del Bianco Celebration in Tuscany, this is in a similar vein!
• And lastly, this leads us into Wednesday, (your free day)... So being pretty active throughout the week, we give you Wednesday, as a free day to be totally at your leisure, to do whatever you may feel like doing... If you wants to sleep in and hang out all day the pool... perhaps take a drive over to Avignon for a leisurely lunch, or head down to St Remy for the market and go boutique shopping....

Again, after several decades of planning these group tours, we find this delicate balance of active touring with sufficient leisure & down time lead to the best vacations!  We hope you're getting excited about France!  We are!   We're going to have a great time!  Viva La France! 

this is Loren Allred, and she will blow you away!