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PROVENCE: GEOGRAPHY MATTERS
“Provence” has more efficacy as a "brand" than as a place. One rarely if ever hears any residents of the Vaucluse say that they live in "Provence." The word is heard frequently in its adjectival form: provençal.
As geography, the term "Provence" suffers abuse. The French consider contemporary 'Provence' to take in three administrative department:
- Vaucluse
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Confusion pops up due to the administrative region PACA: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
When "Provence" is employed for the department of the Var (Toulon, St, Tropez) or the department of the Alpes-Maritime (Côte d'Azur) or even the five departments of the Languedoc-Roussillon, it is the "brand" asserting itself.
This is a regional distinction that Peter Mayle buys into 100% in his book Provence A-Z. In fact, if Mayle had been 'geographically-correct,' his iconic best seller would have been titled "A Year in the Luberon."
The Luberon and the Comtat Venaissin, referred to as the “Comtat,” are the two large regions within the Vaulcuse,
Author Archives: BB Kuett
Saint Hippolyte le Graveyron: Château Juvenal (au lieu d’un Gite)
Peel me a grape, crush me some ice, Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow. Talk to me nice, talk to me nice, You’ve got to wine me and dine me! Blossom Dearie Fabulous in so many … Continue reading
Bonnieux: Clos d’Estallan (au lieu d’un Gite)
Is there any terrestrial paradise where, amidst the whispering of the olive-leaves, people can be with whom they like and have what they like and take their ease in shadows and in coolness? – Ford Maddox Ford, The Good Soldier … Continue reading
Oppède: Domaine Les Roullets (au lieu d’un Gite)
Yes secrets black with wine, and gold with honey, landscapes of an almost brutal serenity piled one upon another with quixotic profusion, as if to provoke the historic confrontations which have made them significant, muddling up the sacred and the … Continue reading
Avignon: Côté Square (au lieu d’un Gite)
The calm. The chic calm of the bed and breakfast Côté Square in the old walled city of Avignon is ever present, in all seasons mind you. From spring through the fall, Avignon is a hectic place as there is … Continue reading
St. Saturnin-Lès-Apt: Le Mas Perréal (au lieu d’un Gite)
It’s the height. The entrancing bed and breakfast Le Mas Perréal sits at about 1,000 feet on the southern flank of the Provencal village of Saint Saturnin-lès-Apts, offering sweeping vistas of the countryside and the Luberon mountains across the Calavon … Continue reading
Ménerbes: Le Mas du Magnolia (au lieu d’un Gite)
From the gardens of Le Mas du Magnolia, the perched village of Ménerbes appears as a large ocean liner floating in a sea of forest green vines, its bow elevated as if in a salute to the far-flung valley below. … Continue reading
Venasque: La Maison de Charme (au lieu d’un Gite)
Winter, Fall, Summer or Spring, for those who hold the conviction that life is better lived passionately, there are small treasures throughout Provence where one can nourish an amorous appetite in a refined and intimate atmosphere. One particular jewel that … Continue reading
Lourmarin: Les Olivettes (au lieu d’un Gite)
One might call it a B&B-extra special, more than a bed and more than a breakfast. The uniqueness of Les Olivettes, a luxuriously renovated Bastide on the fringe of Lourmarin, is that its six spacious apartments all have fully-equipped kitchens, … Continue reading
Pernes les Fontaines: Mas Pichony (au lieu d’un Gite)
If you are among those who share the conviction that, as far as country living is concerned, the passage of time is enriched by the beauty of horses, then the Mas Pichony is your Provencal bed and breakfast destination of … Continue reading