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| In Real Holidays we meet people from all over the world, who have one
thing in common: they vacation in Provence! We asked them a few
questions. |
Where did we meet them?
In Arles, at an outdoor restaurant
next to the Roman Arena.
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Who?
Allison and Monica
From?
Seattle, Washington
Staying?
With friends in the Var |
Why
did your choose Provence?
I discovered Provence and the Var in 1999 when I visited with 12
family members. This is a very different trip with just a very close
friend. We left our husbands at home in Seattle with the
teenagers! We wanted warm weather, spectacular scenery and to
experience a bit of life in a small village.
Did you enjoy your lunch?
Our lunch was great. We just happened upon this restaurant,
it's called Le Pistou, while walking through Arles. I had the
daurade, a firm white fish, fabulous. I'm surprised how inexpensive
things are here. This lunch with a bottle of wine, for instance, was
less than $12.00 a person.
Any bad food in the region?
Well, I promised myself before leaving Seattle that I was going to
be brave and try most everything, especially the local seafood.
I've tried a lot of new taste sensations, but can't say I've had a
bad meal. The fruits and vegetables are especially good. And
the wine is unbeatable.
If you were to advise a friend on Provence, which town would you
put on the top of your list?
I really enjoyed TourTour [ed: in the Haut Var]. It's a
beautiful village with a small quiet church, great views and some
really fun shops. Above the village is a communal wash where I
saw local women cleaning their clothes just as their
great-grandmothers mush have done. I'm drawn to the smaller
villages. We went to Grasse for a day to see Fraconard
Perfumerie and I would have to say it was probably the low point of
the trip so far. Grasse seemed dirty, noisy, crowded and
rather unattractive.. The factory tour lasted about 20 minutes
and was 20 minutes too long.
Ah, I see you've done some shopping. Is it easy to find good
gifts here?
It's too easy to find good gifts here. I think I have about 80
pounds of great gifts that will fill and entire suitcase. I
especially like the colors of the Provencal linens and the prices
are far below anything in the states. In the St. Tropez market last
Saturday, I found an olive wood mortar & pestle that was 465ff
which is what $70? It weighs nearly 10 pounds and I've never
seen anything close to it in Seattle. I plan to take some of
the incredible olive oil home. It's so delicate I think you
could drink it straight.
Okay, so far it's all splendid. There must be some negative sides
to Provence?
I've never been a dog lover and I'm constantly amazed the French
allow dogs in restaurants and stores. Also there are an awful
lot of young boys on scooters racing around with little or no regard
for human life. The only other negative is that Provence is twelve
hours away from Seattle!
Will you be back?
Definitely! I'd like to see the Var in the winter when the
crowds are
non-existent and the Mistral is blowing. I'd love to spend
Christmas in Provence with my husband and daughters some year.
Read Previous Interview:
two families from Holland |
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