Free
Pays d’Aix Luberon Alpilles Pays Salonais The must-do things this summer…
N° 5 - 2016 - Provence - 40 000 copies - Free Joy can be found everywhere, in everything, in nature, culture and traditions L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Rémy, Salon... around these four towns opens a region with multiple treasures worth spending a day on. Architecture, local specialties, walks in the countryside, there is something for everyone.
ounded by two Regional National Parks – open spaces increases creativity, boosts concentration, the Alpilles and the Luberon – in the shade sustains memory, promotes productivity, deters Colline Saint-Jacques in Cavaillon of the imposing Montagne Sainte-Victoire, depression and evacuates stress. our region boasts several hundred hiking andB cycling paths and circuits. Outdoor activities are And if you need yet another argument, opt for the not only good for your heart but are also excellent for kind of walk that is conducive to picnics. The relaxed boosting a sunny disposition. Some call it vitamin G atmosphere around a southern-style gourmet snack: as in green for the latest popular power – Mother tapenade canapés, vegetable salad, nicely chilled Nature and her many resources! Being out in the wide rosé, bull-meat sausage, goat cheese with Provençal honey, strawberry tart …
A walk in the Alpilles in Eyguières
The highest point in the Alpilles The gateway to the Luberon
The Mont des Opies is a circuit steeped in the fragrance Between the Luberon and the Colline Saint-Jacques, a of Provence and crossing several landscapes that are chunk of limestone detached from the Luberon, is a typical of the Alpilles Regional Natural Park. Along the fault that is 8 million years old and it contains the way you will see olive groves, Provençal scrubland, plain where Cavaillon is located. The hill is the only Camargue bulls and, of course, the Tour des Opies... relief there and has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The view overlooks the town of Cavaillon and the Durance river. Hiking idea in the Aix region Controlled areas Montagne Sainte-Victoire so dear to Paul Cézanne The region around Aix is well known Access is regulated from June to September for your safety and for the protection of forest areas. for its hinterland and the breathtaking Danger levels can be consulted daily on: beauty of the hikes around the - www.bouches-du-rhone.gouv.fr - 0811 20 13 13. Montagne Sainte-Victoire. The Domaine - www.vaucluse.gouv.fr - 04 88 17 80 00. de Roques-Hautes is one that really shouldn’t be missed, stretching over However, there are three tourist sites in southern Vaucluse remain open to the public 800 hectares on land belonging to by way of derogation from 5 am to 8 pm all summer: Aix-en-Provence, Beaurecueil, Tholonet, - the Colorado Provençal in Rustrel. Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon, and Saint- - the Aiguebrun valley in Buoux. Marc Jaumegarde. - the Petit Luberon cedar forest between Bonnieux and Lacoste but only along marked paths.
SUMMER IN PROVENCE Editorial By Anne-Sophie Sourd Directeur de la publication, gérant : Nicolas Coissard Rédacteurs : Anne-Sophie Sourd, Eric Morichaud, Rémi Lacassin Welcome to Provence! Traduction : Irene Chalmers Preire Crédits photos : X Impression : Rotimpres During your outings you will discover the essential places to Rédaction-Publicité : 06 09 98 67 49 - 06 63 75 06 96 visit in our lovely region; a region that many envy us due to the [email protected] extraordinary mellow lifestyle it offers all year round. The Publicité et communication : hilltop villages, in the Luberon, the unfailing tradition of the Béatrice Bettinelli, Le Journal des Alpilles : www.journaldesalpilles.fr Nadine Lefebvre Marseille, Le Journal du Luberon : www.journalduluberon.fr Alpilles, the stylishness of the Aix region and, finally, the Lionel Matteoda, Le journal du Pays Salonais : www.journaldupayssalonais.fr heritage of Salon and the surrounding area all show the passing visitor a cultural wealth that is known the world over. We hope 44, rue Lafayette - 13 300 Salon de Provence sont édités par la SARL de presse Aurélia Editions, au capital de 1500 euros. you will enjoy your stay. RCS B 419 512 918 ASS
2 Mérindol Maussane-les-Alpilles Ventabren
La Barben
A panoramic view from the Mont des Opies
3 Provence | Gardens |
StepStep intointo thethe lightlight ……
They may be dreamlike, historical, or philosophical worlds, gardens have inspired the great minds of this world when it wasn’t the great minds that created them; among those is the most celebrated of them all, André Le Nôtre, whose 400th birthday was celebrated in 2013. An excellent outing as spring turns to summer, in the sunshine …
The Alchemist’s Garden in Eygalières the winding path to the crossroads of life. Bonnieux at least once a month and talks every day with Solange Brihat who helps her with the visits and the everyday running of the place. “She Nigredo (black), albedo (white), rubedo (red) …In 1997, when Marie and This is a real stepping stone towards the rubedo, scattered with red encouraged me to apply for it to be classified as a “Notable Garden of France”. Alan de Larouzière decided to create a notable garden they turned to “prestige de Bellegarde” roses. The parterre is completed by pomegranate Our particularity is that the beauty of this garden is due to a dozen typical landscape gardeners Arnaud Maurières and Éric Ossart. Very soon, the bushes, red sage… A color worthy of the end of the quest for the meaning plants (boxwood, rosemary, lavender, thyme, oleander, etc.). It’s very green theme of the Alchemist was agreed upon as a tribute to the profession of of life. This is supported by a pool in the shape of a Star of David and whose and there are hardly any flowers,” explains Ms. Pillsbury. the first owner of Mas de la Brune, near the village of Eygalières. Three six points (in the shape of a hexagon) refer to the philosopher’s stone and colors associated with shapes, figures and atmospheres that evoke the its discovery. “Here are two very strong symbols, the 9, in other words the last “Ms. Pillsbury has maintained the essence of Jardin de la Louve while main stages in this philosophy of life. Alchemy was a spiritual progression figure, and the 33, the symbol of universality and the age that Christ was bringing a touch of color to it. She prefers plants that need very little water that reached its peak in the Renaissance. The house itself (a historic listed when he died,” adds Marie de la Larouzière, at the end of this hectare-long and gets them from a specialized nursery. She is a rather private person,” building) dates from 1572. initiation process, and admits that she takes a walk there at least once per according to Solange Brihat who has lived in Bonnieux since 1967. She day. Not far from where we stand a gardener and a student from the supervises this 1600 m2 site that blends so beautifully into the Luberon Before entering the single-colored gardens, the visitor is encouraged to go agricultural school in Saint-Remy are hard at work. “There’s enough to keep scenery, inspiring peace and calm with its two ponds nestling in the through a maze (not high enough to get lost in) where the bushes have you busy here all the year round!” Maybe even for a lifetime … countryside. She tells how the garden got its name from a late 19th century been shaped to write the letters B-E-R-E-C-H-I-T on the ground; the first legend about wolves (a “louve” is a she-wolf) that were seen near the pro- word in the Bible in Hebrew. A glimpse of what is to follow, for meditation, Address: perty. for isolation from the outside world, for reflection on the meaning of life Mas de la Brune - 13810 Eygalières – Tel.: 04 90 90 67 67 and of this garden, to better prepare for the “magic plant” garden. By that www.jardin-alchimiste.com - [email protected] The maintenance and running of Jardin de la Louve, however, are not a we mean mandrake, thyme, myrtle, olive trees, or St. John’s wort, all are Open from 1st May to 1st October on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays legend. A gardener comes every morning from Monday to Friday all year wild plants known to heal ills and even drive away evil spirits … (10 am to 7 pm) round and there are two of them during the growth period from March to On reservation during the rest of the week. October. Judith’s husband, William Waterford, reigns over Clos du Peyronnet Here is a prelude to the nigredo, the first step in the Alchemist’s garden. Entry: 6 € (adults), 4 € (senior citizens, students, unemployed) in Menton. It has been in his family since 1912, is open to the public, and The setting is dark, you go through a tunnel of greenery, the ground is 1 € (children under 12 years old). has a micro-climate that allows plants from South Africa to grow there … covered with basalt, you find aeoniums (succulents) from the Canaries, “That would be impossible in Bonnieux! The temperature ranges from 30°C to black petunias and begonias … “This represents the discovery of lead by the -15°C, it’s awful!” she says with a smile. alchemist, the beginning of life, the birth of the child who will, little by little, Jardin de la Louve in Bonnieux go towards the light,” explains Marie, a self-declared child of the earth. “The They are a pair of enthusiasts who often compare their respective numbers simple square shape of the basin, the alignment of the slabs and the figures “I could never had made anything quite so beautiful.” Judith Pillsbury is a of visitors. “It’s our private contest. He is English and is less customer- 5 and 11, symbolize respectively materiality, man and the first number, and modest woman. Originally from California, she dreamed of living in the sun oriented. In fact, he has never applied for his garden to be classified as all work to the same end.” and has been the owner of Jardin de la Louve since 1996. She first moved “notable”. My American side causes me to communicate, to advertise …” to Paris in 1965 and was living there when she fell in love with this garden Two different cultures and a single passion, that of lovely gardens. The visit continues through the white garden where white roses bloom in Bonnieux. “It’s a real work of art!” says she who lives in the world … of alongside gauras and a few miscanthus with their long green and white art. “In Japan, gardening is considered to be an art form. Here, we lean Address: striped leaves. Here, you are surrounded by intellectual and emotional more towards the Japanese notion of beauty than the French.” Chemin Saint-Gervais - 84480 Bonnieux development with the arrival of silver and mercury. “The number 7 signifies Tel.: 04 90 75 91 90 (Office de Tourisme) perfection because, at the end of the white garden, man will be complete. The She won’t call herself a botanist and yet she grew up in a world that [email protected] 22 in alchemy, evokes the passing from white to red and back again like a worked the land, surrounded by almond and apricot trees with a taste for Open from April to October by appointment only (groups and individuals) thought that never quite ends,” continues our hostess who has lived in the earth that causes her to “admire Nicole de Vésian (a designer for Hermès) at the Office de Tourisme. Closed in July and August. Eygalieres with her husband for over 50 years. The circular pool continues who created the garden at the age of 70.” Judith Pillsbury comes to Entry: 11 € per person, free for small children.
4 Gargas | Hôtel ***** - Gastronomy - Spa - vineyard - cycling | Coquillade Village, all the latest plus tailored wellness Leisurely stays or exploration, flavors, relaxation and wellness, festive calendar, gift ideas … The Coquillade Village spa and hotel complex shows up in its full beauty in the fine weather, ready to enchant and surprise their clientele in so many different ways…It is a place of exception, totally unique in the Luberon.
Temptations of all sorts, Coquillade SPA, gourmet epicurean, vegetable, 1500 sqm of tailored well-being flavors and voyages … Open to everyone, including clients who are not With a vegetable-based, gourmet, and “bistronomic” staying at the hotel. Welcome to a moment of tailored range of culinary expression, Coquillade Village pleasure to relax, recharge your batteries and enhance invites their guests to a superb, taste bud-provoking your serenity. There are 5 zones: Fitness and well- visit signed by Chef Christophe Renaud. The food being, Beauty and well-being, Inner well-being, Natural is creative and inspired by local specialties, with well-being, My well-being world. There is a spa for fresh seasonal produce from the chef’s kitchen one, spa for two, 4 booths for facial and body garden. treatments, double booths for facial and body treatments, an exfoliating bar, a hydrotherapy room, a spa hair
Epicurean cuisine at Le Gourmet ! © Coquillade Village salon, a spa pedicure room, a sensory experience … In a cozy, refined atmosphere or on the shaded Group lessons, yoga, Qi Gong, Aqua Fit, acrobatic pool terrace, enjoy the 5 course "Inspiration du Potager" Unspoiled authenticity dance … (80 €) ; 6-course "Création du Potager" (95 €) or and exceptional services … the 9-course "La Grande Création du Potager" (135 €) Here you have all the charm of a Provençal hamlet menus. sitting between vines and pine forest; exposed stone Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. walls, woodwork, set in greenery, with luxuriously comfortable guest rooms and suites of a sophisticated © Brice Toul Light and simple food elegance. These are moments of relaxation to enjoy as a at Le Bistrot, evidently couple or as a family. Le Bistrot will be opening for summer in Le Jardin dans les Vignes on 31st June for lunch and dinner, enhancing the “bistronomic” flavors of the “Retour du Marché” menu with view of unspoilt nature. Open for lunch and dinner, 7/7. A la carte menu Special offers and new features and “Retour du Marchéʺ menu: starter, main course, dessert (42€). Mother’s Day gift Facial, relaxing massage and access to the spa (140 €)
A taste of Italy at Il Ristorante… © Coquillade Village Father’s Day gift Relax at the poolside and enjoy a cool, light and Can be composed from a line of products designed tasty lunch while soaking up the sunshine! Relaxation and leisure activities specifically for men Set menus from 20 € at lunchtime. according to your desires… Also open in the evenings in summer. Here, in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du “Move it” or “Cool it” session offers Luberon the choices are diverse: strolls through the (until 28th June) vines, cycling circuits, wine initiation tours and workshops, Discover all the activities available in group lessons special events at the Aureto winery, organized tours and (relaxing version or active version) on Tuesday evenings à la carte activities. There is also a 25 m lap pool and with access to the SPA (wet area) until 10 pm (40€ heated swimming pool! with a one-hour lesson) or on Saturday afternoons (35€ for a two-hour lesson). The program is available
© Pauline Daniel Festive events… on demand at the SPA. 5th June, the first JAZZ LUNCH Sunday. A NATUROPATH at your disposal! At Le Jardin dans les Vignes, fine food and live music (60 €, Whether you just have a quick question when you’re alcoholic beverages not included in the price). Outdoor at the SPA or whether you want a comprehensive lunches with friends or family every Sunday from 5th June consultation, Fabienne is here to listen and guide you to 11th September. on your way to wellness. 14th July, Coquillade Village. The official sponsor of the BMC team celebrates the Tour de KIDS & TEENS CARE CARD. BMC Cycling Center… France. Based on the (organic) Toofruit ranges of products, join the spirit of a major brand! The program will soon be published on our website under there are facial, hand and body treatments for children “What’s New?”. and teenagers, for your young princes and princesses This is for all cycling enthusiasts. There are a hundred starting at 29€ for a really original gift! or so bicycles for rent, exceptional models to test, Private or professional events circuits in the Luberon and Ventoux regions, and the At your disposal, 400 m2 that can be closed off for OPEN LATE on Tuesdays until 10 pm! Shop Bike with champions’ colors. The BMC Shop Bike privacy, entirely furnished and equipped for your family Also available to external clients and on reservation. and workshop are open every day from 8.30 onwards. receptions, seminars, conferences, and product launches. Tel.: +33(0)4 90 74 71 70. [email protected] Coquillade Village - Hôtel ***** - Gastronomy - Spa - vineyard - cycling Wheelchair access – Visitors car park 84400 Gargas – Tel.: +33(0)4 90 74 71 71 - [email protected] - www.coquillade.fr - GPS: 043° 52.81' N, 005° 19.02' E
5 communiqué Luberon | Ventoux and Luberon wines - Wine tourism | Aureto acclaimed by Parker Wine Advocate
With the Vallée du Calavon as its media, the Aureto vineyard shows a rare authenticity. Here are wines of all three colors, born of a wine-grower’s art applied to the land throughout the seasons in a particularly providential soil. These are sophisticated wines, subtle wines, wines of character for all occasions, with all cuisines - AOP Luberon and Ventoux, IGP Vaucluse. To be savored alongside a rich program of festivities and encounters.
TASTING AND TOUR OF THE AURETO SENTIER VIGNERON TASTING WORKSHOPS SALES CELLAR WINERY
Go on an unaccompanied walk along our sign- Sensory analysis approach: Come and taste our range of wines Visit out cellar and learn posted trail, the Sentier Vigneron. Fun workshops for a different approach 3 trails taking 30 mins to 1 hour and a half. AOP Ventoux, AOP Luberon et IGP Vaucluse about out wine-making techniques. to wine-tasting. (A map can be obtained at the cellar) Tour followed by tasting * 2016 program Open every day* Sentier Vigneron Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6 pm 11th and 24th June, 8th and 23rd July, 10 am – 7 pm** With one of our specialists (1 hour long) Wednesday at 10 am* 5th and 20th August (2 hours long) 9th and 17th September Caveau AURETO Free of charge for individual visitors (at 10 am on Saturdays and at 6 pm on Fridays) D900 / Chemin des Lièvres Groups: please contact us Free of charge for individual visitors Groups: please contact us By reservation only (2 hours long) 84220 GOULT Meeting point at the wine warehouse Meeting point at the wine warehouse Cost: 15€ per person Hameau de la Coquillade – 84400 GARGAS Hameau de la Coquillade – 84400 GARGAS *April to September Contact: 04 90 74 54 67 **10 am -12.30 pm / 2 pm-6 pm from October to March *April to September **April to September
Parker: score = 90/100 Program of the festivities 22nd July and 19th August: “Pique Nique Ciné”. Maestrale red 2013 AOP Ventoux… By La Strada, two showings (program to be defined, see our website for details). Bring your own picnic, barbecues at your disposal. A wine from old Syrah and Grenache vines Tasting of Aureto wines. From 8 pm onwards at the cellar. presenting a deep color, ripe fruit aromas, 12th August: “Le Bal du Rosé“. a powerful, full-bodied wine, A festive, musical evening celebrating Aureto’s rosé wines. Wine bar atmosphere, music and dancing. At the cellar starting at 7 pm. ideal for complementing meat. Further details, reservations, registration on sur www.aureto.fr
Autan red 2013 AOP Ventoux… A wine of an intense garnet red with hints of blue. Fresh and expressive, a bouquet of red fruit, overtones of cherry, wild raspberry, mild spices.
Vignobles Aureto – Tasting and sales cellar D900 / chemin des Lièvres 84220 Goult – Tel.: 04 90 74 54 67 - [email protected] - www.aureto.fr – Online boutique: www.aureto-online.fr Open 7j/7 from 10 am to 7 pm - GPS 043° 51.47.00"N, 05° 17.12.00"E Winery Hameau de La Coquillade - 84400 Gargas - GPS: 043° 52.81’N, 05°19.02’E
6 communiqué Saint-Rémy | Italian Restaurant – Artisan ice-cream maker – Tearoom | It’s time for sorbets and ice-cream at Le Roma salade océane (shrimp and from the parking de la République, scallops) here, a salade the Roma is a very Italian place for Roma (marinated salmon, food but is, above all, a veritable spinach and salt cod brandade rainbow of handmade ice-creams Astuffed pastry) there… Not forgetting and sorbets. In cones, tubs, freezer the inevitable melon with Parma cartons from 0.5 to 1.5 l (ideal for ham and the Italian burger. Now rustling up a meal at home or for that summer will soon be here, the making sure you don’t arrive empty menu at Le Roma is outdoing itself handed if you get a surprise invitation), for originality and freshness. Among the summer isn’t long enough to the new dishes is a risotto with try all of the flavors made with rocket, shrimp, and monkfish with on the right foot. and mozzarella di buffalo lasagne, farm milk that gives it such an shavings of parmesan. For dinner, if you get cold easily or a bar fillet accompanied with a inimitable taste. And this is fortunate Now open 7/7 from 9 am to 10 pm, then opt for the tastefully decorated vegetable julienne and crushed because Le Roma is suggesting that you can enjoy a cappuccino on the dining-room where you can savor basil tomatoes … all you foodies start the season shaded terrace or a freshly squeezed home-made fresh pasta, milanesa, Mediterranean flavors that have earlier than usual! So, why not try orange juice to get your day started spaghetti with pistou sauce, brousse their roots in the Alpilles and Italy the house Chantilly cream with that are worth (re)discovering with melon, red-fleshed peach, or apricot your family or friends! (very popular at the moment) sorbet Nicely situated on the main street … in Saint-Rémy de Provence, across
LE ROMA 33, boulevard Marceau - 13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence Tel.: 04 90 92 14 33 - www.restaurant-le-roma.com Open for lunch and dinner 7/7 from 1st June onwards.
You can order a vacherin in the flavour of your choice (6 THE + persons minimum) right up until the day before you collect it. communiqué Maussane | Provençal cuisine | Southern vegetables shine at your table with Jean Martin’s recipes
he undeniable leader in Provençal products, Jean Martin now indulges all gourmets with his Jean Martin reaches all the south and three new ratatouille recipes. Opt for the 5 Twelcomes all foodies to visit his historical peppercorn variety to go with grilled meats; for boutique (since 1920!) in Maussane-les-Alpilles poultry, go for the ratatouille with honey and where they can find numerous edible gift ideas. raisins; for fish and seafood, choose the fennel As the time for drinks and festive, summery and white wine one. Delicious “tailored” recipes tables draws nigh, allow yourself to be tempted that can be eaten hot or cold and, above all, to by the range of spreads, particularly Gran’Draille your heart’s content! (puréed Grossane olives, a black Provençal variety of olive), sold exclusively in the boutique. It is a JEAN MARTIN traditional preparation made without capers or 9, rue Charloun Rieu anchovies, that can be enjoyed on canapés, in a 13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles vinaigrette dressing, in an omelette or in mashed Tel.: 04 90 54 34 63 - www.jeanmartin.fr potatoes … Besides the ready-made dishes (riste facebook.com/jeanmartin.fr d’aubergine, courgettes à la provençale...), sauces, Open from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am confits and, of course, the spread specialties, to noon and from 2 pm to 6.30 pm.
Cooking utensils in every color THE + made of olive wood (Barbier)
7 communiqué Joucas | Hôtel***** Restaurant | Le Mas des Herbes Blanches: an outstanding re-opening s crowning glory of the exceptional hotel group Marantha, and one of the very few Relais & Châteaux inA the unspoiled environment of the Luberon Regional Natural Park, Le Mas des Herbes Blanches emerges today entirely redesigned. In the heart of the pine forest, the golden stone of the main building has retained all of its authentic charm, in a setting that is still as refined but also remodeled. The bar lounge and restaurant have been extended in the most natural Le Mas des Herbes Blanches can A new modular area with three way with a new panoramic terrace also lend its bewitching setting to sunny rooms that give onto the that looks out onto the Luberon. Le family or professional events with Luberon and that are fully equipped Mas des Herbes Blanches hôtel*****, areas that are adapted to all cir- can host up to 150 persons. whether for a relaxing weekend or with private pool (for four of them) luminous spa and its soothing atmos- his culinary music upon. His score cumstances. a discovery stay, now has fewer and terrace. phere, an indoor pool (as well as is elegant and rings true to the LE MAS DES HERBES BLANCHES but roomier suites and bedrooms. This is an outstanding courtesy for an outdoor one), a hammam, a specialties of Provence, the County Relais & Châteaux - Le Mas des Herbes Blanches Here and there in the 5-hectare those who aspire for peace and sauna, treatment rooms, and a of Nice and of Italy, expressing the Lieu dit Toron - Joucas - 84220 Gordes park, amid pine trees, garrigue and quiet in a luxurious setting with fitness room for a veritable à la most wonderful flavors in the world. Tel.: 33 (0)4 90 05 79 79 - Fax : 33 (0)4 90 05 71 96 hanging gardens, nestle eight small service that is as attentive as it is carte moment of well-being. His writing is delicious, creative and Email : [email protected] drystone buildings, harmoniously discreet. For physical activity and With a menu that follows the authentic, careful to put the best Website: www.herbesblanches.com dispersed. These can be closed off relaxation, all guests can enjoy the seasons, Chef Xavier Burelle is a local produce and their producers Open 7 days a week. for privacy or shared as apartments new features, starting with the master of the instrument he designs into the spotlight. The plus: Weekends and breaks on a theme. THE + Airport/TGV station shuttle. Heliport.
Provence | Traditional Fare | Traditional Provençal markets If there is one thing that the Alpilles, the Aix Where to find the main markets: region, the Luberon and the Salon region all have in common it’s the weekly market; Monday morning: Friday morning: Luberon: Cadenet, Cavaillon, Lauris, Velleron Luberon: Bonnieux, Cavaillon, Lourmarin, Lagnes virtually every town and village has a morning Alpilles: Fontvieille, Saint-Etienne du Grès Alpilles: Barbentane, Eygalières, Eyragues, Fontvieille, market. Local fruit and vegetables, traditional Aix region: Les Milles, Luynes Graveson, Saint-Andiol Aix region: Aix-en-Provence, Eguilles, Lambesc crafts, olive oil, honey … the fare on every Tuesday morning: Salon region: Eyguières, Mallemort, Salon de Provence stand more mouth-watering than the last. Luberon: Cucuron, Gordes, Lacoste Make a point of visiting one! Alpilles: Cabannes, Rognonas, Tarascon Saturday morning: Aix region: Aix-en-Provence, Eguilles Luberon: Apt, Cheval Blanc, Le Thor, Ménerbes, Oppède, Salon region: Alleins, Eyguières Petit Palais Alpilles: Cabannes, Saint-Rémy de Provence Wednesday morning: Aix region: Aix-en-Provence, Venelles Luberon: Le Thor, Gargas Salon region: Salon de Provence, Charleval, Miramas Alpilles: Mollégès, Mouriès, Orgon, Saint-Rémy de Provence Aix region: Aix-en-Provence, Meyrargues Sunday morning: Salon region: Mallemort, Salon de Provence Luberon: L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Maubec, Coustellet Alpilles: Châteaurenard Thursday morning: Aix region: Jouque, Aix-en-Provence, Vitrolles, Meyrargues Luberon: L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Ménerbes, Robion, Roussillon Salon region: Pélissanne, Salon de Provence Alpilles: Aureille, Maillane, Maussane les Alpilles, Noves Aix region: Aix-en-Provence, La Roque d’Anthéron Salon region: Sénas
8 communiqué Robion | Spirits, beer and wine cellar | La P’tite Cave where difference and originality go hand-in-hand with quality Wine shop, wine consultant, tapas wine bar, wine-tasting initiation, wholesaler to professionals, associations, wine-based happenings for private, associative, charity, professional events … In Robion, 723 avenue Aristide Briand has, in a few short months, become the venue for lovers of wine, beer, champagne and spirits, who hope to find and taste quality with a difference. Welcome to La P’tite Cave!
ith numerous references, from Canada, a white Armagnac, a Wine-tasting lessons … all carefully tested and cottage-type vintage pastis, a bourbon selected here and there aged in Aubagne, beers from Provençal words to express the experience* in the course of meetings, breweries or made in the purest Tasting initiation: outingsW … Patrick Bouillon has no Trappist tradition, a wine born of a Basic understanding of wine and wine vocabulary (2h - set ideas and hopes to get us to secret location and harvested grape- 49 € per person). share his quite distinctive favorites. by-grape… This is neither snobbish Expand your knowledge: “I try to offer products that relate a nor eccentric, but here, at La P'tite Wine-tasting by region, by grape variety, by color or by vertical region, a story, an encounter, a Cave, difference is important and tasting of wines from a given estate (select an option – 2h30 – way of being and doing, whether they only sell what they like and 69 € per person). it’s a grand cru classé or a quaffing what they believe in. Besides, the Prestige workshop: wine to share with friends at cocktail cellar has chosen to charge very hour! It isn’t a question of budget studied prices so that there is Tasting of wines from major French châteaux and estates but of discovery and it must force something for every budget and (2h30 – 119 € per person) your attention, give rise to discussion, why shouldn’t it be from a major VIP tasting: exchange, surprise.” An ice cider Burgundy winegrower, at an entirely Private tasting in your home with the sommelier (on estimate).
Taste Luberon and Ventoux wines …* Brought together for you at La P’tite Cave, for a tasting tour of a superb selection of wines, local estates and terroirs (6 wines, 6 glasses, explanations and observations), 20€ per person.
A portrait of enthusiasts… As a recognized and qualified sommelier, Patrick has an informed view of wine, enhanced by his professional experience with some of wine shop price? Discover also the regions (Gers …), charcuterie, the most distinguished tables in French and International gastrono- natural fruit juices, the delicatessen, exceptional cheeses … all of which my having notably spent 2 years in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in spreads from the sea (from the can be enjoyed on the spot or taken Paris, a year in a Michelin-starred restaurant in England and 10 years island of Groix), from meat-raising away. in a Michelin-starred restaurant in our region. His passion is wine and he enjoys conveying it as much to the general public as to the connoisseur with the simplicity and generosity that are the mark of the true epicurean that he is … and in English, if necessary. Marie- Anne has a master’s degree in viticulture and oenology. She is an agricultural and wine-growing technical specialist, technician and manager of the oenology laboratory, saleswoman and consultant in the cellar, and external control inspector. A rich professional history from vine to wine, in a permanent quest for quality in the terroir- based products that she proposes every day at La P’tite Cave. Happenings and events … involving wine* Family events, professional seminars, work committees, club cele- brations … Why not invite your guests to a wine-tasting initiation Wine bar and flavors … to discover wines? It’s an original idea that can be entirely tailored At noon and in the evening, La P'tite Cave becomes a wine bar! Whe- by Patrick! ther outside at the barrels where you stand to eat or indoors at the long counter-style wooden table, on the menu are wine (or fruit juice) by the glass, boards (from 7 € to 30 €) of fine charcuterie, Evenings and tastings! * cheeses, combined tapas-style, antipasti, baked cheeses, fish soup, The calendar for festive and tasting evenings on the theme of local fresh salads and sweetmeats … to be enjoyed for the flavors and and not-so-local vineyards, trips to rum country, and many other the atmosphere! convivial outings can be found at La P’tite Cave. LA P’TITE CAVE BY TERRAVINUM 723, avenue Aristide Briand – 84440 Robion – Tel.: 09 83 27 67 83 - [email protected] Open on Mondays from 4.30 pm to 11.30 pm. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm and from 4.30 pm to 11.30 pm.
9
Mallemort | Festivities | Guaranteed fun all summer
rom 18th June with Mallemort “Vendredi, on sort!”, a rhythm Natural and cultural outings Sens Dessus Dessous to 26th and blues show presented by August with “Vendredi on “Les Invendables” (8th) as well Due to an incredibly rich and varied choice of accommodation sort!”, the village will move as the fireworks set off along (campsite, bed & breakfast, furnished accommodation, gîtes, luxury toF the beat of many cultural and the Durance embankments after hotels, etc.) Mallemort is the meeting point for nature lovers and festive activities. Street theater and a torch-lit parade with the “La history enthusiasts. Led by their own curiosity, they can use the shows, games, skilled craft markets, Brigade” brass band and before bilingual plan that is available at the tourist information bureau (it games, concerts … there will be an open-air dance with the can also be downloaded from their site) to get the best from the something for everyone this summer! Orchestre Acoustic (14th). To treasures of a village surrounded by the Alpilles, the Luberon and And that’s without counting the round it all up there will be “La Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Typical Provençal landscapes can be Tuesday evening markets from 12th Nuit des Sosies”, a show with admired from the toposcope at the top of the village, at the foot of July to 16th August, now under the celebrity doubles (Rihanna, Kendji, the keep. The view sweeps over the banks of the River Durance, the wing of the town council, the perfect Stromae, etc.) on the 23rd. symbol of the rich history of Mallemort. opportunity for a stroll in the cooler Information - Office de Tourisme in Mallemort: air in the town center amid stands The month of AUGUST will start 04 90 57 41 62 - www.mallemortdeprovence.com and craftsmen… with a concert by Welcome tourisme-mallemortdeprovence.com Orchestra (6th), before the The festivities in Mallemort begin in traditional events around 15th maker’s, knife-sharpener’s and washerwoman’s know-how! Recreational JUNE with the not-to-be-missed free August, music and dancing by activities, farm animals and a local produce market will delight fans of the festival, Mallemort Sens dessus Gitano Family on the 14th. Then region, bathed in a warm and unpretentious atmosphere supplied by Nana dessous (18th), followed by the comes the celebrated Fête des and Lucas and their barrel organ as well as by sketches in Provençal. All of Académies de Pont-Royal (23rd and Moissons on the 20th, organized this goes to make up an original intermission dedicated to Provence and 24th) and, finally, the village fête of by the Sian d'Aqui association the age-old culture that mirrors the enterprise and ambition of a village Saint-Jean with side-shows, a belote with arts and crafts and traditional that is resolutely turned to the future. And thus are written another few competition, a fishing competition skills taking pride of place: pages in the book of life in Mallemort … and three musical evenings (from reaping, threshing by hand and 24th to 27th). This continues in JULY machine, bread-making in a with the second edition of “Polyphonique wood-smoke oven … not to A flyer for tourists in English and cycling circuits can be THE obtained from the tourist information bureau et musique du monde” (2nd), mention the iron-worker’s, clog- + communiqué Saint-Rémy | Restaurant | Fratelli, the taste and charm of Italian food
ransporting clients to the other side of the TAlps the minute they entered the restaurant was JC Vigne’s ambition for Fratelli. A few short weeks after opening it is clear he has succeeded given the keen interest shown by the locals and tourists alike for “Mare Monti”, a sauce with ceps, Dublin Bay prawns, clams and zucchini that goes as well with penne as with spaghetti as with bucati- ni…And what can we say about the sepia ink risottos! Or the gourmet and the panoramic terrace, ideal for Italian-style pizzas, like the upside down one that we won’t drinks at the end of a day with a beer, a glass of elaborate on for fear of spoiling the surprise … wine or prosecco while nibbling on home-made In a stylish setting, designed by Maylis Bastien, antipasti. it’s a 100% Italian team that greets you and com- municates their enthusiasm for, and experience FRATELLI RISTORANTE in, their cuisine to you. It’s hard, given these 2C, rue Salengro conditions, not to fall under the spell of their 13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence artisanal producers, their fine charcuterie, their Tel.: 04 90 20 82 96 pasta, their cheeses … garnished with fresh www.fratelliristoranti.fr facebook.com/fratellidimperia produce from the Alpilles. Here is a subtle blend Eat-in and take-away pizzas of wealth from French and Italian terroirs, both Open every day from 8 am limitless sources for fine fare, at affordable prices and eaten in a convivial atmosphere. “Giro Pizza”, enjoy a meal with family It is a “living space” formed by the dining room THE + or friends with surprise pizzas.
11 communiqué L’Isle sur la Sorgue | Exhibition | The Villa Datris, emotions shared...
he major event of this season surrounded by a garden at the edge Foundation owners Danièle Kapel- LeWitt, François Morellet, Niki de will be the “Sculpture en of the Sorgue, and has already Marcovici and Tristan Fourtine Saint-Phalle, Jesus-Rafaeĺ Soto, and Partageʺexhibition featuring produced five major exhibitions on established the Villa Datris collection Victor Vasarely. a selection of works from the theme of contemporary sculpture, by acquiring works from exhibitions A sign of the bonds between the theT Villa Datris Foundation Collection, their realm of predilection. after due consideration and according artists, the exhibition also features the very essence of five years of The place has a uniquely convivial to their individual appeal. recognized or emerging contemporary discoveries and acquisitions. The setting for the discovery of contemporary Yet again this year, the joyful spirit creators who have contributed to Villa Datris Foundation was inaugurated sculpture in an exhibition area of of the Villa Datris Foundation, the the writing of the history of Villa in 2011 in L’Isle sur la Sorgue near 500 m2 on four levels, plus the fundamental trends of their artistic Datris: Jean Denant, Vincent Mauger, Avignon in a Provençal mansion sculptures in the garden. The choices and of their social commitments Manuel Merida, Jaume Plensa, Chiharu Shiota, Joana Vasconcelos, and Roger Vilder. For this new exhibition, Villa Datris has also chosen to present three and, above all, their philosophy of open-air sculptures in the garden emerging artists : Alexis Hayère, "sharing art", a real "irrigation of until 1st November. Laurent Perbos and Caroline Tapernoux, culture". The exhibition is composed around who will each present several works. “Actually, from the very start, the founding or influential artists who With “Sculpture en Partage”, the decision to make exhibitions free for form the backbone of the Collection Villa Datris Foundation is proposing visitors to the Villa Datris was intended such as Yaacov Agam, Marina a new interpretation of their artistic to truly democratize contemporary Apollonio, André Bloc, Carlos Cruz- choices, provoking new visual confron- art, to share it with no strings or Diez, Emile Gilioli, Dan Graham, tations, by striving, over and over conditions attached, contemporary Philippe Hiquily, Julio Le Parc, Sol again, to surprise and to amaze … sculpture for one and al.” Excellent scenography created by FONDATION VILLA DATRIS Until 1st November Laure Dezeuze and Jules Fourtine, 7, avenue des 4 Otages - 84800 L’Isle sur la Sorgue the exhibition “Sculpture en Partage” Tel.: +33 (0) 4 90 95 23 70 - www.villadatris.com will present a hundred works in June, September, October: open from Thursday to Monday from total, with an additional twenty 11 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm. pieces from Danièle Kapel-Marcovici’s July, August: open every day except Tuesdays from 11 am to 1 pm private collection and twenty-five and from 2 pm to 7 pm. Open all day on Sundays.
communiqué Provence | International Removals | Lead’m, a partner for your mobility!
ecause sometimes cutting manager of Lead’m, a man with a you live in France or abroad. Trans- costs can cost more in the rich professional history in the field portation by train, truck, boat or end, Lead’m in Arles puts working with major French companies. plane towards your new home. The all their expertise into “Our company was created in 2015 handling of all customs formalities Btailored, high quality solutions at and specializes in international moves. at both ends. Lead’m puts all their the service of their clients. We have a network the world over experience into your move. “A move is stressful enough so when that allows us to organize comprehensive Besides this, the company has other it’s an international one and you package operations in the best possible complementary services such as have more than the usual constraints conditions.” finding you somewhere to stay in often it’s hard to know where to Disassembly, packing and loading your new country (relocation). start,” explains Philippe Gasse, at your departure point whether
When you leave the as soon as you arrive. all your requirements concerning company can manage Another solution to consider is the special (horses, pets) or delicate the cancellation of all of your sub- provision of storage for your furniture (works of art, etc.) transport requi- scriptions and supply agreements. for the duration of the move or rements. And if you have a question, When you arrive, Lead’m takes care until work has been finished on the company can reply to it in of finding suitable operators, managing your new home. Lead’m specializes French, English or Spanish. your electricity connection and in prestige services and can meet reducing your formalities as much as possible. The company can also LEAD’M send in a cleaning team when you ZI portuaires, chemin de Ségonnaux - 13200 Arles leave and when you arrive so that Tel.: +33 (0) 4 90 99 87 85 - [email protected] - www.leadm.eu your home is clean and functional THE + A network of professionals on 5 continents 12 communiqué Graveson | Restaurant | Le Relais de Costebelle, home cooking and original recipes he restaurant’s lovely terrace is festooned with fairy lights giving it a village fête feel. And it is precisely that air of convivialityT that characterizes Le Relais de Costebelle, run by Denis Magalon who has been a restaurateur in the region for over 25 years. After having relaunched “Le Moulin d’Oise” a dinner show restaurant in Robion, he then held Le Cheval Blanc in Coustellet for 7 years, “La Voute” in L’Isle sur la Sorgue, and now has the “Au Rendez-vous” bistro in Cavaillon. Always accompanied by Justine in the dining room, by Chef Dominique Charlier, a disciple of Escoffier International, now assisted by Tony, a pastry chef, in chilled petit pois coulis, lemon zest, entirely composed of the kitchen, he currently proposes clams, beetroot with chervil; roast fresh seasonal produce a gourmet stopping place only two rabbit with thyme, puréed haricot and homemade food. LE RELAIS DE COSTEBELLE kilometers from the Abbaye Saint- beans, mini-vegetables, green olive The new wine list offers 1443, route de Tarascon - 13690 Graveson Michel de Frigolet. crumble and droplets of jus; scallops guests the luxury of all Tel.: 04 90 95 74 76 - Facebook : Le Relais de Costebelle and boudin blanc on a bed of the regional wines at Huge free car park. Set menu at 13 € (starter-main course Open to group meals, this semi- vegetable julienne, blue potato producers’ prices. Hurry or main course-dessert) every lunchtime during the week. Open from Tuesday to Sunday noon inclusive. gourmet restaurant is impressive purée; coffee and Baileys tiramisu and give it a go with in its creativity and innovation: … A whole rainbow of flavors family or friends! All you can eat barbecue proposal: rapidy cooked grilled THE + meat with fresh fries and leafy green salad.
13 Ménerbes | Heritage | Timeless Ménerbes...
Ménerbes is a typical hilltop village where the Provençal way of life is nurtured in a marvelous combination of good living and tradition, of days gone by and modernity, stemming from a distinct determination to maintain regional heritage. Let’s go visit…
By Eric Morichaud
he peacefulness at the end of an autumn day, the fire of a setting sun illuminating the reddening vines below, Ménerbes in this late season no longer bustles with summer noise. TThis is the best time of day to explore the village. Start by leaving the car behind you. After just a few short steps, Menerbo, as it is called in the Mistralian norm, appears, a small square at the crossroads of lots of tiny streets. It makes no difference whether you take the high road or the low road, both lead to the end of the village and the outcrop it’s built on. The view looks out over the Petit Luberon, the end of the cedar forest that starts at Bonnieux, the Calavon valley and far beyond the first mists of the season, other Luberon gems, Cabrières, Gordes, Goult… and beyond that again, the Giant of Provence. At the end of this path stands the church being restored and the former cemetery where time erases the names and dates a little more every day. The key that you might be given at the town hall will make you feel the full power of this place of remembrance that is as peaceful as it is moving.
Wherever you go, through the village gates, Saint-Sauveur and Notre-Dame, the streets, arches, and vaulted passageways, the calades, the tiny squares, restored stonework glows golden in harmony with the autumn leaves. It may be peaceful now but it wasn’t always that way. The site of the village has been inhabited since time immemorial and has seen troubled times with switches in power and religious and political unrest from ancient times until the Middle Ages, and later, during the wars of religion notably between Huguenots and Catholics.
It is worth seeing the citadel and the castle, a military fortification and a stately home, and beneath the village, the chapel dedicated to Saint Blaise.
Steeped in history and the arts, Ménerbes has drawn many artists including the celebrated Picasso who offered a mansion here to his muse, Dora Maar. The building is now home to the works and spirit of this painter and photographer. Others who have stayed in Ménerbes are the poet and politician Clovis Hugues, painters Nicolas de Staël and Joe Downing, and writers including the late François Nourissier and Peter Mayle.
Remember and visit Jane Eakin’s house...
Just before you leave, why not spend a few moments at the foot of the Dolmen de la Pitchoune and its burial chamber not far from the village. It’s a huge megalith similar to the Ubac dolmen in Goult. Ménerbes is a member of the "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) association and thrives on tourism and the surrounding wine-producing land. The attraction is strong in summer but this is a village that should really be visited in the off- season, to discover the real village and to better feel the soul infused in it by the residents.
14 communiqué Bonnieux | Wine cellar | Cave de Bonnieux, quality at the heart of every wine It’s in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon, between Cavaillon and Apt, at the foot of the hilltop village of Bonnieux that can be found the Cave Viticole de Bonnieux. On the southern slopes of Mont Ventoux and on the northern slopes of the Luberon, local wine-growing authenticity and expertise produce some of the most spectacular regional PDO Ventoux and Luberon wines. Let’s go and see…
hat better tribute to the thousand-year-old tradition of vines and wines than to work theW land every day and in all seasons not far from the Via Domitia and the remains of villae dating back to the Pax Romana? This is what the co-operators and the team at the Cave de Bonnieux effectively endeavour to do with the three colours of their wine, rose, white and red; vintages that have a distinctive character born of time spent, seasons respected, and revealed by wine-making at practices, and their sense of hospitality last!), likewise for the red Confidence its finest, each expressing the are all clear signs of their determination. PDO Ventoux aged in oak barrels. devotion for Wine in its own inimitable The result is wines that are regularly As for the white wines, there is the way. acclaimed by the profession notable Révélation 2014, also and that win medals in the aged in oak barrels, with a ʺWork, traditions, enthusiasm, shows that count such as woody vanilla nose. Still on the innovation and conviviality have Orange and the Concours subject of quality, we should been our watch words at the cellar Général Agricole in Paris. mention the two fruity white for nearly 20 years,” according to Now that the fine weather vintages, Orphéa (Ventoux) and Laurent Bouet, cellar manager, and is here again, the spotlight Les Safres (Luberon). Naëlle Mathieu, the sales manager. is on the Pure Utopie, Ephé- Selling half-bottles, 75 cl, Commitment too, to put an end to mère, and Les Safres PDO Magnums …all year round, preconceived ideas, to ensure the Luberon rosé wines. These the Cave de Bonnieux enjoys quality of all their wines, and to three major signature receiving aficionados and fully contribute to their period … cuvée are as exceptional wine-lovers who happened and its future, in due respect of the as the bottles they come to pass by, to taste and wine-grower’s craft, the environment in. talk about wine, vines and and those who will enjoy the wines. The reds have a strong traditions … If you are ISO 9001 certification, Toits Bleus identity too in Terre looking for gift ideas, they helping them produce their own d’Antan, a PDO Ventoux. have personal wine selections solar energy, Agri Confiance certification “A top-notch Grenache and wine-tasting articles highlighting certified wine-growing that is particularly telling for sale. about the way we work,” So head for the Cave de explains Laurent Bouet, Bonnieux for a tour, why because “this is a wine not visit when the local from old vines, aged in farmers’ market is on in wooden barrels and only produced front of the cellar on Wednesday when we consider the conditions mornings from May to October or and the grapes to be promising”. A for the “Fête du Rosé” on Saturday conscious choice that can be appreciated 9th July (live music, meeting with in the 2012 wine (while the stocks the co-operators, tasting…)?
LA CAVE DE BONNIEUX Quartier de la Gare - 84480 Bonnieux – Tel.: 04 90 75 80 03 - Fax: 04 90 75 98 30 - www.cavedebonnieux.com – Website and online boutique: www.cave-bonnieux.com Open from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 6.30 pm. Open on Sundays and public holidays from 10 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm. Open on Sundays in July and August.
15 communiqué communiqué Saint-Rémy | Sun e bike | Salon de Provence | Marius Fabre | Renting an e-bike, A boutique and a museum another way to visit Provence ! in honor of genuine Marseille soap
nce you tried it, it is hard thousand tons of soap produced every year, 116 Marseille soap on the market are fake) and are in to do without! Well known years of accumulated expertise, 14 days to favour of the creation of a Protected Geographical Ofrom the lovers of rides Amake the soap, 8 open-air boilers, 4 generations Indication such as exists for wine and olive oil. The by ebikes and of green and of artisan soap-makers, 1 single French manufacturer soap factory is now open to the public for free tours of effortless travels, Sun-E-Bike of olive oil-based soft soap … Welcome to the the workshops where the famous cube is made and offers itineraries across the authentic world of Marius Fabre, whose shop next to you can see the various steps and secrets of the Alpilles and the Luberon area, the historical factory in Salon de Provence welcomes traditional manufacturing of soap. A family heritage as well as the Aix-en-Provence all fans of the one and only veritable Marseille soap that is now known the world over is not to be missed region. With an autonomy of (72% vegetable oil and 28% water). Natural, mild, on any account. Another thing that is unique in France 80 km (50 miles), you will nourishing, extra pure, biodegradable and ecologically is that the soap factory also houses a museum dedicated conquer these picture postcard responsible, it can be found in the form of the to Marseille soap. landscapes, on the charming traditional olive oil cube for skin care, in liquid form SAVONNERIE MARIUS FABRE side roads of our region and on for stain removal, and as flakes for ecological and 148, avenue Paul Bourret the latest generation of e bikes. "SUN-E-BIKE, THE PLEASURE OF CYCLING economical clothes washing. 13300 Salon de Provence With rates by day, half day or by week, Sun-E- "Sun-E-Bike, the pleasure of cycling Julie and Marie, the great-granddaughters of Marius, Tel.: +33 (0)4 90 53 82 75 Bike is suited for every user, from the sportier www.sun-e-bike.com have been running the family business since 2010. www.marius-fabre.com cyclists to the casual one, and for every budget. facebook.com/sunebike Innovating and yet respecting the traditions, they Open from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am With Sun-E-Bike, you will have the guarantee of [email protected] carefully guard their unique expertise (80% of all to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 7 pm. itineraries built with care along paths, cycle roads Open 7/7, from 9 am to 6.30 pm and side roads, two well-known French brands until the end of September. (O2Feel, specialized in E bikes, and Peugeot- Gitane, genuine institution in the pelotons) and ALPILLES - 2, rue Camille Pelletan a bilingual team to welcome you in our agencies. 13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence Tel: 04 32 62 08 39 With our advices, you will be able to ride across LUBERON - 1, av. Clovis Hugues the roads of Provence safely, and take in the 84480 Bonnieux beautiful landscapes… Tel: 04 90 74 09 96 Visitors of the Alpilles, consider the Carrières de AIX - 33, av. Sainte-Victoire Lumières Pass (Chagall show), in the Baux de 13100 Aix-en-Provence Provence, at 34€ for a half day (ebike and ticket Tel: 04 42 63 24 71 to the show) instead of 37€, and 42€ instead of E-bikes and accessories (helmets, child Guided tours of the workshops from Monday to Friday 48€ for the day. THE + seats) for sale THE + at 10.30 am and 2.30 pm during the school holidays. communiqué Saint-Rémy | Hôtel***** - Restaurant | Le Château des Alpilles, an invitation to happiness
n this beautiful 19th century residence with These are golden moments to relish with family its park of century-old trees sits Le Château or friends so don’t hesitate and push the door to Ides Alpilles, a stylish and elegant hotel that Le Château des Alpilles, a romantic destination in exudes an old-fashioned charm. the heart of the Alpilles … As the sun rises, it is most pleasant to take a seat on the terrace, surrounded by freshly mowed LE CHÂTEAU DES ALPILLES***** meadows and lulled by the sound of birdsong. In Hotel - Restaurant the kitchen, Chef Mathias Bettinger is busy with Route du Rougadou 13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence his vibrant, light, fresh summer recipes, to enjoy Tel.: 04 90 92 03 33 at the poolside from mid-June onwards. Stuffed [email protected] zucchini flowers, John-Dory fillet with potato www.chateaudesalpilles.com scales, lemon soufflé … Don’t forget to book Closed on Wednesdays except your table for dinner, whether you’re eating à la for July and August. carte or from the special menu. Lunch and dinner by reservation only.
Discover our tailored packages THE + for an unforgettable stay.
17 L’Isle sur la Sorgue | Tradition | Nego Chin, boating on the Sorgue
These typically Provençal boats are an essential part of the summer scene in L’Isle sur la Sorgue and provide a unique spectacle on the river. They are as much a cultural element as a sporting one – let’s find out more about them …
By Rémi Lacassin
ar from the Oxbridge boat race, the Nego Chin Loin is a fun item in the L’Isle sur la Sorgue summer Fseason. These unusual boats, with a standing “percheur” and a “tireur” who lies in the bottom of the boat making it easier to go under bridges, over weirs, and generally deal with any other obstacles date back to time immemorial … more or less.
Though they were originally used by local fishermen in swamp areas, then later in canals that served the wool and silk, the Nego Chin (literally “noie-chien” in French, “dog drowner” in English because they weren’t very stable) have become a veritable leisure activity over the last century. These 5 meter long boats for a weight of approximately 80 kg are a veritable institution in L’Isle sur la Sorgue and are quite remarkable as they glide along the river in July and August.
The president of the nautical sporting-cultural association is Jean-François Guiseppi. The treasurer of this 350 member strong association (the biggest association in town) is Vincent Rivoire and he and his friends are at the helm from springtime onwards. “From April to June, we build and repair the boats. We have 25 of them plus another 20 belonging to members who keep their craft in our premises,” he tells us. He, like his colleagues, cares about the environment and that includes rivers – the Sorgue is at a virtually constant temperature all year round (14°C). This discipline can be practiced from the age of 6 in water as shallow as 25-30 cm and as deep as 4 meters, as long as you have a “partègue” (a pinewood pole) long enough!
Though the summer games are friendly they can turn into veritable battles on water (1.8 km covered in 17 minutes for the best of them and 40 minutes for the last ones) that tourists just love and so do the locals, always enthusiastic at these events.
A refreshing attitude and a lot of contagious bank-to- bank good humor …
Further information: www.negochin.fr The club is open from Tuesday to Friday from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm and is located on the Portalet car park.
An easy-to-handle boat
The Nego Chin is a fast and easy-to-manage flat-bottomed boat that skims across shallow water with ease. It is made of three planks, including two side ones (known as “cantiés”), held together by iron fixtures and it is made of marine plywood or pine. The craft is about 5 meters long, 65 cm wide and 40 cm deep. Every year, the members of the club make four or five in their workshop.
18 communiqué Coustellet | Optician – Sunglasses and spectacles – Technical glass lenses | A wide selection of leading brands at the best prices so enjoy the summer sun with Vision +! This summer, at Vision + in Coustellet, it’s time to get advice from Cédric and Jérôme to make the best choice from an exceptional selection of sunglasses from all the leading brands. Classical, or more unusual, designer models for all looks and all lifestyles, combining quality, beauty and performance for comfort and protection without cutting corners.
SUNGLASSES: technical glass lenses Vision +, and stylish frames … devoted to your vision… With models for both women and men, in retro, A local optician with the backing of a design, classical, and timeless styles in all shapes nationwide chain, a superb selection of and materials … brands, special offers all year round, that’s the difference made by an optician who The very up-to-date glasses: Paul Smith, Michaël can’t take his eyes off you! Kors, Oliver Peoples, The must haves: Chanel, Vogue, Stella Mc Cartney, Persol, Tom Ford, Vision + is committed to …* The offbeat, fun glasses: Opposit, Maui Jim, Ensuring appropriate guarantees so you Xavier Garcia... can be sure of making the right choice for The sports glasses: Oakley, stress-resistant frames, breakage (free repairs for 2 years), maintenance, protective and comfortable. payment (payment in instalments, partner with most supplementary health insurance OUR SUMMER SELECTION… companies), providing quality products and services, corrective lenses made in France. SUPER, by Rétrosuperfuture®… and, our personal favorites, Tuttolete, for their inimitable style and elegant originality. JAGUAR sunglasses… authenticity for both SUNGLASS CLEARANCE! * classical and highly design frames. Glasses signed by Zeiss, for polarized and light sensitive lenses 50 % for the best in eyewear protection. off recent lines RAY BAN sunglasses… A superb line by a name from the past, present and future! The best of from many brands! high quality for all budgets! (*Details in store)
*See Vision Plus AFNOR certified. Provision of services throughout the Vision Plus network. Payment in 3 or 4 instalments with for conditions. THE + no extra charge. Third party payment. Breakage, adjustment, quality, maintenance guarantees. English Spoken.
104, route de Cavaillon (across from Place du Marché) - 84660 Coustellet – Tel.: 04 90 05 85 51 Parking for clients in front of the shop, easy access. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9 am to noon and from 2.30 pm to 7 pm (summer hours).
19 Provence | Fauna and Flora | Music in the garrigues with ventriloquist cicadas It has been scientifically proven that the male cicada chirps 3400 times per second; that when it flexes its tymbals it can reach 158 decibels, roughly the equivalent to the noise produced by a grenade exploding a meter away! Sixteen of the 2500 species of cicada live in France.
By Claude Darras
ou might feel that the “singing” to. The Romans, on the other hand, considered their singing to be an of cicadas all afternoon during eminently unpleasant noise. the summer heatwave is either Y A miner’s life … aural torture or comforting music. “The strident cry of the cicadas' Brown or dark green, black or red, with transparent wings and plump hind incessant din,” exclaimed Alphonse legs, there are more than 2 500 species of cicadas in the world (the oft- Daudet, “deafening, hurried, and quoted figure of 4 000 seems a little excessive). Among them is the seeming to harmonize with the immense Cyclochila australasiae whose stridulation goes beyond the pain threshold luminous shimmering” that is the of the human ear by 25 decibels (like the sound of a Boeing taking off) … sun, that conductor whose baton to the dismay of people living in Merlbourne, the Malasian Pomponia directs the concert from dawn to imperatorial which is as big as a sparrow, the Cicadetta montana which has dusk as soon as the temperature colonized the conifers in the United Kingdom, the Pycna repanda from wavers between 23 and 25°C. As we India, and the Cicada orni (Orn cicada), a large gray cicada, called “cacan” say, here in Provence, “Lou souleu in Provence due to its raspy song. Like the cacan, fourteen other species of me fay canta” (the sun makes me French cicada (mainly found in the south) live underground from 2 to 5 sing). This lovely winged insect sings years. at the end of its life; the early ones The Common cicada (Lyristes plebejus), the sixteenth French species, has can be heard around midsummer, known a population boom in the last 7-8 years and is the largest species at the later ones stop singing in 5-6 cm, the others measuring from 2 to 4.5 cm. In Provence, its song can September. It is hard to believe that be heard with that of the Orn cicada, the black cicada (Cicada atra), the a cicada lives but 3 weeks above black and green pygmy cicada (Tettigetta pygmea) the red cicada (Tibicina ground and yet its larval stage under- haematodes) and, finally, Tibicina tomentosa also known as “cigalon” in ground is very long, as much as 2 to Provence and that we see much less than the other species. 5 years, sometimes more. Female cicadas lay their eggs in dry plant (asphodels) stems or in the A song as loud as the branches of bushes. After hatching, the nymphs drop to the ground which sound of a lawnmower they soften by excreting a salivary liquid and then burrow down, searching for roots. They remain underground throughout their nymphal stage, Cicadas are insects in the Hemiptera drinking sap from roots that they pierce with their mouthparts and digging order, in the superfamily Cicadoidea interminable galleries with their hind legs. After a variable number of and are the only “singing” insects years, the nymph emerges from the month of June onwards. It then climbs that have an organ specially designed onto a nearby plant and sheds its skin. The transformation can begin. to do so. Others make their sounds American and Australian cicadas can spend 13 to 17 years underground. by rubbing their legs against each This is one of the longest life cycles in the insect world but the record is other but only male cicadas have undisputedly held by the termite queen who can live for up to 40 years. noisemaking tymbals on either side of their abdomens. Each of these A fable by Jean de La Fontaine elastic chambers is reinforced by and a song by Bob Dylan … four convex ribs on both sides, inside In Jean-Henri’s “Souvenirs Entomologiques”, the author expresses and out. These ribs are connected disappointment that Jean de La Fontaine (a writer he enjoyed) had by a membrane and the two membranes published “undisguised nonsense in the fable” (“La Cigale et la Fourmi”, are linked by powerful muscles that translated in English as “The Ant and the Grasshopper”). The cicada/ant contract 120 times per second. The always suffers from hunger when the cold weather comes yet there are result is 4300 clicks per second – never any cicadas in winter. Also the cicada goes looking for flies and giving a series of vibrations at a worms yet it never eats. Similarly, in the Provençal saying “Li cigalo vivon frequency of 4.3 KHz (a hertz is a Provence). With the aid of computers, the scientist drew up acoustic d’eigagno e de cansoun” (cicadas live on morning dew and song), it would unit of frequency that corresponds to a cycle per second). The resonance identity cards specific to “singers” of different species. In this way, he be more fitting to replace morning dew by sap, their only sustenance … chambers occupy two thirds of the anterior abdominal area, the remaining classified the mating song, and distress, protest and challenge calls. The And what can we say about Bob Dylan who mixed cicadas up with locusts third contains all of the organs that the cicada needs to live. So the cicada flight of the cicada is accompanied by yet another music. “It is a song that in his song “Day of the Locusts” (1970)? is a ventriloquist and the intensity of its song is about as high as that of a is supposedly a mating call, loud and hoarse; it is a dreadful sound,” observed Though there are fewer of them than there used to be, cicadas are firmly lawnmower, i.e. around 158 decibels (a decibel is a tenth of a bel, a relative 19th century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. “It sounds as if a heap of rooted in many cultures and languages, particularly in the south. In Italian measurement of acoustic intensity). walnuts are being shaken in a bag until the shells break!” “This stridulation,” patois, “cicalare” means to chew the fat. In Provençal, “s’encigaler”, means A whole repertoire of mating and distress calls according to the Italian writer, Piero Calamandrei, “resembles the creaking to get drunk because drunkenness leads to singing. In Gard patois, “de raço of pulleys rather than a song, this dry, bloodless body, encrusted with dé cigalos” indicates a lazy person and a “cigaou” is a fool, a gullible per- Male cicadas sing to let female cicadas know where they are and to draw celluloid and mica, its abdomen visibly vibrating as if spring-operated – for son. them towards them for mating. The male cicada has a broad repertoire of these reasons, I am inclined to classify cicadas in a category similar to that of I can but allow Alphonse Daudet (1866) the last word in this article. He songs that Michel Boulard, a French specialist in cicadas (at the Muséum clockwork toys.” refers to the garrigue as the Cicadas’ library - “It's a marvelous library, well d’Histoire Naturelle and l’École Pratique des Hautes Etudes,) has patiently The ancient Greeks were so fond of these insects that they put them in stocked, and open twenty four hours a day to poets and it is served by those studied (and presented in 1995, at an exhibition in Saint-Rémy-de- cages so they could watch them and listen to them whenever they wanted little cymbal-clashing librarians who make music for you all the time”.
20 communiqué Luberon | Nursery – Rare plants – adult tree specialist | Agricom, the solution to your open spaces!
gricom is a family-owned nursery in Pernes les Fontaines, that has been meeting all sorts of customer needs andA expectations for several years now, combining quality and a wide variety of plants, appropriate advice, and delivery as well as giving advice on who to hire to plant your purchase. “At the moment, most of our customers wish to plant trees that are already quite tall so they can benefit from the shade straight away and enjoy the pleasure of an adequately established setting … but also You’re hosting an event? because this type of tree or bush or quickset hedge plant is a pleasant Rent your green decor! way of obtaining privacy when your Weddings, christenings, communions, anniversaries, family events, garden is quite small.” oleanders and cherry laurels, oleasters professional, community or club events, salons, fairs, receptions, Hundred-year-old olive trees, pruned both variegated and not, photinias, seminaries, congress … Rent your plants, we deliver and will collect into cloud shapes, mulberry trees, privets, viburnums, osmanthus for them afterwards. Free study and estimate. deciduous trees, evergreens… the fences and green walls. Also inevitable nursery is a reference for adult trees are the bamboos, in varying colors. around which to coordinate the Magnolia lovers will fall for the harmony of gardens and terraces. Goliath variety which blooms twice However, this spring Agricom also a year. has a lovely collection of ornamental There is also an exceptional selection plants: cypresses shaped into spirals of classic fruit trees for our orchards or balls, the inevitable Italian cypress as well as less typical trees such as in all sizes, and instead of box medlars, loquats, sorbus, fig trees bushes (because it has suffered and many ground cover plants (per- from disease in the last few years) ennials, lavender, etc.). Agricom is Agricom has all sorts of privets and your partner for all your green areas ball-shaped hollies, ball-shaped or now that spring is in the air, all dwarf myrtle, honeysuckle, pistacias, year round and close to home. ball-shaped abelias, as lovely as they are hardy! We can also explore alternative ideas with fragile palm trees and dracaenas of all sizes that can easily complete a décor of Mediterranean inspiration, yuccas and bay bushes,
COMING SOON this autumn… 8 000 m2 additional exhibition space For an even wider choice of plants in store on 8 000 m2, an area entirely devoted to fully grown trees: olive trees, shade trees, and evergreens!
PÉPINIÈRE AGRICOM 971, route de Monteux Velleron (D31 from Cavaillon to Carpentras) - 84210 Pernes-les-Fontaines – Tel.: 04 90 66 43 48 - Fax : 04 90 66 43 88 Email: [email protected] - Website: www.pepiniere-agri-com.fr – Open every day but Sunday, from 8 am to noon and from 2 pm to 7 pm.
21 Eguilles | Discovery | Midway between history and modernity
From the town of Aculae, founded soon after dissipation of the terror surrounding the year 1000, to the “Internet town” of today, Eguilles has always been one of those places around Aix that is as proud of its age-old traditions as it is of its bright future. Here is a stroll through the traces of history and an easygoing lifestyle alongside unashamed modernity.
By Eric Morichaud
Eguilles, step by step...
Eguilles castle. Collections, exhibitions. Listed facade. Open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 2.30 pm to 7 pm.
Eguilles – the garden. The garden of the contemporary artist Max Sauze, is set out with original works, he casual passerby might see the furtive ribbon of a high speed train eating up the miles in the distance. However, from changing with the seasons and the whims of Mother Nature. Labelled an outstan- the viewpoint in Eguilles, you can also feel time passing slowly by, the history of the land, and the men who worked it. ding garden by the Ministry of culture. Open to visitors, possibility of meeting the The first thing you notice is the plain the Arc River runs through, an eternal connection between towns and provinces of artist. T Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 7 pm. the Pax Romana. It is fertile land between the Vitrolles and Trévaresse ridges, originally used for agriculture and grassland 105, rue Paul Magallon. www.max-sauze.com farming by the various communities who settled there over the centuries. Here, on a crag, overlooking the plain are signs of the presence of man from early times as far back as the Neolithic age, an indication that the place was already of strategic The Borie Trail. interest, as confirmed by the Celto-Ligurian settlements in Pierredon and les Mourgues, counterparts of the illustrious A walk in the hillside via Chemin du Rastel. Disabled access. Entremont oppidum perched above Aix-en-Provence. Tourist information bureau: Tel. 04 42 92 49 15 In the Middle Ages, Eguilles still appeared to be a community firmly rooted in the earth, enduring the torments of seigniorial squabbles. Its ancient name was first written and its future decided upon at the foot of Mont Ventoux, according to historians, referring to the gift given by Odon de Vilars to his nephew Philippe de Lèvis. The gift included the village among many other things, from strongholds to baronies, stretching as far afield as the Var department. The lords of Les Baux, Arcussia, Mayaux and then the Boyer family, governed and constructed the village from the 15th to the 18th century. The Boyer family (a town house bearing their name houses the natural history museum in Aix) built the castle than can still be seen in the heart of the village. The façade and the main indoor staircase of the castle are both classed as listed historic monuments.
In addition to prosperity from the land, came that of the wool industry in the last quarter of the 18th century due to the location of Eguilles – at an important crossing point for herds heading for Alpine pastures. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution and rapidly increasing need for labor, many were tempted by the dream of a life full of promise and a brighter future. Like many other places, Eguilles was hit by rural flight … with an estimated population of 730 just before WWII, according to official documents. Nowadays, the village is a vision of a dynamic community, blending arts and crafts, industry, services and shops resulting from the development of trade and the increase in population in the Aix region and its traditional agricultural activities. Small streets, old stones, the washhouse, monuments, bories … can be seen on a stroll through the village and the surrounding countryside. Here and there, wherever you go you will see traces of yesteryear and a modern day quest for authenticity and quality of life. The vision of a village firmly rooted in its time, conjugating past and present times to better build its future.
22