I have three days in Provence with my two young teens. We would like to learn about olive oil, cheese, chocolate and lavender products--would really love hands-on experiences. Does anyone have suggestions for a good itinerary or tour that would cover this? I've been researching and researching and I'm absolutely overwhelmed. Would like to homebase at a hotel with pool to cool off. We can rent car or do train (coming to/from Cannes) Any help appreciated!
Posted by
Somerville, MA
605 posts
There's a museum of Lavender that sounds like a good fit. Locally produced cheeses are mostly fresh goat and sheep's milk. I don't remember any locally produced chocolate.
My kids' favorite Provence food is tapenade and mine is Brandade. The markets had these in spades.
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
Should you find yourself in L'Isle sur la Sorgue, it might be worth going to Les Delices du Luberon, a shop on the edge of the old town with the most comprehensive inventory of food products from Provence that we saw. Their website: https://www.delices-du-luberon.fr/
I couldn't locate a button on the site for English, but the photos and video will give you an idea. There's parking in back; tasting samples of many of the items inside (my wife had to drag me from the tapenade table). It won't be an academic or "hands on" experience, but it's a great food shopping stop. The teens will probably enjoy the sites of Sorgue: huge waterwheels and canals are in the center; plenty of shopping and dining options; and the Sunday (huge) and Thursday (smaller) street markets are famous.
I'd recommend a rental car for getting around the Luberon. With no prior experience, but armed with GPS and a Michelin map, we had no trouble navigating as first time drivers in France.