Provence

Places I liked in Provence: 1. Vaison la Romaine - medieval section 2. Luberon perched villages 3. Lourmarin market day (Friday) 4. Cassis 5. Pont du Gard 6. Isle sur la Sorgue market day (Sunday) 7. Uzes 8. Mourchon winery in Seguret 9. Roman theater in Orange 10. Concert in the Roman theater in Arles 11. St Remy
12. Aix en Provence Suggest renting a house in a central town or village.

Dear Grier, Thanks for that list on things to do while in Provence. We had 85% of those same things picked out! We are staying in Avignon so I think most of those things are doable in a weeks time. Tina

I would add Arles and the Carmargue to Grier's excellent list. Also, a cooking class for your group might be fun. If you don't already have it, Rick's Provence book would help you streamline your itinerary. Also, I'd recommend a GPS for driving around Provence. Get with your group and pick 5 or so things that everyone agrees that they want to see - then make a plan. Also, leave a day or two for just relaxing in Avignon! Have fun!

Ditto Grier. Nice list. A couple of notes on our recent trip. The Pont du Gard is a hike in two ways. First, it takes quite a bit of time to get there. Second, you do physically have to walk in about a half mile from the parking lot to get to it. Not bad. Lastly, parking is 15Euro. A big ripoff. Second, Lubron was just beautiful. We had lunch in Lourmarin and the village and food were worth the visit. Parking is free there on the side streets by the large castle. I would add Gordes and Rouseillon to Grier's list. These are definitely "perched" villages in Luberon. The Roman theatre in Orange was so-so. We didn't go in. The whole permeter is fenced in and all you see in the open windows are pigeons and their droppings. But, it was an interesting building.

Thanks for the tips on Provence everyone. Great suggestions. I have definitely been looking at the Rick Steve's books on France and most of the places are in his books. Does anyone know anything about the Travelex passport credit card instead of US ATMs/credit cards?

Larry: If you didn't go into the Roman theater in Orange, you didn't really see it at all. I was totally blown away by the intact Roman theater wall, and the scale of the thing. As you say, they've blocked off free vantage points, so you have to pay and go inside to appreciate it. I would add that if one has no intention of going inside or has no interest in the theater in the first place, Orange can be skipped. The town itself was of no real interest. But I'd go again to tour the theater - and I'd love to see a performance there.