You can have a slice of Provence village life by growing your own lavender.

And that could be enough.

But if you got the chance to see those famous purple fields and charming little Provence villages, wouldn’t you cross an ocean to do it? Those stars aligned for me last summer, and I’m still riding the Provincial wave — its history, open-air markets, fresh produce, wines, and varied landscapes. With accommodations far more affordable than you’d think, and flights to Europe as competitive as ever, maybe it’s your turn to plan a trip to Provence!

What struck me in researching the south of France, is that it caters to all types. Outdoorsy? You can cycle, rock climb, horseback ride, hike and swim. Love history? There are Roman ruins all over the place. A foodie? There might not be a better place on earth. You fancy? Sip your rosé while taking in the sizzling sunshine of the Riviera.

It’s all those things to all those types, and I haven’t even touched on the sort of trip I took. I was there to celebrate a milestone birthday with three generations of women. This crew was here for the art, the atmosphere, and the SHOPPING. Specifically, to shop the village markets in Provence.

The Luberon: Central to Shopping and Art

I don’t think all the guide books in the world could have prepared us like my mother-in-law did. She’d been on a few trips to this famous corner of France, and already knew exactly where to concentrate our efforts. She suggested we explore what’s called ‘the Luberon’, and stay in the hilltop village of Ménerbes. Some of you may know it as one of the Provence villages made famous in Peter Mayle’s memoir A Year in Provence (and its offshoot film, ‘A Good Year.’)

Making Ménerbes home base provided easy access to Bonnieux, another of the Provence villages featured in Mayle’s memoir. Equidistant is it-girl village Gordes, outside of which lies Sénanque Abbey and its famous rows of lavender.

Driving to Ménerbes

But first, getting to Ménerbes. I’ll start by saying, don’t attempt this alone. Even with GPS. This picturesque village is difficult to navigate to, and difficult to navigate, period! Which is to imply, you’ve rented a car. We had flown into Paris, taken the high-speed train (TGV — high school French class, come to life!) four hours south to Avignon, and rented our car at the station.

We needed a vehicle that could hold 4 people and 4 large suitcases — I HIGHLY recommend checking the dimensions of the model’s trunk space when booking! I even watched car make/model YouTube videos to make sure. Try not to get any larger of a vehicle than you need, though (see details on the one we selected at bottom of post).

Here’s why: The streets of Ménerbes are extremely narrow and hilly — they don’t even appear to be streets (to an American). But if you persist .. and humbly ask locals, you might stumble on an ex-pat Brit who can get you where you’re going. Then you might still spend 45 minutes in this tiny village trying to do what he said without careening off a hillside, or running over centuries-old stone doorsteps … before sundown. You might miss your dinner reservation. But everything is so beautiful and wildly French you’ll accept this level of panic.

Vacation Rental in Ménerbes

When we finally parked, we were rewarded with a tour of the as-advertised, ultra-modern, 2-bedroom condo we’d rented … for 1800 Euro a WEEK via TheLuberon.com. Yes, per week. Lucky us, we were also splitting the cost of this stay, but even for a family of 4 the full price is a deal. (Good luck finding a vacation rental on the East Coast for that price!) FYI, that website is also a wealth of information on the region!

This wasn’t the cheapest option either. There are places to stay for less, but they generally DO NOT have air-conditioning. And trust me when I say, YOU NEED AIR-CONDITIONING in the south of France during the summer. Even if there’s a pool. You can’t sleep in the pool, people!

Temperatures get extremely hot and dry, and are partly what make the lavender so happy in Provence! Pack light cottons, comfy sandals, and sunhats. Even if you aren’t necessarily a dress person (me), you’ll become a convert for their ventilation. You won’t regret bringing a couple (or six!).

Ménerbes Up Close

Once we unpacked, we headed out ON FOOT (enough with the car!!) to find some dinner. Our host told us there was live music and a food truck in the village’s clocktower plaza. We wandered the hilly half-mile or so toward the gathering, only stopping every five feet to take a photo of something stunning. Doorways .. flowers .. the sunset.

Turned out they’d brought in a very special … hot dog truck. Ha Ha! I hadn’t come all the way to Provence to eat a footlong, so I made my way back to the only restaurant still open. I stared at the menu, and finally fumbled through ordering in my not-quite-intermediate-French. (Language tip: à emporter means to-go!)

Which leads me to the sole bit of advice I give anyone scared to go to France for fear the French people will be mean because you don’t speak it. START OFF TRYING. In French. Every time. Learn how to say ‘I’m sorry, I only speak a little French’. It shows courtesy, demonstrating you are aware of where you are and what the native language is.. not that you expect everyone to cater to you. More often than not, they immediately hear your hot-mess French and switch to English (moreso in Paris than Provence). When they don’t, I’ve found it’s because they are unsure of their command of English. Smile a lot. Apologize a lot. You’ll muddle through, and hopefully will be met with kindness!

We arrived in Ménerbes on a Saturday evening, with plans to hit morning markets in other villages for the next four days. The Ménerbes market is Thursday, so we sort of saved our ‘hometown’ for last. It didn’t disappoint, with $5 handmade jewelry people think I spent thousands on, espadrilles, clothes, handbags and the sweetest little etching (a lost art) for under 20 Euro.

The day before the market, the village epicerie had finally reopened (the owners had taken a couple days off). We were like kids in a candy store with the lattés and pastries and gourmet groceries — jarred tapenades, jams (confitures), sea salts, herbs and rosés. Down the way we popped into an art gallery, a home decor store (where I sampled Grasse-manufactured perfumes), and a sweet little seamstress shop full of toile fabrics, gifts, and sachets. Wouldn’t you love to iron if your board looked like this, too?:

Village of Bonnieux

As I mentioned, one of the other great things about Ménerbes is how easy it is to get to Bonnieux and Gordes (each 11km). We *almost* didn’t work in a stop to Bonnieux, but I’d just read ‘A Year in Provence’, and had to lay eyes on it. In French, ‘bons yeux’ means ‘good eyes’, and I don’t think this village’s name is accidental. We switchbacked our way up, up, up, to where we’d scored a sunset dinner reservation at the last minute. Aside from a fresh appreciation for the cycling they do in the book, Bonnieux was nothing like what I’d imagined. It was better. From its perch, you could see over rooftops to the vast pastel Luberon Valley, with its patchwork of lavender fields. A dream.

Village of Gordes

Due north of Menerbes is Gordes, a village destined for fame during the writing of ‘A Year in Provence’. Now it’s the starlet of the Luberon. People want to see, and be seen, in this stone outcropping of swanky shops and hot restaurants. Parking is a bit of a pill in peak season, though. There are public lots, but you have to wait in line to use the ticketing kiosk which is entirely in French (and probably confusing even if you’re a native speaker). I think we ended up buying about 24 hours more than we needed, but better than a ticket!

We were just in time for our Italian lunch at La Bastide de Pierres. The food hit the spot, but funnily, the really remarkable thing was the bathroom. It was, by far, the roomiest, most nostalgic W.C. we saw all week! The ones next door at the Ladurée macaron and ice cream shop were a fancy and clean second place. (And obviously, the desserts are incroyable — no pic, it was hot so our ice cream disappeared quickly!)

On full stomachs, we shopped, seeing the handmade Christmas figurines called santons and dazzling handmade jewelry. I also pulled the trigger on that fig blossom perfume I’d sampled in Menerbes. Nearly a year later, I can report it doesn’t give me headaches or nose blindness like most others do. There is something special about scents made in Grasse — the perfume capital of France and the world .. but that’s another Provence trip!

Sénanque Abbey

We planned the day to end at the famous Sénanque Abbey lavender fields, just a few scenic minutes from the center of Gordes. It would be sunset — prime photography time. Naturally, all of our camera batteries were about to die. Chargers were forgotten. And it was close to closing time. Driving in tight quarters didn’t make me panic half as much as potentially missing out on these pics! Thankfully, a subject this beautiful is ready on the first take.

I could tell you all about the monastery’s meals in silence, or the expansive gift shop where you can find all sorts of incredible products made by French monks, but we know why you’re here. Solely to see, smell, and feel the sumptuous lavender.

These fields are arguably the most famous ones in the world. But you don’t need to divert here to see lavender. You will find it without trying throughout the Luberon!

GETTING TO PROVENCE:

Fly into Paris, and take the TGV south to Avignon
OR
Fly into Marseilles

RENTAL CAR IN PROVENCE:

There are several carriers servicing both Avignon train station and Marseilles airport. For four people with large suitcases, we booked a ‘Hyundai Tucson or similar’ from Avis, and ended up with a mid-size SUV by MG. It held three suitcases in the trunk, and one balanced on laps/the backseat. We figured 45 minutes of relative discomfort to-and-from the train station would be worth having a more maneuverable vehicle in the Provence villages of the Luberon for the week.

WHERE WE STAYED IN PROVENCE:

Garrigue de Menerbes 1 … aside from some difficulty finding it, no complaints. Highly recommend!

Up next … the Provence villages of St. Remy and L’Isle Sur la Sorgue, plus exploring the cities of Avignon, Arles and Aix-en-Provence. Subscribe to emails for free, so you know when those posts are released!