When wanderlust is calling – Journey to the south of France

Hello Everyone!

As much as I love autumn and winter, all the cold and rainy weather in Germany has got me thinking about beautiful, warm and sunny days. So, when I had the chance to go far away from Germany for a weekend, I didn’t hesitate to pack my suitcase immediately, even though autumn and winter are always busy and stressful at the university. But everyone needs a break sometimes and my wanderlust had called me all September and October. And here I am, giving you my impressions from my latest get away to the Provence.

Provence has met all my expectations and even exceeded them. I just found there the perfect rest for my body and mind. Every sense of my body was spoiled there with such an intensity like nowhere else. The colors of the nature were so bright, the food was so fresh and delicious and even the air smelled delightful…

How to get there:

The perfect and also environmentally friendly way to get there is to travel with the TGV. From Frankfurt Main Station you can comfortably get to the cities at the south coast of France like Marseille in about 7 hours. You can also get a seat reservation without extra payment. The TGV was really comfortable and my get away started without problems.

Where to stay:

There are many ways to enjoy your stay in the Provence. You can find a nice hotel in a city like Marseille, Avignon or Aux au Provence or you can find a nice stay in a lovely little town or village. I took the second option because, like I already stated before, I just wanted to enjoy some calmness. We had our room in a lovely hotel called Le Vallon de Gayet in Mouriès. Mouriès is a little village in Provence and it is known for its olive oil production.  Its called „the olive oil capital of France“.  There are still two working olive oil mills in town, including one which allows tours.

Hotel Le Vallon de Gayet offers lovely rooms and each one has its own terrace and entrance area. Breakfast is served in an adorable building with a nice cozy fireplace. On sunny weather you can also enjoy your breakfast outside. You can enjoy the typical french breakfast with many delicious regional products. The stuff was warm-hearted and caring.

The hotel also has a restaurant with high quality products. The meals  not only look amazing but also taste marvellous. The meat and the fish were prepared on the open fire grill there. The restaurant looks very stylish and also has a big outside area. It is important to reserve a table, even if you are a hotel guest, as the restaurant is often fully booked, especially on weekends.

What you can see in the neighbourhood:

Arles

During my journey to the Provence I visited the city of Arles. Vincent Van Gogh lived in this adorable town from February 1888 until May 1889.

• Here are some charming streets and spots of the Arls:

• The most known attraction in Arles is The Arles Amphitheatre, the monumental construction, which thrived during the Roman times:

• The next attraction is The Gallo-Roman Theatre:

• Then The Church of St. Trophime:

• and the Place de la République:

Les Baux-de-Provence

In my opinion this village is one of the most beautiful you can find in the whole of France.  Les Baux-de-Provence has a spectacular position in the Alpilles mountains, set at the top of a rocky outcrop that is crowned with an old castle, overlooking the plains to the south. During our visit in 2019, Stefan Szczesny exhibited in the whole village of Les Baux-de-Provence. The German artist, living in Saint-Tropez showed about 30 of his monumental „shadow sculptures“. Not only this village is beautiful but also the landscapes views are breathtaking.

So this is it for today. I hope you have enjoyed the photos like i enjoyed my trip to the charming Provence. Even if I only saw just a little piece of this region I was amused a lot and I am definitely looking forward to explore more soon. I think that the perfect complete of this post can be the worlds of Frederic Mistral, a french poet who received the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature:

When the Good Lord begins to doubt the world, he remembers that he created Provence.

Have a great week!