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or fruits and vegetables, drawn by 40 horses be- bridges on the Rhone.
autifully harnessed one behind the other. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Unusual Provence Proceed to one of the most extraordinary plac-
5 days es in Provence, the commune of Les Beaux de 5th Day: Aix en Provence
Provence, protected from the government as a
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Aix en
cultural asset. Visit of the village, carved into the Provence, an elegant town in Provence with a
rock: the Church of Saint Vincent with the mag- retro charm, pastel colours houses and wicker
1st Day: Avignon - Chateauneuf du Pape nificent view on the valley lined with olive trees; baskets full of lavender, shops releasing a fra-
Arrival in Avignon and guided tour of the «Char- the fortress; the Cathédrale d’Images. The Val grant smell of bread, and burbling fountains.
treuse du Val de Bénédiction», a charterhouse d’Enfer: an impressive place of ravines and trog- Visit of the most characteristic, ancient and fas-
dating from the 14th century, initially the car- lodyte houses. Return to the hotel. Dinner and cinating part of the town: the Old Town, located
dinal’s palace of Pope Innocent VI. Panoramic overnight. between Cours Sextius, Rue Thiers and Cours Mi-
view of Villeneuve les Avignon, visit of the Fort rabeau, featuring a sequence of small squares, al-
Saint-André, built in the 13th century. Proceed 4th Day: The Gorges de l’Ardèche leys, restaurants and shops. In the Square of the
along the wine trail of Cotes du Rhône: visit of After breakfast meeting with the guide for the Hotel de Ville and the bell tower, every Tuesday,
the wine cellar and tasting of one of the most visit of the Gorges de l’Ardèche. Departure for Thursday and Sunday in the morning takes place Business Proposals in France
fine wines in the Bourg Saint Andeol, Plateau des Gras, Saint the colourful flower market, a real jubilation of
Chateauneuf du Pape, the sister city of Catelgan- Remèze. Visit of the Lavender Museum, a place heady scents.
dolfo. Quick walk to the ruins of the papal sum- of real safeguard of the Provence lavender. The In this square, teeming with flower stands, you
mer residence. Hotel accommodation, dinner museum hosts stills for the distillation of essen- will have the opportunity to stroll among the
and overnight. tial lavender oil, dating from the 16 century up picturesque shops, such as La cure Gourmande,
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The red wines are of great structure, with intense to the present day. The famous Pont d’Arc is the to taste the calissons, delicious rhomb shaped
fragrances of red fruits and spices that through geological entrance of the canyon. The view from biscuits consisting of a paste of ground almond
ageing evolve to aromas of anise, liquorice and the panoramic viewpoints of Serre de Tourre, topped with royal icing, to relax having a coffee
leather. These wines have a long aromatic per- Cathédrale, Balcon des Templiers and Ranc-Poin- in the shadow of the secular sycamores.
sistence. They are particularly suitable for wild tu is simply astonishing.
game, red meat and lamb. 32 km of amazing canyons in the heart of the Atelier de Cezanne, on the Lauves Hill, was the
The white wines offer flower aromas varying southern Ardèche running from Vallon-Pont- shelter of Paul Cezanne, one of the most impor-
from narcissus to grapevines’ flowers. They are d’Arc to Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche. It took more tant artists of the 20 century, famous painter on
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characterised by a long and wide permanence of than 100 million years for the namesake river the edge between impressionism and post-im-
their flavour in the mouth. These wines are ser- to create such a deep canyon. The result is bre- pressionism, involuntary forerunner of the future
ved with velvety soups, white meat, freshwater ath-taking: a sequence of limestone overhanging cubism. The Provence painter, after many years
fish, mushrooms and mountain cured meats. The cliffs reaching up to 300 meters height, in a still in Paris, decided to move back to his hometown
white wine châteauneuf is aged 5 years and it wild and unspoilt nature. to find absolute peace and totally devote himself
exhalts the taste of truffle. Panoramic stop at the Madeleine Caverns, dis- to studies and to art.
covered in 1887 by a shepherd with a great Entering the atelier, time seems to have stopped,
2nd Day: Le Mont Ventoux passion for subterranean adventures. From the showing the room exactly as the painter left it: in
After breakfast, meeting with the guide to visit mid-March to mid-November, a 1-hour guided this wide and bright room you will find easels and
Le Mont Ventoux. Departure from the hotel in tour will let the visitor immerse themselves in a coffee makers, bottles and carafes, human skulls
the direction of Carprentras, Bedoin, ascent magic and mysterious world made of stalactites and wicker baskets where he used to put apples,
along the southern part of Mont Ventoux, with and stalagmites, described through sounds and his most beloved and represented fruit. You will
an height of 1909m., and panoramic view on the lights. We go ahead to the confluent of Ardèche have the chance to see the wooden mannequin
top. Descent along the northern part in direction with the Rhone. Visit of Pont Saint Esprit (Holy that he used for the realization of the canvas of
of Malaucène, passing by the Groseau source, Spirit Bridge). women’s bodies, such as The Bathers, which was
worldwide known thanks to the Tour de France Along more than 900 meters, the medieval brid- painted right here.
and to the famous ascent of Petrarch in 1337. ge of the Holy Spirit was built between the late
Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight. 13 century and the early 14 century. The impo- After lunch, return trip.
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Ascent of Mont Ventoux: it’s a letter written by sing building with its 25 arches is the oldest of all
Petrarch in Latin. It is about the ascent of Mont
Ventoux accomplished by the poet and by his
brother in 1336. Petrarch addresses the letter to Avignone Palazzo dei Papi - Popes’ Palace
his friend Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro, claiming
to finally have climbed the mountain “righlty de-
fined windy”. Actually it had been his goal since
many years, due to the fact that he had been li-
ving in the neighbouring region of Vaucluse and
Avignon. The climbing immediately turned out to
be difficult: the path was steep and full of stones.
At the end he managed to reach the top, symbo-
lizing the goal towards God. 243
3rd Day: The Alpilles
Breakfast at the hotel and meeting with the guide
for the visit of the Chaîn des Alpilles. Departure
from the hotel in direction of the Montmajour
Abbey, with the following visit of the monastery
complex. Proceed to Graveson in order to attend
a typical Provence celebration:
the Carreto Ramado is a rural ceremony dating
from the 18 century consisting in the parade of
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a huge cart decorated with foliage trees, flowers

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