What is Provence, really?
So let’s say luck or wise choices have placed you in a position to be able to spend a few days in Provence. Where do you begin? Where will you go? The region is huge (32,000 square km to be exact). You know nothing, no time to do your homework, you just heard something about olive oil and lavender fields. Is this Provence? Maybe you saw some pictures of old villages in impossible locations. Is this Provence? Your bestie came back from “Provence” with all kinds of herbs, and soaps, and some stinky cheese that survived the journey. Is this Provence?
On Facebook, people throw names around like Avignon or Aix-en-Provence or all kinds of villages you can’t pronounce. Is this Provence? Culinary experts give you a headache and you worry “Will I eat the right things in Provence?”
Hell, I just want to visit Provence. Give me Provence but simple.
After 15 years in Provence I can safely say that I experienced Provence from all directions- from the coast line, the sea, the Alps, the hot valleys, windy plateaus, and blossoming fields. I’ve lived in colorful villages, as well as in big cities. I drove places where Waze doesn’t work, and somehow came out alive. I explored Provence from underground caves, to hilltop towers. I ate with the ‘local people’, I became a “local person”, and stopped eating “local food” and searched for good Chinese instead.
This place never ceases to amaze me. So many faces, colors, stones, and all of it is Provence.
But OK you say, I don’t have 15 years. What should I do?
Here is Provence
You corner me, so I fold. I will simplify Provence into a list of must-have-attributes that in my humble opinion encompass the heart and soul of Provence and then look for places that fit the mold.
A typical Provencal experience will and should include:
1. Old colorful houses with wooden shutters
2. A Provencal food market
3. A port as old as time
4. A public beach with no toilets
5. A site with great historical value, ideally related to Louis the XIV/Napoleon/Vauban/Saracens
OK so you say, you are cruel, based on your list any city not on the coast is out of the picture. You are right, but remember, you have just a few days maybe even one, and if I must prioritize I choose the coast and will make my case.
Ports, ports
Provence was discovered first by the Greeks 2,600 years ago as they landed in the port of what is today Marseille. I will not go further back, but of course there were tribes and cave men who inhabited this region way before the Greeks. Provence was discovered by the sea because back in the day this is how one traveled to far away places. There were no roads, and even if there were, the going was slow and bumpy with robbers lurking behind every corner. So the history of Provence is maritime history, and the port cities we see today in Provence were shaped by history and their history was shaped by the geography of their bays.
Toulon, for example, is a port city whose huge deep and protected bay crowned her a favorite docking area for large Royal and Military ships. And since she held such precious assets, she was also a relentless target for attacks and sieges.
Visiting a port city be it Sanary or Nice, you can imagine the galleys blowing into the bay back in the 17th or 18th century. Port life is and was the beating heart of Provence. To understand Provence you have to go down to the docks, see fishermen, sit at a cafe and watch port life.
An exception to this is Avignon, though not on the coast line, it sits on the banks of the mighty Rhone river. At the time, the Rhone river was a major highway to transport goods between Lyon and the sea. The bridge at Avignon was the only one between Lyon and the sea which allowed foot passage to the other bank.
Cute, cute houses
I started out of order actually with point #3, because it is central. But I will now get back to point #1.
I think we can all agree that Provence is color. And nothing is more Provence than typical 2-3 story houses in pink or blue or yellow with colorful wooden shutters that flap in the wind. While picturesque villages entirely made of gray stone also conjure up images of Provence (e.g. Les Beau des Provence), to me this is unfortunately devoid of the ‘lightness” and gay essence of Provence that is represented by the colorful pastel houses.
Strolling around Avignon, for example, which was the Rome of Provence at the time, we get a very heavy and serious feeling, with all the mammoth gray structures which envelope us. It’s not by accident. The home base of the 7 popes in exile was serious business.
Let’s go to the market
Next, you cannot say you’ve been to Provence without an obligatory tour of a local food market. Now there are markets and there are markets. I will not get into all the culinary delights that can be found in markets, in addition to the straw bags, dishes, linen, dresses, shoes etc., but I will just point out where are the best markets along the coast.
1. Sanary-sur-mer: This is the best market in all of Provence, especially on Wednesdays. Actually it has been crowned the most beautiful market in all of France (May 2019). It is the only market to actually be placed on the port dock itself, not inside the city.
2. Toulon: This market is less glorified than the one in Sanary. It is a large real people’s market. It is not meant to impress tourists and you will not find fancy truffle cheeses here.
3. Cannes: A covered market, it is one of my favorite with good variety of cheeses, and cutlery and a great selection of mushrooms. It is a good representation of everything Provence has to offer in terms of food, plus the best socca I’ve tasted is here.
4. Antibes: Another good market, on par with the one in Cannes, also a covered market featuring all the goodies Provence has to offer, right in the heart of the old city walls.
5. Nice: The famous market in Nice in Cours Selaya is a huge tourist attraction. It is half a flower market, another part a food court, and the rest, is well, the rest of what we typically find in local food markets. As such, it ticks all the boxes, but leaves us with a feeling like this isn’t the real thing.
Where are the toilets?!
Skipping now to point #4, you might laugh. Why do I need a public beach with no toilets when I visit Provence? Well, nobody needs that, but if you are in a port city, most likely there is a public beach. Go and sit there for a while on the pebbly sand. And just watch. Watch overly tanned French tourists. Topless women of all ages. Kids playing quietly. There might be a life guard but you will never hear him scream. There will not be a toilet, I mean what for? We have the sea. And most likely there will not be a place to dispose of garbage, and yet, the beach is pristine. Welcome to Provence.
We don’t need no education
Last, in all places in Provence you will find inherent historical value whether you like it or not. The question is how much – Nice, a lot. Marseille even more. Sanary, less. Bandol, even less. Why do we need history to bother us in Provence? Sites of historical importance, architectural or artistic value, are awe inspiring and make us appreciate where we are standing. Those who came before us and toiled to build these churches, palaces, opera houses, statues, hotels etc. And of course, there is always a juicy story around them, and this is my specialty in Provence – story hunting.
So now you say, OK so give me the lowdown in order of importance where should I visit if I have a few days in Provence?
Provence, headache free
Here is my list of Provence for Beginners, paying no attention to which airport you land in or port of call from cruise ship:
1. Nice. In my opinion the queen of Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur as this region is called. See my guided tour in Nice to understand more, and feel free to google more as I see no need to repeat what has already been well written by others.
2. Sanary-sur-mer. Come for the market, the colorful houses, the authentic port, the ‘ordinary’ beach, and a little important history to throw into the mix, but not too much.
3. Antibes. If you have to choose between Antibes or Cannes, I would go for Antibes because the old city is inside the walls and is larger than the one in Cannes. The houses are cute and colorful. The Picasso museum is outstanding, and the port is even more embarrassingly rich than the one in Cannes.
4. Avignon. I am breaking my own rules here regarding the colorful houses. Maybe also breaking my beach rule, though, swimming from the banks of the famous Rhone river is something that will surely get you many likes. But Avignon with its Pope Palace is just a site you cannot miss. The sheer grandeur of the dining room, kitchen, treasury, private bedrooms will leave you awe struck. The complimentary “tablet guide” you will receive is an incredible tool of reconstruction to make you understand where you are standing.
Beyond the palace, the exceptional views to nearby towers, castles, vineyards, and the famous bridge on the Rhone River will leave you thinking, why not extend my stay in Provence?
