Bon Appetit Provence—Cooking Tour

Itinerary at a glance

We meet in the walled city of Avignon and explore the 14th century Papal Palace before settling into our château-home for the week. The next morning, we visit the monks at Sénanque Abbey before lunch at a private home in Gordes. The afternoon offers a leisurely walk through the vivid ochre landscapes of Rousillon with its parasol pines and 26 varieties of wild orchids.

In nearby Vaison la Romaine, we spend a morning at the weekly market to shop like the locals. Later, our friend and cookbook author, Frederique, welcomes us into her kitchen for a cooking instruction and a private dinner. Next day, we follow Van Gogh’s footsteps between the perched village of Les Baux and St. Rémy, stopping to visit an artisanal patissier and the former abbey where the artist spent his last year.

With Mt. Ventoux as backdrop, we take an aromatic walk through a lavender farm for a tasting and instruction. A remarkable day includes a light walk to the Romans’ Pont du Gard aqueduct…a visit to the vineyards and cellars of Châteauneuf du Pape…and a cooking instruction at Michelin-starred La Mirande in a 17th century mansion. On our final morning, we visit Isle-sur-la-Sorge, with its more than 300 antique dealers.