Your Provence Travel Questions Answered.

Do you know where this is? Answer in the comments if you think you have the answer.  

Whilst browsing through my blog's statistics I always take a look at some of the queries used by search engines that people use to find me. These vary from people looking for a Nougat making machine to others searching for breeding stock of Provençal goats or Camargue horses, but today I noticed someone who was looking for the time it would take to drive from Gargas to the Valensole plateau. I don't think that the answer to that question can be found here, but I can answer it (about 1h20). If they are going to Valensole to admire the lavender fields I would tell them to go to the Plateau d'Albion instead which is closer (30-40 minutes) and in my mind, more spectacular.

Lavender field on the plateau d'Albion, complete with weeds which give it an altogether  more rustic charm don't you think?

All this to say to visitors to this blog, if you came here looking for simple answers to your Provençal travel questions and you can't find them, just click on the contact button to the right and ask me directly! Its free and chances are I have the answer you are looking for.

Unless you are looking for a stud goat...

                                         ...and even then I may be able to help.

Photo of the Day - Autumn in Provence

Driving to the office this morning I was taken by the effect of the light on the mists floating above the village of Mane, coupled with the colour of the leaves it made a winning combo! Tell me what you think...

The village of Mane en Provence this morning

Provence by Mobile Phone. Post Update

Rediscover this post with the addition of Provençal Roaming, an app by Paul Shawcross to add to the collection of useful travel applications for your mobile phone.

http://unique-provence.blogspot.fr/2012/06/provence-by-phone-apps-made-for-travel.html

Absinthe: The Rebirth of the Green Fairy

If you believe the reputation given to Absinthe at the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, it is better to stop reading this right now. The equivalent of this terrible alcoholic drink today would be Class A drugs. But that is IF you believe its past reputation.

"Alcohol, Here is the Enemy!" Poster by artist and missionary
 Frédéric Christol in 1910  

Absinthe was banned in 1915 due to its many dangerous properties, notably the causing of epilepsy, tuberculosis, fits of murderous rage and just plain insanity. All of these were clearly documented and verified by notable doctors and scientists of the time, who with hindsight were probably absinthe drinkers themselves!

Amongst the most famous Absinthe drinkers in France we can find  Toulouse-Lautrec, Beaudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine and of course Vincent Van Gogh who though not officially French is artistically associated, and a self-declared  madman, clearly due to the Green Fairy as absinthe was known.  Other famous absinthe drinkers include Ernest Hemingway and his reckless, risk taking life style and Oscar Wilde whose loose morals and dangerous wit were obviously linked to the consumption of this appalling drink.

The alternative to absinthe after its ban was pastis another anise flavoured drink, which quickly gained in popularity especially in the South East of France. It too was banned in 1940 along with all alcohols over 17° but in 1944 was authorised again.

Still life with Absinthe by Vincent Van Gogh

Absinthe however was to wait a long time before being rehabilitated and it was officially allowed to return to the cocktail hall of fame in April 2011, requiring nearly 100 years to clear its name. So you can now rest assured that fits of rage, insanity and tuberculosis will not be unfortunate after effects, though if you drink too much the first two have been known to happen, as it will with all alcohols it turns out.

The Green Fairy working her evil spell!
The Absinthe Drinker by Victor Oliva (1861-1928)

Absinthe can be made in several different ways; by maceration of the herbs in a neutral alcohol, by using the essences of the herbs, a bit like mixing a cocktail or by maceration followed by distillation which is the superior method favoured by most Absinthe manufacturers. The main herbs used are Grande Wormwood (Grande Absinthe in French hence the name), Anise and Fennel. To these three essential ingredients are added petite wormwood, hyssop, angelica, lemon balm, star anise, sweet flag, dittany, coriander, juniper, and nutmeg in varying quantities according to the particular recipe. Not all are necessarily used. The resulting drink is a very strong (around 70° alcohol) but beautifully smooth, lemony, anise combination with the pleasant background bitterness of the Wormwood which gives it its unique identity. It can be drunk neat on a bed of crushed ice, or as a long drink with iced water. For the true aficionados you must take a lump of sugar which you place on a specially made Absinthe spoon, this is placed on the top of your glass already containing a dose of Absinthe, the water is then poured over until the sugar dissolves. Each method gives a different result, so I recommend trying them all!

An Absinthe fountain with the spoons and sugar lumps in place
(photo Distilleries et Domaines de Provence)

Yesterday I joined the old boys of Forcalquier for a distillation of Absinthe using the most remarkable Alembic Still you will ever see. The atmosphere is festive and patés, cheese and red wine are all presented on a table for all to share, which if like me you haven’t even had a coffee to start your day, is tough to begin with but you soon get into the swing of things.

The seemingly innocuous shed where it all happens,
given away only by the tell tale chimney! 

The Alembic hidden inside the shed 

Janot

(Photo courtesy of the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence)

The master of ceremonies was Janot whose age is as great as his skill and his passion is readily shared with anyone that asks. His acolyte is Pâquerette and he was also aided by Yves. If anything went wrong, like the fire to heat the water dying down or no one noticing the end of the distillation the blame was automatically laid on Yves being the youngest, although it was not necessarily his fault. The accusations were loud and met with general hilarity from the others gathered around, who were used to this offloading of responsibility. Needless to say the old boys were always keeping their eyes on everything and the final product was perfect as always.

Janot keeping an eye on the proceedings

Inside the Alembic,
the macerated mix is heated by the copper tubes full of super heated steam.

This particular distillation was for the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence who also make the famous Pastis Bardouin, and a whole range of aperitifs using peaches, walnuts, oranges…  Liqueurs using Thyme and Génepi and La Douce which is a combination of Cognac and pear liqueur and is easy to drink …too easy! They are the proprietors of the alembic and most of their alcohols are created using the same “savoir faire” of the old boys of Forcalquier, which once you have met them and experienced a distillation gives you a renewed respect each time you sip your Absinthe or Pastis.

Janot and Pâquerette emptying the Alembic of the macerated herbs before starting a new batch.

The final nectar flowing out.

The Distillers of Forcalquier.
Alain Gaubert (aka Pâquerette), Yves Rafattelli and Janot Augier
(Magnificent photo courtesy of the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence)

This had to be on my list of unique travel experiences, even if there are only a few distillations a year, usually starting around August and going on into October. It is a privileged insight into a time old tradition which will one day disappear in its present form to be replaced by something more modern, probably more efficient and definitely less picturesque, authentic and friendly.

The bottled result by the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence

If you would like to discover Absinthe, then I highly recommend the Distilleries et Domaines de Provence, you can visit their website here.

www.distilleries-provence.com

If you would like to discover the alembic, or join us on one of our unique travel experiences then you can contact me here.

Unique Provence Contact

Fantastic Provence with L'Occitane

Discover the Fantastic Provence with L'Occitane website full of insights, travel tips and ideas. Unique Provence by Kairos Travel is the travel agency chosen by L'Occitane en Provence to create exclusive tours and travel experiences which you can find on our website following the link to the right.
Coming soon will be a new series of exclusive travel experiences focusing on the world of L'Occitane and it's partners, perfect for creating your own made to measure tour of La Belle Provence.

Fantastic Provence website and article on Kairos Travel

Moustiers and the Valensole plateau

Moustiers and the Valensole plateau , a set on Flickr.

A few pictures to illustrate the previous article, the town of Moustiers Ste Marie and the Friday market, and of course even more photos of the lavender fields of La Haute Provence up on the Plateau de Valensole...
Enjoy and share, but if you use the pictures please mention the credit "Unique Provence" and tell me where you use them. You can contact me here 
Thankyou

Provence by phone - Apps made for Travel

Mobile phone applications have become part of our lives, you can find answers to existential questions using Google as you walk down the street, check to see if a picture is hanging straight using Spirit level plus, take a photo of someone falling off their bike and send it via Twitter or Facebook for the entire planet to enjoy and laugh at another's misfortune. You can get your children off your back by downloading a mindless game for free, or even help them do their homework with an educational app. You can browse the internet, gaze at the stars, find a restaurant, a hotel, store your personal files, watch a film, find a recipe,  find a person or even  find your mobile phone if you lose it using built in mobile gps technology. Yes, there is indeed an application for nearly everything, as the advertisement says.

Now comes the problem with this plethora of useful technology.  Finding the one for you. You can of course find an application, look at similar applications and applications seen by those who liked the one you are looking at, and eventually you may find the one you are after, and so if you REALLY need an application to get on with your life, or you are bored sitting in a doctors waiting room you will go through the aforementioned process.

So what do you download when travelling? Tripadvisor is a good one without a doubt, Google maps is very handy, a weather app of course and there are many other mainstream applications which will help, but recently the development of very specific theme based apps have started to reveal themselves to those who know where to look.

So to save you the hassle of spending hours searching here are a few of the essential travel applications when coming to Provence.

Provence Gallery

This free application was created by Zevisit for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Tourist Board. Wherever you find yourself in Provence, this application will find the nearest landscape that provided inspiration for one of it's great artists. You may well be familiar with the works of Cezanne, Van Gogh, Dufy, Gaugin and many more besides, and using this application you can see and even take a picture and upload it to an on-line gallery to share with other Provence Gallery users. Obviously when you are in Arles or near the Montagne St Victoire in Aix your phone will be telling you non stop that you are near the site of a painting (the Painting alert function can be dis-activated ). You can search by artist, by painting or by place and when you have chosen your masterpiece, you have a short but very informative audio text telling you about the history behind  the painting.

click to enlarge and
scan with your phone

It's a simple app and is a great way to discover the artistic side of Provence as you travel, a recommended download  before you leave. 

Edible Heritage

This application is like having your own personal guide of the city of Aix en Provence. Open up the application and you will start with an introduction to the town of Aix en Provence. The Edible Heritage tour takes you through the city with very detailed audio descriptions including historical, architectural and also indicating surrounding restaurants, shops as well as what you can buy in them, from traditional Boutis to Callisons. You don't have to follow the tour, if you prefer you can wander the streets and click on any place of interest and listen to the audio guide. If it is around lunch time you can click on the knife and fork and see which restaurants can be found nearby, with a description of each when clicked on. The application was created by two Canadians who wanted to share their love of Aix en Provence and also their in depth knowledge in the history and traditions to be found there. Although the database is quite extensive, the application does not contain every restaurant in Aix since the creators have only included ones that are tried tested and approved by them, but I would imagine that updates will be forthcoming, and maybe via the contact page on their site http://edibleheritage.com/ you can give your own comments on any discoveries you make on your voyage. I recommend downloading it a while before you leave and you can start your voyage of discovery and begin to whet your appetite back home. 

For 2.30€  you will not find a guide as informative and always at the ready anywhere else, you can of course opt for a real flesh and blood guide, but move the decimal along a couple of notches...and some, and that's for one day only!

Provençal Roaming. A Travel Guide

Created by Francophile Paul Shawcross here is an app that will guide you through Provence and beyond as far as Aigues Mortes and as far North as the Ardeche neither of which is strictly speaking in Provence. But I can see why they are there, I wouldn't be able to contain myself to strict geographical limits if I was creating such an app and I would imagine that if you are visiting the region you wouldn't either! However the Eastern limits are Aix en Provence and Cassis, and he recommends other apps (Riviera Roaming App by Kimberly Lovato) and a forthcoming app called Nice and Easy Nice to cover the missing department of Les Alpes Maritimes. I would have liked to have seen the Provence Verte included, (around Brignoles) as here there are a myriad of secrets to reveal and it is often left out. I hope that this will figure in later editions.

The informative text for each entry is written with authority and I would even say affection as he is not just mindlessly listing places but is sharing his vision as well as that of other people mentioned in the app and I suspect using their personal recommendations for some of the addresses, but this is hardly surprising as Paul Shawcross is a travel writer who is no stranger to Provence and that is why this is a must have guide.

It may not have every place listed, but it has the most important sites as well as some lesser known ones like the Tom Simpson Memorial on the top of the Mont Ventoux. It has a list of restaurants recommended by the author, some hotels, camp sites and even an address for camper-van hire. There is plenty of historical background about Provence and even a section on the Troubadours.  Another aspect of this app that I like is the fact that you can leave comments and Paul will get back to you with a pertinent answer, an unlikely event with major tourist guides.

It is an app that I will recommend to my self-drive clients (along with a few others mentioned in this post) for its good accurate information from someone who is talking from personal experience. Like Edible Heritage it is worth downloading this before you leave so as to whet your appetite for your journey to come! The App is available for I-Phone & I-Pad as well as Android platforms for a mere $2.99.

Moto Paca

This is an application for the bikers, that is motor bikers. Only available on iPhone at the moment and in French but definately worth the detour. This is another application created for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Tourist Board this time by Azur Consulting. It comprises pre-established itineraries for biking around the region, giving you information on restaurants, petrol stations, museums and other useful points of interest on the way. You have information on the distance, and difficulty as well as the time required to complete the itinerary. You can also create your own itinerary and upload it.

This is a free application which I'm sure could also be used by motorists, but be careful of the bikers please!

Visite 04

A free application only available in French for the time being. The QR code on the picture (click for a bigger version) will take you to the app on iPhone and to a mobile site for Android.

Showcasing a favourite destination of mine the department of Les Alpes de Haute Provence, which stretches from the Montagne de Lure, via Forcalquier (where I am sitting writing this article) over the Durance valley to the Valensole plateau and its endlesss lavender, the Verdon river and the Gorges of the same name an all of that neatly packaged by the Alps to the north and east. Sounds good doesn't it! If you want to know more contact us here. http://www.unique-provence.com/contact-us  An article on this amazing destination is coming soon.

Travel applications that help you discover towns, and regions are becoming more and more popular, and help to enrich your travel experience enourmously at very little cost. In Provence the other apps of note are:

Provence and French Riviera by MobileReference Travel, which comes in  free and paying versions  and is a much lighter way of keeping a guide book of the entire region at your fingertips. Find top attractions,  restaurants etc along with phrasebooks and gps maps showing your location.

Coteaux Varois en Provence is an app that allows you to discover the wines of the aforementioned region, and believe me there are some real gems to be discovered!  You will find the vignerons, along with their contact details, events taking place and much on information on the Appelation itself.  See our gourmet wine and food tour here http://www.unique-provence.com/the-art-of-living-en-provence 

If you know of any good apps to enhance your visit to Provence, leave a comment or contact us http://www.unique-provence.com/contact-us and don't hesitate to give your opinions of the above applications.

Of goats and men and Banon cheese.

La Chèvre Provençale

When in Provence, you will undoubtedly meet goats in some shape or form, whether it be in a field on a walk or at the end of your meal in the form of cheese. 

The predominant race of goats is unsurprisingly La Chèvre Provençale especially in the region of La Haute Provence at the foot of the Montagne de Lure. 

Here nestled in the end of a valley is the hilltop village of Banon, who's name for many is mainly associated with the cheese of the same name. Banon cheese is made from unpasteurised goats milk. It is a small round cheese who's particularity is the chestnut leaves used to wrap it. 

The village of Banon with a field of Sauge Sclarée
or Clary sage in the foreground

Like most cheeses across France and indeed around the world, a technique had to be discovered to preserve the cheese throughout the winter months Most cheeses are stored in "caves" or cellars where they are protected from heat and light to mature. This maturation is now a commercial selling point, whereas before when cheese, potatoes, onions and dried or salted meats where staples throughout the winter months, (raclette, fondue, tartiflette, truffade, aligot are just a few of the many winter dishes using just the afore mentioned ingredients)  cheese rarely made it past the winter, and long maturation for the capitals delicatessens had yet to be invented. 

Banon cheese for sale in Forcalquier market

So back to our Banon.

The Banon cheese is wrapped in chestnut leaves which serve as a protective barrier from parasites, and allow the storage and maturation of the cheese throughout the harsh winter months. (yes, in Haute Provence the winters are short but cold with temperatures regularly descending below -12°C) This protection accorded by the leaves also prevents it from drying out, and when unwrapped it is best served with a spoon! The skin of the cheese is the strong part, but the creamy, runny centre is surprisingly mild. Eaten with some fresh Pain de Campagne, or whole wheat bread and accompanied by a green salad and a glass of cold local white wine, it is the perfect  ending to any meal, or it can be the meal itself. 

One of the privileges of living in this remarkable region is that I have become good friends with many farmers, and these friendships have allowed me to  create unique travel experiences, visiting the farms, trying your hand at wrapping your own Banon cheese, or even going on a trek with the farmer and his goats.

One of the farmers I work with is Thierry Yernaux, a Belgian installed in the region. I first met Thierry when I was sent to Paris to represent the local tourist board (as vice-president) on TF1, the first French TV channel, he was there for the Banon cheese makers (as President). The fact that an Englishman and a Belgian where on national TV selling Provence caused much amusement locally. Our common passion for our adoptive region became the base of our friendship, and also Thierry makes fantastic cheese! He has been a recipient of the coveted Banon d'Or (the Golden Banon Award), and also has a whole variety of other goats cheeses on offer. His farm is all organic, and like most of the farmers in the region, he knows all his goats by name! A morning visit to his farm, with in depth explanations perhaps and a picnic on site to follow is a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture of the Provençale goat and the wonderful cheese that results.

If you would like to know more about Banon cheese, La Haute Provence and our travel experiences you can contact us here. http://www.unique-provence.com/contact-us .

A bientôt!