Oui Love France

Avignon and the Palais des Papes

October 20, 2014 by Sarah Trivuncic Leave a Comment

The Palais des Papes Avignon OuiLoveFrance.com #Provence #France #Travel

Staying in St Remy, we were hankering to get back to a city for a day. Avignon lies only 25 minute drive to the north with smaller Arles a similar distance to the south west. Avignon’s draw is the Palais du Papes and famous bridge Pont d’Avignon spanning half the river Rhone.
View from the tower of Palais des Papes Avignon OuiLoveFrance.com #Provence #France #Travel
The Palais des Papes is the big tourist attraction in Avignon, the seat of a rival papacy to Rome during medieval times.
Truth be told, it’s rather bleak inside with any former splendour long since siphoned back to the Vatican but it’s a good place to spend a couple of hours indoors out of the elements.
Avignon is a pretty town with attractive architecture and lively shops. It would make a good base if you were without a car – from here you could easily reach Orange, Marseille and Arles by train.
If you have a car, probably you’ll find it more practical to base yourself elsewhere and visit just for the day. We used a very reasonable underground car park close the the railway station.
Le Pont D'Avignon OuiLoveFrance.com #Provence #France #Travel #Avignon
Meanwhile Arles is packed with a tourist trail of museums, galleries and Roman ruins. Avignon holds a daily indoor food market (not Monday) whilst Arles has two massive street markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Plan your visit to Arles according to whether you wish to enjoy or avoid the market!
Have you visited Avignon?


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Filed Under: Lifestyle and culture Tagged With: Avignon, Bouches du Rhone, Historical monuments, museums

Van Gogh in St Remy de Provence

October 20, 2014 by Sarah Trivuncic Leave a Comment

Cloisters at St Paul-de-Mausole

After falling out with Gaugin and famously chopping his own ear off, Van Gogh checked into the St Paul de Mausole asylum.

Here he stayed for twelve months and painted many famous works such as Starry Night and Irises (both 1889). Today the pretty building is a monastery but has a museum open to the public.

Have you followed in Van Gogh’s footsteps at St Paul de Mausole?

St Paul de Mausole website.

Picture: Ian Turk / Flickr


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Filed Under: Lifestyle and culture Tagged With: museums, St Remy de Provence, Van Gogh

Les Antiques and Glanum St Remy de Provence

October 20, 2014 by Sarah Trivuncic Leave a Comment

IMG_1698-WM.jpg

Still a gateway to St Remy today, these Roman remains known as Les Antiques can be seen from the main road upon entering the town from Les Baux.

Around 1km to the south of St Remy, they are key parts of one of the best preserved ancient sites in Provence.

Opposite this arch and mausoleum are the Pompeii-like ruins of Glanum, a fortified town deserted since 260 AD.

Glanum was first founded by Celto-Ligurian tribes before being taken over by the Romans in 27 AD. There were baths and a forum but not arenas like those seen in nearby Arles and Nimes.

There are many Roman sites in Provence, notably at Arles and Orange.

Have you visited any Roman sites in Provence?


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Filed Under: Lifestyle and culture, Places to visit Tagged With: Bouches du Rhone, Roman remains, St Remy de Provence

Le Clerc shopping haul: things to buy in France

December 17, 2013 by Sarah Trivuncic Leave a Comment

This post originally featured on Maison Cupcake. It is I (who have been shopping at) Mnsr Leclerc…

French shopping

You know I just cannot resist a chance to add to my collection of Les 30 Recettes Cultes whenever I’m in France. I have about 18 of them now and actually could do with a list of which ones I already have so I don’t double up.

On our recent trip to Biscarrosse during August I tracked down copies of this series for Ebly (French wheat grain brand), Carambar (caramel sweets), Twix, fromage frais, cream cheese and goats’ cheese inspiration. Yes there’s a British series called 30 Best Recipes but they don’t sell it as a convenient one off, they sucker you in to buy it as a part work and in any case, the recipes in the French editions are way more sophisticated.

French shopping French shopping

I also picked up this selection of flavourings that I’d not seen duplicated by brands in the UK; coffee, coconut, strawberry and pistachio.

And in the baking aisle I also picked up caramel sauces in rum and salted flavours, ground hazelnuts (rarely seen in the UK), praline mix and chocolate marshmallow “Petit Oursin” bears. You might also spy a jar of Speculoos crumbs which I enjoy on top of yogurt and fruit for an easy pudding.

French shopping French shopping

The savoury selection includes sauces I’d not seen in the UK; Heinz pepper sauce (curious!), wasabi mayo, curry sauce and a Sacla asparagus pasta sauce. I didn’t buy as much canned fish as previous visits limiting myself to these tuna and mackerel rillets in pretty tubs.

New magazine Modes & Travaux Passion caught my eye as did the latest issue of Marie Claire Idees. Finally I spotted a book full of creme brulees at the service area on the way home for the bargain price of 3€50. French motorway service areas can be surprisingly good for a cookery book bargain – last trip you may remember I found a Trish Deseine chocolatier kit including a book for just 5€.

Did you bring any foodie things back from holiday?

Filed Under: Lifestyle and culture Tagged With: Le Clerc, shopping, supermarkets

Calais shopping: things to buy at Cite Europe

December 17, 2013 by Sarah Trivuncic Leave a Comment

This post originally featured on Maison Cupcake. 

Calais shopping trip Cite Europe Carrefour - 1

I have hankered after a proper look around the Cite Europe complex at Calais for a couple of years. Whenever I’ve been past, I’ve been short of time or cruelly taunted by French Sunday trading hours.

To make things worse, I’ve even stayed in hotels just across the road but not been able to convince my husband to delay our journey south in order for me to get my shopping fix.

So this weekend I was determined to put this right….

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Filed Under: Lifestyle and culture Tagged With: Calais, daytrips, shopping

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