Francetrek - Alps and Provence Holidays
 
 

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Holidays & Walks

Graded in order of walking difficulty

 
 
 
 

Treks & Skiing

 

UK Treks

 

Pat Heffron is a qualified mountaineer, holding the Mountain Instructors Certificate and the European Mountain Leaders Award. He has over 30years experience of adventure leadership and is a qualified diver, skier, canoeist, rock climber and mountain biker.
Pat Heffron is a qualified mountaineer, holding the Mountain Instructors Certificate and the European Mountain Leaders Award. He has over 30years experience of adventure leadership and is a qualified diver, skier, canoeist, rock climber and mountain biker.
Pat Heffron is a qualified mountaineer, holding the Mountain Instructors Certificate and the European Mountain Leaders Award. He has over 30years experience of adventure leadership and is a qualified diver, skier, canoeist, rock climber and mountain biker.
 

 

The Secrets of Provence

Explore this unspoilt corner of provence famous for its wine , lavender, fruit , truffles , herbs and olives.Half day walks combined with a chance to find out more about the ingredients that make Provence so special.

An 8 day holiday ..Saturday to Saturday.. with 7 nights accommodation and 6 days of activities

Grade: Moderate with walks of about 2 to 3hrs  .

Accommodation is on half board basis with 5 picnic lunches included. Entry fees to the silk museum , Truffle farm and the olive mill are included.Two expert local guides will combine to provide the best of local botany , history and walks. . Each day is half walking and half guided visit apart from the  Vaison la Romaine Day. Transfers are included from  Marseille Airport at 2pm and Avignon TGV Station at 3.15pm**.

Situation

In the NE corner of Provence you will find a truly unspoilt rural area still thriving on its vineyards,olives,lavender, fruit and truffles .It is called the Enclave des Papes. A mix of tiny medieval villages and bustling market towns, like Nyons , Valreas and Vaison la Romaine all provide their own history and character . With our expert local guide , Francoise, find out about the history , fables , culture, characters . Understand the use of the plants and herbs of the region. Visit the truffle farms , silk industry and , above all , enjoy the lovely walks that combine all the above so well.

Accommodation.

A comfortable guesthouse situated on the outskirts of Valreas which is run by an Anglo French couple , Mike and Chantal .The large house has been totally renovated with ensuite bedrooms,comfortable lounge and large gardens with pool .It also has the advantage that it is only 10 minutes stroll to the town centre with its bars , cafes and restaurants.The guesthouse also has a bar facility.

 

Guesthouse in Valreas

Swimming pool and garden.

 

The Programme

Saturday . Clients collected from Marseille Aiport or Avignon TGV Station. The  transfer to Valreas  takes about 2hrs from Marseille and an hour from Avignon. Mike  will be waiting to settle you in with an aperitif and chat about the week.
Dinner is provided in the guesthouse, 3 course with wine. . Mike also has an excellent bar selling beer, wine etc etc .A sample menu is attached at the end .Out hosts have received rave reports from our clients this year ..superb food and wine ,extremely helpful and prepared to go out of their way to ensure a good trouble free holiday.

Sunday. . A walk on the Dentelles de Montmirail home of the famous Gigondas wine .Our walk starts high up  and then  circles around the Dentelles to a lovely viewpoint over the Dentelles and up to the giant of Provence , Mont Ventoux , at 1900m.. The walk then returns to a delightful picnic  spot where we have lunch in the shade. After lunch we descend to Gigondas for a drink and possibly a degustation before driving back to Valreas via the very attractive village of Seguret. Seguret's name is derived from the latin 'securitas' or secure and it is a very  attractive fortified provencal village .The area around the fountain is a must for artists .6km walk..2hrs30

Monday. .A 15 minute transfer takes us to Nyons , the capital of Olive growing for this region .Its olives are justly famous so this morning's walk follows a signposted trail for 4kms through some of these famous groves . Some of the trees are over 400yrs old. A visit is then paid to a local family run olive producer where the subtle differences in quality and taste of olive oil are explained. A picnic lunch is prepared in the garden of the Guesthouse and there is time for a rest before  our local guide leads a comprehensive tour of the historic centre of  Richerenches. Steeped in the history of its links both of the Papal presence in Avignon and the Knights Templar it is a fascinating tour of the village. Return  by 5pm  . Dinner with Chantal again this evening .There are aperitifs before the meal and wine provided during the meal as a little 'extra' ..much appreciated by clients.
Tuesday...Visit to Vaison la Romaine.. .
A slightly later start this morning for the 20 min transfer to Vaison for a visit to the large market in the morning, lunch in town and then a chance to visit first the medieval hilltop part of the town and then the famous Roman remains , the amphitheatre and the museum . Plenty of excellent places to eat and shop .Do visit the Cathedral and the Roman bridge , the latter being the sole survivor of 13 bridges destroyed in the floods of 1992. The Tourist Office in the town centre has a useful resources centre and the entrance to the Roman ruins is next door .We will arrange for collection from the Car park near the Tourist Centre at 4pm .Clients buy their own lunch today. Dinner is at the Guesthouse.

Vaison la Romaine medieval town with Mont Ventoux behind.

Market day in Vaison..a whole street given over  to food stalls alone ! Just the place to buy provencal souvenirs.
Wednesday. The Gorge de St May.A 30 minute transfer leads to a totally different part of Provence. Rugged cliffs , dramatic gorges and plateaux covered in Lavender and thyme.Our 2hr walk this morning is over one of these  to a superb cliff where a colony of European vultures have been reintroduced. These dramatic birds with a 3m wingspan soar and swoop directly in front of our 'ringside' seats.This and the outstanding views of the mountains of this region make this a very popular morning.Our picnic table is set right on the top of the plateau among the lavender fields. After lunch we return to Nyons for a stroll through the town .Later on visits are paid to an Olive Mill and the local lavender and herb distillery , both are guided by English speaking guides and both are family run concerns. Return to Valreas where this evening clients buy their own dinner in town . Chantal will recommend some of her favourites.


Our region is blessed with some of the best  red wines at very reasonable prices. The multitude of local wineries ensure a variety of tastes and mirror the pride that these small growers have in their product.Try the Vinsobres ,Cairanne and Vasqueras for a start!!
Thursday.Walking the Papal Bourne..or boundary. a delightful morning walk of about 3hrs leads up from the valley onto the famous Vinsobres lavender plateau . The walk along the ridge provides good views over the  whole region with Mont Ventoux ever present in the background.After a shady picnic ..local cheeses,salads,pate, fruit and wine are standard..we drive to Grignon for a visit  to the chateau and the village .  . After this short visit we meet up with a local truffle farmer ..and his dog..and he will explain the truffle history and take you on a truffle hunt.He is the 4th generation of his family to farm here.

Our farmer with his labrador 'truffle sniffer'..

One of our groups accompanying the farmer through the truffle oak wood in search of the 'black gold'.At the end of the afternoon the dog has a biscuit  and we have the opportunity to taste some of the fine truffles..We end the day back at the guesthouse in time for a relax before dinner.  Dinner by the way is a very social event with Mike and Chantal eating with the guests. As  Mike is an ex London policeman and Chantal a local girl whose father was the town Doctor, there are plenty of good stories and anecdotes flying around !!
 

Friday. The lavender plateau of Vinsobres and a botanical walkA lovely easy walk leads up from the valley through vineyards and forest to the famous plateau. Accompanying the group will be a local herb and flower expert who will explain the medicinal and culinary benefits of the plants.After a light lunch at the bistro in the village we descend to the famous Vinsobres Winery for a degustation and explanation of the growing cycle .Suitably inibriated we then drive back to Valreas for a good rest by the poolbefore joining Chantal and Mike for another great provencal meal ..lots of fun and laughter as we discuss the week ..

Saturday am Depart at 9am ..Avignon or Montelimar for the TGV and Marseille for flights.




Throughout the holiday the famous Mont Ventoux is ever present.The 'Giant of Provence', at 1900 metres , is now a UNESCO world heritage site. It has unique plants and ecosytem .Ferocious winds have scoured the summit area leaving stark white limestone scree or rock fields.An initimidating area when the Mistral wind blows..often up to 100km per hour.. . .This view is in early Spring with a mantle of snow covering the top 600m.
PRICE . E900..Inclusive of 7 nights full board** with wine , full guiding by a qualified mountain leader and French environment guide, all visits and transfers from Marseille , Nimes or Avignon .Excluded **are ..1 dinner and 1 lunch and entries to facilities on the Vaison day .Based on our Gite the price is E750.

DATES FOR 2009....18 to 25 April.. 9 to 16 May..  6 to 13 June.  29 Aug to 5 Sept'

PLEASE NOTE..We can offer other dates for groups of 6 or more.

TRY  this holiday for the best overall view of all that makes Provence what it is..

E-Mail us on Francetrek@aol.com OR Telephone 0033475276829.