A Refreshing Escape with Mom to the South of France

La Petite Traveler

by Katharine Bohlmann

Imagine fields of Sunflowers; baskets overflowing with lavender; little villages perched up on a hill; markets filled with homegrown vegetables and delicious fruit; and the smell of homemade bread. Welcome to the South of France! (or Bienvenue de Provence, as they would say in French)

I started going to the South of France when I was barely walking. Every summer, my Mom rents a stone farmhouse in a small village on the outskirts of Caromb, about twenty kilometers from Avignon. The house is several hundred years old and is all stone with big blue shutters on each window and a wonderful blue wooden door with a big brass knocker.

Our Journey Begins

In Paris, we board the fast train, also known as the TGV, and arrive into Avignon, where we will collect our rental car and head to the house, but first, we stop at the large super marche, called Le Clerc, where we stock up on supplies for our holiday.

As we drive into Caromb and circle around the old church, I see many familiar faces: people who live and work in this quaint and very authentic village. As we pull into our driveway, my face lights up with a grin, as it is always fun to arrive back at this very special place. The house is called Les Malegrones, after a river that runs next to it, and we are greeted by Antoine and Blanca, the caretakers who always make me feel right at home. They hand us the key with the green tassel attached, we enter the front door, and I kick off my shoes where they remain for most of my trip.

The house sits on several acres. In the back, there is a large olive grove and several acres of vines, and the front yard has a cherry orchard as well as apricots and fig trees. There is also a gigantic chestnut tree that provides a wonderful canopy of shade and is a great place to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. And, from the kitchen window, we can see Crillon le Brave and Mr. Ventoux, the highest peak in Provence.

All that traveling calls for a dip in the pool, so, after we unload the car, I make a dash for the "piscine". How refreshing! The days are hot in Provence, and it does not get dark until almost 10pm. It's great to have so much daylight to enjoy.

Our Days Fill Quickly.

We start each morning with a visit to the bakery to get my favorite brioche. I like to sample the brioche. It's a type of egg bread with sugar on top and I certainly have my favorite bakeries. There is a market every day in a different surrounding village, so we get to try the brioche and breads from different towns. We also do our marketing each day and it is fun to sample the fruits, the cheeses and to smell the different homemade soaps.

We visit different sights in the area such as the Abbey do Senaque in Gordes, the famous flea market in Il sur le Sorgue and cute shops in Gigondas. We find the pottery makers and it is fun to watch them create their pots and plates.

We shop and market like the French do and my Mom likes to cook. We venture into the village at night to have a citron presse, a lemon drink, which I love to sample. We sit at the café and watch the villagers as they walk by our table. I taste the soft vanilla ice cream and it melts in my mouth.

The Little Things That Make It Extra Special

The sky is so blue in this part of France and it never rains in the summer. The light is so clear and I like to pretend that I am an artist and I sketch the beautiful scenery.

About one mile from our house, there is a donkey named Rosalee and a crazy goat. I go each night to feed these animals some carrots and apples. They hear me coming and Rosalee starts to "he ha, he ha". I'm sure she remembers me as I've been visiting her for years.

Visiting Les Malegrones is a special part of my year. I love to be outdoors and enjoying this amazing setting. I can imagine why painters like Monet and Van Gogh loved painting here. The colors, the light and landscapes are one of a kind and the brioche and the ice cream are tops on my food list.

Je t'aime Les Malegrones! (I love Les Malegrones!)

For more information on renting overseas, please visit villeetvillage.com. Based in Northern, CA, they specialize in France, Spain and Italy.

Katharine Bohlmann is ten years old and lives in Santa Monica with her Mom and two adorable dogs. She also has a home in Palisades with her dad. In her free time, Katharine likes to email her friends, read and watch The Gilmore Girls. She is currently in the fourth grade.