Two Months in Provence – Recommendations?

My wife used to run a boutique tour company, taking groups of a dozen or so travelers to France and Italy and Turkey. I helped out with her last tour, to Provence in 2013. Provence was magical, and we vowed to return, just the two of us.

Beginning in September, will be in Provence and the Côte d’Azur for a little over two months, starting in Avignon and ending up in Monte Carlo. We plan to lodge in only a few places, for one or two weeks each, and use each as a base for day trips to the villages and sites we want to visit, like the Luberon, Aix, Arles, the Camargue, the Pont du Gard, Nimes, Orange, the Gorge du Verdon, and other places both on and off the beaten path. I hope to take in a cooking class or two, and we both are looking forward to learning more about the history, the art, the culture, and the food of Provence.

Have you spent time in Provence in recent years? If so, perhaps you could share a few of your favorites with us: restaurants, cooking schools, sites visited, museums, markets, villages, or any other facets of your time there that you particularly enjoyed. If you want to share, use the comment form at the bottom of the page.

Van Gogh’s room