So, our fall trip is almost full, friends, and I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of being in my favorite part of the world with such an amazing group of women. Let’s talk about what we’re going to be doing, shall we*? I can’t wait!

Friday, September 19: Departure Day! Leave Atlanta on one of the earlier international flights because you will be connecting to Marseille once you arrive at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Book your flight on whatever travel site you prefer, either directly through the airline of your choice or through a third party site like Expedia, all the way through to Marseille. Don’t forget to give yourself several hours layover in the Paris airport to clear customs and then wind your way through to your connecting flight! You should plan to arrive in Marseille in the late morning or early afternoon of the 20th of September.

Saturday, September 20: Arrival Day! We will meet you at the airport in Marseille and transport you to our villa to unwind and unpack and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. We will enjoy a light dinner of the goodness of Provence- wine, cheese, olives, and bread- for dinner in the early evening… and then off to bed early to recover from the trials of international travel.

Sunday, September 21: Awake rested and refreshed to coffee, croissants, and pain au chocolat** and be ready to hit the ground running, because it’s Sunday morning and time to be up bright and early for the best finds at the weekly flea market at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue! We will head to the market for vintage textiles, antique furniture, dishes, art- you name it. And that’s only the flea market- the fresh market, which is my personal favorite part, will be chock full of vendors selling the finest produce, unbelievable cheeses, meats, fresh eggs, mushrooms, spices, bread, and more. This place is a feast for the senses for sure. We will have a casual yet leisurely lunch in Isle near the emerald green river that surrounds the town to recover from our shopping extravaganza. You will have the afternoon to relax and recover OR do more shopping in the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue as you see fit. Dinner will be at our gorgeous villa- a feast of fresh market finds taken al fresco by our saltwater pool.

Monday, September 22: Oh la la, mes chèries, it’s our day to go to Les Baux-de-Provence! Les Baux is an extraordinary place- centuries of history fill this village, but what will be immediately most striking to you is just how gorgeous it is. It’s a great place to start getting to know Provence, because from its highest point among the ruins of an old chateau, you can see miles and miles of olive groves, vineyards, and cypress trees- all the shades of lavenders and gray greens and golds that are so, so very Provence. We will lunch here in the town. After a long, relaxing French déjeuner, prepare to become even more relaxed as we head to Mas de la Dame winery, a beautiful vineyard only a few kilometers from Les Baux-de-Provence that has been immortalized on canvas by Van Gogh himself. And they also happen to make amazing wines. Finish the afternoon out by heading back to Les Baux to circle back to the shops that you can’t stop thinking about, and there will be shops you can’t stop thinking about because the shopping here is magnifique, OR to Carrières des Lumières, a feast for the senses that’s tucked underneath the mountain of Les Baux. Dinner will be a special treat: A “Welcome to Provence” meal for you to enjoy, and I can promise you that you will indeed enjoy it.

Tuesday, September 23: We will begin, naturally, with coffee and pastries and goodness, and then we will make our way to St. Rèmy de Provence, where we will visit the sanatorium where Vincent van Gogh committed himself after a few disturbances in his mental health during his sojourn in nearby Arles. You’ll want to take your time to drink in the beauty here- there is so much! Then, walking distance from the sanatorium is the ancient city of Glanum, a Roman ruin that is in the process of being unearthed and is now an archaeological site that you can visit as well. We will then make our way into the town of St. Rèmy for a long lunch at Les Cocottes followed by shopping and relaxing in town. This little town is truly one of my happy places- so pretty and charming! The shops and galleries are absolutely delightful- one of my favorites is Galerie Calliope, the gallery of the artist Andreas Van Poucke, who captures the beauty and the light of Provence in his work so, so well. Also be sure not to miss Souleiado for modern takes on traditional Provençal styles and fabrics. And while the narrow, flower-filled streets of the city center are seductive and will have you not wanting to leave, be sure to venture into the shops and brocantes along the edges of town as well. They are not to be missed!

Wednesday, September 24: Today’s a great day for venturing further afield: A trip to the Mediterranean to a quintessentially French coastal village: Cassis. We will head out early (after coffee and pastries, bien sur) and arrive in Cassis just in time for market day in Cassis and to enjoy the beautiful little boutiques and galleries. Pick up a unique, locally made perfume from L’eau de Cassis, a perfumer in business since 1851- one of my absolute favorites! I’m hoping to procure another bottle of extract de violette myself… Lunch will be the freshest seafood you can possibly imagine with Jean-Marie at Le Bonaparte, since it came out of the Mediterranean that very morning. In fact, we will probably see the fishermen selling their catch down by the harbor while we’re walking around… yes, that will indeed be lunch, along with a Cassis white wine grown about 10km away that’s crisp and delicious and the perfect accompaniment to those tiny, delicate oysters that taste of the ocean. After lunch, we will enjoy a cruise on the Mediterranean into the famous calanques of Cassis, followed by more shopping and sightseeing in this delightful little downtown. Dinner will be on our way home at Le Bon Temps, a little restaurant that has received a “Bib Gourmand” mention in the Michelin guide, and you will immediately know why.

Thursday, September 25: One can’t visit Provence without a visit to the Luberon valley, made famous by Peter Mayle in his books A Year In Provence and Toujours Provence as well as the Russell Crowe movie A Good Year**. We’ll begin our day in Roussillon, where ochre for paints and pigments has been mined for centuries, to drink in the colors of the region and possibly enjoy another cup of coffee at a local café. Next up is Bonnieux for lunch with a view, followed by Lacoste where we can visit Savannah College of Art and Design’s France campus and see what SCAD’s artists in residence and students have created. We will end our tour of les villages perchés in Gordes for a bit of shopping and gallery hopping or perhaps some refreshment at a cafe looking out over the Luberon Valley. Then, we will finish our evening with the monks at Abbaye de Senanque with a sung vespers service. The tranquility in this valley filled with lavender and the sound of the cloister bells ringing will soothe the soul, I promise. Dinner in Gordes while the sun sets over the Luberon…

Friday, September 26: Get ready for Arles, the little city located on the edge of the Camargue (a wild, wide open salt marsh between the two arms of the Rhone River), where Vincent van Gogh truly found his path as a painter. We will begin our time in Arles with a walking tour around the city, where we will see what van Gogh saw and painted alongside ruins from the days of the Roman Empire, to give you your bearings and help you hone in on what you really want to see and do. Lunch will be at Le Gibolin, another delightful little place with a mention in the Michelin Guide (darlings, we do things right around here), followed by shopping or checking the museums and Roman ruins off your list, plus a late afternoon cheese tasting at Les Fromagères. Dinner will be here in Arles at a restaurant of your choosing, and there are many, many to choose from. If you’ve never met a real live matador, who descends from many generations of matadors, may I suggest El Paseo for tapas and sangria, where the patron is in fact a third of fourth generation bullfighter? Or a peaceful meal in the exquisitely decorated Arlatan? And I’ve personally been dying to try La Gueule du Loup but have yet to be able to get a table, it’s so perpetually packed with locals. Which tells me everything I need to know.

Saturday, September 27: Today we’ll be headed to Market Day in Uzès, a beautiful medieval town located on the opposite side of Avignon. By this point you will have seen Roman ruins galore, so it’s definitely time to enjoy some beautifully preserved medieval charms! Since you’ll all be France market experts by now, I’ll want your feedback on whether this is indeed the best market in southern France- I tend to think that it is, but try to keep an open mind and don’t let me sway your opinion. I do believe, however, that you’ll be amazed at the selection of cheeses and fresh produce and artisan-produced sausages in every possible flavor, and at the tables piled with olives and confit garlic and spices of every kind. This market is a food market rather than an antiques market like Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, but there will be art and clothing and leather goods in abundance as well, alongside permanent shops featuring all manner of beautiful things. Obviously, after all the hard work of selecting the best of the late summer harvest and the wines and cheeses to go with it, we will need to restore ourselves with a good lunch at Ten, a delightful restaurant located right on the Place Aux Herbes- the “beating heart of Uzès” as described by this article by Travel Insighter.

After our morning in a medieval town, we will balance things out with another Roman ruin: Pont du Gard. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this stunning reminder of Roman engineering and architectural skills.

Dinner will be back at our villa, because we will have acquired goodies that we want to feast upon. Even something as simple as eggs can be such a treat when you’ve managed to get your hands on the season’s best mushrooms and a farmer-made block of cheese… and a bottle of wine… I live for this, honestly.

Sunday, September 28: Today we will be taking it slower to allow ourselves time to prepare for the following day’s travels. We will head to a nearby winery for a tour of the vineyards followed by tastings of their organic offerings, followed by a late lunch at a pizza restaurant near our villa with incredible views of Mont Ventoux. Does the beauty ever stop here?

Monday, September 29: Alas, today is the day that we must say goodbye to our beloved Provence. We will deliver you back to Marseille to catch a connecting flight to Paris and then back to Atlanta***.

Or on second thought, we will say our “à la prochaine” (until next time) because now you, like me, will be longing for the next time you can visit this beautiful little corner of France.

À bientôt, mes amis.

*This is, of course, a loose itinerary. Things will slip and change as the time gets closer, because that is how travel works. But rest assured that we will be doing all of these things and more… or less if you decide you want a day just to relax and enjoy our beautiful accommodations.

**Go ahead and just assume that I’ll be procuring fresh baguettes and pastries for us all every single day. I live for this. The fridge will also be stocked with fresh yogurt, artisan butter, cheese, eggs, fruit, and anything else fresh and in season that you might need or want to fuel the day ahead.

***It’s definitely a good idea to build in a few days in Paris after your time in southern France and it’s easy to do. I can give you guidance on how to make this happen if you’re interested.