Soul Sisters Provence: Lavender, Markets and Our Girls

Day 1: Paris to Avignon and Maillane

We landed at Charles de Gaulle in the morning and caught the afternoon TGV straight to Avignon. It could not have been easier. The TGV station is right inside Charles de Gaulle, in Terminal 2, so we went from our flight to the train without ever going into Paris. The ride took a little over three hours.

Picking up our rental car was just as easy. The rental office was right outside Avignon TGV station, so we walked straight over with our bags. It sits next to a little square with places to grab food, and we got smoothies for the girls from a little food truck there. Then we drove about 20 minutes to our Airbnb in Maillane.

Day 2: Aix-en-Provence Market Tour and Rosé

Our first full day started with a guided market tour in Aix-en-Provence. We met our guide, Édouard, in a perfect little square with tables tucked under massive trees. By the time he got there, Liz was already working on her first baguette of the trip. That became her signature move in France: she ate them straight out of the paper bag, biting off chunks, in complete bliss! (She still does this every time we go to France. Who can blame her?! Their bread is out of this world!)

Then Édouard walked us through the stalls of one of the best markets in Provence. After that, we drove out to Château Paradis for a rosé tasting and a picnic with our girls among the vineyards, with goodies we picked up at the market. Before heading home, we picked up a box of treats at Les Macarons de Caroline in Aix, a sweet little shop that has sadly since closed.

Day 3: An Avignon Food Tour

In the morning, we joined Avignon Gourmet Tours for a four hour food walk through the old city. It was one of the best ways to see Avignon, especially with kids who need a snack every hour. Our guide started us off with croissants, and they were the best we’d ever had, buttery, flaky, pure heaven! He handed them to us, so sadly we never found out which bakery they came from! We paid €210 in cash for the four of us in 2023. Check their site for current prices.

After the tour, we wandered over to Square Agricol Perdiguier, a little garden with the ruins of Gothic arches right next to the tourist office.

Day 4: A Cooking Class with Chef Yvan

In the morning, we had a cooking class with Chef Yvan Cadiou at his home just outside Graveson, just a few minutes from Maillane. He lives in the most amazing house, right in the middle of a quintessential Provence landscape, and the whole morning was fantastic. Together we made gazpacho, a thick white fish with pesto, an amazing onion tart, and almond Florentine cookies.

Chef Yvan is extremely knowledgeable and talented, and we had some of the best food we ate in all of France out in his garden while the girls frolicked in the field nearby. We paid €550 in cash for the four of us, and it was worth every euro.

That night, we walked two minutes from our Airbnb to dinner at L’Oustalet Maïanen, a restaurant recommended in the Michelin Guide. We ordered from their three course menu signature, which was €48 a person in 2023. Between us, we had the foie gras with onion confit and homemade brioche, a chickpea mousseline topped with dried bonito, and lamb from Provence prepared three ways. For dessert, we shared a raspberry tartlet with tarragon cream and caramelized almonds, and a fougasse pudding with rhubarb and strawberries. Every plate was a little work of art.

Day 5: A Boat Day in the Calanques

Next, we drove about an hour and twenty minutes to Marseille and had lunch by the Old Port. In the afternoon, we boarded a private boat with a skipper from Bleu Evasion for four and a half hours in the Calanques. Here is more on our Calanques boat day. We swam in the clear water, and of course we had to try bouillabaisse, Marseille’s famous fish stew. My favorite moment of the day was simply soaking up the sunshine and the sea.

Day 6: Painting Where Van Gogh Painted

This was the most special day of the trip for me. Liz and I are both artists, so we booked a painting class with Kups at Saint-Paul de Mausole, the old monastery in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence where Van Gogh lived and painted. Our girls painted right where Van Gogh himself painted, and watching them there felt surreal and so very special.

Afterward, we wandered around Saint-Rémy, a charming little town at the foot of the Alpilles hills. Its old center is a maze of narrow, winding streets lined with pastel shutters, little fountains, art galleries, boutiques and cafés, and it is also the town where Nostradamus was born. It was the perfect place to explore after the morning of painting.

Day 7: The Camargue and the Pink Salt Flats

On day seven, we drove south into the Camargue Regional Nature Park. Along the way, we spotted flamingos in the marshes! In the afternoon, we stopped at Plage de Piémanson, a wide, wild beach on the edge of the Mediterranean. Then, in the early evening, we drove to Salin-de-Giraud, where the salt flats turn bright pink. The low golden light made the water glow, and of course we did a flying dress photo shoot there!

Day 8: Valensole Lavender

We checked out of Maillane and drove about an hour and forty five minutes east to Valensole. In the afternoon, we visited Gîte et Ferme La Pierrine, a working farm, to see the goats. We spent the night in Valensole, and the next morning we were up early for a sunrise lavender photo shoot in the fields.

Day 9: Truffle Hunting and Goodbyes

Our last morning was a truffle hunt at Les Pastras in Cadenet. Two dogs hunted for us, and we got to dig up huge truffles ourselves. It was amazing! Afterward, we had a tasting with fresh shaved truffle, and the best ice cream I have ever had in my life: truffle ice cream topped with truffle honey, truffle salt, and fresh shaved truffle. It was mind blowing. Here is more on our truffle hunt. After that, we dropped the car at Avignon TGV and split up. Liz and Avalon took the train to Paris, and Kailani and I headed to Marseille to start the French Riviera part of our trip.