Provence (Timeless Places)

Rating:
Summary: A Pungent Slice of France
Review: PROVENCE is so much more than a travel book - though if ever there were a book that would seduce even the most blase traveller then this is it. Alexandra Bonfante-Warren writes with a tasty wit and respect for a region of France that holds many mysteries and countless pleasures. She opens her book with a tale of religious relics and their origins that make you feel as though you are begining a novel! Then she scopes picturesque Provence from the vantage of history from mountains to valleys to plateaus to the sea. In the second half of this generously illustrated book there are vistas of fields of grains and lavendar,vineyards of course, rivers and falls that challenge the supremacy of the sea, and elegantly composed visits into the old buildings, abbeys, cloisters, grottos, mountain villages, marketplaces, etc. This is a splendid introduction to a region of richness rarely observed so well.

Rating:
Summary: A Pungent Slice of France
Review: PROVENCE is so much more than a travel book - though if ever there were a book that would seduce even the most blase traveller then this is it. Alexandra Bonfante-Warren writes with a tasty wit and respect for a region of France that holds many mysteries and countless pleasures. She opens her book with a tale of religious relics and their origins that make you feel as though you are begining a novel! Then she scopes picturesque Provence from the vantage of history from mountains to valleys to plateaus to the sea. In the second half of this generously illustrated book there are vistas of fields of grains and lavendar,vineyards of course, rivers and falls that challenge the supremacy of the sea, and elegantly composed visits into the old buildings, abbeys, cloisters, grottos, mountain villages, marketplaces, etc. This is a splendid introduction to a region of richness rarely observed so well.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Overview of Provence
Review: Silvery olive trees, stands of cypress, almond tress in full flower, plane trees that canopy country roads, fields of sunflowers and lavender...this couldn't be any place but Provence. I was born and grew up in Provence, so it has a special place in my heart. I think TIMELESS PLACES PROVENCE does a very good job of giving us an overview of the history of Provence, but sadly, the book is far too short to go into any detail about the many, many gorgeous and interesting villages one can find in this beautiful region.

The book's author first gives us an overview of the history of Provence and we learn that even Mary Magdalene, along with a black servant named Sarah, is supposed to have spent her last years in Provence...in a convent where, for thirty-three years, the same time span as the life of Christ, she didn't eat or drink, then was taken up to heaven.

We learn about Provence's most famous sons and daughters. The painter, Paul Cezanne was born in Aix-en-Provence and returned to this bustling university town after studying in Paris. Renoir, Matisse, van Gogh, Picasso and other painters all settled in Provence, in part, because of its fabulous light...in one part of Provence, the mountains actually absorb light rather than reflecting it, creating an atmosphere unlike anyplace else in the world.

Writers also flocked to Provence in search of both inspiration and relaxation. Hemingway spent time there, as did Fitzgerald, Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. The late Patrick O'Brian also made his home in the south of France.

Nostradamus made his home in St. Remy and the Marquis de Sade's favorite home was in the mountain village of Lacoste, where the ruins of his chateau still loom over the town and, in high summer, become a tourist attraction.

We learn that it was the Greeks who brought olives and grapes to Provence and we learn about the famous vineyards in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (literally, "the Popes little castle").

We learn why so many people in Provence are named Marius or Cesar (the answer may be surprising).

Lying between Italy and Spain, Provence was heavily traveled during the 16th century Wars of Religion and, though you might think all of France to be Catholic, there are still some towns and villages that are close to 100% Protestant, something most of us usually only associate with the north.

We learn about the mountains of Provence and the lovely "steeped towns" that seem to be barely clinging onto the rocky hillsides. Perhaps the most famous "hillside town" is Les-Baux-de-Provence, high in the Alpilles. I've been to Les Baux several times and I don't think any visit to Provence would be complete without its inclusion. It is truly special.

Besides the Alpilles, we learn about the Luberon and its many beautiful, little villages, among them, Lacoste, Menerbes, Bonnieux and many more. We learn about the Ventoux and the air perfumed with the scents of cypress, broom and wild iris.

We also learn about the Rhone Valley and its elegant and timeless city of Avignon, which is no doubt the most important in the area. This walled city is probably most famous because it houses the Palais des Papes...the gorgeous palace where the popes of the Catholic Church once made their home before returning to Rome. The Palais des Papes is perfectly preserved, both inside and out and it is joy to visit as are other parts of Avignon. If you visit, try to go on market day. On that day, the square of Avignon is filled with more treasures that you could ever imagine. And all at bargain prices.

And what would Provence be without the sea? Yes, there are glamorous places in Provence as well. Cannes, Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Nice, St. Tropez...these are all places frequented by the rich and famous and they are beautiful, but, to me, not as beautiful as the countryside of the Luberon or the area around Arles. I would rather see fields of golden sunflowers waving the breeze or smell the heady scent of lavender as I drive along a back road any day.

Provence is like nowhere else on earth and it does have its own unique beauty and charm. In TIMELESS PLACES PROVENCE, you won't learn a lot about this little bit of heaven on earth, but you'll get a good overview and some glorious, full-color photographs.

I would definitely recommend TIMELESS PLACES PROVENCE to anyone who wants a good "coffee table" book about Provence or to someone who's looking for the "perfect gift" for a lover of the fabulous south of France.