Blue Guide Provence and the Cote D'Azur

Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Provence in Paperback
Review: The Blue Guides are a cultural treasure, and ought to be designated as one by Unesco. They allow a traveler to just pick up and go somewhere, and to experience the charms and treasures of a region that would otherwise be inaccessible without years of study and painstaking exploration. For a cultural traveler, they are as indispensable as luggage: it's almost impossible to travel comfortably without them. That being said, I have no idea who actually uses them. Personally, I know of myself and my wife, an art history teacher of mine in college twenty-five years ago who recommended them to me, and a friend of ours who occasionally conducts guided tours herself. Additionally, I once saw someone carrying one in Monte Olivietto, a sumptuous Renaissance abbey in the hills of Tuscany. Practically no one I know of has ever even heard of them. They keep getting published, and the line gets extended, but I don't know for whom. Which brings me to the point of this review and a couple of others I've written for Amazon: I want more people to become aware of this fantastic resource. The Blue Guides are such wonderful and unique travel books that if more people know of them they'll buy them and recommend them to others, and I will never be in danger of having to travel without them.

The strength of the Blue Guide is generally cultural: for the most part, artworks and architecture are the primary focus, along with succinct but fairly comprehensive historical notes on the localities and sites they cover. Although there is less implicit emphasis in the text on scenery and sightseeing, they are arranged in tours, which are pretty carefully set up to run a traveler through the most interesting, characteristic and appealing terrain in the region. If you use a Blue Guide, you'll be able to do some very serious and very rewarding sight-seeing. The Blue Guide to Provence and The Cote d'Azur is actually a little bit of an exception to the formula, in part because of the nature of Provence, which in general is not really an artistic treasure house, at least by French standards. Provence is full of ancient cities and hill towns, and rugged and striking mountainous scenery, bathed in the Provençal sunlight so beloved by artists like Van Gogh, Cezanne and Picasso. (For the most part, their depictions of the region are housed elsewhere.) There is actually more left standing from the Roman period than in most of Italy. Atypically, this Blue Guide is a little weak in the details of the churches and buildings in some of the small villages, although it is very thorough in its treatment of history and culture. On the other hand, it does get you out into those quiet, small towns and villages way away in the countryside, including ancient hamlets with fifteen souls up in the scenic and forested mountain hills, and runs you along rural routes with views that make you want to stop every few minutes just to look. Careful treatments of the details of the Roman cities like Arles, Nîmes and Orange are there, (although I found a certain surprising weakness in the coverage of Romanesque sculptural programs), as are less well known little nooks and crannies such as the old synagogues of Cavaillon. There are maps of some of the larger towns, all of which are described in detail, and a floor plan and diagram of the portal sculpture of the cathedral of St-Trophîme in Arles. Like the rest of the Blue Guides, this one is exhaustive: friends of ours who live in Avignon and love to explore weren't familiar with some of the places we most enjoyed visiting. We actually found ourselves in a couple of really lovely towns like one where there were no other tourists, just local people hanging out by the fountain in front of the old church at the end of the day, watching the baby learn how to walk, while young lovers strolled along the winding cobbled streets up to look at the view from the ruined castle, just like their parents and grandparents had before them. (The routes are very well chosen for variety and enormous scenic appeal: The Blue Guide to Provence and The Cote d'Azur will take you through every part of the region, and every interesting city, town and hamlet, with notes.) Beautiful drives, beautiful destinations, lots of background and detail: it that's what you're looking for and you want to visit Provence and the Riviera, this book is for you.

A note of advice from my own experience: use this guide to sit down and do some planning before you leave. Mark out your routes beforehand on a map (the Michelin Road Atlas is excellent and keyed to the Red Guides, which are superb), because although the directions are good, it's very hard to drive and follow them at the same time: although well marked, the roads are narrow and winding in the countryside, the towns and cities weren't built for cars and the streets are very narrow and confusing, and French drivers are fast and aggressive. Being lost can be very stressful and time-consuming, if not dangerous, and if you need directions and don't speak French, you might be out of luck. If you put in some time in advance, you'll get a lot more out of your precious vacation time (and money).

Rating:
Summary: A PALE Blue Guide
Review: This is my letter to the editor of the Blue Guide Series. I have just returned from a week in Provence:

I bought the Provence Blue Guide sight unseen via Amazon.com and with great excitement as I first began using Blue Guides 30 years ago knowing that virtually every rock I passed would be discussed; that helpful routes and mileage would be given; and excellent plans. I confidently ordered the guide anticipating the fun of using a blessedly comprehensive work.

What a disappointing shock to start trying to use the guide. Not only is it woefully meager but so poorly indexed. I am reminded of the wine commercial about not selling wine before its time. I wish that had been taken to heart with this guide. It is not ready for publication. For the first time I wished I had the Michelin Green Guide instead of a Blue Guide. I also must now be more cautious in unequivocally counseling my clients [I am a travel consultant] to buy Blue Guides.

There were so many places not discussed (e.g., the towns of Trigance, Organ, not to mention specific sites overlooked) and places discussed that were not indexed (e.g., St.-Remy-de- Provence and Les-Baux-de-Provence). Furthermore, the places that are indexed generally have few sites listed under them.

I hope this guide is just a quirk and I will find the other Blue Guides in their traditional depth of quality. Please take all the time you need to publish the second Provence edition in classic Blue Guide style.