So, our quirky Hotel de la Muette turned out to be not only quirky but surprisingly comfortable. And we truly enjoyed the quirkiness!! Breakfast buffet was again ample and delicious. After bidding adieu to Brigitte and Alain, we left Arles ready to do a long but scenic route to Avignon. Again, how did we ever find our way out of a city without a GPS? I guess we just grit our teeth and followed our noses!
I had found an article that stated you could drive from Arles to Avignon in 40 minutes or you could take all day driving through lovely villages and dramatic landscapes of western Provence. We opted for the latter in a somewhat abbreviated fashion. The directions in the article were fairly easy to follow. The first area we visited was Les Baux-de-Provence. It was an exceptional site with views down over the Apilles hills and up to the ruins.
From there we drove toward St Remy through the "chaotic hills" that "look like the aftermath of a brawl between the gods!" Just before the entrance to the city, we stopped near the key Roman site of Glanum, the ruins of a Roman city from the first century AD. Across from Glanum are a Triumphal Arch and a Mausileum, also from the first century, standing and in pretty good condition. Amazing!! Driving on the way into St Remy, we made a quick stop at the St Paul de Mausole monastery/clinic where Vincent Van Gogh committed himself after cutting off part of his ear in Arles in 1889 after a year of frenetic painting. St Remy itself is a very cute town; all of these towns have an old part, sometimes inside a fortified wall, and a new city. We wandered around the old part, did some shopping and had a coffee in the main square.
Time was getting late so we scooted to Bonnieux. Along the way we stopped for a picnic lunch at an actual picnic area! Croissants, bread, cheese, tomatoes, olives, jambon and salami---delicious ! Even a spot of local wine! Bonnieux, a town in the Luberon Mountains, is one of those picturesque towns on the side of a mountain all contained within a wall. We visited the local cemetery which is charming and well-tended. Each family has an upright grave stone with photos, plaques and various pieces of floral majolica. Fascinating and beautiful!
Now it was really getting late and we had 2+ hours to get to our next hotel. So we decided to make a quick stop in Avignon to see the bridge (Sur Le pont d'Avignon....) and the papal palace. Mistake!!! We literally got stuck with all 4 tires rubbing against the curb in one particularly narrow street! We immediately decided to get out of Avignon and on to Villecroze.
So, we thought the excitement was over until Winnie went haywire for about 45 minutes. U-turns galore, at two toll stops and along country roads. WINNIE!!! Eventually we got back on track and arrived at Au Bien Être in Villecroze, a fabulous hotel off the beaten track. We had two rooms next door to each other on a terrace by the pool!
Dinner at the restaurant was a gastronic delight. We were the only diners and were given the royal treatment!! Peter started with a delicious potato/vegetable soup and the rest of us had a Provençal salad with local chopped crudités and fresh peas. I had a fish dish which also contained poached veggies, the guys had beef au poivre and Bea had another cut of beef--all delicious. We even had dessert; I had fresh strawberries with creme fraiche, Peter had a chocolate crepe with ice cream and Bea had a flaming Grand Marnier soufflé. WOW! Then the chef brought us each a taste of his apple liqueur. What a dining delight the evening was!! We were even serenaded by a distant cow bell apparently hanging on the neck of a donkey! And we only had to walk a few feet to find our beds!
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