Cours Mirabeau, where everything happens in the city.

The 2011 MedCup of Practical Shooting was in Cheval Blanc, France, which is why we have decided to tell you more about this region that we have already visited and revisited to enjoy it a little more after this weekend’s championship.

Cheval Blanc is a little town close to Cavaillon, world famous for its melons. This town is strategically located between the Alps of Provence and Luberon and between the Bouches du Rhone and Vaucluse departments. This region, famous worldwide for its endless fields of lavender and sunflowers, vineyards and cuisine, receives countless tourists, mostly between June and August, the season of lavender in flower and undoubtedly a unique scene. But Provence does not live only from lavender. At other times of the year there are numerous excursions available, not to mention the food and wine, with preference in this region for the rosé. Each small town has its own wines and all of them are worthwhile!

Aix-en-Provence: Preserves its historic importance spiced by its busy university life

The street market is one of the attractions of Aix-en-Provence.

Aix-en-Provence is the largest town in the region but can be perfectly explored on foot. The Richelme Square has the daily street market of fruit, vegetable, cheese and cold cuts.  The most striking aspect is the number of young people and children: Aix-en-Provence was the 12th-century capital of dukes and barons of Provence county and first received students when the university began in the 15th century. It is a captivating town, elegant with its preserved past and busy with university students filling all the cafés and performing concerts and shows in the Cours Mirabeau. In fact, this boulevard, once a city wall and then an avenue for horse-drawn carriages, is now the town’s hub. On one side of the avenue are the glass-paned cafés and designer stores. On the other are the 17th-century mansions. Behind the Cours Mirabeau is the old center, full of alternative boutiques, bars, delicatessens and restaurants. The raspberry tartlet from Chez Paul is unforgettable!

Everything in the town reminds us of Cézanne. He was born there and it was there that he also painted the 87 versions of his Sainte Victoire mountain. The guided visit to his studio is a must, but it’s good to schedule the visit at the Maison du Tourisme so as not to have problems. The mansion is in the middle of a wood and the studio remains just as it used to be.  But best of all is to continue, after the visit, to walk up the steep street to the belvedere where Cézanne would spend hours painting the mountain. Even for those who don’t know how to draw anything, the landscape makes us feel that we want to stay hours there, taking snapshots that look like paintings, thanks to the magical light of Provence.

Boat trips are the charm of Cassis.

Cassis, famous for its “calenques”, is beautiful and reminds us very much of Saint-Tropez before it became famous. You have to take a boat to see the most famous cliffs in France. There are three types of excursion: the short, which visits three calenques, the medium, which visits five, and the long excursion visits eight. I would recommend the medium excursion, especially if the sea is not too rough. The contrast between the turquoise blue sea and the white cliffs is breathtaking! The harbor has several restaurants specializing in bouillabaisse. The ice cream parlor is the point for dwellers and tourists alike, and is very good.

“Aix is to Cézanne as Arles is to Van Gogh”

The hotel La Bastide de Gordes.

Arles is about an hour away by road from Cassis over several bridges and viaducts built by the Romans. The town is at the mouth of the River Rhone. That was where Van Gogh lived for most of his life and it was in a boarding house there that he painted one of his most famous paintings, “Bedroom in Arles”. The Roman ruins are everywhere, culminating in the amphitheater (Les Arènes), rivaling even the Coliseum. At the entrance to the arena there is a reproduction of Van Gogh’s painting “Les Arènes”. Aix is to Cézanne as Arles is to Van Gogh.

After Arles, it is interesting to go toward Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. The route there is quite wild, with a lot of woods, rivers, birds and stray bulls and horses along the road. The town is known as the land of the gypsies, because that is where they hold their annual convention. In fact, it is the capital of the Camargue, where the River Rhone flows into the Mediterranean. The beaches can be compared to anywhere on the Côte d’Azur. The town is visited only by French (and some Italians) and is full of boutiques and sophisticated restaurants. The church Notre Dame de La Mer, in the middle of the square, is a delight apart and plays a key role in the town’s history, since it was built in the 9th century as a fort, where the population could take refuge during pirate attacks. The specialty of the restaurants in the Camargue is bull fillet steak, accompanied by a good red wine, of course!

The village of Le Vieux Oppède, all made of stone.

Avignon is in the heart of Provence. It was awarded the title of Unesco World Heritage of Humanity and its entire historic center is surrounded by a wall. The famous bridge is worth a visit, mostly because it offers the best view of the town. The Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe, was home to Popes for 70 years (while they were French) and needs no introduction. Worth visiting are the palace gardens at the top. The little train going there can take those who don’t like to go on foot.

Chateauneuf du Pape is not only the name of a wine. The small town looks like something out of an old movie. The only signs of modern life are the colored posters of famous vineyards inviting you to wine tasting. The ruins of a castle can be seen high up. There are many options for free wine tasting. The restaurants are good but few in number and I recommend you to book in advance.

The villages of Luberon: inspiration for books and movies

Luberon is a chain of mountains with villages perched on the slopes (villages perchés) beside each other. It is the setting for Marcel Pagnol’s movies and books. Impossible to mention them all but some are a must:

Ménerbes housed Peter Mayle and Picasso.

• Oppède-le-Vieux, by far the most interesting: A little village all built in stone and abandoned. Parking is in the lower part of the village. Many steps lead up through the natural park to the top, but the view is worth every sacrifice.

• Menerbes was Peter Mayle’s home when he was writing “A year in Provence”, and where he was host to Picasso for a time. Here you must also leave your car in the car park and go on foot around the village. At every corner a surprise – a boutique here, restaurant there or the setting for a wonderful photo. Curiously enough it does not have a license to sell alcohol beverages. Menerbes is also home to the Corkscrews Museum in the grounds of one of the region’s major vineyards.

• Bonnieux deserves a rest on the veranda of a roadside bar to drink a good wine and admire the perfect view.

•  Apt, famous for its endless fields of lavender that flower only from June to August, is worth a visit at other times of the year. Everything is delightful, starting with the square right at its entrance.

• Rousillon is the ochre-red town. Every house was built using the local earth and the colors range from yellow to wine. Unforgettable!- Gordes has one of the most famous hotels/spas in the region: La Bastide de Gordes, and you must make a reservation months in advance. It is a “village classé” – in other words, considered one of the prettiest in France. What is immediately striking as you enter the town is its magnificent castle. There are numerous attractive boutiques of specialties and souvenirs, cafés and restaurants. The church is beautiful and the charmingly decorated restaurant next door serves a light delicious cuisine. There is no wine list. Customers choose their wine from the cellar. The young attractive owners serve the food at your table.

The Sunday market in L'isle sur La Sorgue.

Sunday is market day in L’isle sur La Sorgue. The market occupies both banks of the river – the whole town. Once again the car must be left in the car park. All the inhabitants in L’isle and the neighboring villages seem to meet there on sunny Sundays: quite a party! Fruit, flowers, antique stalls, wines, cheeses, cold cuts, cookies, improvised open-air restaurants, people selling hats, fabrics, pictures, honey… and there are several good restaurants along the river.