Divine Provence

Last April, we had a chance to spend two fantastic weeks in France. Off the beaten paths of Parisian streets and heading north to Normandy then south, we discovered at least 10 great attractions and quiet getaways — from Avignon, through Provence and down to Nice. From art journeys to food trips, the south of France does not disappoint.

1. Giverny. An hour outside Paris, the preserved country home of Claude Monet is an amazing place. Many Parisians seem surprised that we knew about it (my mother-in-law is the Monet lover) and a lot of them have not visited the place themselves. An acre-wide flower garden is laid in front of the house, a two-story wooden building with color-coded rooms — the kitchen in blue tile, the bedroom in sunflower yellows. No picture-taking is allowed, but you can easily imagine this is the way Monet lived his life, in a secluded country estate surrounded by flowers and ponds. Cross the Japanese bridge and you enter the setting for some of Monet’s most beautiful canvases: purple irises, willow trees, bamboo, water lilies surround you as you walk along the footpath. (Monet actually designed the estate himself, selecting flowers and plants that he thought would mix well together in future paintings.) If this place doesn’t enchant and inspire you, there’s no hope.

2. Paul Bocuse restaurant in Lyon. A three-Michelin-star delight, Chef Bocuse’s colorful and charming eponymous restaurant tucked away in Lyon is worth sniffing out. Chef Bocuse reportedly still lives on this estate in Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or (sometimes), and though he wasn’t present for our lunch meal, his wife made the rounds and graciously welcomed us. Expect lots of canard (duck) and foie gras as the entrees, but also try the soupe aux truffes noires (black truffle soup) and escargots de Bourgogne. It’s the kind of resto where you want to check out the kitchen, and we did snap a few shots. The dessert cart was out of this world, and for about 100 euros each, we experienced one of life’s great pleasures. (www.bocuse.com)

3. Mt. St. Michel, Normandy. There’s plenty of history — and mystery — to this 13th-century monk’s retreat built on an islet (the countryside access road is submerged by tides twice a day). It’s said Saint Michael was asked by an angel to build a church here; he refused, and the angel pressed the point — by pressing a finger directly into Michael’s skull. (No wonder he went ahead with the project.) A two-hour bus ride takes you from Paris to Normandy. From afar, glimpsed through fields, you’ll see the church tower rising up from its rock formation at sea. Get closer, and you’ll see why the view inspired Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Climb up Mt. St. Michel’s cobblestone streets and ascend to the monastery itself (fewer than a dozen monks live here now); from its observation platforms, you can make out a stone prison out to sea that was the inspiration for Edmond Dantés’ dungeon in The Count of Monte Cristo. (The site is also used in the Powell and Pressburger film The Elusive Pimpernel). A dozen miles away, on the other side of this famous hilltop monastery, Allied troops stormed the Nazi-occupied beachhead during WWII (a separate tour altogether).

4. Cassis, France. An incredible seaside town near Marseille with fantastic seafood restaurants, Cassis is also the home of one of our tour mates’ favorite burgundies infused with blackcurrant. On weekends, the winding alleys become street markets, full of fresh produce, flowers, spices, clothes and knick-knacks laid out in a breathtaking spread. The seaside cafés overflow with tourists, so pick your prime spot to take it all in early. Cassis is also the launching port for touring the calanques: vast, white limestone cliffs that dot the coast and are prime spots for nude sunbathing.

5. Cathedrale D’images, Les Beaux De Provence. A couple times a year, the cavernous quarry walls of this mountainous area of Provence are transformed into a mind-bending art show — a multimedia exposition on artists such as Van Gogh, Cezanne, and (during our visit) Picasso. For about P600, you descend into the cool, dark former quarry — used to great effect in classic films like Jean Cocteau’s Testament d’ Orpheux — and are engulfed by ever-changing images from Picasso’s works, illuminated on 20-foot walls around you, and accompanied by the music of Miles Davis, Satie and others. Walk through the vast limestone interiors and view up to 2,000 dissolving images flashed on the walls from various angles; the 25-minute light and sound show takes on a fresh perspective from wherever you stand. It’s like a mobile art IMAX theater showing your favorite artists and featuring some of your favorite music.

6. Cezanne atelier, Aix-en-Provence. A unique museum, this preserves the studio of Paul Cezanne as it might have been 100 years ago. Actual artifacts — easels, paints and brushes — are mixed with touches straight out of his paintings — skulls, bowls of fruit. Picture taking is not allowed (though a quick flick of the phone-came resulted in this shot). Later, follow the golden plaques embedded in the sidewalks of downtown Aix for the Cezanne streetwalk — you’ll see the church where the artist was baptized, his art school and college, then stop by Les Deux Garcons for some snooty café service (a fave hangout of Cezanne, Picasso, Hemingway, Churchill and others).

7. Eze, France. The winding hilltop climb in Eze, France leads to a breathtaking vista known as the place of “princes and cineastes,” overlooking the Cape of Monaco. Technically, it’s true: Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly loved this spot, as did Alfred Hitchcock, who put it to good use in To Catch A Thief.

8. Arles. Because of its proximity to Spain, migrating Catholic pilgrims and gypsies have turned Arles into a unique French mix: a bullfighting coliseum, paella festivals and brass bands add to the festive atmosphere, and it’s the place that eventually kicked out Vincent Van Gogh for being “too wild.” (Absinthe may have contributed to his misbehavior.) We visited on a rainy Saturday, so the famous “running of the bulls” in Arles’ streets was cancelled. Sayang.

9. Grasse. You have to have a nose for parfum to seek out Grasse in the French Riviera. You’ll probably need to rent a car with GPS. Its steep hills, stone bridges and prosaic cafés disguise the fact that it produces some of the world’s best perfumes, with lilacs and other flowers sourced from neighboring fields, pressed, distilled and refined in a very exquisite (and secret) way by master perfumeries like Fragonard and Molinard. April is the cruelest month to visit (as we did): rain and gray skies. Try July, which is flower-harvesting time.

10. Drive through French Riviera. Rent a car and explore Monaco, Antibes, Cannes. Check out the beauty of Cap Ferrat from up in the hills above Nice; travel the same roads Princess Grace took her roadster on a fateful day in September 1982; try to imagine where the Rolling Stones holed up to record their classic “Exile on Main Street”; count the yachts dotting the harbor of Fontvielle or drive the circuit of the Monaco Grand Prix; visit the Monte Carlo Casino and wonder no longer how Monaco can function as a municipality without charging its swanky residents any income tax. Drive on further and check out seaside Antibes, home to the famous yearly jazz festival, and push on to Cannes, less glamorous in April (the film fest’s in May), but still a stunning stretch of the French Riviera for any motoring tourist. Off in the distance as the sun sets, the well-lit Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and the deco Hotel Carlton cast undulating shadows on the waters — gorgeous symbols of the good life. But face it: when you’re in the French Riviera, it’s all the good life.