Greetings dear readers from another chilly weekend in the south of France. I hope all of my American amis had a fantastic Thanksgiving. This time of year always makes me very homesick… so I made up for my lack of turkey and pumpkin pie with a few splurges on early Christmas decorations. Along with our crèche (Nativity scene), I’m so excited to be putting up the tree today & trying out another bûche recipe (yule log)… coming soon to the blog!
Hope your holiday season is off to a great start wherever you may be.
Another place full of traditions, that I’ve yet to be fortunate enough to visit, is the Drôme (Drôme Provençale) – which lies within the region of Rhône-Alpes and is surrounded by the departments of Ardèche, Isère, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse. The area was named after the Drôme river and its main cities are Valence, Romans-sur-Isère, Montélimar, Nyons.
Today we meet one of the Drôme’s very proud residents, Laurence de Bournet. And by the looks of her photos, she has a lot to be proud of… Not only is the property she rents exceedingly beautiful, but the shots of the region are giving our area of the Var a good run for its money. One to add to the travel list!
I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know more about Laurence and also I have to congratuate her on her writing. As a native French speaker, I really appreciate the time and effort she put into answering the interview questions. Merci bien!
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1. What is your connection to Provence, and how long have you been living in or traveling to the region?
I was born and raised in Provence, my family has been here since the 11th century and this area has a big sentimental value to me.
Today we have a beautiful property that people rent for vacations, it is called “Les Logis du Bourg” www.logisdubourg.com, it’s located in Grillon, 3 km away from Grignan. The clients call it a Ryad in Provence because it is a mix of the Orient, Italy and Provence! People can stay for weekends during the low and middle season, and for weeks during the high season. Cooking classes can be organised at the Logis, and the big news this year is that from now on until February, we are launching a Truffle weekend! Clients can come for 2 days and will have a tour of Richerenches Truffle market, then lunch in a restaurant, diner at Les Logis with a chef and during the afternoon, Truffle hunting with a dog! For information and rates you can contact us at info@logisdubourg.com.
The house can welcome up to 20 people and we have two big dining room where you can party!
2. Where is your favorite place to visit? (a tough one!)
I like Vaison la Romaine very much – where Roman memories are still very present and Les Bories of St Restitut which is a “troglodyte” village that you can go to by the Crête road. You will find have some wonderful quarry (stones) with very rich colors. The vegetation is amazing. While you walk you can smell eosemary, wild truffles, and other perfumes and you can see the ruins of the old castle dominate the valley.
Aiguebelle Abbey
3. Do you have a “best travel memory” for the region?
There are so many! In fact, I am in love with the region so all the castle of the Drôme are amazing to visit, Grignan, Suze la Rousse, Château des Adhemar, and many more …. You also have the wine road, so many vineyards to visit, and so many tastings! And lets not forget the truffles! The black diamond! When we have clients, there is the possibility that a chef comes to the house a cook a special meal based on truffles, they love it !!
Aiguebelle Abbey & Laurence with her daughter Maud
4. Can you think of one piece of advice or recommendation for travelers to Provence?
Walking, looking and tasting!
There is in Provence a rich architectural culture, landscapes, amazing colors with the lavender, products of provence such as honey, wine, truffles etc … the local markets, the people with their singing accents !
5. Finally, can you give us one sentence which you feel describes Provence?
Provence is the most peaceful place to be for me, the light is amazing and all is possible here for you to be happy.
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A big merci to Laurence for sharing with us her window into the Drôme… You can visit the links below to learn more about her residence or be sure to catch up with her travels on the Logis du Bourg blog.
Les Logis du Bourg Route de Grignan Région PACA 84 600 Grillon – FRANCE Tel: +33 6 83 55 80 17
logisdubourg@gmail.com
Belle Provence Travels 
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