A Luberon Gem: Domaine de la Citadelle
La Domaine de la Citadelle
In the mood for a wine-tasting, winery tour, museum visit, delectable meal, fun shopping, or stroll through a botanical garden? La Domaine de la Citadelle has you covered!
This charming winery complex, set in the verdant Luberon Valley, is located just outside Ménerbes, the hilltop village of Peter Mayle fame, and designated one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The wine domaine not only produces luscious organic wines, but boasts Le Musée du Tire-Bouchon (Corkscrew Museum), a botanical garden covering five terraced hectares, an artful gift shop, a stunning event space, a contemporary tasting area, plus two restaurants, Le Bistrot de la Citadelle and La Table Agricole Tayac.
Slowing down by the Sea
It’s still early morning when I arrive in Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The air is fresh, infused with the promise of a beautiful day ahead. I walk through the streets from the station, passing pastel-colored facades. The shutters are still closed, as if refusing to let go of the night.
I observe life unfolding before me at this early hour. A woman sweeps her sidewalk, a brown spotted cat stretches out on a wall. From an open window comes the sound of pans clanking together; someone is already preparing lunch there, and from another window I smell freshly brewed coffee.
I breathe deeply. Here, between the sea and the mountains, everything seems to slow down, as if time itself pauses for a moment to observe and truly be in the moment.
Aix’s Fabulously Delicious Maison Weibel
No trip to Aix-en-Provence is complete without a visit to Maison Weibel. Well, no gourmet trip that is.
Conveniently located on the far corner of the town’s iconic farmers market (on Place Richelme), it pays to go a little later in the afternoon – the pastries, and even the lunch menu, attract quite a crowd.
It’s known as the best pastry shop in Aix for a reason. It’s simply fabulously delicious. Since we live about an hour away from this lively unversity town, it’s not often that I find myself lucky enough to pull up a café chair and sink my fork into a Weibel cake – thus, I tend to always buy the same one. But in the end, who can really blame me?
It is the town’s namesake pastry after all. And boy, is it good.
The Aixois pastry is made of calisson mousse (Aix’s most famous cookie, with almond flour paste, candied melon, and icing sugar), peach cream, roasted apricots, and topped with a real life mini-calisson.
I spent a good 45 minutes with my Aixois and espresso coffee watching the well-heeled locals, and a spattering of tourists, cross through the golden-stone streets lining the square.
I hope to be back soon… so many fabulously delicious Weibel cakes and calissons await.
Maison Weibel
2 Rue Chabrier, 13100 Aix-en-Provence
PH: 04 42 23 33 21
Antibes: A treasure of the French Riviera
Antibes, France is a Mediterranean resort town located in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. The city is nestled on the coastline of the Côte d’Azur, snuggled between ritzy Cannes and Nice.
Antibes is often associated with its mega-yacht capital of the world, Port Vauban. This rich and luxurious billionaires’ quay has a long colorful history with the Ligurians, Romans and Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Today it’s the largest marina in Europe. The marina is dotted with thousands of moorings that accommodate mega-yachts in excess of 100 meters long. Complete with seductive names like Eclipse, Octopus, and Quantum Blue – all conjuring images of the owners, a roster of “Who’s Who.”
Château La Coste’s Fall Wardrobe
Any afternoon spent at iconic Château La Coste is an afternoon well-spent. I was tickled pink to be asked to do a tour of Aix for a few folks I’d met on the road this past week. What a treat!
After a market tour, a stop at Roy Rene, and lunch at Il Était Une Fois (amazing fall menu), we piled in the car and drove 15 minutes to this beautiful winery.
If you know you know… spring and summer, even late September, are very busy as Château La Coste – which not only has nice wines, but is also host to a Michelin star restaurant (Helene Darroze à Villa La Coste), an outdoor café, La Terrasse (live music in the summer, friends), a celebrity chef restaurant (Francis Mallman) – where everything is cooked on an open flame – and an oversized contemporary art walk that takes visitors on adventures among the vines.
Thus, it was fantastic to find a quieter Château this past weekend (middle of October) all decked out in its fall wardrobe.
The reds, oranges, and yellows of the vines contrasted with the light and dark greens of the olive orchards and muted white roses along the path. We sipped a few glasses, went on the famous art walk, and enjoyed the sounds of the café fountain which flows onto bottles of rosé year-round.
Fall rhythms at Château La Coste… I’m a big fan.
2750 Route De La Cride, 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
PH : 04 42 61 89 98
Belle Provence Travels 