No other region of France fires the imagination as strongly as Provence. It's vivid landscape and luminous light has inspired artists from Van Gogh to Picasso and writers from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Camus. Even if one hasn't visited this wonderful region or read any of Peter Mayle's books, the very thought of Provence conjures up romantic walks through aromatic fields of lavender and long leisurely luncheon feasts under a pergola with delicious rosé wine. Hillsides are covered with vineyards, olive trees, cypress, cedar and pine and together with fields of various herbs, the air is infused with an unforgettable scent. On top of that is the climate. With its often warm and sunny spring and fall days and long, hot summers, it's impossible not to want to be outdoors.

Throughout Provence are many notable Roman monuments and remains including those at Orange, Arles, Avignon, St. Rémy-de-Provence and Vaison-la-Romaine. At the center of the region is Avignon, with its Palace of the Popes and renowned Pont St. Benezet. To the north are the celebrated vineyards of the Côte du Rhone, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and to the west are such lovely hilltop villages as Nîmes, site of the amazing Pont du Gard aqueduct, and Le Pont du Gard as well as vineyards producing famous Rosés, like Tavel. In the east is the Lubéron, a park-like setting of rivers, mountain streams, charming inns, remote abbeys and the classic ancient hilltop villages of Bonnieux, Gordes, Lourmarin, Ansouis, and Roussillon. In the southern area are the bayous of the Camargue, Aix-en-Provence (a cultural and artistic center for centuries) and the infamous coastal port of Marseille. Further east along the coastline is the fantastic French Riviera.