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Our Tour "Themes"...

The Bike Tour
The Roman and Castle Tour
Art and Beach Tour
Camargue and Féria Tour
Le Lubéron Tour
The Wine Crush Tour
The Fall Colors Tour
The Marmiton Cooking Class
The Avignon Festival Tour
The Senior Tour of Provençe
American Student Tour of Provençe
Abbeys and Cathedrals of Provençe
The Dive Trip

Other...

Pictures of the Parish House
The Manse
The Cloisters
Doing Business in France
Products of Provençe
Places by Name
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Roman & Castle Tour

The focus here is history and folklore, with the actual sites providing the "backdrops" to the drama. The Musée Arlaten in Arles is where we start, then we do Greek and Phoenician historical sites, & then rapidly we explore the Roman occupation (c.200 BC).

For most Americans, this is the center of our western civilization, our roots, the heritage of our system of government & traditions.. and how we connect to what has gone on before. Besides the great amphitheaters of Arles, Orange, and Nîmes, there are a variety of smaller, well-preserved Roman sites, like Glanum, a once-thriving community at the cross roads of two ancient trade routes between Italy and Spain, just outside StRémy (5 mi south), and a good substitute for visiting Pompeii or Ephesus.

Another few short miles down the road is Les Baux, a rocktop 12th C. fortress razed by a vindictive Louis XIII in 1632. These sites are badly presented to American tourists; our translation and comments are really essential to having an emotional connection to the drama of this foreboding Medieval and Renaissance history. On your own you can see the slide show in the chapel at the entrance but will you really appreciate this headquarters of Provençal separatism and Protestantism, understand it as a symbol to the southern French, who still harbor disdain for the old (and new) Parisian autocracy? I think not!

The Provençal way-of-life continues to this day, with the language enjoying a come-back, after being abolished from the school system in 1851. We use the Roman and Medieval/Renaissance sites to underline the cultural differences of Provençe, and the role of the Vatican. There is a strong Italian flair here, too; that is why Avignon is called "the most Italian of French towns"; like Parma it is a romantic atmosphere, with a strain of gypsy exoticism, reflected in its unique architecture.

Provençe is a place to connect with your roots, and yourself, on this tour. It should not be viewed as a mere sightseeing jaunt, but as a place to be educated, titillated, and challenged. This tour will educate you, in more ways than one.

For more information, please contact me at:

toursofprovence@aol.com

or call

970.241.5034