Exploring Provence-Discover the places less traveled

Uncorked, My Year In Provence- Book Review

June 28, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

13 Shares

It all started with that mysterious, curious and uniquely French past time called Pétanque. For the Provençal this is the game of the gods. Fiercely competitive, requiring extreme skill and most of all, you must be French to play it (at least that’s what the people in Provence claim). Fortunately, for Paul Shore, his wonderful Canadian demure gave him the ability to break through the ice and find a local to help him master this age-old past time and in his book, Uncorked – My Year in Provence Studying Pétanque, Discovering Chagall, Drinking Pastis, and Mangling French, he recants the tale of his time spent living in a small village in Provence, and the humorous trials and tribulations he encountered there while trying to learn the “game of the gods”.

Join Paul on his journey as he invites you to meet the colorful and charming locals, all the while trying to master this uniquely, French game.

And you thought this was going to be about wine, didn’t you?

Book Title: Uncorked – My Year in Provence Studying Pétanque, Discovering Chagall, Drinking Pastis, and Mangling French

Author: Paul Shore

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

As Paul’s story unfolds, we get a very detailed description of Pétanque and what the game is all about, including the rules, strategy and the art of play (and yes, this game is art). He also provides us with some nifty French lingo in relation to the sport. So, not only do you get to learn the game, but you get to learn some French words, as well!

He also tells us how and why he came to live in this very unique corner of the world and his topsy-turvy time from stepping off the plane in Nice, to arriving in the little village he would call home. Little did he know that his choice of a small, quaint, picturesque village, was actually a tourist mecca in the summer, but it was also home to a warm and lovable character who would become a great friend and who was to take on the huge responsibility of tutoring him in the art of Pétanque.

The village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence

I was immediately jealous of the fact that Paul was lucky enough to make his home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. I distinctly remember my first visit to this village. It was as if I had stepped onto a movie set. Gorgeous, old buildings, cobble stone streets, quaint boutiques, and an impressive view. This place was exactly what comes to mind when you think of Provence. Living here would be like living in a picture book.

Throughout the story, Paul weaves into it the details of the village, the colorful characters he encounters, the curiosity of being the “outsider” trying to find his place and the increasing love he has for all that is Provence. It is in this village that Paul first encounters the game of Pétanque and decides that no matter what, he was going to learn the game, even if he didn’t meet the two major requirements: being over 40 and being French.

It is here that he meets the people that will become an intricate part of his life. From Colette, who teaches French to expats, and who was the first person who Paul confided in about wanting to learn how to play Pétanque; to Adele, the woman who owns an art gallery and schools him on the art of art; to Pierre, the most debonair man-about-village, we get to see the inner workings of the people and the village and the downright hilarious happenstances that continuously come about while Paul lives there.

But it is one of the villagers, named Hubert, who becomes the closest confidant of Paul because it is he who takes on the “difficult” task of becoming the sponsor who will teach Paul how to play that all important game of Pétanque.

Playing Pétanque

Paul’s wonderful humor and whit as he describes learning the sport, brings such a heartwarming and charm to the story. His description of trying to ask Hubert to sponsor him, of trying to buy his very own Pétanque balls and of his very first, all important, real game is filled with such genuine charm that you can’t help but root for him from beginning to end.

From the start, Hubert is not having any of it because Paul is not French, and therefore, couldn’t possibly be a candidate to play. Through Paul’s persistence, and his ability to pull off an exceptional accomplishment in the village, he impresses Hubert to the point that he eventually decides to take him under his wing and teach him the game, but under one circumstance that Paul will just have to deal with!

Playing Pétanque (photo via www.sudouest.fr)

Going through the motions of learning the rules and regulations of the sport and which player he will be, the pointeur or the tireur, is a crucial thing for Paul as he continues to hone his skills. By the end of his learning curve, and ours, we’ve all managed to find out the history of the game, that there is a proper way to unpack the balls, what each of them are called, and that the game is just as much of a mind game as a skill game. How getting inside the head of your opponent, and under their skin, can tip the odds in your favor.

But there is one more, all important step to take: you must have your own set of balls.

The art of buying balls

Paul’s encounter of buying his very own set of Pétanque balls, kept me smiling. This chapter was so funny and so characteristically “French” that I laughed out loud for quite some time. I felt like I was there, with him, while he hilariously manages to get his point across to the lady in the Pétanque store who spoke no English.

The pride of how the French feel about their national past time really comes through as Genevieve takes Paul around her store to explain the origins of Pétanque, all the while showing him her collections of historical Pétanque items. I’ve made a mental note to go to this shop the next time I am in the area because it sounded so fascinating and I would love to see the little Pétanque museum portion that is inside.

Upon leaving the store with a beaming, smile of pride and his own personal set of balls, I found myself giving him a virtual pat on the back for a job well done.

Pétanque Balls (photo via www.petanque-lebarp.fr )

Canada Dry

If there is one chapter in this book that brought “laugh tears” to my eyes it’s the one that references that famous beverage, Canada Dry. Paul’s description of one of the games that wasn’t going just right for him had me in uncontrollable giggles. At one point, both my husband and daughter came in the room asking what the heck I was laughing about (since I was all by myself), and the only words I could manage to get out between my bouts of laughter were, Canada Dry, and then I would revert right back into laughing again.

For obvious reasons, I cannot give anything away, but I guarantee that you will be laughing too, once you have read it! Let’s just say that the words Canada Dry now mean something totally different to me!

Showing off your skills

As Paul is bettering his skills of play, he gets to participate is some games, the first one being with some high-ranking officials. As time moves on and the seasons come and go, he becomes pretty good at the sport and gets invited to play in many games with the locals. This not only impresses Paul, but also the locals and most importantly, Hubert, who goes from being a skeptic teacher to a proud one. For Paul, proving his worthiness to play the game is an important aspect for him. I wondered throughout the book whether this was the major driver which got him to work so hard at learning the game, or if it was simply his curiosity in the beginning that got the better of him and was the real proponent.

The art of playing Pétanque (photo via www.travelbig.com)

In either case, or both, by the end of the book Paul has reached a milestone. His year in Provence proved to be an eye-opener in so many ways. He gained insight into another culture, another way of living, he made friends, he learned the joie de vivre, and most importantly he learned how to play Pétanque.

Culture shock

As with any move, the ups and downs, happy times and stressful times are a big part of it. As anyone can imagine, a move to a new country would increase these ten-fold and Paul is no less affected.

The charm and affinity for which he writes about his little, cave-like apartment, the gorgeous colors that fill the Provençal countryside, and his work to improve his French skills are just some of the few things that makes you want to hop on a plane and move to Provence.

Then there are the real culture shock experiences that he tells about and they will have you shaking your head in disbelief and saying, run, run, far away! He writes of the wonderful two hour long lunches that you would, in theory, love to enjoy to its fullest except that everything is closed so you can’t get any errands done during that time. Maybe they expect you to be playing Pétanque!

Saint-Paul de Vence's famous pétanque pitch — Saint-Paul de Vence’s famous pétanque pitch

He also writes about the inefficiencies with which life happens in Provence. Whether it be buying items and having them shipped to him incomplete so he can’t do a project, a promised rental car that ended up not being available, French drivers (I need not say more about that!), crazy village roads, or of him trying to rent a place and get a bank account, he is able to so vividly describe life in this part of the country and how difficult it can be.

From first hand experience, I can tell you that all of these things would make you pull your hair out in frustration and yet, you can’t help but be drawn in by this place. It grabs you, and holds you, and you find that all those things that drive you crazy don’t hold a candle to the things that make you love it.

What is a good book to read?

By the end of the book, Paul has been charmed in a way that only someone could be by spending a good deal of time in this part of France. He accomplished a great deal in his one year in Provence and he manages to charm us along the way. If I didn’t live here already, I would be making plans to move now!

The endearing phrases, the way he recalls his time spent in Provence, his love of the game of Pétanque and the charming people he meets along the way make Uncorked, My Year In Provence, Discovering Chagall, Drinking Pastis, and Mangling French a great book to read. You will not be disappointed! So pick up a glass of your favorite Provençal wine and enjoy yourself with this heartwarming tale.

Save

Share13

13 Shares

The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

June 9, 2017 by Ashley 2 Comments

12 Shares

Even though the Villa Ephrussi de Rothchild is a well-known place to visit in Provence, I had to add it to my “hidden gems” list because it is just marvelous and everyone should see the place. It’s rather unbelievable that it took me more than six years to visit, and I live only about an hour and a half away. I’ve wanted to tour the villa ever since moving to Provence and each winter I would tell myself that when spring arrived I was going to go because I wanted to see the gardens in all their blooming glory. Well, each year spring arrived and I never got around to making a visit. I have no excuse for it except that I was being a lame procrastinator. Obviously, six years later, that methodology got me nowhere near the place. This year, I didn’t even make any promises about going. That’s probably the reason why I finally up and went.

Arriving at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

One beautiful, spring, Sunday morning, my husband and I made the drive to the villa and we spent the entire, glorious day there and it was so worth the wait. Everything about it was lovely, charming, relaxing and just fantastic, except one thing….the parking.

I have to get this out of the way, right away. The biggest advice about getting to the villa is DO NOT drive there. Though the drive is beautiful, there is absolutely no place to park. On the villa’s website, it mentions that there are a few places in front of the villa in which to park your car. A few places means about 10 and if you don’t get there in enough time (like the crack of dawn) you will never find a place.

All around the villa, on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, there is street parking, but it’s usually all taken so you’ll end up driving around forever trying to find a spot and when you finally do, you’ll have to walk for endless miles to get from your car to the villa. I know this for a fact, because that’s what happened to me.

Taking the bus to Villa Ephrussi

From Nice: The bus stops right in front of the villa and by arriving this way, you will save yourself a lot of time, energy, hassle and frustration. Next time around, it’s the bus for me.

Since bus schedules change often, it’s best to check the Linges d’Azur bus schedule before planning your trip. Once on the page, click on Plan Your Trip, then Schedules, then scroll down to Route Schedules and type in BUS 81. The stop for Villa Ephrussi is Passable/Rothschild.

From Menton, Monaco and Eze-sur-Mer, the bus number is 100 and the stop is Pont St Jean, then you will have about a 10 minute walk to the villa.

The Mediterranean view from Saint Jean Cap Ferrat

Taking the train to Villa Ephrussi

Another option would be to take the train to the station at Beaulieu-sur-Mer. This, like driving, I would counsel against unless you really like walking and the weather is agreeable that day because the walk from the train station to the villa takes about 25 minutes with the last 10 minutes being entirely uphill.

Now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, it’s on to the good stuff.

History of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The villa was built in the early 1900’s by Charlotte Béatrice de Rothschild. She was the third child, and second daughter, of Alphonse James de Rothschild and Leonora de Rothschild. Yes, her parents were cousins.

Béatrice, as she was known, spent her entire youth traveling and collecting art work, which included paintings, rare furniture and porcelain (this is a woman after my own heart). She was also quite fond of animals and when the villa was constructed, she maintained her own private zoo there.

The garden view of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The beautiful exterior design of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

When Béatrice was 19 years old, she married Maurice Ephrussi, a Ukrainian banker and horse breeder who was 15 years older that she was. Though they both loved art collecting, gambling, horse racing and travel, their marriage was not a happy one and after 21 years together they divorced.

Soon after the divorce, Béatrice had the villa constructed. Immediately she began filling it with the art she had been collecting during her lifetime.

In 1934, at the age of 69, Béatrice de Rothschild died childless. In her will she bequeathed the Villa Ephrussi to the Académie des Beaux-Arts division of the Institut de France who in turn, made it into a museum.

One of the many painted ceilings at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Touring the Villa- the ground floor

For anyone who loves history and turn of the century architecture, the villa is a definite place to visit.

The first thing you notice about the villa is its lovely, Venetian style construction, painted with the most delightful color of pink on the façade. As you make your way up the steps to enter the villa, you get the most wonderful view of the Mediterranean from the terrace. The villa sits on the highest point of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and as such, offers the most impressive views of the French Riviera coastline.

The view of the Mediterranean from the terrace at Villa Ephrussi

Once inside, your first glimpse is of the large, interior courtyard. This room is the center focal point of the villa and is two-stories high. All other rooms on the ground floor are entered into from this room. This is also where you will pick up your free audio guide (more on that at the end of the post).

In the interior courtyard you will undoubtedly notice the beautiful, pink, marble columns and the paintings and art collections hanging on the walls. Many of the items that Béatrice collected were from old cathedrals, churches and historical hotels. You are able to see this in portions of the exterior of the villa, as well, where it is as if it was constructed around these items.

The interior courtyard of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A painting collected from a church in the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Interior courtyard at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

On the day I visited, guest were entertained by two women dressed in historical attire who were putting on a show for us.

Two actresses entertaining the guest at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

From this room make your way into Béatrice’s boudoir. A large room facing the east with beautiful, bay windows looking out over the Mediterranean and a view of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco. The furniture is classic Louis XV and XVI and there is even a writing desk that belonged to Marie-Antoinette. Fantastic paintings adorn the doors and some of the walls, while on other walls tapestries are hanging. Everything is laid out as if someone actually lived there today.

The bay windows in the boudoir at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Candle holder in the boudoir at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Writing desk of Marie-Antoinette in the boudoir at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Artistically painted doors at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

From here, go to the bedroom with its attached salon. The views are of the Mediterranean and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Béatrice’s bed is still there and just next to it a dress, shoes and a tea set. In the salon you will see two, tiny beds for her pets. She was quite an interesting and eccentric person. Besides having a host of dogs, her pets also included a mongoose and a monkey which went everywhere she did.

Béatrice de Rothschilds bed at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

You will then walk through a dressing room which showcases an amazing collection of traditional, Chinese clothing from the 18^th century. This leads to a beautifully painted bathroom.

Beautifully decorated bathroom at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Just next to the bathroom is a dining room which features several cupboards of porcelain sets.

The dining room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A mantle clock from the collection of Béatrice de Rothschild

Porcelain collection at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Beautiful porcelain pieces at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

There is also a small salon which is facing the French garden and has a lovely painted ceiling and painted alcoves.

The blue salon at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Painted wall inside an alcove in the blue salon at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

On this level there is also a tearoom and a bathroom for visitors.

Touring the Villa- the second floor

Making your way to the second level, hanging on the staircase walls, are photographs of the villa during its construction. The second level consist of several rooms leading you in a square pattern above the interior courtyard on the first floor.

Walkway along the second floor above the interior courtyard at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Here you will find two bedrooms, one with furnishings and the other with cupboards of porcelain from Germany. Across from this is a tiny room with yet more porcelain. At the end of the hallway is a tapestry room with additional furnishings, including desks, a game table, chairs, sofas, and lamps.

Small porcelain tea set at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The tapestry room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A game table in the tapestry room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild — A game table and beautifully designed chairs in the tapestry room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

As you make your way down another hallway, you come to a light blue room with the most intricate, storybook paintings all over the walls, in a brilliant, artistic style. It’s as if you’ve gotten lost in a fairy tale. I can’t imagine the time it took to paint this one room.

The storybook room of cats at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild — The storybook room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Beautifully detailed and hand painted room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Gorgeous, hand-painted, storybook cat in a room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild — Gorgeous, hand-painted, storybook style art in a room at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

When exiting, you find yourself on a south facing terrace with a gorgeous view of the French garden, large fountain and views on both sides of the Mediterranean. This girl new what she was doing! Take time out to sit in the many chairs available and take in the view. This is also a great time to gets some photos of the garden.

The French Garden as seen from the terrace of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Standing on the terrace overlooking the French Garden and the Mediterranean at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

As you exit the terrace you will continue to make your way through several more rooms, one with a Chinese art theme to it and another with beautiful clocks and an old carriage, called a Litter.

A carriage called a Litter at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The hallways offer a view down into the interior courtyard and many tapestries and art objects are hanging on the wall.

One of the hallways on the second story at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Tapestries hanging in one of the second story hallways at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Before visiting the gardens, you will need to head back to the ground floor and return your audio guide. You are not allowed to take it outside.

The gardens at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The villa has nine, yes nine, beautiful gardens. I chose the springtime to visit because I really wanted to see the roses, and other flowers, in bloom. The best time to go if flower gardens interest you is between May and July. Since there are so many different types of plants, flowers, herbs and trees, each garden has its own special time of year so in reality, you can go at any time depending on what it is that interest you in in the realm of plant life.

Here is a list of the gardens, by name, and the times of year in which is best to see them.

A list of the gardens and best months to view them at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The layout of the gardens at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Besides the large, French garden, my two other favorites were the Stone Garden and the Spanish Garden.

The French garden is lovely and spacious with a walkway on both sides and a fountain that has a short, water show to music. You can walk from the villa all the way back to the garden and up some stairs which leads to a statue. The statue is facing the villa and from this point of view you can get some really nice photos of the garden and the back of the villa.

The French Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The grand view from the French Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

There is not really any specific route to follow when it comes to the gardens. You simply just start walking around.

I loved the Stone Garden because of the terrific remnants of ancient statues, arches, fountains, etc. that could be found there. I also love the lush, plant life. The flowers were in bloom and the trees were overgrown giving the garden a nice, natural umbrella of shade.

In the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Stone artifacts in the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Beautiful plants, flowers and trees inside the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Fontain and artifacts in the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild — Stone artifacts and flowers in the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The Spanish Garden was also one of my favorites. The little, fish pond in a T-shape leading to a small grotto and statue that is just under a bridge and the fish fountains all make it seem like you’ve walked into another world. I could definitely bring a book and just lounge here for the entire day! Heck, who am I kidding, I could live here!

The fish pond in the Spanish Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The fish fountains and marble column arches in the Stone Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild — The fish fountains and marble column arches in the Spanish Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The grotto in the Spanish Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The passage into the Spanish Garden at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

The tearoom

Before you leave the Villa Ephrussi, make a stop at the tearoom. During lunchtime they offer a few meal choices and during their opening hours you can always get drinks and desserts. A bit of fair warning, it’s expensive. My husband and I opted for a dessert and water. Just those items alone was the price of an entire meal, but hey, I can at least say that I dined at the villa! Besides, the terrace dinning is lovely in the spring and the décor of the inside tearoom is just divine. Even if you go to have just a drink, it’s worth it.

Entrance fees and times:

The Villa is open every day of the year. This is good news for those who happen to be in Provence on one of the many holidays we have here. Hours of operation are different depending on the season. This is also true for the tearoom.

Villa Ephrussi

Hours: 10am – 6pm

July and August: 10am – 7pm

November to January: Monday –Friday 2pm – 6pm and weekends and holidays 10am – 6pm

The Tearoom

February to October: 11:30am – 5:30pm

November to February: 11:30am – 5:30pm on weekends and holidays, only

2017 Pricing:

Adults: 14€

Reduced Rate: 11€ (7 years – 17 years) Reduced rates with proof of student card. This price is also good for the unemployed as long as you have written proof.

Family Rate: Free admission for second child between the ages of 7 years – 17 years if two adult tickets and one other child ticket is purchased.

A view of Villefranche-sur-Mer from the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Free audio guide for the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Before embarking on your tour make sure you get your audio guide from the desk that is located on the ground floor of the house in the interior courtyard. It is free with the purchase of your entry ticket. The audio guides come in 9 different languages and has a wealth of knowledge about the Rothschild family, the Ephrussi family and the construction of the villa.

Spring flowers at the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

What I loved about the audio guide, besides it being simple to use, it that you can listen at leisure in the areas that interest you and skip over those that don’t. In between touring the rooms, there are little history lessons available on the guide about the families and the villa. The background information is quite fascinating and allows you to get to “know” the people and circumstances behind the reasons of how the villa came about.

You can find the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild location map and my Google Local Guides review here.

I hope you enjoy your tour of the Villa as much as I did. As always, I would love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment below.

Save

12 Shares

Esparron-de-Verdon

May 18, 2017 by Ashley 2 Comments

Share8

+11

Share11

20 Shares

The tiny, lakeside village of Esparron-de-Verdon in Provence, France is my new go-to destination during the month of May. This is not a village you go to for glamor, shopping or a plethora of upscale restaurants. No way. This is a village for the lover of all things sportive and outdoorsy. Everything from camping, to fun at the lake, to horseback riding, to hiking can be found here and May is the time to go because the weather is wonderful and the town has not yet been inundated by tourists. In other words, you pretty much get the place to yourself. The turquoise colored water, the rocky cliffs with their grottoes and the more than 1600 hectares of forests all contribute to the beauty of this place.

View of Esparron-de-Verdon just below the anceint chateau — View of Esparron-de-Verdon just below the ancient chateau

Boat ride into the gorge on the Lac d'Esparron — Boat ride into the gorge on the Lac d’Esparron

The history of Esparron-de-Verdon

The village of Esparron-de-Verdon is located in the department called Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and just to prove how tiny this place is, a census taken in 2014 showed only 422 inhabitants. During the off season, this sleepy village gets to enjoy their surroundings all by themselves. During the summer months, however, this place becomes a tourist’s mecca, which is why May is marvelous here.

One of the tiny streets in Esparron-de-Verdon

Church of Saint-André in Esparron-de-Verdon

Eparron-de-Verdon has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age. Remains from the Neolitic and Bronze Ages have been found, as well, not to mention the cliff side homes. The first time Esparron appears in recorded history was during the 11^th century. During the middle ages this village was not considered very important because there were larger villages that surrounded it who had a higher concentration of people. During this time, the lake was only a small stream and no where near the size of what it is today. Daily life was not affected by too much of the outside world and all the way from the 11^th century to the French Revolution the village remained somewhat isolated.

The creation of the Verdon damn and the Lac d’Esparron

All this changed only 50 years ago. This was when the river of Esparron became Lac d’Esparron and with it a huge transformation for the inhabitants of the village. It was during the year 1963 when the project first came into being and consisted of creating a damn, 67 meters high, in the nearby town of Greoux-les-Bains (there is also a damn just after Quinson and right before Lake St. Croix). It took 5 years to complete the project and by February 1967 water began filling into this man-made lake, forever changing the landscape and life of village.

What one sees today, two large basins bordered by streams and cliffs and the blue and turquoise colors of the water, was all created in only 5 years and by mid-1967, the Lac d’Esparron was born.

The Verdon damn, which was conceived and built by EDF (the French Electric Company) in order to increase electrical output, also gives water both domestically and agriculturally to 116 communities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, including major cities like Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Toulon. When the concept was first thought of for the damn and the lake, it was to give relief to the area of the Verdon but it was quickly realized that more water for more areas would be necessary. Since the creation of the lake, it has given more than 660 million cubic meters of water to the region, that is around 60% of the water used by the population. The lake is also used to irrigate the land when there is a drought.

On the Lac d'Esparron — On the Lac d’Esparron

Investigating the cliffs on the Lac d'Esparron — Investigating the cliffs on the Lac d’Esparron

The Verdon damn and the creation of the Lac d’Esparron also gave new life to the village by creating an abundance of recreational fun.

The Chateau d’Esparron

In 1218, Bonfice V married Agnès Sada and with this marriage he acquired the entire, lower region of Verdon which included a share of the Esparron “kingdom” with the Esparron family. He proceeded to build a 30 meter tower that can still be seen today.

The tower and kingdom stayed within the Esparron family until 1448 when Robert of Castellane married Alix d’Esparron and the property became that of the Castellane family.

In 1780 Joseph Jean-Baptiste de Castellane built the south wing. He and his wife had no children so the property was passed down to a nephew, Joseph Léonard de Castellane. During the French Revolution, Joseph left France for England and the chateau was taken over and then sold by the state. From this point, there are two version of the story. One is, the wife of Joseph temporarily divorced him so that she could buy back the chateau another is that a friend of the family purchased the chateau and then gave it back to the family.

In either case, the Castellan family regained their property after the French Revolution.

Plaque on the walls of the Chateau d'Esparron — Plaque on the walls of the Chateau d’Esparron

In 1989, Louis-Provence de Castellane, also known as the Marquis d’Eparron, willed the property to his nephew, Bernard, because he had no male heirs. The chateau continues to be owned by Bernard, his wife and their children and together are the 32^nd generation of Castellanes to own and occupy the Chateau.

**Above information taken from the Chateau d’Esparron website.

Interestingly enough, you can stay in the chateau. Between mid-May and the beginning of October each year, part of the chateau becomes a B&B and anyone can stay. If you would like to do so, click here to get information and make reservations. I have not yet convinced my husband that this is a necessary thing to do (because we don’t live that far away) but sooner or later he will see it my way and I’ll be making reservations!

A view of Esparron-de-Verdon from the above the lake

Fun on the Lac d’Esparron

Since the creation of the lake in 1967, it has seduced the love of sunbathers and relaxing water sports lovers.

NOTE: NO gas powered water craft allowed. This is a fresh water lake used as a potable water source by an entire region and thus needs to be maintained as pollution free as possible.

The nautical club of Esparron, CNEV, set up shop almost immediately after the creation and is still there today.

Near the nautical club of Esparron-de-Verdon

Now-a-days, you have La Perle du Verdon, which is a multiple passenger boat for making a 1 hour tour around the lake with a commentary, and also a few other companies who rent electric boats, kayaks, paddle boards, peddle boats and little sail boats. Plenty to choose from, in fact, try them all!

One man sailboats on Lac d'Esparron — One man sailboats on Lac d’Esparron

Boat rentals on the Lac d'Esparron — Boat rentals on the Lac d’Esparron

Kayaking on the Lac d'Esparron — Kayaking on the Lac d’Esparron

Even the wild animals are friendly on the Lac d'Esparron — Even the wild animals are friendly on the Lac d’Esparron

Personally, I’ve rented the electric boats from a company called Alize Electronic. The staff here are super friendly and easy going. You just need to leave your ID with them and after a two minute lesson on how the boat works, and what to do and not to do, you’re off and running. You have to give them an approximate time frame in which you will have the boat so they can have an estimated time for other groups who would like to use their boats during the day, but other than that, you’re good. They take cash and credit card, yippee for me who is not a cash person at all.

Alize Electronic boat rental Lac d'Esparron — Alize Electronic boat rental Lac d’Esparron

Cruising on the Lac d'Esparron — Cruising on the Lac d’Esparron

I would highly recommend at least two or three full hours for a boat rental. The boats go about 4km per hour so it’s not super fast and it does take time to go into the gorge and/or around the lake. In all actuality, I would even go for longer. If the lake isn’t crowded, you will feel like two or three hours is not nearly enough because it’s such a beautiful and serene setting. Also, to see both the canyon going towards the village of Quinson and to do a trip around the lake in Esparron, two hours will not be enough. The nice thing about their boats is they have a cover which can be put up or down while you are on the boat. This way if you feel like you’re getting a bit too much sun, instant shade. Pretty cool.

Electric boat rentals on Lac d'Esparron — Electric boat rentals on Lac d’Esparron

Now, as far as getting off the boat and venturing around the cliffs in the gorge, I’ve been told two different things. The first time I rented the boat, the staff person said it was forbidden to anchor and go on the cliffs while in possession of their boat. The second time I rented from them, a different staff person ask me if I was going to stop and look around the cliffs and if so, she would show me how to pull up the motor, so….go figure. I honestly don’t know if you can or can’t, I guess it’s up to whatever staff person you get and what rules they want to enforce that day!

Underwater grotto on the Lac d'Esparron — Underwater grotto on the Lac d’Esparron

Hiking around Esparron-du-Verdon

For those of us that get their kicks out of hiking, look no further because this little village has got your back. There are a multitude of hikes in every direction ranging from 30 short minutes to a few hours depending on what your level or desire is. You can even hike from Esparron-de-Verdon all the way to Quinson which is about a 6 hour round trip. Each time I’ve visited, there has always been a couple of hiking groups out and about.

The canola fields near Esparron-de-Verdon

Canola and poppies near Esparron-de-Verdon

The nice thing about this time of year is that Provence has not quite hit that super-hot, humidity stage and because it’s spring you also get to see all the flora and fauna in its beautiful and colorful state. The hills are green, the trees are green and there are flowers blooming everywhere.

Surrounding countryside of Esparron-de-Verdon

If you chose to go hiking along the ridge that is adjacent to the chateau, it offers a fantastic view of it from afar along with the church and a few houses tucked around it. I love it because from that perspective it looks like it was straight out of a fairy tale!

Outdoor sports in Esparron-de-Verdon

Besides all the fun you can have hiking and on the lake, this area also has equestrian centers for horseback riding, tennis and volleyball courts, bike rentals and fishing (probably need a license for that).

There is even a camp ground for those who wish to tent it.

Hiking around the tiny village of Esparron-de-Verdon

Personally, I stick to the lake and hiking. Those two things provide countless hours of enjoyment for me. I would love to do horseback riding but forgo it because my man is not a fan.

All in all, this village might be tiny, but one could easily spend a week here enjoying themselves. It has a nice woodsy feel to it and provides enough to do that the whole family will have a great time.

Outskirts of the village of Esparron-de-Verdon

Les Hirondelles or Swallows (as we English speakers call them)

May is also the time of year when the swallows (or les Hirondelles in French) are at their busiest. These little, migratory birds are everywhere in the south of France during the months between March and June, but in the more remote and less populated areas they seem to arrive in abundance. Esparron-de-Verson in May is one of the best places to view them. The birds are the most active during the early morning hours and in the evening at dusk.

Les hirondelles or the swallows in flight in Esparron-de-Verdon

Their little nests, up under the eaves of houses and buildings, are bursting with life in May. The many nests attached to the Mairie (town hall) and the church provide you with a wonderful, and free, show. For avid bird watchers this is a delight in and of its self. The little swallows are like boomerangs, swift and agile, and going to and from their nest provides amazing entertainment for hours on end. Bring a tripod with you!