Vaison is your first stop for things Roman: its ampitheatre and its museums. Further afield you have Orange, Nimes, the Pont du Gard and Arles.
Going further back, how about visiting Le Pegue, the archeological museum dedicated to the celts and the greeks in Valreas. See http://museearcheoloepegue.com.
The collection comes from an archeological dig at Saint-Marcel from 1956 - 1985. The dig found the traces from 6000 years ago, and an abundance of remains from the Iron Age (725 bc). The museum is open saturday and sunday 14.00 - 18.00 the first weekend of each month in the winter; and everyday 14.00 - 18.00 except Wednesday June - September.
Wednesday 31 December 2008
Markets
The Saturday Times last year declared Nyons market to be the best in France. Every Thursday morning. And there are often specialist Sunday markets - crafts, brocantes, books etc.
Look out also for the evening markets in the summer time in the villages around. And you'll find an abundance of "Vide-Grenier" (literally, empty the attics - what we'd call a car boot sale) village sales over the summer. It's worth getting there early for the bargains.
If you can't make the Thursday market, here are some of the other ones around.
Monday
La Motte Chalancon (july and august)
Tuesday
Crest, Grignan, Vaison
Wednesday
Buis les Baronnies, Remuzat
Friday
Dieulefit, Taulignan, Visan
Saturday
Buis les Baronnies, Montbrun les Bains
Flea Markets and Brocantes:
Art market 1st Sunday of the month (Vaison)
Brocantes 3rd Sunday of the month (Vaison)
And Isle Sur la Sorgue is well known for its 160+ antique shops and regular markets; plus an extended easter antiques market
Look out also for the evening markets in the summer time in the villages around. And you'll find an abundance of "Vide-Grenier" (literally, empty the attics - what we'd call a car boot sale) village sales over the summer. It's worth getting there early for the bargains.
If you can't make the Thursday market, here are some of the other ones around.
Monday
La Motte Chalancon (july and august)
Tuesday
Crest, Grignan, Vaison
Wednesday
Buis les Baronnies, Remuzat
Friday
Dieulefit, Taulignan, Visan
Saturday
Buis les Baronnies, Montbrun les Bains
Flea Markets and Brocantes:
Art market 1st Sunday of the month (Vaison)
Brocantes 3rd Sunday of the month (Vaison)
And Isle Sur la Sorgue is well known for its 160+ antique shops and regular markets; plus an extended easter antiques market
Artisanat and local industrial heritage
This area of Provence has always had its local industries - as well as its food, wine and olives. It has become home to many individual artists and craftspeople. And over the summer months you'll find lots of them selling their crafts on the local markets. Look out for pottery, mohair, jewellery, wood working, soaps and lavender products, jams, honey and chutneys, leather goods and the rest.
There are also plenty of small museums that attest to the industrial heritage of the area - for example the Silk museum at Taulignan (www.musee-soie.fr), and the botanical museum at Buis les Baronnies which has an informative chronology of the developments of lavender and tilleul (linden flower) production (www.maisondesplantes.com).
Nyons has its own working lavender distillerie and shop (Distillerie Bleu Provence). And also in Nyons you can visit La Scourtinerie - hand crafted provencal rugs and baskets made from sisal / coir,
If you've got a sweet tooth - check out the Nougat at Montelimar - and its museum www.nougatsoubeyran.com. And Haribo has its factory - with visits - close to the Pont due Gard
There are also plenty of small museums that attest to the industrial heritage of the area - for example the Silk museum at Taulignan (www.musee-soie.fr), and the botanical museum at Buis les Baronnies which has an informative chronology of the developments of lavender and tilleul (linden flower) production (www.maisondesplantes.com).
Nyons has its own working lavender distillerie and shop (Distillerie Bleu Provence). And also in Nyons you can visit La Scourtinerie - hand crafted provencal rugs and baskets made from sisal / coir,
If you've got a sweet tooth - check out the Nougat at Montelimar - and its museum www.nougatsoubeyran.com. And Haribo has its factory - with visits - close to the Pont due Gard
Activities - useful information
It's raining, so rather than gardening I thought I'd prune the mountains of paperwork that accumulate over the months and years. So as I find useful information, I'll now put it on the blog and tag it ... and bin the paper.
Perhaps 2009 can be the year of the paperless chateau?
Quad bikes - from age 16; for hire at Aubres for 1, 2 or 3 hours. Costs (2008) 35 euros, 60 euros, 80 euros. Also day and overnight trips.
Reserve: tel 04 75 26 60; 06 88 86 31 58
Kayaks and canoeing; at Saillans on the river Drome (90 minutes drive from Le Colombier); see EVA www.eauxvivesaventure.com tel 04 75 21 55 71 or CapPlein Air www.cappleinair.com tel 04 75 40 60 60
Bring swim wear, sports shoes, hats, drinking water, picnic, sun screen and sun glasses. Age 7 and over; Open March to October
There's also great kayaking on the Ardeche.
Rock climbing (escalades); lots all around. Also Via Ferrata - the rock climbing routes
Hang gliding instruction at Mevouillon www.provence-parapente.com
Perhaps 2009 can be the year of the paperless chateau?
Quad bikes - from age 16; for hire at Aubres for 1, 2 or 3 hours. Costs (2008) 35 euros, 60 euros, 80 euros. Also day and overnight trips.
Reserve: tel 04 75 26 60; 06 88 86 31 58
Kayaks and canoeing; at Saillans on the river Drome (90 minutes drive from Le Colombier); see EVA www.eauxvivesaventure.com tel 04 75 21 55 71 or CapPlein Air www.cappleinair.com tel 04 75 40 60 60
Bring swim wear, sports shoes, hats, drinking water, picnic, sun screen and sun glasses. Age 7 and over; Open March to October
There's also great kayaking on the Ardeche.
Rock climbing (escalades); lots all around. Also Via Ferrata - the rock climbing routes
Hang gliding instruction at Mevouillon www.provence-parapente.com
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