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NOW ON AMAZON!

When we started Bastide les Amis as a self-catering rental property in Menerbes, we provided our guests with a printed Guide to the property and some useful day trips and items of local interest which are often not carried in the more commercial and established Guide Books.

We’ve had such a great reaction and coupled with the growing readership of this website, we felt that we should expand the concept into a 100 page book. Lovonne’s beautiful photographs taken over the seasons, complement the words which give you a highly personalised view of the Luberon and surrounds.

From a [very] short History of Provence, to day trips, some quirky trips like discovering the secrets behind the ‘turnarounds’ (the roundabouts!) to ‘Finding your way around a French supermarket’, Footsteps has been designed to give you an insight before, during and even after your trip to Provence - no matter how many times you have been here.

Footsteps - the Luberon and Surrounds, is available from Amazon as a hard copy book or can be downloaded via the Kindle App on to your ipad, iphone or any other smart/tablet device. The price is €19.00 (GBP16.00;US$24.99;AU$25.00;ZAR206.00). Downloading the Kindle app is free - merely go to your favourite App Store.

*Currency conversions apply from US$ at time of writing, Amazon will provide their own ruling price at purchase.

A bit of a cross-over week which started to blend one activity into another. Strange! It’s Christmas in Provence! Erica arrived! We packed for Switzerland and took off in an extremely laden VW Touran.

First the Goult ex-pats Carol service in the Goult Church. Always a great time is had by all singing a mixture of English and French carols - the only problem was that the organisers ‘lost’ the papers carrying the 7th lesson - after much scrabbling on the floor of the Church, it was dispensed with and we got on with the 8th lesson.

But not before, the sag of the Bird Cage had it’s happy ending. Erica had sent the instruction via email - go and purchase the Madame’s long-desired ancient bird cage; charge my credit card; arrange a ‘vendu’ sign on it; tell the lady that we will be picking it up when I arrive and it will be a BIG surprise!

Sadly, the store was closed on the day we were supposed to collect it all together so YT went off on a secret mission only to find that it would not fit into the Touran. No problem! In the stores ‘camion’ it went and off we sped back to Menerbes and the BIG surprise happened!

It’s in a temporary resting place, but we know a little girl who is very happy…..

Off to Switzerland - laden with wine, chapons, food and suitcases for the cold and snow. The Touran performed manfully until we  reached parts above Zug and into Oberaegerei when the icy conditions caused a few wheel spins but we made it! Shaken but not stirred. Fortunately, there has been quite a bit of rain and the Swiss have been their usual diligent selves in clearing the roads of ice and snow. Vicky has most kindly allowed us use of her amazing house in Oberaegeri - what a treat and such a privilege. The Schneebergers stragggled in from an extended stay in Zurich and the Christmas tree is up and lights blazing.

Madame, E and YT spent a day in Zurich to go and see the Swarovski Christmas tree in the Zurich Train station (Rail City). Having been told about it a mere 44 years ago, this was one excited little boy who finally saw the tree and it lived up to expectations! Zurich is a beautiful city and we treated ourselves to the Zurich Trolley Experience -a two hour trip around the city with commentary and a couple of stops. Great listening and tourist watching, the only pity is that the latter day Zurich City Fathers have not tipped their collective hats to the older architects and designers so modern and old buildings tend to wrestle with rather than complement each other.

After the ride, a stroll down the main street, Bahnhofstrasse, is a great occasion drooling over the street food stalls and chocolate shops, seeing the Christmas decoration and the obligatory walks through the boot, shoe and clothing shops.

Au bientot - Lovonne and Simon xx. To all our wonderful readers, family and friends (now over 7,500 of you!) may we wish you a Blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year. xx

Deep in the heart of the Le Pontet shopping complex in Avignon North, lies a French abberation - a micro brewery. Yes, in the heart of real wine country and a short iron from the mighty Rhone River, lies Le 3 Brasseurs.

A micro-brewery along with a real ‘pub’ restaurant is contained in an unremarkable building but once inside, you are surrounded by fermenting beers, copper kettles, a long bar, cosy nooks filed with tables and a real brewery atmosphere.

We went with our Apt friends, Regine and Duncan and the menu for beer is different - choose one of five brews, including a ‘bier de moment’ (in this case, a lightly brewed Christmas beer) then choose from one of five sizes -ranging from a ‘bok’ to a pint. Even the ladies drank beer!

Lunch was traditional (pub that is, not necessarily French). The ladies had a large helping of sausage and sauerkraut, the boys, largish St Catherine’s - hamburgers with all the trimmings! Delicious and totally symbiotic with the environment we were in.

Le 3 Brasseurs is open for lunch and dinner every day and becomes very crowded over the weekends with large TV screens showing sport and music. The brewery is opposite the rear entrances of Auchan and FNAC, inside the main Le Pontet Shopping Complex just off the A8 to Orange.

A week of running around negotiating with painters, ensuring that our blacksmith Dominique fitted the new Doll Museum door, buying paint and all the usual paraphenalia that goes with a renovation came to a climax on Saturday evening. And, what a climax!

We were invited to the 11th Century Abbaye de St Eusebe near Saignon in the Luberon, to attend a fashion show given by the boutique Etoile de Marie (Apt and Louramin), and to see a gypsy band who were highly rated.

When the French go to a fashion show, you are never quite sure who are the participants, those on the catwalk or those watching. The elite of Apt were out in force and in all their finery. Quite a show and Madame remarked that some of the fashions on display were ‘good’ and would bear a further investigation. Coupled with a 20% reduction voucher handed out as we left, there is no doubt that a few hours will be spent in Marie’s boutique!

We were excited about the gypsy band as we had heard that they were very good and all of the members had played with the Gypsy Kings (who hail from the communities of Arles and Montpellier, literally down the road). Both of us have spent most of our lives immersed or near to music, musicians and theatrical events. (Let’s not forget that Madame’s father brought the LP record and stereo to South Africa!).

We can safely say that Master Key (as this particular set of musos were calling themselves) blew us away. A quintet, they oozed class, tightness and an amazing musical ability. The leader on violin was personality plus, he has a great Elvis Presley/Roy Orbison type voice (with a gypsy twist!) and gave us all the gypsy classics and then some - ‘Devil in Disguise’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ were just two numbers they wove into a two hour non-stop show. Forget breaks, forget the chatter, they just play and the Aptians danced!

They had a great vibe amongst themselves and the joy of playing in front of an appreciative audience was plain to see.

If you’re down the Camargue or Luberon way and you get to spot a few gypsy musicians, stop and have a look, it may be Master Key.

PS Apologies for the pics this week - we left our camera at home and YT took the shots - so you’re not benefitting from Madame’s superior photos.

Real pic - thanks to John W.

Three hours along the highway from Annapolis and we found ourselves driving up the long drive to ‘the farm’. No Dallas movies could have prepared us for Pleasant Prospect Farm -  all that was missing was JR and his hat.

Immaculately mowed, clipped, polished and sculpted to perfection, the Farm comprises the main building, an office building, a Roman Bath building, a garage, workshop and sauna building, Guest Cottage (the Flag Cabin, containing all the Admiral’s naval memorabilia), and a small building housing a large fridge and the barbeque!

In the garage are two 1930 Ford convertibles, beautifully restored and in fine working oder. The rooms of all the buildings are finished to the highest specifications and we were quite literally, in clover.

Quite naturally with Bud and BA around, the food was nothing short of superb. On the first evening we were treated to smoked chickens and a smoked pork dish outside. This was cooked by right hand man Dan on the largest mobile barbeque you have ever seen - it has to be pulled by a tractor! On the second evening, we kicked off with caviar, bilinis and champagne to be followed by largish veal cutlets cooked on the ‘Green Egg’ - a monolithic version of a Weber.

Returning from Ulu-Lapa we stopped at a gas station near to Middelberg for a comfort break and some refreshment. Entering the parking area we spotted this taxi with its trailer piled to the sky - heading for Maputo we were told. Unfortunately after the passengers had refuelled, the taxi driver decided to take the wrong exit : problem! Too high and the substantial pile of plasticware on top fo the load slipped backwards and prevented the taxi from getting back on to the highway!

Much discussions, head scratching and repeated attempts to drive under the barrier saw the taxi eventually reverse out through the IN lane and on to the freeway.

Only in Africa, I’m afraid.

Deep in the Western sector of the Sabi Sand Reserve we found a pride of lions - three generations with a grand father, father, mother and cubs,not to mention uncles and aunts.

Pictures that simply have to be published!

It was a scene right out of the Great Gatsby. A mansion bordering one of the Chatham ponds, a wide curved driveway, a 1930s Ford convertible in the garage, a white marquee complete with flags, exotic cocktails, French champagne, a slick Boston band, and the movers and shakers of this well-heeled Cape Cod town.

The dress theme was black and white. In keeping with American tradition of eating dinner before the sun goes down, the invitation specified a 18h00 for 18h30 start and was a prized asset in the town’s social whirl.

Over 100 guests arrived in a procession fitting of the movies to be greeted in the reception area by the host and hostess Admiral Bud and Mrs BA Flanagan. The occasion? Erica’s 60th! Guests came from far and wide.

The main fare was a choice (or all) of Lobster Newburg, Veal or Roast turkey accompanied by some delicate greens. Fine wines accompanied the food.

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