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Provence Road Trip Part 1 – La Bastide de Marie + The Luberon

Provence Road Trip Part 1 – La Bastide de Marie + The Luberon

I have wanted to visit Provence in the South of France for some time now. The vineyards, the stone farm houses, the colorful shutters, the hilly countryside, and the amazing food have been calling my name for years. When my husband and I decided to take a holiday for our first wedding anniversary, I knew this would be the perfect place to go. Staying in the Luberon area was at the top of my list and when I saw pictures of the hotel La Bastide de Marie in the heart of the Luberon, I knew we had to stay there! And let me tell you, it surpassed all of my expectations!

Bastide-De-Marie

We drove up the winding, rocky, and somewhat treacherous hillside in search of a little town called Menerbes. At the base of the town we turned into a long cyprus tree lined entrance to find the most beautiful restored 18th century farmhouse that was covered in vines and pretty blue shutters. Outside of hotel

Outside Hotel

Bastide de marie grounds

We immediately felt at home the second we stepped foot on the grounds and hurried inside to explore the hotel.

Bastide-De-Marieinteriorcommon areatour of hotel

The inside was both casual yet elegant and luxurious yet relaxed. We were smitten. I was handed an over-sized key and we went in search of our room.

key Bastide de Marieroom Bastide-De-Marie

Only to find the most darling room filled with Provencal décor, a four poster bed, and amenities that even the most particular traveler couldn’t find anything to complain about.

bed Bastide-De-Marie

A second door in the room led me out to the most amazing views of a vineyard.

vineyard grapes

Since we arrived mid-day we were just in time for tea. An array of treats were laid out for us to enjoy on the patio and when our stomachs were filled we decided to stroll through the 60 acres of vineyards in search of wine.

dog Bastide De Marie

vineyard

We didn’t have to go far as the hotel’s winery, Domaine de Marie, was just up the road.domaine de marie vineyardvineyard

We tried out the reds, rosés, and whites that were on offer and purchased a couple to bring home as souvenirs.

wine tasting

We strolled back through the vineyards only to find an empty pool calling our names. We hurried to grab our things and took a quick dip in the heated pool, making sure we’d be ready for the apéritif hour which started at seven.

poolbastide-de-mariepool at bastide de marie

We got ready for cocktails and joined the rest of the hotel guests for an acoustic music session on the terrace. The tables were filled with glasses of Pastis, rosé, and Campari. The guests were sun-kissed, relaxed, and swaying to the music. It was perfection!

live music Bastide-De-Marieapertifs

Here’s a little clip of the music if you’re interested.

As the sun began to set and the air got cooler, we left our table and made our way into the dining room.

dinner

We had the most decadent meal, incredible service, and each course was paired with the wine we tasted from the vineyard earlier that day. The entire evening was unforgettable. dinner

We made our way back to the room smiling from ear to ear.

breakfast

Only to wake up to find a delicious breakfast of chocolate croissants and other delicacies. We filled our grumbling stomachs and headed out to explore the area.

rousillon

The hotel is located in the town of Menerbes, a gorgeous hilltop town that houses a lovely bell tower and a corkscrew museum with 1,000 different kinds. We explored the town and visited nearby Gordes and Roussillon as well.

rousillon

Roussillon was a lovely little town full of restaurants and galleries (you can find more pictures of Roussillon on Jenny’s blog here). There wasn’t a whole lot to do or see, but it was by far the most colorful and picturesque town we visited. We had a leisurely lunch and strolled around town.roussillon

And ended our time in the Luberon area with lavender ice cream (which was surprisingly good)!

028_Bastide-De-Marie

This area was the perfect place to start our road trip through the south of France. And if you find yourself in this part of the world look no further than La Bastide de Marie in the heart of the Luberon. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for the second part of Jenny’s gorgeous road trip through the south of France next week!

Olga

Tuesday 10th of November 2015

Hi Jenny,

This place looks amazing! We are planning on having a small wedding at La Bastide but cant decide on the month August vs September as the weather concerns me. When did you visit it and what was the weather like?

Thank you in advance, Olga

Postcards from Provence - Menerbes | Traveling Chic

Monday 5th of October 2015

[…] One of the highlights of our road trip through Provence was our visit to the charming village of Menerbes and our stay at the hotel La Bastide de Marie. If you ever plan a trip to the South of France, I can’t recommend this hotel or lovely Menerbes more highly. I wrote a longer post about our visit on the Travel Hack, so I’ve only included a few of my favorite pictures below. If you’d like to read the full post you can check it out here. […]

Barb

Saturday 3rd of October 2015

Wonderful photos! Must've been an unforgettable experience! :)

Jenny Dolphin

Monday 5th of October 2015

Thanks, Barb! Yes, it was an unforgettable trip! xo

Tanja

Saturday 3rd of October 2015

Beautiful! I tried lavender ice-cream too in Nice!:)

Jenny

Sunday 4th of October 2015

Ooh - I'd love to visit Nice sometime! Hope it was lovely!

Kerry

Thursday 1st of October 2015

This place looks amazing. It has been so long ago since I was in Provence and it wasn't nearly long enough. This post makes me want to go back and try that lavender ice cream.

http://www.freedupgirl.com

Jenny Dolphin

Friday 2nd of October 2015

Hi Kerry! Yes! I'm dying to go back already too! xo