Luberon, Gorde, Isle sur la Sorgue, etc.
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Like the village, the surrounding houses, must be built on stone from the area. |
"The jewels of Europe" is what investor/art collector/landowner, Vincent Boeuf, calls Provence. We were so fortunate to meet him on our first night in Gorde. All of the villages I’ll be describing are only a few hours drive from the large city of Avignon.
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The atelier of Edith Mezard looks more like an estate than a working artist’s studio. She is known for her beautiful embroidery for Calvin Klein fashions and Caroline, Princess of Monaco. |
We first stopped at the home/atelier of Edith Mezard, who does great embroidery work, just ask Princess Caroline of Monaco, or Calvin Klein. Her studio looked more like a gracious home.
She had converted the stables into a boutique where she had everything from lavendar oils, to clothes, to embroidered linens, to teddy bears.
Now, comes the fun part. Boeuf, who knows this entire area like the back of his hand, only speaks French and we English. However, our driver spoke both, and so did a guide we added to our group. Yet, both said he "mumbles his French," and even Vincent Boeuf admitted with a shrug, "most French do not understand my French."
What I did understand was the wonderful places and people he introduced me to. We visited Luberon, Roussillon, Gorde (where Peter Mayles wrote his book , "A Year in Provence"), Bastide de Capelongue, La Coste, Isle sur la Sorgue and Menerbes.
We met at the four star Hotel le mas Herbes Blanches. My room was sunny with a terrace for days--a fireplace, fresh flowers, and candles for nights. I splashed some water on my face, slipped into my sandals, and away we went. Now, Vincent is a free spirit, especially when his foot is on the accelerator of his sports utility vehicle.
"Now I ask you why ," he inquired in his mumbled French, "why should anyone live here? It is not near the seashore, there are no steep mountains, there is no big industry."
"Exactly," he said hitting the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, "people come here for peace, security, and beauty."
| There is a law whether you buy a century-old castle, or a farmhouse, or build new, the exterior must be made of stone from the area. There are 6000 hidden paradises, as he refers to the large homes and their surrounding land, but they are spaced apart, so hidden from the road, you feel solitary and serene. There are artists, designers, actors, painters, princes, novelists and photographers who have homes here, but each lives in his or her little kingdom. When they come out for talks, parties and meetings, there's literally a who’s who in the world. |
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| They do it the old fashioned way—they make the tiles by hand. |
A member of the Coca-Cola family bought property adjoining the famous castle of the Marquis de Sade. She has grouped 21 houses together to make a sculpture and art school. Then, she purchased the stables and transformed them into a school for cinema students.
Another well known philanthropist loves animals. When we drove up to her reconstructed stone castle, six dogs bounded out the door to greet us. "Everyone in the valley know I can’t turn away a stray or sick animal," she explained, "so I frequently open my front door to find a small animal in a basket."
She has large holdings here, so the 30 or so dogs and cats that live there are insured a happy home. She has a great Italian cook, who loves to make jellies and preserves. This is ideal since Gorde and the surrounding areas are abundant with fruit trees, vineyards and flowers. The kitchen is wonderful, all stone, with a professional-styled range. It’s as large as the average American family home. There are two large kitchen tables where guests can meet for breakfast or lunch.
The tables have been specially designed with a bunk under them, so several pets can sleep there, or can be handy for nibbles given by friends as they dine.
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A sample of a work in progress by Francesca Chandon. |
The sun was beginning to slip behind the trees, but there was so much more to see. We stopped at Francesca Chandon’s (as in Moet Chandon Champagne). She graciously showed us her studio. She had painted in Paris in the ‘60s, and a few years ago bought her home/atelier in Provence. Her abstract paintings are vivid, since she mixes her own paints. Using a palette knife and brush she excels in intense blues, yellows, oranges and reds.
| Vincent next drove to the Vernin Tile Company, which has been in
business since 1868. Brigette Benoit Vernin is the fourth generation. "We
haven’t changed our ways of making tile for many years," the lovely Brigette
explained. "We do it the old fashioned way, by hand." She gave us a tour through the studio, and one of her employees showed me how tiles were made. Also, the unusual colors and glazes they could create. |
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Brigette Benoit Vernin shows me some of the colors that she produces in her family company which was founded in 1868. |
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One of the residents in the valley is Hollywood/Broadway
actor, John Malkovich. His family live here, and his youngsters attend school in one of
the nearby towns. He had designed the tiles, all animals, for his son’s bath, and Vernin had transferred his animal characters onto the stone. She showed us some samples, and they were wonderfully imaginative. |
Often customers, who are artistic,
will fashion their |
By now, we were ready for dinner, but Vincent had another surprise. Jean Claude Libourel, award winning novelist, he has four bestsellers in France, joined me for dinner. He will be in America soon, for Disney has optioned one of his books. And, just to show you how small the world can be, at one time he owned a restaurant in West Hollywood called Alouette, which is about six blocks from my office!
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Award winning novelist, Jean-Claude Libourel, is building home in Gorde. |
