Camargue and Provence France Photography Tour I

Itinerary

Sunday, June 11

Depart US/Canada

Monday, June 12 (D)

Arrive at Marseille Provence airport or by train from Paris any time of day. We suggest a local taxi to transfer to the hotel; it is the most efficient and easy. Spend the day at leisure to recover from jet lag or explore Marseille on your own. Welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant this evening. Overnight Intercontinental Marseille – Hotel Dieu

Tuesday, June 13  (B, D)

After breakfast, we’ll visit the nearby coastal village of Cassis and take an hour boat ride to photograph along the coast of Port Miou, Port Pin, and En Vau. You’ll have lunch on your own in the village with time to explore and then we’ll meet up to depart for the town of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer in the heart of the Camargue area, about a 1.5-hour trip.

Saintes Maries de la Mer was a Roman era fishing village, built on an island, where the Petit Rhône joins the sea. It’s now a bustling seaside resort full of shops and activities. Vincent van Gogh painted several paintings here, including Street in Saintes-Maries in 1888.

Late afternoon photo session at the 2000-year-old Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard. We’ll picnic here for dinner while snapping photos of sunset over the aqueducts, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight at Chateaux & Hotels Collection’s Hotel Mangio Fango

Wednesday, June 14 (B, D)

We’ll start the day with a sunrise photo shoot of the famous Camargue horses. These white horses evolved and adapted to the wet environment of marshes and wetlands in the area and can run through water with the same gracefulness most horses exhibit on land. They are indigenous to the Camargue and generally considered one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world. Two models will ride horses in the sand dunes and along the Mediterranean Sea for our photographing pleasure.

After a couple hours we’ll head back to the hotel for free time. We’ll have several bouts of on-your-own-time during this trip in an effort to avoid the heat of the day. But if you’d like to get out and explore Saintes Maries de la Mer, there is plenty to see!

• Walk along the shore on the edge of town, or watch windsurfers in “The Canal,” AKA the “French Trench,” built especially for speed record-breaking sailing.
• Explore the Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer church. Its location and fortress-architecture help defend the town from pirates during the 9th-12th centuries.
• The Musée Baroncelli showcases the traditions of the Camargue. It has collections dedicated to the zoology in the Camargue, the archaeology in Saintes Maries de la Mer, and the regional folklore.
• The museum is located in the former town hall and court of justice and peace, built in 1876 by Veran, an architect from Arles, which replaces the first town hall built in 1655.

Since this is a seaside town, be sure to sample the wide variety of fish and shellfish dishes. “Terrines à la Provençale” is made with tiny clam-like shellfish. There’s a Spanish influence here, too, and good paellas are a specialty.

We’ll have an early evening photo session at the Pont de Gau Bird Park, known for its greater flamingos and great diversity of birds. Each night the flamingos fly in to feed, making it the perfect time to capture them with our cameras.

We’ll have dinner and a night on the town in Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. In addition to seafood, the Camargue is known for its black bulls (taureaux), so there are good steaks for the carnivores among us. Overnight Hotel Mangio Fango

Thursday, June 15 (B, L, D)

We’ll start the day with a thrilling photo shoot of sparring, young stallions just wanting to play. Have your cameras ready as the Camargue horses rear and clash! Another shoot following with the horses running through the water.

As with yesterday’s schedule, you’ll have mid-morning to relax, swim, or edit photos before gathering for lunch in the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes.

Aigues-Mortes sits on the flat marshes of the Petite Camargue and is considered the purest example of 13th-century military architecture. Today it looks much like it did in the Middle Ages. A crenelated wall with five towers and ten fortified doors surrounds the town of neatly rectilinear streets.

One last photo session with the white horses running through water before dining in Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Overnight Hotel Mangio Fango

Friday, June 16 (B, D)

We say goodbye to the Camargue region and head to the interior scenic part of Provence this morning.

The Provence region was the first Roman province beyond the Alps. They called it Provincia Romana, which evolved into the present name. While it has been part of France for more than 500 years, it still retains a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, particularly in the interior of the region.

First stop of the day is the Roman city of Arles! Roman treasures, sultry stone squares, and a festive atmosphere are all part of the backdrop to the amazing photos we will take. We’ll see the colorful houses that show up in some of van Gogh’s paintings. We will visit the Arenes D’Arles Amphitheatre dating back to 90 AD. This amphitheater was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody battles, very impressive! You will have some time to explore Arles on your own.

Next, the medieval hilltop village of Les Baux de Provence for some spectacular views and time to have lunch, shop, or sit and have a nice glass of wine and enjoy the views.

Les Baux de Provence is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Especially photogenic, the town is filled with small squares, well-shaded terraces, narrow streets, and small shops. We’ll have views of Arles, the Camargue, and the low hills of the Alpilles mountains from lookout points in the stone fortress.

We’ll then head north to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the hub of the Rhones wine making region. Tonight we will enjoy the Cheateau Des Fines Roches, a castle built high on a hill surrounded by vineyards in the late 19th century. Enjoy the views, gourmet food and wine or maybe a swim in the pool, bike ride through the vineyard… OK, we will be a little spoiled on this tour!

Saturday, June 17 (B, L, D)

Today beautiful opportunities to photograph right outside your bedroom window! We will photograph around the castle’s vineyards and rolling hills before breakfast. OR maybe take a bike ride through the vineyards on your own. Late morning we will travel a little further down the road into the heart of the lavender fields, which should be in full bloom during our trip. Photo shoots and stops along the way. Dinner and overnight at the beautiful and historic La Bastide de Gordes, one of the “The Leading Hotels of the World,” set in the hillside village of Gordes.

Sunday, June 18 (B, L)

We’ll rise early for a morning photo session in the colorful hilltop village of Roussillon. Perched on the southern edge of the Plateau de Vaucluse, Roussillon is a beautiful village with red rocks, ochre-red stone buildings, and red tile roofs set in a deep green pine forest. Narrow, medieval streets wind through this small village.

Lunch will be in the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse, “spring of Vaucluse.” The medieval village is built around a spring, the source of the River Sorgue. Thanks to the river, the climate is a little cooler here. The spring sits at the base of a 240-foot cliff, and it is here that the river gushes out of the ground. Dinner on your own in the village of Gordes. Overnight at La Bastide de Gordes

Monday, June 19 (B, L, D)

This morning we take in the sights and scents of the lavender fields surrounding Notre-Dame de Senanque Abbey. The Cistercian monks, who still occupy the abbey, welcome us to their home. The lavender fields backed by the 12^th century abbey make for lovely photographs.

We will enjoy the market and have lunch in the scenic hilltop village of Gordes. Standing on the edge of the Vaucluse Plateau, Gordes is home to movie stars and artists. Its tall houses of white and gray stone rise up in a spiral around the rock where the village is set, topping out at a church and castle. Overnight at La Bastide de Gordes

Tuesday, June 20 (B, D)

Free morning to explore on your own. We will meet for an afternoon and evening photo session in the lavender fields around the plateau of Sault. Situated on the border of a great wooded plateau, immense blue fields, alternating with golden wheat fields, stretch out as far as you can see.

In addition to dining in the fortified village of Sault, we can wander the village and taste local products including nougat, macaroons, and lavender honey.  Tonight we will stay just outside the mountainous village of Moustiers Saint-Maire at La Bastide De Moustiers and dine at their Michelin Star Restaurant.

Wednesday, June 21 (B, L, D)

We’ll spend the morning in the lavender fields around the plateau of Valensole. Lavender fields and lavender distilleries are scattered about an area of 800 km², filling the frame of any view.

Lunch is in the village of Moustier Sainte Marie. The village is surrounded by the Gorges du Verdon – one of the deepest canyons in Europe, known for its natural beauty and green water– Sainte-Croix Lake, and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau.

Moustiers, as it’s known, has a rich history in ceramic craftsmanship. Brought to France by a monk in the Middle Ages, the faince (earthenware) is renowned for its fine decoration.

The afternoon photo session takes us back into the lavender fields, this time around the Sault Plateau where we shot yesterday.

Amidst the neatly restored homes in the village of Valensole is where we will have our farewell dinner. The houses are decorated in lovely Provençal colors and often outlined in a soft grey trim. We’ll see many picturesque old shutters, little wrought-iron balconies, and ancient doorways that make this bustling town so photo-worthy. Overnight at La Bastide De Moustiers

Thursday, June 22 (B)

We will have a free morning to explore and photograph the nearby village of Moustiers Saint Marie, maybe even a hike above this mountainous village. A culinary class option maybe an option. We will depart after lunch back to Marseille with a stop at the L’Occitane en Provence factory for last minute shopping and gifts.

Tonight we stay at the Hotel Pullman Marseille Airport. Time to say goodbye to our new friends, repack, and early to bed!

Friday, June 23 (B)

Depart any time of day. Complimentary airport hotel shuttle.

NOTE: Additional optional activities will be added to the itinerary including wine tasting and cellars, culinary class, shopping, etc. We did not want to over-schedule this trip  and have included free time to explore on your own or relax. You will have many opportunities for early AM and late PM shoots for the best light. All is optional and flexible!