Experiencing Provence is different than seeing Provence.
I chose the Provence tour by "France Off the Beaten Path" because it covered all of the areas in Provence that I wanted to see. I'm 81 and this would be my first solo trip after losing my husband, who was always my driver and partner in adventure. What I expected was an easy way to be transported to all the sites I wanted to see in the company of a small group of like minded travelers, where someone else handles all of the planning and logistics. What I received was so much more! Our guides, Phillipe, Summer and Isabelle were fabulous! Phillipe, the charming Van Gogh doppleganger with his knowledge and ability to tell a story, kept all of us entertained and on time. Summer was a sunny gem, lighting up the room just by entering it with her smile and fun attitude. Her turns at the microphone displayed her knowledge of the area and you could always count on her for posting timely information on our group WhatsApp. Isabelle...this lovely, fun woman was kind of like a sister you can trust, an excellent guide, both"take charge" and friendly with a great sense of humor. All the of them wanted to make sure we got everything out of this trip that we expected or desired, asking us if there were things we wanted to do or items we wanted to find and buy on the trip. Isabelle even went out of her way to find some of the delicious Camarque Red Rice we had at one of our dinners for me to take home after I expressed an interest in buying some. Oh, did I not mention the meals? They were all outstanding from Maison Bernard's Michelin chef dinner to lunch at a chefs home in the country to the fresh, vegetable centric lunch at Domaine de La Citadelle to the fantasy Provencal dinner at Catherine's 18th Century Mas to the idyllic picnic at the winery, Ferme Saint-Martin, high on the hill overlooking the village of Suzette. The farewell dinner at the little bistrot in Saint Remy was a lesson in pacing yourself to get through the delicious courses. As a foodie, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the foods and wines, but most of all, I cherished the experiences that I never would have had traveling on my own. As luck would have it, my daughter, Kristi, was able to join me for the tour. We hadn't had an international adventure together in 25 years. What we experienced with this tour was the feeling that we had fallen into a group of travelers and guides that were more like a family by the end of the week. Giving 5 stars to this tour group is easy.