Your Day, Your Pace, Your Provence. 🌿✨
By Wednesday, the rhythm of The South of France has settled into your soul... While Terese and I head out to gather fresh provisions, wines & champagnes, & local delicacies, we invite you to embrace the ultimate traveler’s luxury: The Gift of an Unstructured Day. There is a specific kind of magic in a Provençal morning ~ stepping out into the crisp air, with no agenda other than your own curiosity... We encourage you to "get outta dodge" for the day... Drive through the rolling vineyards, cherry orchards & olive groves... find a tiny café where the locals linger over espresso, and discover a secret corner of this region to call your own... The Luberon is a treasure chest, and today, you hold the key... Freedom, Independence & Time!
The Joy of the "Solo Wander"~ Discovering Your Own Provence
Where will your curiosity take you? 🚗💨
Avignon & The Palais des Papes: Step back into the 14th century in a city that was once the center of the Western World. The Palace of the Popes is a massive, awe-inspiring Gothic fortress—the largest of its kind in the world. With ten-foot-thick stone walls and towering battlements, it served as the seat of Papal power for nearly a century. Walking its grand halls and looking out over the Rhône River is a truly humbling experience.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: One of Provence's most iconic villages—and Wednesday is Market Day! Immerse yourself in the colors and scents of the open-air stalls. Shopping here is world-class, as Saint-Rémy offers some of the region’s most chic, artistic, and stylish boutiques.
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: Known as the "Venice of Provence," this village is famous for its moss-covered ancient waterwheels and the crystal-clear canals that surround the town. A true paradise for shopping, antique lovers, and romantic riverside dining.
Lourmarin: Chic shops and leafy squares make this Renaissance-style village one of the most charming and sophisticated stops in the Luberon... It’s the perfect place for a long, slow lunch under a plane tree.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse: Witness the emerald-green waters at the mysterious, powerful source of the Sorgue River, gushing from the base of a 700-foot cliff.
🕒 The "Welcome Home" Pool Party | 5:00 PM 💦
Make sure to wind your way back to Chateâu du Soleil by late afternoon! We are hosting a special Pool Party Happy Hour starting at 5pm to celebrate the bounty of our neighborhood.
Venasque is world-renowned for its cherries, and the orchards surrounding our villa are heavy with fruit this time of year, and the harvest has begun! We’ve sourced a local Provençal Cherry Liqueur made from these very trees to create our Signature Day 5 Cocktail:
The "Venasque Velvet" Spritz 🍒✨ A Provençal twist on the Aperol Spritz! This refreshing blend features local cherry liqueur, tart lemonade, and crisp, bubbly Prosecco. Cool off in the water or lounge poolside with a Spritz in hand as we swap stories of our afternoon adventures.
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🌅 A Solstice Sunset Dinner Party | 7:30 PM
Since it’s June 24th, we are soaking up some of the longest daylight hours of the year. Our open bar (Champagne, Prosecco Beer, and Wines) continues as we move to the terrace for dinner. We’ve timed our dessert and after-dinner cordials perfectly so we can toast together just as the sky turns that incredible, fiery "Provençal Red."
What’s on your itinerary for Wednesday? Start planning your perfect day—the Luberon is yours to discover!
#BeautifulVillagesOfProvence #VenasqueCherries #StRemyMarket #IsleSurLaSorgue #Avignon #PalaisDesPapes #SlowTravel #SummerSolstice #PoolParty #TravelWithTommyAndTerese
Garden Party ~ by Ricky Nelson
The Backstory
The Story Behind the Song: Ricky Nelson’s "Garden Party"
In the early 1970s, Ricky Nelson ~ the former teen idol who grew up in front of the world on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet—found himself at a crossroads. He had shed his "teen idol" image and was pioneering a new, soulful country-rock sound with his Stone Canyon Band.
On October 15, 1971, he was invited to play a massive "Rock and Roll Revival" concert at Madison Square Garden. The crowd was filled with 20,000 fans who had come to relive the 1950s. They wanted the flat-top haircut and the old hits; they wanted the "Rick" they remembered from their childhood TV screens.
Ricky took the stage looking every bit the modern 70s artist: long hair, velvet trousers, and a setlist of new, country-tinged music. When he started playing a cover of the Rolling Stones’ "Honky Tonk Women," the audience began to boo. They didn't want the artist he had become; they wanted the idol he used to be.
Stung by the reaction, Ricky walked off stage.
But instead of letting that moment break him, he went home and wrote a masterpiece about the experience... He realized that trying to please a crowd that only lives in the past is a losing game. He penned what became the most famous line in the song: "You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself."
The song is famously filled with "Easter eggs" from that night: (start the video again & follow along below):
"Yoko brought her Walrus": A nod to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who were in the audience (referencing the Beatles' song "I Am the Walrus").
"Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes": George Harrison was there, but he was famously reclusive and often traveled under the alias "Mr. Hughes." He was "in Dylan’s shoes" because he was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan at the time.
"I said hello to 'Mary Lou', she belongs to me": A clever double-play. "Hello Mary Lou" was Ricky's own 1961 hit, but "She Belongs to Me" is a Bob Dylan song that Ricky had recently covered.
"Out stepped Johnny B. Goode": A nod to Chuck Berry, who was also performing that night.
"The Garden": It wasn't a flower bed, but Madison Square Garden itself.
Ricky’s ultimate realization became the legendary chorus: "You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself." As we gather at Château du Soleil for our own Garden Party this summer, we take Ricky’s lesson to heart... We aren't here to live in the past or meet anyone else’s expectations... We’re here to be exactly who we are ~ living' the good life, dancing under the Provençal stars, surrounded by friends, and celebrating the "Joie de Vivre" of the moment... We hope you're getting excited! No matter how many times we go to Provence, we're always so excited to go back and live this Provençal Lifestyle!
