vacation *bio-prestige* at 'La Vudèle'

In French the word „at home“ does not exist; rather, „chez nous“ describes this feeling of being at home, having arrived and being around friends and family. On the Plateau de Valensole where La Vudèle, our century-old farmhouse, is located time passes by at a different pace: more slowly, more consciously, making one feel at home.

To partake in this lifestyle we offer two different types of holiday: one-week retreats to explore the true Provence or a comfortable guest room including our bio-prestige dinner and a sumptous breakfast.

The room - "The Salon" - is a spacious double room with a queen-sized bed and a comfortable seating area, with sofa and table, and is located on the first floor of the farmhouse, overlooking the garden and lavender fields. Separate access along the outside stairs allows for complete privacy; on the landing you find a table with chairs, to enjoy the sunrise, sunset or simply some quiet time to yourself. An extensive library with English, German and Dutch books is at your disposal.

The rate for this room, with shared bathroom, is € 60 including breakfast. To partake in a true Provencal experience a four-course dinner at € 29 per person is added to the room rate; wine is charged separately by the bottle. All linen and towels are of certified organic sources, and the bed was chosen for its natural material, latex.

During the one-week retreat you, our guest, chooses from a cluster of activities, whichever ones suit your taste, passion and desire to experience. At the same time you are immersed into our daily lives. On the day of your arrival we recommend to hand over your car keys to us and let us do all the planning and arranging. Depending on the season you can choose from:

sports     relaxation     adventure     Provençal       

~ shopping at a local farmers’ market in the morning (year-round)
~ cooking lunch or dinner with the products from the market and fresh vegetables from the garden with Claudia (year-round)
~ Iyengar yoga for 1 or 2 hours with Claudia (year-round)
~ sailing on our private sail boat on the Lac Ste. Criox (year-round)
~ walking on the Plateau de Valensole under the expert guidance of Jim (except in hot summer)
~ hiking in the nearby mountains of Mont Denier (except in hot summer)
~ kayaking in the gorge of Quinson (except in hot summer)
~ bike riding on country paths (except in hot summer)
~ soap making for C’etrange (year-round)
~ gardening in our own organic garden (except winter)
~ candle making with Jim (year-round)
~ swimming and relaxing in the lake (summer only)

Each activity takes up about half a day which leaves enough time to explore oneself or the region on your own

~ relaxing down-time by the lake
~ a visit to Europe’s second biggest prehistoric museum in Quinson, designed by no other than Sir Norman Foster
~ a visit to a local lavender farm
~ a tandem paragliding flight over Plateau de Valensole, Gorge du Verdon and Lac Ste. Croix
~ a flight with a glider over the pre-Alpes or down towards the Mediterranean Sea

Every activity is adapted to your level and needs and can be changed last minute, if possible, depending on the weather: the Mistral comes by once in a while and makes ideal conditions for sailing but may be too strong to go for a hike in the nearby mountains. Once you arrive we go over your itinerary for the week but you can change it any time. We recommend one half day to have to yourself, be it for reading, thinking, walking, swimming, …

This week or two is your personal time, to expand your horizon, to focus on yourself. This retreat which we call The Sanctuary is ideal for one person alone, to allow yourself to find your own rhythm, to enjoy yourself away from the things you want to leave behind. We discourage the use of a mobile phone, though we do have full coverage; we also have DSL internet access but recommend its use to be reduced as well, as to foster the process of relaxation and reflection.

Included in the retreat is accommodation in a private lounge with a double-sized bed, with your own separate access from the garden. Full organic board (full breakfast, snack/fruit in mid-morning, full lunch, afternoon snack, 5-course dinner, all drinks and wine). Two activities of your choice per day. La Vudèle is a strict non-smoking environment, and we do not accept pets. As this is an old farm and the bedroom and bathroom are on the first floor we unfortunately cannot accommodate individuals with physical handicaps.

The nearest airport is Marseille Marignane, with a travel time of 1 hour 15 minutes to Quinson. If you arrive by plane we recommend an airport transfer service as you will not need your own car during your one-week stay. Alternatively we can arrange for a pick-up service for an additional € 120 round-trip. We offer this all-inclusive, care-free experience at a fixed rate year-round: € 3,985.00 including all charges and taxes. Arrival day is flexible.

To enquire or book this Provençal experience please email us or call us at +33 (0)9.62.14.12.32. We will be happy to arrange for your individual needs. We speak French, English, German, Italian and Dutch.

Please consult this online calendar for availability but if your dates are shown as unavailable please contact us nevertheless, situations and bookings may change

We are looking forward to welcoming you
at (y)our piece of paradise in the Provence

www.provence-netz.de ~ www.HappyCow.net ~ www.france-passion.com