Living the slow life in Provence
A 17th-century farmhouse and gite, Maison Parpaille is a charming country retreat in the heart of the Lubéron, just an hour from the Cote d’Azur but surrounded by some of the most beautiful towns in Provence.
With 300 days of sunshine here a year, who can resist the south? Blessed with blissfully balmy days and simply the prettiest of villages – all of which seem miraculously unchanged over the years – a holiday here is a welcome tonic, a chance to savour life on a country farm in the Lubéron.
Maison Parpaille, just south of the hillside village of Cucuron (between the trendy village of Lourmarin and characterful Ansouis), is run by a mum-and-daughter team. Eve Obert is a chef, and her daughter Léa (herself a young mum) speaks good English. Eve’s childhood was spent here as her parents owned the property since the 60s and so the tradition of welcoming babies, children and even well-behaved dogs into the bosom of the family farmhouse has continued – a rarity these days.
Today, a remarkable restoration has revealed a home that’s styled to perfection with everything from linen-and-hemp sheets to a signature scent for each suite. Each one is a soothing balm in the summer heat – all of them generous, and each with different views through the shutters over the gardens or pools. Bay trees, cypress, olives, pomegranates and lavender all nodding in the breeze… it’s just magical.
It has to be said, upfront, that Eve’s food is delicious. She’s a night owl: don’t be surprised if the scent of cherry clafoutis wafts upstairs overnight, or the unmistakable buttery-ness of baking croissants greets you in the wee hours. Eve’s sanctuary is the kitchen – once lined with stone feeding troughs and where the animals slept on the lower floor of the Mas, it’s now a sun-drenched haven in the mornings and a quiet retreat from guests in the evenings. Eve’s food style is exactly what makes a stay here so personal and memorable… so, when she pops jam in tiny glass bowls on your table at breakfast, you know that it’s been lovingly made right here. And that every cheese on the platter has a story, that every celebration held here on the farm is a very special affair.
A touch bohemian, but effortlessly romantic
Remember being captivated by little French villages and the chateau in A Good Year? Even if you found Russel Crowe’s romance just a tad too predictable, we bet it made you pine for Provence. Non? It turns out that the scene around the historic ‘bassin’ or beautiful pool of water under the plane trees – where Max and Fanny (Marion Cotillard) watched the movie on their first date – was filmed just up the road from Maison Parpaille in rural Cucuron. Based on Peter Mayle’s novel, it encapsulates the classic scenery of the Luberon region. And honestly, even today, it feels pretty much unchanged.
The location was actually the beautiful Chateau la Canorgue, under the hilltop village of Bonnieux, halfway between Gordes and Lourmarin – where Peter Mayle lived at the time, not far from Cucuron. And when home today, Sir Ridley Scott – who most recently directed Napoleon – still spends most of his time at his family’s estate just outside the medieval hilltop village of Oppède-le-Vieux in the Lubéron. But, despite the recent increasing celeb presence, it’s deliberately low-key here and studiously ignored by locals. As the French are wont to do. There’s good reason why it has such charm – the little back roads and villages are still irresistible. Thankfully, the art of living the slow life has real appeal.
What we love!
- You can book a room in the five-bedroomed farmhouse (or book the whole house) or choose the private Almond Gite, a self-contained cottage adjacent, with its own entrance. Super spacious, with its own kitchen, living area and two bedrooms upstairs, it’s perfect for families. There’s also an additional one-bedroom cottage near the pool.
- There are three pools: two heated and one traditional stone pool near the house. The main pool below the garden has a shaded bar and doubles as a lunch or dinner spot. Treat yourself to a casual dinner by Eve here one night, and visit one of the neighbouring villages on another. The pool behind the farmhouse is more private for anyone who wants to swim or read with a few through the lavender of surrounding fields.
- Hire an e-bike, go hiking, join a yoga class in the tent below the pool, or book a treatment with a spa therapist who comes to the farm. There’s also a small boutique, where Eve sells honey, her jams, olive oil, candles, fragrances and natural beauty products.
- The farm is also booked as a wedding and celebrations venue: the prettiest, laid-back country setting.
- It may be booked as a shoot location, with endless nooks, crannies and views.
What you need to know…
- It’s an easy drive from Marseilles (1 hour) or even Nice (2h40) or even Montpellier (2 hours), so you can combine a holiday here with the Cote d’Azur. If you’re yearning for the Swiss Alps, Geneva is viable – a good 5-hour drive away (prettiest route is via Grenoble and Annecy, through the nut-growing region and with spectacular mountain scenery along the way).
- Pop in to little-known Ansouis nearby, with its 10th-century castle. Have lunch with a view and a friendly welcome at Les Terasses de Ansouis, but serious foodies should book La Closerie, a Michelin-starred gem. Explore the side streets and take time to rest in the tranquil Église Saint-Martin d’Ansouis, especially on the hour when all the village bells ring. It’s one of the prettiest interiors with faded blue walls.
- Dinner in Lourmarin (10 minutes in the other direction) is a must. It comes alive at night with restaurant tables spilling out onto the street in summer, often with live music. Visit Château de Lourmarin for a wine tasting or concerts – book ahead.
- It’s worth setting aside a day or three to do a few day trips: if you stop in Rousillion on the way to Gordes, avoid the crowds by parking below the ochre cliffs where you’ll discover a path through the trees that takes you to the dramatic foot of the cliffs. Hot? Try the local lemon or lavender ice-cream. Gordes is lauded as one of the prettiest villages in France. It’s worth leaving early and spending a whole day here (Senanque Abbey, nearby, is also spectacular when the lavender is in flower). Swing by for a wine tasting at Chateau la Canorgue along the way, if you wish. It was the first certified organic wine estate in the region. The house, where the movie was filmed, isn’t open to the public.
- Don’t miss the the Carrières des Lumières, at the foot of the town of Les Baux-de-Provence – it’s an incredible interactive exhibition projected underground on the walls of the white limestone quarry that dates back to Roman times.
- Catch market day at L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the ‘Venice of the South’ with its canals and antique shops. It is only one hour away.
- Chateau la Coste’s art and architecture walk takes you through parkland featuring over 40 sculptures, half way between Cucuron and Aix-en-Provence.
- Aix en Provence has some excellent art galleries, particularly for Van Gogh and Cezanne (you’ll recognise his beloved Mont St Victoire on your way to the Côte d’Azur).
- Cassis: if you’d like to spend the day on the coast, leave at dawn and make the most of your day at postcard-pretty Cassis, an hour south on the motorway. Ask for the secret parking place under a tree if you don’t feel like paying for parking in a garage, and walk the scenic route downhill to the harbour and beach. The best sushi restaurant, Le Grand Large, is away from the crowds, to the left of the main beach. Doodle through the back streets (some gorgeous traditional soap boutiques such as Boutique La Savonnette Marseillaise and artisanal delis such as Autrefois on the way) before wandering through the botanical garden on your way back up the hill.
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon