STAY IN A FAIRYTALE FRENCH VILLAGE NESTLED RIGHT INTO THE MOUNTAINS

by YouShouldGoHere
September 4, 2016
in Eat Here, Go Here, Stay Here
1

[MOUSTIERS-SAINTE-MARIE, FRANCE] — Moustiers in eastern Provence is the gateway to the great Gorge du Verdon. The Grand Canyon of France. And an Adventureland of fun, with trekking, boating, canyoning, climbing and just plain gawking at all the natural beauty.

Driving up from southern Provence, you first drive over the high and flat Valensole plateau, home to some of the largest and most stunning lavender fields in France. Miles and miles of sweet purple flowers, as far as the eye can see.

When you see pictures of fields of Provencal lavender, it’s usually from this high and dry plateau. I was there in June and it was just shy of really hitting their peak blooms.

If you’re in Provence and you like lavender, this is Catnip Central. 🐈. . . . . 🐈. .. . . Head on up to the great purple plateau around Valensole. It’s purrfect. Ain’t nothin’ but lavender for miles. You can bathe in the views and lather up with lavande. This was about this time last year, so these were still in their pupae stage, right about ta bust out in this world and wiggle.

After driving across the plateau, you dip down into some of the most luscious, golden wheat fields you’ve ever seen. Picture perfect, dancing in the breeze

Moustiers is freakishly cool. Surreal. Almost looks like painted illustrations in a children’s storybook. With many pages.

Moustiers-Ste-Marie is also recognized as one of The Most Beautiful Villages of France, so when you see that, you know it’s going to be good. Moustiers is also hard to capture in a photo. It’s weird, there’s something about those mottled colored limestone cliffs that throws off cameras and makes for a mottled looking photo. Not just me, although I took about 23, google pictures from it and you can see what I mean. Everyone has the same results. They all look like they’re using the same filter, but this is a straight up click. There must be a million subtle shades of stone that camouflage this shy town. It’s also known for its fancy pottery and home to one of the best hotels in France.

: It’s weird, there’s something about those mottled colored limestone cliffs that throws off cameras and makes for a mottled looking photo. Not just me, although I took about 23, click thru the map and you can see what I mean. Everyone has the same results. They all look like they’re using the same filter, but this is a straight up click. There must be a million subtle shades of stone that camouflage this shy town.

: Moustiers is freakishly cool. Surreal. Almost looks like painted illustrations in a children’s storybook. With many pages. I like it. .

: See what I mean? it’s like a page out of a fairytale. Page 17

: This chapel goes back to the age of Charlemagne in the 6th century.

: See what I mean? This place is just like a

: The town is divided by a huge gorge, with a perfect waterfall splitting the town in two. Perfectly

: The cliffs, also brooding over the town. It’s almost disorienting.

: Pilgrams have been coming to this walk since 427 AD, hiking up to the ancient chapel, with stations of the cross along the way.

: The path is so worn for two thousand years of pilgrims that it’s actually quite slick going up or down

: Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel

: Definitely make the hike. The views are incredible

Another reason why I came here was specifically to check out the world famous Alain Ducasse’s hotel and restaurant, La Bastide de Moustiers. A hotel in the country, built around a fine restaurant. One of the prettiest places I’ve ever stayed.

A Stunning Stay, Right Outside Town

For over a decade I’ve wanted to make trek to La Bastide de Moustiers, famous chef Alain Ducasse’s famous country house that houses his famous restaurant where the famous lavender meets the mountains.

Calling it a hotel would be beneath it, really. This was too nice, too small. Too intimate. It’s more like staying at a friend’s country house… and your tasteful friend happened to be Alain Ducasse.😳 With only a handful of rooms, each decorated with its own Provençal theme, you feel like you have the whole place to yourself. And some exquisite sheets to crash after your Michelin-starred meal on the terrace and jaw dropping views.

Hehehe… this place was really good…

: The setting for La Bastide de Moustiers is just 💣, set right outside the main village of Moustiers on Alain Ducasse’s former private holiday estate, now you can stay there, too. The village is a walkable couple of a blocks away, but from here you have open views of those crazy colored limestone mountains that bear-hug the village, awarded one of the most beautiful in France. They grow nearly all their own food in gardens you can walk right up to, in the greenhouse or from surrounding farms. They have lovingly hung hammocks from shady trees around the pasture, perfect for napping between meals, with the cool breeze and donkey honks soothing you to sleep. And only a handful of rooms means you practically have the place to yourself. Since the hotel is built around a Michelin-starred restaurant, expect the rooms to be just as nice… and a price to match. So save up for it because it’s a stay you’ll never forget.

: They grow all their own vegetables, fruits and flowers, right on site. The meat, raised on farms in the surrounding area.

: For Sleepy Time. . . (Donkey used for atmosphere.)

: The view from the Sleepy Time spot. . . (Donkey used for atmosphere.)

: You know when you see a gate like this, it’s gonna be pretty good on the other side. 😳 . . . . . . .

: The dining terrace. . Unfortunately, not a good picture, result of the Noah-esque deluge that dampened my plans for al fresco dining and canyoning and harrowing hiking. But click on the location link above and you’ll see all sorts of happy honeymooners enjoying this magical view in sunnier times. . The inside though, was dreamy: an old arched ceiling farmhouse, dabbled off-white all over, decorated to the 9s with clouds of flowers from the prolific garden, with food handed down from the heavens. As you’d want an Alain Ducasse restaurant to serve. (He later descended by helicopter after my departure, I was txt’d later, which was fitting… and allegorical.) . Alas, not the type of atmosphere to take pics of your food. How gauche. So you’ll just have to come here and experience it. With a cool bottle of sparkly Badoit on your droit. . I don’t like a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants, even when the food is amazing. Too stuffy. Too fancy. Too many endless forks. Gimme lamb cooked with 🔥! . But the mood here is not that. It matches the vibe of an elegant house in the country, which it is, with smiling, friendly waiters that welcome you like elder brothers. Proud to show you the good stuff.

: Just waiting for you…. A proper breakfast in the sunny garden.

: So if you take little details like this and multiply it one thousand times in all the other cool details, that’s what this place is like.

: A proper breakfast in the sunny garden.

: Ummmmmm… guulp.. 😳 This is the prettiest damn bowl I ever done ett out of. Never really saw the need for fancy china before. I think a big broad heavy white restaurant plate and strong flatware is as fancy as any granny patterned stuff. I like white everything. But this beautiful bowl of cafe au lait changed my mind forever. . Wow. Just wow. . Moustiers is treasured worldwide for making the most beautiful, delicate porcelains and ceramics. If you’re into that, this is your place. I’m into it now. La Bastide served breakfast on a different flower every day. Pretty.

: Just waiting for you…. A proper breakfast in the sunny garden.

: Every day, you get a different set of fine Moustiers pottery.

: The entrance to the suite is unassuming on the outside, most people just walk by not noticing. But now you know what’s on the other side. 😳 Gawd, I love a walled compound…

: They have cool rooms tucked into buildings all over the estate here. Each decorated with its own theme and personality. Like Olives or something. I’ve wanted to come to la Bastide for over a decade and this was finally my chance. I had only a short gap between villa rentals, so because I was booking late, the only thing they had available was. a. suite. 😳 . So I took it. Put all the chips on Red. . It was to die for, so understated and elegant. More like a house than a room, standing off on its own with a sexy gate and a garden of all/only white flowers. (How did they know my favorite thing?) It had the most serene little fountain and napping areas. Sitting on a hilltop, the views of the whole valley opened up below with a patchwork of farms, lavender and wheat. . It was rockstar good. . Wish I could have afforded more than a couple nights. I could live here.

: Some of the rooms of La Bastide are individually decorated in Provençal themes. Like olives. Or almonds. The theme in my room was just elegant, dramatic… understatement. Just the right amount of This. And certainly none of That. You may note a significant amount of pillow coverage. My calculations were 67%. Because 68 would have been too much.