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Guide to France

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When to Go

May and June are pleasant and warm; avoid July and August, when the area is busiest. September is crisp and clear across much of France, and temperatures stay in the 60’s.

Getting There

Air France (www.airfrance.com) offers daily flights from Paris to Marseilles, Avignon, and Bordeaux for under $200, or opt for France’s high-speed TGV train (www.tgv.co.uk). The distances between L’Ange et L’Éléphant, Château de Balazuc, and La Quinta des Bambous are easily covered by car, and together they make a nice circuit.

Where to Eat

Le Viel Audon This rustic inn-cum-cooperative has a café on the premises that’s open to visitors. Balazuc; 33-4/75-37-73-80; lunch for two $33.

What to Do

Ardèche

Château de Balazuc Rent a kayak or a canoe and ride the river below the property. Le Fazo; 33-4/75- 37-00-44; www.balazuc-canoe.com; canoe rentals from $49 per day, kayak rentals from $26 per day.

Dordogne

Château des Milandes Tour the historic castle once owned by music hall star Josephine Baker. Castelnaud-La-Chapelle; 33-5/53-59-31-21; www.chateaudesmilandes.com.

Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac Ten acres of hedges and greenery vigorously maintained by traditional French gardening techniques. Salignac; 33-5/53-28-99-71; www.eyrignac.com.

Provence

Musée Frédéric Mistral The Nobel Prize-winning poet’s home in Maillane houses his personal collection of books and photographs. 11 Ave. Lamartine, Maillane; 33-4/90-95-84-19.

Provence markets The Wednesday and Saturday morning markets in Arles, located on Boulevard Émile Combes and Boulevard des Lices, are the best in the region.

Atelier Cézanne Nestled among the landscapes he once painted, Cézanne’s Ste.-Victoire studio is open by appointment to visitors, daily from 10 to 6. 9 Ave. Paul Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence; 33-4/42-21-06-53; www.atelier-cezanne.com.

What to Read

Two Towns in Provence by M.F.K. Fisher (Vintage) illustrates the food and city life in Aix and Marseilles; The Stones of Balazuc by John Merriman (W.W. Norton) catalogs the history of the resilient Ardèche River town; Mes Origines, Mémoires et Récits, by Frédéric Mistral, which recounts Mistral’s childhood and young adulthood, has been translated into English.

Insider Tip

Consider planning your route through the province of Drôme via Nyons, a town known for its namesake olives and appellation d’origine controlée olive oil.

Copyright © 2009, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.