Sablet House

17/10/2026

After lunch in Lourmarin, we visited Roussillon and did a brief visit to Gordes and headed back to Sablet by way of the Sénanque Abbey.

Roussillon is a commune in the Vaucluse department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is classified as a Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France).

Roussillon is noted for its large ochre deposits found in the clay surrounding the village. Ochres are pigments ranging from yellow and orange to red.

17/10/2026

Friday morning visit to Lourmarin. Lourmarin is a picturesque village in the South Luberon region of Provence, France. It is officially classified as one of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.

A market is held every Friday morning from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, filling the village squares with material, local cheeses, lavender, olive oil, honey, crafts, and fresh produce.

The pedestrian only historic center is a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets, ivy covered, stone houses with blue shutters, historic fountains, and artisan boutiques.

We began our visit by sitting down for espresso's to fortify ourselves for the walk through of the market area.

10/10/2026

We made a Saturday afternoon visit to the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km from near Uzès to the Roman colony of Nîmes.

It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is one of the best preserved Roman aqueduct bridges. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in 1985.

09/10/2026

After the Matisse/Frida Kahlo program at the Carrières de Lumières, we drove to the village of Paradou to have lunch at our favorite Provençal bistrot.

As it was Friday, Le Bistrot du Paradou served their version of a Provençal aioli. The Bistrot serves a single menu every day, which incudes a starter served family style, main course, a huge cheese board, choice of dessert made by the Bistrot or ice cream, w**e, and coffee.

Dining at Le Bistrot du Paradou is the best experience, first because of great food with generous portions, second, the servers, they are friendly, funny, timely, break out singing on an occasion, the atmosphere, wood beamed ceilings, portraits on the wall, and every table filled with happy diners.

If you have any questions, we love Le Bistrot du Paradou. Shirley mentioned to one of the servers that she loves their Soupe au Pistou. He told her they serve the Pistou at night, but said he would try to get her a couple portions to go. Sure enough, they sent her off with 1/2 bucket of Soupe au Pistou "on the house".

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

Today was a very rainy day in the Vaucluse. So we ended our laid back day with a delicious home cooked dinner. There is nothing better than a meal prepared together with dear friends. Our menu included Sole Meunière, Joel Robuchon mashed potatoes, haricots verts, pan roasted Girolles mushrooms, and a mesclun tomato salad.

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06/10/2026

We made our semi/triannual visit to the Nespresso Boutique in Avignon to stock up on Nespresso pods. Yes, we are aware (one American man we ran into on the street kindly felt the need to make sure we were aware after seeing our Nespresso bags), that we can get them shipped to us at home in US. In turn, we let him know, they are at least 1/2 the price or less, if you buy them at the boutique.

A visit to Avignon is also a great chance to have a nice lunch, today alfresco, at La Grande Brasserie Bib, at Bibendum, a short walk from Place de l'Horloge. The restaurant is operated by Matthieu Desmarest of Pollen (1 Michelin Star) fame.

The weather was great for dining in the large courtyard, service was professional, and dishes were generous and delicious. We both really enjoyed our meal.

To begin, we shared a Sucrine lettuce salad with a hazelnut dressing and parmesan. For main course, Shirley chose the Spelt risotto, with parmesan cheese, wild mushrooms, and hazelnuts. I chose the Free-range chicken supreme with mushrooms and cream. We shared a side of haricots verts.

Desserts are presented tableside in a dessert trolley. Shirley chose the lemon tart and I, the chocolate mousse.

Despite the grand location, food, and restaurant pedigree, prices are very moderate. We can't wait to return.

04/10/2026

For lunch, we dined at Le Comptoir de la Mère Germaine in the center of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We chose to sit at the chef's counter so we could watch the chefs work.

We chose the Pissaladiere from the starters to share. Don't be put off by the fresh anchovies. They were sweet, and not fishy like the anchovies we normally eat.

Shirley chose the Bar fillet with Pistou for her main dish. She loved the preparation. I chose the beef from the rotisserie. It was accompanied by roasted potatoes, zucchini, squash, and roasted oyster mushrooms. Excellent.

I finished with a chocolate fondant cake, very similar to a molten chocolate cake. It was the perfect finish for a chocoholic.

We eat here at least once everytime we come to Sablet and recommend you do too.

-du-Pape # comptoirdelameregermaine

04/10/2026

On our drive from Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we drove the D51 which afforded us a beautiful view of historical Cairanne.

The old village sits on a low hilltop that commands a magnificent view out across the broad landscape of fields and vineyards, with views of other tiny villages scattered out in the distance.

Cairanne is beautifully restored, keeping the feeling of when the Knights Hospitalers lived here in the 12th century.

04/10/2026

This morning we did a walk about through Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde. A small village with a permanent population of fewer than 400 people, Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde, sits on a hill in the Vaucluse Department, on the border of the Drome.

Special sights include the 13th century parish church with walls dating back to the Templars. On the front facade you can see a sun dial and Maltese Cross.

Other sights include the 12 century ruins of the village castle. Only 3 towers remain. We also found the village laundry basin, several fountains, and its memorial to the children of Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde who sacrificed their lives in wars for France.