ONE of the most ingenious stuff to enjoy in Provence this year is to hop aboard a train tour of the Mediterranean province. Or better yet why not go to the Mediterranean itself and take the Mediterranean cruise and look at the stunning view of Provence from the sea. Aside from all the cruising, Provence is also very conducive to learning. People in Provence like the rest of France are deemed as very intellectual people and constant learning is their forte. In September for example, Provence will be hosting the 1st International Conference on Negative Ions, Beams and Sources. This is pretty technical stuff but this science and technology has been used in almost any facet of our daily lives. The conference will be held at the Aquabella Hotel. The Aquabella Hotel.

Another aspect of Provence that is perhaps not known to many is that it has lots of hip joints and pubs where people can wind out and party every night until the wee hours of dawn. There are lots of gay bars here too as Provence is another hot destination of the gay community in northern Europe who want to escape from their colder region into somewhere with a more temperate climate. Cheap local wine called rose is available in these outlets.

Other sites of Provence that are heartening to explore are the historical sites. After all, Provence is part of France, one of the oldest civilizations in Europe where the Frankish tribes ruled in prehistoric times. Thus, we have remnants of historical courtyards seen here. It’s also nice to stroll around Provence on foot to really get a feel on how the place looks like and it helps if you’ll get to converse with the locals as long as you have a little grasp of the French language. Anyway, most people learn a second language such as English, at least the younger ones because it has been European Union policy recently to adapt the mandatory teaching of second language in secondary schools all over the continent. Never be intimidated by Provence folks, they’re really a romantic bunch as all people in France are. It’s even heartwarming to go to the seaside markets where you can get fresh catch such as redfish, grouper, mollusks, clams and lobsters as well as fresh produce inland such as olives, cranberries and other fruits and vegetables. It’s likewise nice to get a taste of the native Provence sweet delicacy known as calisson which is actually made of real melons and oranges.

If you are that religious, you may want to go to St. Sauveur Cathedral where you will not just be entranced by its serenity but its architecture representing three eras – Roman, Provencal and Gothic. Of course, Gothic is mainly a symbol and is not really for practical use as history teaches us that most churches in Europe are splashed with Gothic designs in the olden times to lure in the pagan unbelievers.