We knew we were in for something very special as we watched the huge wrought iron gates swing silently open to give us entrance to Mas de Pampres. We (my Wife and I from Olympia, Wa, my wife's brother and his wife from Eldorado Hills, Ca, my son and his wife from Providence RI and my daughter and her husband from Seattle, Wa) came to celebrate (a few months early) my 80th birthday. what a wonderful choice of place for all of us to come together!
With more bedrooms than we needed, each en suite, a kitchen better than that of most chef's, a completely stocked dining room with dishes and glassware for more than a dozen guests was more than we could have hoped for. We cooked and ate in virtually every night for the week we were there.
We were greeted by Mireille Taton, our hostess who provided us with a delicious onion, sardine and olive tart and a fantastic fresh roma quiche, plus assorted bottles of wine and a hugh basket of fresh fruit. What a welcome!
Although we had a couple days of "mistral' winds blowing through the 100 year old plus trees of the Mas, we enjoyed plenty of time sitting outside at the massive garden table munching on local goodies and bottles of local Rose wine, even though it was too chilly during the first week of October (2018) to enjoy the lovely pool.
Cabannes is perfectly located for area sight seeing and we took full advantage of visiting the Luberon to the east and it's beautiful hill towns of Gordes and Rossilion, the Sunday market at Isle d' Sorgue, the Abbey at Notre Dame d'Senanque and it's lavender fields(not in bloom, unfortunately). And a very special day in Le Thor at the Sculpture Gardens, hotel and restaurant started by Poppy and Pierre Salinger (1925-2004), and their personal museum of their interactions with John and Bobby Kennedy. The lunch and visit with Poppy was wonderful and very special.
We also visited to the west of Cabannes with birding in the Camargue, and seeing the flamingos, storks, etc. of Europe, the Pont du Gard, the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the asylum of Van Goge in St Remy and it's Wednesday market and great restaurants, Arles and the Provencal countryside. We hated to leave!
We cannot recommend highly enough the Mas de Pampres, it's staff, the location in Cabannes, the two-three minute walk to fresh pastries each morning and the very friendly and helpful staff at the local Pharmacy. Thank you again Mireille for a wonderful week!