Click on photos to enlarge image
All text and graphics ©2007 Just France

LA BASTIDE FLEURIE

The beauty of La Bastide Fleurie doesn't strike the visitor all at once, like some houses that are draped in marble, festooned with luxury amenities and seem as if they were furnished from container loads of antiques trucked in from Paris' and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue's finest dealers.

Rather the impression comes on imperceptibly, like a musical chord that is at first unknown, then becomes profoundly pleasing. What becomes apparent is that La Bastide Fleurie - for those accustomed to living well but love the South of France for its soul rather than its glitter - is the closest thing to paradise one may ever find in Provence.

Some properties may have more splendid bathrooms; more splendid views (La Bastide Fleurie's vistas are limited to its lovely park and gardens); or more gorgeous furnishings (though the property has been featured in French interior design magazines). But for a felicitous combination of luxury and authentic Provençal living, the kind of property that sophisticated European travelers envisage when they think of escaping the workplace for a stress-free furlough in the South of France, this beautiful and well appointed old mas is an excellent choice.

The appeal of La Bastide Fleurie is further enhanced by its friendly and energetic caretaker, who occupies a separate house, its entrance not visible from the mas, on the far side of the front courtyard. The caretaker provides housecleaning and prepares breakfast daily except Sunday and holidays. She is also an excellent cook, and with advance notice, her culinary skills are available to guests at extra cost as often as required.

In fact, the only downside to this property is its limited availability - periods of two to four weeks during August and the first half of September.

Much of the charm of this 19th-century mas derives from its unassuming surroundings. Its nearby village, Paradou, is hardly a blip on the D 17 midway between its far better known neighbors, Maussane-les-Alpilles and Fontvieille. But those who study such things know that Paradou is home to Le Bistro du Paradou, still going strong since food critic Patricia Wells put it on the map in the 1980s, and La Petite France, a Michelin one-star restaurant whose summer terrace is as enchanting as its cuisine is wonderful.

La Bastide Fleurie is within walking distance of both restaurants. It is only a 15-minute walk to Paradou itself, a sleepy little Provençal village which has shuffled into the 21st century with little more than the same post office, doctor's office and small grocery store that have been there for decades.

And then there is the unassuming approach to the house itself, whose verdant 2-hectare (about 4.5 acres) terrain is concealed behind a wall of old stone some 3M (about 10') high. Disembarking from the car among a grove of orange trees, the visitor sees the rear façade of the three-story mas, which lies beyond gardens landscaped with lavender, mature fruit trees and beds planted with colorful flowers. To one side, behind an enormous hedge of cypress, is a grove of young olive trees ranged in rows among a carpet of grass. Near it, in another section of the park, one can glimpse a corner of the pool, and the poolhouse. And then, beginning softly and growing as one approaches the mas, there is the sound of running water.

The sound emanates from a narrow channel of water that once turned the wheel of the former mill (le moulin) where textile merchants from Nîmes brought their fabrics to parer le tissu, to be softened, or adouci - a process from which the village of Paradou takes its name. The mill is long gone, but the water flows on, rushing cold and bright from a rock formation at shoulder level, then flowing at a depth of about 300cm (1') in the stone channel that runs along the rear wall of the mas. The murmur of the cool running water is refreshing, and one of the special delights of La Bastide Fleurie.

The formal entrance to the mas is by the front courtyard, where steps lead to a stone porch with balustrade and giant ceramic urns overflowing with flowers. But as is fitting for a house that is so elegant and yet so relaxed, guests generally enter by the kitchen through French doors that open from the plan d'eau, a smaller courtyard centered around a pool and fountain. The courtyard has a long table that will accommodate up to ten, and is idyllic for dining outside. Tucked away overhead are white canvas awnings that can be unfurled in case of rain.

The kitchen is a marvelous room at any time of year, a crossroads where people can be together while meals are being prepared. One large flowing space, it is at once expansive and intimate, modern yet traditional in its décor, bright from natural light and overhead fixtures, yet rich in warm colors and earthy tones. The room is distributed between the working part of the kitchen, which lies along one long wall; a seating area with a sofa and armchairs ranged before a white stone fireplace flanked by bookshelves; and a dining area with an inlaid marble table for up to eight. Doors open from the kitchen onto the living room, to the central hallway, to a pantry and onto the courtyard. It doesn't take long for the kitchen to becomes guests' favorite room in the mas.

Kitchen appliances include an American-style two-door refrigerator with icemaker, four-burner stove, dishwasher and wall oven. Terra cotta tile floors, a beamed ceiling and wood cabinets lend a distinctly Provençal ambiance to the kitchen, as do the large soapstone sink and deep tiled counters. In the adjoining pantry are another two-burner stove, an extra freezer and separate sink area, and a washing machine and separate dryer.

For relaxing indoors there are two comfortable places, one the elegantly decorated formal living room, and the other a less formal sitting room on the other side of the entrance hall. Both are beautifully appointed and traditionally decorated with fine antiques, and both have high ceilings, tile floors accented by oriental rugs, and large windows or French doors that admit abundant natural light.

The living room has three sofas grouped around a stone fireplace, and - hidden in the built-in bookshelves - a full stereo system with CD player. French doors framed by floor-to-ceiling white drapes open directly onto the courtyard. Here and throughout the mas are oil paintings and other tasteful prints and etchings that draw principally on 19th-century French subjects.

The sitting room, which is especially cozy, has a fireplace, comfortable sofa, built-in shelves filled with books in French and English, and a large-screen television with satellite reception, including CNN. Up one step from the room is an office area - perfect for setting up a laptop computer - with an antique desk that faces toward the garden.

The master bedroom suite, which opens off the sitting room, is luxurious to a point that is rare even for fine homes in the South of France. The bedroom has a queen-sized bed, television and lovely antique desk; the adjoining bathroom, brilliantly illuminated from overhead recessed lighting and twice the size of most hotel rooms in Paris, incorporates in different areas a dressing room lined with closets and drawers, separate WC, an exercise room with stationary bike, and a spacious bath area with double vanity. An oversized tub is positioned so as to give the occupant a fine view of the garden. This extraordinary assemblage of creature comforts lacks but one thing - an overhead shower.

From the sitting room a stone staircase leads to a spacious landing on the middle level of the mas. On this level there are three bedrooms, all with high ceilings and each one spacious, furnished with lovely antiques and luminous from large windows that face south toward the front courtyard. Each bedroom also has a built-in closet or large armoire for storage, bedside tables with good reading lamps, and one or more striking antiques such as a chest of drawers or writing desk.

The first upstairs bedroom, which opens off the landing, has a king-sized bed that can be separated into two twins. A small bath with WC, tub and hand-held shower is just across the landing. The second bedroom, which is down three steps from the landing and is entered through an antechamber, has a queen-sized bed that can be divided into two twin beds. Occupants of this bedroom use a small bath with WC and stall shower that is some 3M (about 10') away.

A hallway with a sitting area leads to the third bedroom, an especially attractive room with a queen-sized bed in an antique frame, exquisite armoire and a fireplace in gray marble. The commodious ensuite bath is tiled in white and has a WC and tub with hand-held shower.

A wide wood staircase with railing leads to the upper level and fifth bedroom, which has a queen-sized bed that can be divided into two twin beds, and an ensuite bath with WC and stall shower. This is the most simply furnished of the bedrooms, and is most appropriate for younger people or overnight guests. It is especially bright from a skylight and a large window that has a view over the trees toward the village of Paradou. On the landing outside the bedroom is an interesting gallery of pages from French newspapers of the 1890s.

Some 50M (a meter is about a yard) from the house, beyond another landscaped garden and surrounded by a lawn of soft grass, is the 7M X 12M (23' X 46') pool. The little poolhouse, a miniature piece of Provençal architecture with its beams and terra cotta tile roof, is equipped with a refrigerator, sink, and WC. On the wide flagstone there are parasols and plenty of good-quality wooden deck furniture.

While La Petite France is just an evening stroll away, two more Michelin-rated restaurants are within a short drive ofLa Bastide Fleurie - the one-star La Regalido at Fontvieille, 2 km. to the west, and the two-star L'Oustau de Beaumanière just 4 km. to the north at Les Baux-de-Provence. Fontvieille and Maussane-les-Alpilles, 2 km. to the east, as well as Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a few minutes further to the north, are a treasure trove of well-priced bistros and restaurants with lovely outdoor terraces, most of them worthy of a visit on those rare nights when guests are not enjoying their own meal al fresco atLa Bastide Fleurie.