Luberon VillaHost™

Angelique

Click here for a conversation with Angelique.

I was born and grew up in a small village near Paris. My grandfather was from the Les Alpilles area of Provence, so each summer I spent time there, discovering all the great spots of Provence like St. Remy de Provence, Salon de Provence, Avignon and Aix en Provence.

One of my earliest and fondest memories of the region is that in Provence when you say "Bonjour" to a shopkeeper, they always respond like a friend, something very different from Paris and other cities in France.

I have a degree from hotel school and worked as a concierge in hotels in Paris and St. Tropez before my roots kept calling me back to my wonderful summer days in Provence. Along the way I met and married a brilliant chef, who has worked in a three Michelin starred restaurant, and can offer cooking lessons or act as a chef for A Season Away clients! (As they say in French, "Pas mal" or "Not bad!")

I have a simple goal as a VillaHost: make your stay exceptional by showing you the hidden Provence, whether in Les Alpilles or the neighboring Luberon. Since everyone is different, my job is to figure out what the guests are looking for and deliver a great experience in culture, art, gastronomy, wine, shopping and more.

I also want you to know that the VillaHosting experience is a two-way street: I get as much pleasure out of showing you "my" Provence as you do in discovering it! The way Americans love Provence makes me realize how lucky I am to live here all the time.

I have two small vignettes for you:

• A while back we organized cooking lessons. It was supposed to be only for women, because the men said that they had "better" things to do. Within 20 minutes of the chef starting the lesson, the men came, took a table of their own and worked harder than the women! In France, most of the best chefs are still men, so it is no surprise they enjoyed themselves!
• Several years ago a guest was coming with his daughters and asked if we could find some French children to organize a "play date" with his kids. My daughter was one of the “French” children and do you know... several years later they still see each other each summer on holiday, fast friends.