We’re a young French / Kiwi family who love nature and love travelling. We moved into Grand Vallon de L’Aigle in 2019 and are making our way to building the property of our dreams in the area of our dreams.
Welcome to the Xavier family
LÉGION ÉTRANGÈRE – Puyloubier
At the end of Chemin de la Palliere, the road leading out of the Puyloubier past the school you will find the Institution des Invalides de la Legion Etrangere. This property is open to the public and is worth a visit.
The History
The Légion Étrangère – French Foreign Legion – is a legendary French military unit made up foreign recruits willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. Founded in 1831, the legion is the only part of the French military that does not swear allegiance to France, but to the Foreign Legion itself. Any soldier who gets wounded during battle for France can immediately apply to be a French citizen under a provision known as “Francais par le sang versé” (“French by spilled blood”).
And when they arrive in france to retire, or to recuperate the soldiers come to the Institution des Invalides de la Legion Etrangere in Puyloubier to recouperate or to grow old and to continue to live, in Honneur et Fidélité to the legion.
Domain Captain Danjou
The property is 240 hectares situated at the toe of the Mont Saint Victoire. The bastide and castle date back to the 10th century, the castle being reconstructed in the 19th century. The property can house over 120 soldiers at a time and there are various programs to help rehabilitate and involve soldiers in practical chores such as looking after the vineyards, ceramics, olive harvesting, and maintenance chores.
The domaine is named after Capitaine Jean Danjou a legendary legionnaire who lost a hand when his musket exploded. He designed a wooden prosthetic hand, which he used for the rest of his life. He is famous for his outnumbered stand at the Battle of Camaron in Mexico.
At 1 a.m. on 30 April, the 3rd company was on its way, with three officers and 62 men. At 7 a.m., after a 15 miles (24 km) march, it stopped rest. Soon after, a Mexican force of 3,000 soldiers (800 cavalry and 2,200 infantry) was spotted.
Danjou decided to make a stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, an inn protected by a 10-foot (3-meter) high wall. His plan was to tie up the enemy forces to prevent any attacks on the nearby convoy. While the legionnaires prepared a defense of the inn, the Mexican commander, Colonel Milan, demanded that Danjou and his men surrender, pointing out the fact that the Mexican Army was greatly superior in number. Danjou went around to each of his men with a bottle of wine and made them all take a solemn oath not to surrender.
At noon, Danjou was shot in the chest and died. His soldiers continued to fight until 6 p.m. despite overwhelming odds and extreme heat. The 60 men, who had had nothing to eat or drink since the day before, resisted many charges of the Mexican army. The last five survivors were all down to their very last bullet. Instead of dishonoring themselves, they decided to charge with fixed bayonets. When they did, the Mexican commander ordered his troops to cease fire. Out of admiration for their courage, he spared the surviving men and allowed them to form an honour guard for the body of Captaine Danjou. They were released to return to France. This story has become legendary in French military history.
Danjou was buried on 3 May 1863 in Camarón. After the battle, a Mexican named Ramirez discovered and took Danjou’s wooden hand. The hand is the most cherished artifact in Legion history, and the prestige and honor granted to a Legionnaire to carry it on parade in its protective case is among the greatest bestowed on a Legionnaire.
What to see and do
The property is well worth a visit. There is a boutique where you can purchase wine and memorabilia, a pub / restaurant that is open on the weekends, and there’s a little mannequin museum where you can see the various uniforms and weapons associated with the legion.
Aside from the organized activities the grounds themselves are lovely and worth an exploration. If you follow the road into the property you will come across the long table under the Platain trees that sits a hundred people. This is a great place to stop for a picnic. Just a little further on from here you will find a little farm where the kids can see various animals such as pigs, fowl and sometimes deer. And lastly if you’re lucky and attentive you may come across the resident peacocks that live high in the pine trees on the property.
les meilleurs Restaurants de Trets
As can be expected there is a wealth of good restaurants in the area, and handful of excellent restaurants and a whole bunch of decent restaurants. In our last post we covered the restaurants in Puyloubier. This post covers the restaurants in Trets. Each of these reviews are written from personal experience. With a French version of the each review following in italics.
Francais: Comme on peut s’y attendre, il y a une multitude de bons restaurants dans la région, et une poignée d’excellents restaurants et tout un tas de restaurants décents. Dans notre dernier billet, nous avons couvert les restaurants de Puyloubier. Le présent article traite des restaurants de Trets. Chacune de ces critiques est écrite à partir d’une expérience personnelle.
Daisuki, 24 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 13530 Trets
A little gem of a restaurant. Daisuki is a high quality Japanese restaurant offering a traditional sushi menu. Designed with traditional decor to match the menu, Daisuki is owned and operated by a family one half french and one half Japanese.
The father and son chef team produce the sushi fresh at their sushi bar with great ingredients. It’s a little on the pricey side, to take the whole family, but worth it if you’re a lover of Japanese cuisine.
Francais: Un petit bijou de restaurant. Daisuki est un restaurant japonais de grande qualité qui propose un menu de sushi traditionnel. Conçu avec un décor traditionnel pour correspondre au menu, Daisuki est détenu et géré par une famille moitié française et moitié japonaise.
L’équipe du chef père et fils produit des sushis frais dans leur bar à sushis avec des ingrédients de qualité. C’est un peu cher, pour toute la famille, mais ça vaut le coup si vous êtes un amoureux de la cuisine japonaise.
+33(0)984530507
Sur le Cours, 26 Boulevard de la République, 13530 Trets
Sur le Cours is a good quality traditional french bistrot in the center of Trets. The menu is typical of a village bistrot and the prices are reasonable. There highlight of this restaurant is the terrace outside the front that provides for dinning outside – the only downside of this is that the local bar is just across the road. The staff are generally very pleasant and we’ve always had a good meal here.
Francais: Sur le Cours est un bistrot traditionnel français de bonne qualité au centre de Trets. Le menu est typique d’un bistrot de village et les prix sont raisonnables. Le point fort de ce restaurant est la terrasse extérieure qui permet de dîner à l’extérieur – le seul inconvénient est que le bar local se trouve juste de l’autre côté de la route. Le personnel est généralement très agréable et nous avons toujours pris un bon repas ici.
+33(0)615980548
Le Safran, 14 Avenue Mirabeau, 13530 Trets
Le Safran is another decent restaurant for the price. They also have a nice terrace which is great in good weather. The menu changes frequently and is a little more experiemental than some of the other options and they list themselves as having vegetarian options. The team are generally friendly and welcoming and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a restaurant in Trets.
Francais; Le Safran est un autre restaurant décent pour le prix. Ils ont également une belle terrasse qui est très agréable par beau temps. Le menu change fréquemment et est un peu plus expérimental que certaines autres options. L’équipe est généralement amicale et accueillante et cela vaut vraiment le coup de visiter si vous cherchez un restaurant à Trets.
http://www.lesafran-restaurant.com/
+33(0)442549788
AYKI Libanais Arménien, 1 Route de Saint-Maximin, 13530 Trets
If you’re looking for something a little more specifically Mediterranean then AYKI Libanais Armenien is a good option. Their menu has a good selection of small plates such as taboule and houmous and then they also have mixed plates with a mixture of sides and meats. The restaurant is tucked away behind one of the main roundabouts in Trets and so if you have trouble finding parking there is a large parking space 2 minutes walk away just off the roundabout towards the center of town.
Francais: Si vous cherchez quelque chose d’un peu plus spécifiquement méditerranéen, alors AYKI Libanais arménien est une bonne option. Leur menu propose une bonne sélection de petites assiettes telles que le taboulé et le houmous, ainsi que des assiettes mixtes avec un mélange d’accompagnements et de viandes. Le restaurant est situé derrière l’un des principaux ronds-points de Trets. Si vous avez des difficultés à vous garer, il y a une grande place de parking à deux minutes de marche, juste à côté du rond-point en direction du centre ville.
Restaurants in Puyloubier
France is known for its good food and Provence for it’s outdoor dining and on both these fronts Puyloubier will not disappoint. Although only a village of 2000 people Puyoubier has several options for dinning out. Here’s our take on those options.
La Place, Puyloubier
The unofficial / official café and restaurant of the village of Puyloubier, La Place can be found in the central square of the village. With a traditional menu with Mediterranean accents the food is good for a local restaurant and much of the ingredients are sourced locally.
The highlight of this restaurant is the setting – you can’t get much more authentic than the sqaure in the middle of the village under the Plantain trees. The restaurant is open for lunch on Monday and Tuesday, close Wednesday and then open for lunch and dinner Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It’s a important to make a reservation as the restaurant and the bar are often full of locals on the weekends. Family atmosphere reasonably priced.
Les Serments, Rue Qui Monte, Puyloubier
For those looking for something a little more haute cuisine, there is “les Serments” 1 minute walk from the center of town. Known regionally for it’s quality, Les Serments is run by Chef Jean Sebastien Gentil a well renowned chef.
The setting is idealic with a dreamy garden space on one side and a traditional inside dinning area for those cooler evenings. The menu is unique and exciting and changes according to availability of ingredients. There is not kids menu, and so we generally don’t recommend taking the whole family.
Les Serments is a little more expensive but is well worth the cost. You will have a taste experience that you’ll remember for a long time. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through to Sunday, reservations recommended.
https://www.restaurant-sarments.com/
Le Relais de Saint Ser, Avenue Paul Cézanne, Puyloubier
3 minutes drive from Puyloubier along the road that traverses the base of the Sainte Victoire you will find the Relais de Saint Ser. One part hotel and one part restaurant, the Relais de Saint Ser can not be beaten for it’s views over the valley. This restaurant is a favourite for sunset “apero”.
Set in a 17th century farmhouse the Hotel is tastefully decorated. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, Lunch only on Sunday and is closed on Monday.
https://www.relaisdesaintser.com/
Food Trucks
There are two food trucks in Puyloubier that
Pakyz Pizza – Traditional Pizza in wood fired oven
Avenue Henri Froidfond, 13114 Puyloubier
(At the entrance to the village from the Trets road)
Open everyday 17h30 to 22h00 except Monday
Il Camion Italiano – Italian food and Pasta
Avenue d’Aix, 13114 Puyloubier
(opposite the cave at the entrance of the village from Rousset)
Open everyday for Lunch & Dinner except Sunday only Dinner.
Walks: Chapelle Saint Ser
Nestled in the steep rocks on the southeast side of Sainte-Victoire, the hermitage is located halfway up the famous mountain. This craggy place is accessible on foot, a half-hour walk from the D17 road. The site offers a splendid view of the wide valley of the Arc facing it.
It’s an easy well marked walk for the whole family, taking about 30 minutes from the Saint Ser Car Park up to the Chapelle. There are picnic tables when you arrive and a a super viewing platform to look over the whole valley. It’s a pretty spectacular walk and can sometimes be pretty busy on the weekends. We’d recommend going early in the mornings.
There is a walk that continues from the Chapelle up to the summit of the Peak des Mouches, but we’d recommend this for those with some hiking experience as there are two chain sections not for the faint of heart.
History
It is a small chapel built in homage to the character of Saint-Ser, a hermit who lived in this place in the 6th century. According to legend, in the 5th century, the hermit known then as SERVUS DEI (Servant of God) lived in a cave on the south face of the Sainte-Victoire, not far from Puyloubier. The Christians of the region came to pay homage to him, which irritated the King of the Visigoths, Euric, who had his ears cut off and had him beheaded. He was buried there.
Legend also has it that he had three daughters, Sainte-Consorce (called Sainte-Confosse), venerated at Jouques, Sainte-Victoire and Sainte-Perpétu, as can be seen from the panels painted in the 17th century in the chapel of Sainte-Victoire in Pertuis.
A pilgrimage has been organized there every year since the 14th century, and continues every Whit Monday, to commemorate his martyrdom and in remembrance of his talents as a healer against deafness. The tradition of his memory was passed on under the name of SAINT-SER and the chapel was built and consecrated by the Bishop of Aix-en-Provence in the year 1001.
In 1993, the chapel collapsed as a result of a rock fall; restoration work was undertaken and completed in 2001, and it was blessed again on the occasion of its millennium. This event attracted considerable public support, and was widely reported in the media and marked by the issue of a postage stamp.
Vallon de l'Aigle 