Bastide de la Félicité

There are many lovely houses in Provence, but few so inviting or so interesting as this. From the moment you enter the front gate and drive through the maze-like high hedges of the front garden, you will be aware that you have arrived. Here is special place, created special people with extraordinary talent, good taste and whimsical sense. The house itself is extraordinarily welcoming and comfortable while the garden is as entertaining as it is beautiful. Much sought after for visits by gardeners and horticulturists, the property shows off the whimsy of its owners. No plain vanilla here - the garden has delightful surprises in the least-expected places. From geometric landscaping to secret gardens, to jungle delights, it is a horticultural tour-de-force. Despite being located in one of the most interesting parts of Provence to visit, anyone who stays will want to spend a lot of time right here. The property itself is tough competition for the charms of the local sights at St.Remy, Avignon, Aix, L'Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, Egalières, Beaucaire and Arles. The formal gardens, with their hedgerows and cypress trees, their fountains, sculptures and pools, are eye-catching. From an ivy-covered wooden horse staring over the fence, to the rear of a wooden terrier sticking out of a hole in the ground, to metal sculptures of bulls in the pastures, to a miniature dolls house, delightful eccentric touches abound. What is astounding is that 20 years ago, this was a farmer's field - this beauty has been conjured up as if by magic (and hard work).