Luberon Experiences
Our European Experiences trips began with The Luberon Experience, an idea that took form during the time our family lived in the Luberon in 2004 and 2005. We started in a small way with two groups back in September 2006. These first groups included some trusting friends from Knoxville and one friend’s sister, a wonderful couple from California who knew us through the Slow Travel website, and an adventurous woman from Oregon who discovered us on the internet. Several other friends who were traveling independently in Provence joined us for a few activities during those two weeks.
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These first two trips occurred just a few weeks before the Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe movie “A Good Year” was released. The movie was filmed mostly in the Luberon, and the major filming location was a wine estate just outside our village of Bonnieux. We were in the right place at the right time. While we were in Provence with our groups, we were contacted by a USA Today travel writer working a feature story about the Luberon, Peter Mayle and the movie. The writer Laura Bly and her husband ended up joining our second group for a full day.
We were mentioned in a sidebar to Laura Bly’s article in USA Today, with a link to our brand-new website. What great fortune to have that kind of visibility just a few months after we started our trips! Our May and September 2007 trips filled quickly, and interest continued to grow and develop from that beginning.
We’ve now hosted 14 groups in the Luberon (130 people), including two all-women groups. Each group has been unique, mostly because of the incredible people that have been inspired to travel with us. We’ve formed new friendships with people from all over the USA and from Australia, Canada and now New Zealand. Although our focus is experiencing the Luberon, the village of Bonnieux, and the culture of Provence, the group is also a very important part of the travel experience.
Our trips are very much enriched by the involvement of many good friends in the Luberon, some of whom have been supporters of The Luberon Experience since those first two groups. Local people really enjoy our groups! The Luberon Experience week continues to evolve and change, as we adjust daily plans, include different restaurants, add new experiences, and take advantage of special opportunities. We also try to plan the week based on the interests of each group.
We always look forward to returning to the Luberon. And we’re always excited about meeting each new group and sharing this very special area with them!