Traveling throughout the mistral is not any straightforward feat. The notoriously chilly and relentlessly fierce northwesterly wind that blows from France’s heartland into the Mediterranean Sea can attain as much as 20 miles per hour, final for a number of days (the document is 65 hours straight), and buffet every little thing in its path when it peaks in the winter and spring. Knowing that, you may surprise: Who in their proper thoughts goes to the South of France in November? Me, that’s who.
As Condé Nast Traveler’s self-appointed France correspondent, I took it upon myself final yr to go to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur area and report on the joys of going in the offseason. I had hoped to spend sunny, crowdless days exploring the space’s scorching spots: the wine cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the painter Cézanne’s previous atelier in Aix-en-Provence, and the harbor eating places of Marseilles. But then I acquired off the high-speed prepare at Avignon, my residence base for the week, and the mistral knocked me off my ft and compelled me again indoors. “Going out?” the mistral mentioned, laughing. “I think not.”
And so I spent most of my 5 nights in city staying at residence in the cozy embrace of one among my new favourite Airbnbs in the South of France: this renovated apartment in Avignon. It’s a supremely stylish area, easy but overflowing with charismatic texture. The cream-colored stone partitions, the excessive ceilings finished in darkish wooden, linen materials on the couch and queen-size mattress in the bed room, and woven seats exuded a powerful sense of place; that is an condominium in an ages-old metropolis with nice historical past, save the baskets from Ikea. But the induction stovetop, Nespresso machine, dishwasher, flat-screen TV geared up with Chromecast, Wi-Fi, washer, electrical towel hotter, and mixture air conditioner-heater—thank goodness for it—saved this abode firmly in the twenty first century. So well-appointed is the area that the host even put collectively a magazine-like information on learn how to function the home equipment. Très stylish!
Just a few issues to notice: There’s no elevator in the constructing and this Airbnb is situated up a flight of stairs on the first flooring, which truly means it’s on the second flooring in American phrases. (Remember: the French rely the floor flooring as “zero.”) The condominium, although properly laid out, continues to be somewhat small; I’d solely advocate this for solo vacationers and {couples}. Families may really feel cramped, however hey, Junior can at all times sleep on the comfy sofa. I actually did after an evening of watching French recreation exhibits and coaching myself to higher perceive the language.