If you choose Trip My France to create your next travel in France, there is a high chance you meet Sophie: read the portrait of one of our best guide in Provence.
When you decide to spend your vacation in an unknown land, hiring a tour guide is very helpful. The latter can make you discover the essentials of the destination. But also act as an interpreter in case you do not master the local language.
I grew up in Provence. My sister and I had the luck to enjoy living in Provence. We have a big family so we have relatives in Camargue close to Arles but also in Côte d’Azur so we discovered many places all along our lives. We wanted to share that knowledge and beauty with travelers coming to visit our region and help them live with the lifestyle of the South of France. That is why in 2008 we had the idea to create our company to guide people all around Provence and even France. There are so many places that we enjoy showing to guests and explain the different ways people live in the different parts of Provence.
The Covid-19 didn’t really change the way we organize tour, but we ask people to respect the mandatory process by the Government. We are extremely careful when we clean our van, using cleaning products to properly disinfect it. Passengers and drivers have to wear masks when in the car and also use hydro alcoholic gel provided by us. Before any visits we check the sanitary rules on sites and even with all those conditions, we can still fully enjoy all the great tourist attractions.
I have no specific place in mind, I love all of them for their uniqueness but sometimes I enjoy some peculiar places depending on the seasons, like when the lavenders blossom, it’s the right time to go to Sault or Valensole to fully enjoy the lavender fields.
They always tend to forget places that are not on the tourist guide, such as the North of Provence, hidden places like the Alpes of Haute Provence that is just so beautiful.
For me, a tour guide is someone who should be very passionate by their area of expertise and like to share their knowledge and understand what people like to do and listen to their guests’ wishes, so they can give them the very best experience in the region and remember forever what a wonderful and fun time they had here.
In Provence, the cooking is very varied and delicious, so I enjoy almost all the local dishes, but there are some that bring back some old memories, like “Soupe au Pistou”. It is a special Provençal dish because each family has their own slightly different recipe and it’s always the best to them. It’s a family tradition to pass on the recipe and it’s not easy to find that dish in a restaurant as it takes a lot of time to cook and it usually brings the family together to make it, and then eat it! Another dish that is special to me is of course “Bouillabaisse”. This one is easy to find around Marseille and people can enjoy a good Bouillabaisse at the restaurant. This dish reminds me of my aunt that I visited during family holidays and she was the best to cooking it.
All the tours are memorable to me, it is a moment of sharing and closeness with all the different visitors and trips that are all unique in their own way. Sometimes I can even find the time to take pictures of beautiful places during a sunset, find the perfect spot or shopping at the market with them, a regular tour can turn into a unique one depending on the traveler’s preferences when we get the occasion to.
There are so many experiences that are worth in my region, like visiting the beautiful “Carrières de Lumières”, making a trip in the Calanques de Marseille, enjoy the landscapes of Camargue but most importantly take your time to discover all the things Provence has to offer.
If you wish to discover this beautiful South of France, please check our website as we have plenty of great itineraries that can be customized in Provence.
Also, if you enjoyed this portrait of one of our best guide in Provence, please check out one of my interview with, Sarah, one of our greatest guide in NORMANDY!