Life as a Provencial

I’m sitting in the patio of a 17th-century farmhouse converted in the mid-20th century into the country residence of Simone Bircheron Jurgens, who added to the space by turning a couple of old stone barns into extra rooms.|

I’m sitting in the patio of a 17th-century farmhouse converted in the mid-20th century into the country residence of Simone Bircheron Jurgens, who added to the space by turning a couple of old stone barns into extra rooms. Her home was eventually upgraded into a spacious and charmingly rustic vacation farmhouse rental that can accommodate a large family or group of friends.

Simone, a former Dior model, purchased the farm following her divorce from Austrian film star Curd Jurgens, who played the villain in at least one James Bond movie. He was a bigger European film star, but also played a variety of sinister German characters in American films, including The Longest Day.

Simone named her place “La Madone.” It is a classic Provencial farm complex of rambling old stone and wood beam structures. There are no fences or gates.

A well-kept natural garden surrounds the main house, which is on a very narrow backroad, just below the picturesque hilltop village of Roussillon. It sits amid a working vineyard, wheat fields and strips of lavender, now in glorious full bloom. We share our abode with the fauna of the countryside, including the furry little loir, a species of dormouse that has big eyes and a long fuzzy tail. They are primarily nocturnal, live in trees and eat fruit. They also like to frolic on the old tile roof of the house - that is until a large owl put an end to their partying a couple of nights ago.

Some very famous human animals also partied here in the past. It is said that Simone hosted many Hollywood stars, including close friends Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, during her residence here.

Aside from the ochre-colored walls of parts of Roussillon on the hill above us, the views are pure Provencial landscapes in all directions - an artist’s dream of golden wheat, emerald green grapevines, brilliant lavender and trees of all shapes and sizes.

The older main house has a big kitchen, in which we prepare meals using ingredients purchased at the many outdoor markets that rotate daily from village to village in this part of Provence.

Local farmers bring in their fresh fruit and vegetables of the season and they are joined by cheese, meat, bread, and every imaginable food product. You cannot diet here. It is impossible.

This has been the place for “les vacances” since the Romans came here around 100 BC. They were in charge for almost 500 years and left lots of interesting ruins, some, like Pont de Gard, in great shape. Augustus Caesar also encouraged his officers to retire here.

Today, there are a lot of Brits and a few Americans with homes in the region, plus tens of thousands of French, European and North American tourists visiting during the summer season.

The countryside looks a lot like Sonoma and Napa Valley, except that the roads, although narrow and winding, are in better shape. While there are lots of vineyards, wine grapes don’t dominate. There are fruit orchards, acres of lavender, wheat, and vegetables of all varieties.

Classic tile-roofed, stone and stucco buildings are packed tightly into medieval hilltop villages, each with at least one centuries-old church at the center. Their narrow streets are a challenge to drive, but become intriguing when we park on the edge of a town and stroll in.

I did check out the Sorgue River where I fished last year, it looked clear and cold, but I didn’t see any trout, and the crowds along most of the fishing spots were discouraging.

Meanwhile, fishing near Sonoma continues on its early summer pattern, where anglers find most action off the coast.

Capt. Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportsfishing is still finding limits of rock fish and lots of lingcod for his clients.

Inside San Francisco Bay, when the wind doesn’t blow, striped bass and halibut fishing is excellent.

This is a good time to head north to the streams near Mt. Shasta.

All reports for the upper Sac, the Fall, Pit, McCloud, and Hat Creek are good.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.