Viens

From Viens, just west of Apt, you can see the Alps, even on a misty day. Cliffs drops sheer from the east walls of this tiny medieval village to a valley that marks the border between the Vaucluse district and the mountains of Haute Provence. And although Viens is no more than 20 kilometres from the luscious vegetable market at Apt, the cooking of its auberge Chez Bouquet has its roots in the rough and warming country food of the Provençal Alps. Madame Aline Bouquet and her daughter Pascale continue the tradition of ‘cuisine familiale’ that began when Monsieur Bouquet’s mother was patronne. ‘Don’t call it haute cuisine’, said Paul Bouquet, ‘it’s just good home cooking.’