Guess who we met in Provence?

I'll post the story after someone identifies the man on the left with Charley.

Kathy

Peter Mayle??? Do I win a prize if I'm right??



Gail

It's Peter! I met him here in Boston!!!

Wow! I can't wait for the story!

Gail, got it right! It is Peter Mayle. (I'll bring you a prize to the GTG in Brevard.) Mimi, thanks for confirming the identification!

Here's the story.

We took Kelly down to Aix to spend the day at her friend's school. Charley and I stopped in Lourmarin on the way back to enjoy the market, have lunch, poke around the village, and do a hike. We knew that Peter Mayle now lives in Lourmarin. We are both big fans, but Charley is a HUGE Peter Mayle fan. He made the comment that we should look out for Peter Mayle. I was kind of kidding around and almost immediately pointed out one man in the market-- not Peter.

Some 30 minutes later, as we were heading back to find a place for lunch at one of the cafes in the square, Charley said "Be sure to keep an eye out for Peter Mayle." I looked up and said, "He's right there." And he was-- sitting at a table in conversation with another man.

Now I would have just moved on-- in fact, I did. I had read in one of his later books that fans hounded him after the publication of A Year in Provence and that he had even moved to America for a while to get away. But Charley wanted to wait and see if there was an opportunity to meet him. I decided to walk around the village and left Charley there. (See the photo below of Charley waiting and watching-- with P. Mayle at the table at the cafe.) About ten minutes later I returned to see Charley in conversation with Mr. Mayle. I joined them, apologetic for intruding. And of course, then I was a blithering fan, telling him how his books had impacted our interest in Provence and the change in our lives.

Peter Mayle was very gracious and friendly to us... asked us several questions.... and gave us several suggestions of good places to eat in the village. He said he was working on another book. Charley asked for a photo, which I took and which fortunately did turn out! (I was too embarrassed to ask the other man to take one with me in it too.)

Charley said he wasn't going to approach him, but that several other people went up to him, and so finally Charley decided to also. Over the next hour or so as we were eating outside at the Cafe de l'Ormeau, we noticed him visiting with several other people at the varous cafes on that square.

So, finally-- we did meet Peter Mayle! Kind of an exciting experience really!

Kathy

My meeting was sort of sad in a way. It was 1999. He came to Boston to read from his latest book, "encore Provence." It was at the beautiful old Exeter Threater that was at that time Waterstone's Books. But they were in chapter 11 or simply leaving town. Most of the shelves were bare and only a handful of us there to see and hear him. The good part I got to have a long chat with him when he signed my book.

Kathy, love the picture. Charley looks like a stalker . Guess he WAS!

My neighbor is a travel writer and she and her husband are going to Provence this spring. She told me at lunch last week that she is set up with an interview with Peter. She and another couple we know are staying in Loumarin.

I think it's fun to see famous people and wonder what they are doing in "your world". Last Thursday I had lunch next to a young actress (and her boyfriend) who used to be on Alley McBeal. It was just one of our small local cafes and I couldn't believe it was really her....I kept looking out of the corner of my eye. After she left, someone else told me she's on a soap opera now. No one bothered her, but inquiring minds wanted to know what she was doing in Roswell!

Can't wait for my prize....

Gail

quote:

gave us several suggestions of good places to eat in the village

Yes? And what were they?

Good for Charley. I'm sure I would have been like you and not approached him, Kathy, but it's great that Charley did. He sounds like a very nice man. I'm going to have a whole week in Lourmarin so I'll definitely keep an eye out for him.

Someone else on the message board took a photo of him on that same square not too long ago. I don't remember who, but I remember Mayle was sitting in the sun with a red scarf.

Chris, the other person who saw Peter Mayle in Lourmarin was DaveS and here's his post with a link to his photo. And yes, it's in that same square, though a different cafe.

Dave, by the way, was the person who rented La Bastide Vieille before we went there to live. And, also by the way, the owners of La Bastide Vieille wrote us two weeks ago to confirm that they have a buyer for the house. They are going to buy an apartment on the coast, which will be a much less complicated lifestyle. We do feel a bit sad about all this... mainly sad that we couldn't buy the house we loved so much!! But of course happy for our friends...

Peter Mayle recommended the Cafe de la Fontaine (where he was sitting), the Cafe de l'Ormeau (where we ended up eating), and L'Antiquaire, which you and teaberry also like so much. We went back to Lourmarin on Sunday afternoon and had lunch outside at L'Ormeau for Charley's birthday with a group of friends. That square was a very busy place on a Sunday afternoon in March!

Kathy

What a lovely and unexpected surprise for you both. Pierre Cardin on one visit, Peter Mayle on this one.

You really never know who you'll meet in Provence!

We grabbed a cafe at the de la Fontaine one morning, and just loved all the sidewalk atmosphere.

Your photos are wonderful, Kathy, and this day truly sounds like a highlight.

I love that square! It's lovely in the morning when it catches the sun and just gets better all day long.

I don't think I've ever had anything but coffee and pastry or wine at any of the cafes there though. We'll have to remedy that this trip.

Welcome back, Kathy -- and what a great experience to meet Peter Mayle! I was thinking about you just this weekend, because we finally got around to watching the DVD of "A Good Year." Peter Mayle appeared in the extras section there. I wonder what his opinion was of the movie -- they sure changed a lot about his book.

By the way, Mimi, did you know that the former theatre / bookstore in Boston where you met Peter Mayle is now a Montessori school? A friend of mine is the head there.

Yes, Roz, I lived many years on Newbury St. The old part next door is where we had our neighborhood board meeting at times.

Thank God I get up early in the mornings. I have so enjoyed reading this thread (I'm a big Peter Mayle fan) and some other past ones, of Provence. I am envious of all of you who have been there and I love to follow the posts and hear about your experiences of places I have been reading about for years.

What a way to start your day - Provence...

How exciting and what luck! How cool for you