Our guidebook recommended Ferme Castelas under the heading: "Live a Dream," which is the most…read moreappropriate phrase I can think of for our meal here. Eating here is a surreal experience. First, there is the drive. You will climb to a remote corner of the Luberon, passing through a mid-size village (Apt) to a small village (Saignon) to a much smaller village (Sivergues) before you abandon the paved road altogether and head up into the mountains on a dirt road. At the end of this dirt road you will encounter a magical place: an old stone farmhouse sitting on a hillside that drops away with views of much of the Luberon. If you get there early you will have time to admire this view in the shade of large old trees, and eventually you will be joined by a herd of goats that scamper out of the nearby forest to share the shade with you. When dinner is served the goats will follow you to the long, communal tables where they will eyeball you for the rest of the meal. Here at the table you will be spoiled with wine and sangria, starters of roast vegetables and thinly sliced ham. Then will come the sumptuous main course of roast pork and potatoes. Perhaps you think you are as full as can be, until the servers come out with platters of beautiful cheeses (at which point, you can thank the goats). And then, as the sun sets over the Luberon, you can enjoy the show with coffee and a chocolate dessert.
It was an experience to be grateful for. We also had the extreme good luck of sitting with a local family from Sivergues who eat at the farm regularly. Despite our near-total language barrier, they were the finest company, and they did what they could to tell us all about their little corner of Provence. The place, the food, the views, the company...in a trip filled with memorable meals, this one will forever stand out in my mind. And to top it off? It was one of the least expensive.
