Just Back: Provence — intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com

Barbara A. Noe oversees the creation of National Geographic’s travel books—and every now and again has the opportunity to write them. She recently returned from a trip to Provence and the French Riviera on assignment to update Nat Geo Travel’s guidebook to the region. Memorable moment: The Camargue is storied for its white horses with long flowing tails. I had the opportunity to ride one with veritable gardians (Provençal cowboys) through the romantic manade (ranch) landscape. I’m not a big equestrian, and Caravel, my horse, knew it and took every opportunity to clamber off the trail into the marsh to munch on grass. At one point we entered a bullpen with a long row of horned black bulls eying me curiously. Thankfully, Caravel didn’t throw me to the ground, though I know he was pondering the thought. We clomped through sucking mud, finally finding myself at the edge of Étang de Vaccarés and treated to one of the most glorious scenes I’ve ever seen: the metallic-sparkling water, egrets flitting about. Absolutely breathtaking.

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