MONIEUX, France - On a road trip through the south of France last summer, I hoped to find the place I’d come to love from reading Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” and his other books. But I worried that the Provence of my dreams might be over-commercialized and overrun by tourists.

Happily I did find what I was looking for, but not always where I expected it. Yes, I went to the popular tourist jaunts — an amphitheater built by the Romans, a farmer’s market, Paul Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, and Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh painted. But what made Provence so enchanting for me was a triple sensory experience for the eyes, nose and palate — the scenery, scents and food — along with a detour off the beaten path to Monieux, a small town surrounded by lavender fields.

Provence is known for beautiful landscapes of cypress and olive trees amid verdant fields, with medieval towns perched seemingly precariously on hills. Lavender scents the air. And fruits, vegetables and olive oil are so fresh you’re convinced farmers picked or produced them that day. The Cavaillon melon, which looks like a softball-sized cantaloupe and costs around $3 each, is the most luscious melon I have ever tasted.

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