Just as I was recovering from my trip to England, it was time for the next trip already, as Easter weekend was upon us. Provence was our chosen destination – the plan was to meet our good friends Philippe and Aniko there (who were coming from Toulouse).
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So off we set, punching in the name of Roussilon (where we were supposed to stay) into the TomTom. Things didn’t look promising weather-wise, as it started raining around Aix-en-Provence. From there the road took us over the Luberon mountain range (great fun, zigzagging along the twisty roads in pitch dark) to our final destination – Roussilon. We were staying at a Chambre d’Hotes (French version of a bed & breakfast) just outside the village. Having been entertained by stories of the latest escapades of (mostly) Philppe and Aniko over a nice dinner and some good wine, we headed for the room for some well-deserved sleep.
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As we got up a bit before Philippe and Aniko, we decided to take the opportunity to explore the village. Roussillion is famous for its ochre-coloured houses – which comes from the quarries just a couple of kilometers from the village. It was very picturesque indeed – especially as the skies were clear and the sun was shining. After a quick conference over breakfast, we decided to do a bit of trekking. We selected what seemed like a pretty straightforward Canyon walk near Opedette in the Luberon. Obviously, since I am involved, the walk turned out to be anything but straightforward. Things didn’t start particularly well as we didn’t find the start of the walk. But we did find a path, which eventually took us into the canyon. Well, to the bottom of it – which we quite soon realized was a bit beyond our skill or motivational levels. So we doubled back and eventually found a path that followed the rim of the canyon – from where we were treated to some pretty amazing views (a bit like a miniature Gorges de Verdon). The end of the walk was pretty hair-rising, as we had to descend into the depths of the canyon, and up to the other rim (where the car park was) – thanks god for those metal bars along the vertigo-inspiring paths we could cling onto… Once we finally made it, we treated ourselves to some well-deserved beers at the local bar in Opedette.
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After a quick visit to Apt, we headed to the Colorado de Rustel – which is an ochre quarry - for another considerably less sporty walk. A very nice finish for the day – the colours were truly amazing in the fading afternoon sun… Although it has to be said the waterfall was a bit of a disappointment (water stream would be a more appropriate name…). In the evening we had a great meal at a local restaurant in Roussillon, washed down by some local wines…
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We had ambitious plans (which didn’t involve any trekking this time – our feet were still sore from Saturdays adventures) for Sunday, so set off relatively early. We started off by visiting Gordes, one of the most picturesque and famous villages in Provence. Well, it has to be said, it is very pretty, perched on its hilltop. We spent a good while walking around its cobble-stoned streets – only slightly put of by the howling Mistral winds… Having explored the village, we headed for the nearby reconstructed Village de Bories (Bories are ancient stone dwellings originally dating back to 2000 BC), where we spent a while exploring this fascinating aspect of Provencal history…
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In the afternoon, we headed to what is probably the most famous town in Provence, Avignon. It is mostly known for two structures – the Palais des Papes and the Pont St-Benezet (made famous by the song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”). After a quick and very disappointing lunch (that’s what you get for going to the most reasonably-priced restaurants on the main square of one of the most touristy towns in the south of France…) we set about exploring the Palais des Papes, armed with a VERY informative audio-guide (by the end of the tout, my head really did feel like exploding, and naturally I’d already forgotten 90% of what I heard by the time we left the palace). The palace is, of course, where the catholic church was run for nearly 100 years under 7 French popes. To be sure it was a very impressive building, a pity all it has been raided of all furniture and decoration – so on the inside it’s quite plain. Still, it was interesting, and we were treated to some great views from the top. After this, we headed for the Pont St-Benezet, and yet more audio-guide information overload (I mean how much is there to say about one bridge? A lot, as we found out…). To cut a VERY long story short, the bridge was built by a shepherd called Benezet (who had been told to do so by god – hence he became a saint) – and was later made famous by a song.
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As the day was yet young, we decided we had time for a quick detour to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is just 10 kilometers north of Avignon. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is famous for its Cotes-du-Rhones red wines. So naturally we headed straight for the first cave we could find for some wine tasting. The wine was good, but the experience was a bit of a disappointment compared to previous wine-tasting experiences (let’s just say that the lady could’ve made a bit more of an effort…). Well, we did buy a couple of bottles in the end… We finished the night off with another great dinner in Roussillon - followed by a couple of pints in the local bar with the friendly locals.
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On Monday morning we were faced with a somewhat unexpected sight – a snow-covered ground! Having had our breakfast, we checked out and headed off towards today’s destination – an abandoned troglodyte village near Lamanon (in the Alpilles hills, in Southern Provence). After a couple of hours spent exploring the cave dwellings and the surrounding areas, it was time to start making our way back home, after a pleasant lunch in Salon-de-Provence. A nice finish to a very rewarding, if somewhat tiring Easter weekend!
More photos here!
.JPG)
So off we set, punching in the name of Roussilon (where we were supposed to stay) into the TomTom. Things didn’t look promising weather-wise, as it started raining around Aix-en-Provence. From there the road took us over the Luberon mountain range (great fun, zigzagging along the twisty roads in pitch dark) to our final destination – Roussilon. We were staying at a Chambre d’Hotes (French version of a bed & breakfast) just outside the village. Having been entertained by stories of the latest escapades of (mostly) Philppe and Aniko over a nice dinner and some good wine, we headed for the room for some well-deserved sleep..jpg)
As we got up a bit before Philippe and Aniko, we decided to take the opportunity to explore the village. Roussillion is famous for its ochre-coloured houses – which comes from the quarries just a couple of kilometers from the village. It was very picturesque indeed – especially as the skies were clear and the sun was shining. After a quick conference over breakfast, we decided to do a bit of trekking. We selected what seemed like a pretty straightforward Canyon walk near Opedette in the Luberon. Obviously, since I am involved, the walk turned out to be anything but straightforward. Things didn’t start particularly well as we didn’t find the start of the walk. But we did find a path, which eventually took us into the canyon. Well, to the bottom of it – which we quite soon realized was a bit beyond our skill or motivational levels. So we doubled back and eventually found a path that followed the rim of the canyon – from where we were treated to some pretty amazing views (a bit like a miniature Gorges de Verdon). The end of the walk was pretty hair-rising, as we had to descend into the depths of the canyon, and up to the other rim (where the car park was) – thanks god for those metal bars along the vertigo-inspiring paths we could cling onto… Once we finally made it, we treated ourselves to some well-deserved beers at the local bar in Opedette. .JPG)
After a quick visit to Apt, we headed to the Colorado de Rustel – which is an ochre quarry - for another considerably less sporty walk. A very nice finish for the day – the colours were truly amazing in the fading afternoon sun… Although it has to be said the waterfall was a bit of a disappointment (water stream would be a more appropriate name…). In the evening we had a great meal at a local restaurant in Roussillon, washed down by some local wines….jpg)
We had ambitious plans (which didn’t involve any trekking this time – our feet were still sore from Saturdays adventures) for Sunday, so set off relatively early. We started off by visiting Gordes, one of the most picturesque and famous villages in Provence. Well, it has to be said, it is very pretty, perched on its hilltop. We spent a good while walking around its cobble-stoned streets – only slightly put of by the howling Mistral winds… Having explored the village, we headed for the nearby reconstructed Village de Bories (Bories are ancient stone dwellings originally dating back to 2000 BC), where we spent a while exploring this fascinating aspect of Provencal history….JPG)
In the afternoon, we headed to what is probably the most famous town in Provence, Avignon. It is mostly known for two structures – the Palais des Papes and the Pont St-Benezet (made famous by the song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”). After a quick and very disappointing lunch (that’s what you get for going to the most reasonably-priced restaurants on the main square of one of the most touristy towns in the south of France…) we set about exploring the Palais des Papes, armed with a VERY informative audio-guide (by the end of the tout, my head really did feel like exploding, and naturally I’d already forgotten 90% of what I heard by the time we left the palace). The palace is, of course, where the catholic church was run for nearly 100 years under 7 French popes. To be sure it was a very impressive building, a pity all it has been raided of all furniture and decoration – so on the inside it’s quite plain. Still, it was interesting, and we were treated to some great views from the top. After this, we headed for the Pont St-Benezet, and yet more audio-guide information overload (I mean how much is there to say about one bridge? A lot, as we found out…). To cut a VERY long story short, the bridge was built by a shepherd called Benezet (who had been told to do so by god – hence he became a saint) – and was later made famous by a song. .JPG)
As the day was yet young, we decided we had time for a quick detour to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which is just 10 kilometers north of Avignon. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is famous for its Cotes-du-Rhones red wines. So naturally we headed straight for the first cave we could find for some wine tasting. The wine was good, but the experience was a bit of a disappointment compared to previous wine-tasting experiences (let’s just say that the lady could’ve made a bit more of an effort…). Well, we did buy a couple of bottles in the end… We finished the night off with another great dinner in Roussillon - followed by a couple of pints in the local bar with the friendly locals..JPG)
On Monday morning we were faced with a somewhat unexpected sight – a snow-covered ground! Having had our breakfast, we checked out and headed off towards today’s destination – an abandoned troglodyte village near Lamanon (in the Alpilles hills, in Southern Provence). After a couple of hours spent exploring the cave dwellings and the surrounding areas, it was time to start making our way back home, after a pleasant lunch in Salon-de-Provence. A nice finish to a very rewarding, if somewhat tiring Easter weekend!More photos here!
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