Two weeks en Provence….
googlemapping through small hill top villages with no set plans
September 25-26: La Ferme de la Huppe, Provence (Tues and Wed night)
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| La Ferme de la Huppenestled |
We reluctantly left Charembeau and drove 3-4 hours to another peaceful 18thcentury farm house (built 1776) consisting of 10 rooms called La Ferme de la Huppenestled in the Luberon mountains nearby Gordes.
We had lunch here and of course I had cheese
and I’m not quite sure what John had but will include a picture of his artful meal.
This place was very calm and meditative named after a bird living in the mulberry tree at the entrance to the restaurant. Our room called La Cambrawas spectacular with a claw foot tub and beautiful stone wall.
We had lunch here and of course I had cheese
and I’m not quite sure what John had but will include a picture of his artful meal.
This place was very calm and meditative named after a bird living in the mulberry tree at the entrance to the restaurant. Our room called La Cambrawas spectacular with a claw foot tub and beautiful stone wall.
After our late lunch we drove to the hilltop village of Gordes, known as a commune a few miles away with apopulation 2000. Its houses and building of white stone are carved out of the cliff of the mountain.
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| Gordes |
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| Main Square in Gordes on a slant |
When we drove in at sunset I exclaimed at the beauty of the city looking magical in the sunset telling John it was one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever seen. He laughed saying we had seen many other amazing sites but I really meant it and that scene is now engraved in my memory as much as seeing the Buddhist Bhutan monastery peaking out of the mountains over 10 years ago. My only regret is not getting that picture to share with others. When 2 days later we returned to stay at the Bastide de Gordes hotel I was never quite able to capture the light on the village in the same way.
I am sorry.
Goult:The next day (Wednesday) using google as our guide we explored the small hilltop village of Goult, only to return on Thursday for their weekly morning market. Goult has also been restored with care with picturesque streets, amazing stone walls and views of the landscapes with cultivated terraces and vineyards surrounding this hillside village.
While tempted to stop for cappuccino here we headed for Roussillon, another amazing surprise.
This hilltop village is said to be one of the “must see” in the Luberon and we loved it. It is situated in the heart of the one of the biggest ochre deposits in the world and is famous for its red cliffs and ochre quarries. We took a hike into one of the quarries and I loved the contrasts in colors between the shades of orange, red, yellow and pink in contrast to the dark green pine trees. It was a photographers’ paradise and I could easily have spent the day here taking pictures. I would like to have been there at sunset to capture the light in this magical place. The streets lined with ochre colored walls are wonderful.
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| Bought marzipan from this man in Goult |
While tempted to stop for cappuccino here we headed for Roussillon, another amazing surprise.
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| Roussillon |
This hilltop village is said to be one of the “must see” in the Luberon and we loved it. It is situated in the heart of the one of the biggest ochre deposits in the world and is famous for its red cliffs and ochre quarries. We took a hike into one of the quarries and I loved the contrasts in colors between the shades of orange, red, yellow and pink in contrast to the dark green pine trees. It was a photographers’ paradise and I could easily have spent the day here taking pictures. I would like to have been there at sunset to capture the light in this magical place. The streets lined with ochre colored walls are wonderful.
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| our lunch spot |
September 27-28: La Bastide de Gordes Hotel, Gordes, Goult, Bonnieux and Minerbes (Thurs and Friday)
Thursday we moved out of La Ferme and went back to Goult for the morning market and a cappuccino. Next we went to Bonnieux, another hillside Luberon village (population 1800) and we climbed the 86 stone steps to the top to see the church. Here was a beautiful view of the villages of Gordes and Roussillon.
The houses were more earth-toned colors compared to the red of Roussillon and dated back to the 17thand 18thcentury. The landscape included olive trees, lavender plants and grape vines. Apparently this village once belonged to the Popes and several bishops chose to live here.
The houses were more earth-toned colors compared to the red of Roussillon and dated back to the 17thand 18thcentury. The landscape included olive trees, lavender plants and grape vines. Apparently this village once belonged to the Popes and several bishops chose to live here.
Moving on from here we went to Menerbes, a walled village on a mountain top at the foothills of the French Alps, for lunch. (population 1100) While we didn’t run into Peter Mayle, we did find a wallet in the parking lot lost by a New York tourist. Based on his license picture and Nexus card we caroused the restaurants hoping to locate him. We would stop men who looked 60 years old, were bald, spoke English and asked them their name. Since that sleuth work was not productive and we seemed a bit strange, over lunch we worked the internet to determine this man’s New York email or phone number. Eventually we found his work location and called his secretary to tell her we were giving his wallet to the local office. Success! We also had a wonderful lunch outside on a terrace with another spectacular view.
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| Bastide de Gordes Hotel |
Back to check into our new hotel in Gordes, the beautiful Bastide de Gordes, in time for a drink on the balcony with yet another amazing view of Gordes as we had done the night before.
I have to confess that the backdrop to Thursday was the stressful Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford interviews which we watched in their entirety. I found it distressing due to my own personal Me-Too childhood experience and needed to leave the hotel room to walk the town to calm down. I have enjoyed this break from what is going on in US.
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| Lisle-sur-la-Sorgue |
On Friday morning we met a couple who had been sitting next to us on the balcony the night before watching the view. When we asked them where they were going they said they were driving to L’isle-sur-la-Sorguefor lunch as they had been there before and thought it was an amazing place. Since they were Canadian from a nearby town where I grew up in Ontario, we struck up a conversation and decided we would change our plans to go there as well. This was a great decision. This island town is known for its antiques stores and markets, plus its waterwheels of the Sorgue river. Canals run between the narrow streets and there are great mossy waterwheels turning in the river.
While we didn’t do any antique hunting we did enjoy enjoy sauntering around this village and having lunch in a cute outdoor garden.
Afterwards we returned to Gordes where John biked to an abbey while I swam in the beautiful hotel pool with amazing views.
While we didn’t do any antique hunting we did enjoy enjoy sauntering around this village and having lunch in a cute outdoor garden.
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| John's pork dinner |
Afterwards we returned to Gordes where John biked to an abbey while I swam in the beautiful hotel pool with amazing views.
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