Driving in Provence

The beauty of Gordes

Sun makes all the difference and while we did have some good stretches of clear sky and sun, the kids didn't quite make it into the pool at Le Medievale. Instead of the sun-soaked Provence we had read about and were hoping for, we crisscrossed our way daily, visiting a rain-drenched Provence. If only I had a nickel for every time a local told us 'il ne pleut jamais come ca en Provence'. I now know how the Quarins felt when we told them it never rains like this in Nice when they came to visit back in March. 

Winery in Chateauneuf du Pape

Rain or shine, we set out each morning in a different direction guided mostly by where local markets were being held. The kids would ask 'where are we going today' and I would respond 'who knows, wherever the car decides to take us'. And after 5 days and hundreds of kilometers later we visited much of Provence hitting all of the highlights and then some.

No description needed!!

From Avignon, to Carpentras, Apt and Gordes, Bonnieux to L'Isle-sur-la Sorgues, Roussillon, Fontaine de Vaucluse to Chateauneuf du Pape and countless villages in between we weaved our way through the area stopping in to stroll the streets, visit the markets, sit at cafes and enjoy some wine.  

The brilliance of Roussillon

While each town provided something different (as well as the countless gift shops all offering more or less the same things) the view of Gordes on the road into town along with the brilliant tapestry and range of colours of the rock formations of the ochre mines of Roussillon stood out. We visited Roussillon twice but were unable to take the one hour walk through the 'sentier de ochre' due to thunderstorms and heavy rain each visit. The deep red, golden yellow and burnt orange of the ochre rock formations were fascinating and worth going back for. 

Helping ourselves to
some cherries

For me the highlight of Provence however, was the driving. Each kilometer seemed to bring something new to tantalize the eyes. The vibrant red of plump cherries bursting from trees, the bright green of vineyards all lined up with such precision for as far as the eye can see, the brilliance of the yellow ginestre flower in full bloom and the silvery blue and green olive trees dotting le paysage made the drive enjoyable.

Canopy of the chene

Fields of flowering poppies and rows of early blooming lavender provided perfect opportunities to pull over and snap a few photos. I loved zipping through narrow country roads under a canopy of century old speckled chene trees or between stone fences lining the perimeter of country estates. There was always something just around the bend or in the distance to catch our attention or evoke a comment.


Sal

Looking down upon the
Abbey of  Senanque in Gordes

Elegance of the Abbey courtyard