Sonal examines an architecture 700 years old, with the walls of the Pope's Palace soaring into the blue skies:
The Pope's palace was our venue for dinner. Could we have had a table with a better view?
Walking back to our hotel as the night skies set in:
A view from my hotel room, overlooking the Rue de la République in Avignon:
Monday is the first test for our walking legs, beginning in the village of Châteauneuf du Pape. The village harbours the Rhône Valley's most prestigous red wines:
After touring the castle ruins at the top of the village and admiring the view, Sue makes her way down the cobbled streets...
...and into the vines. Every usable square foot surrounding the village is laden with Grenache and Syrah, among the 13 varietals allowed within the Appellation of Châteauneuf du Pape:
A well-deserved picnic after a morning's walk: spelt salad, charcuterie, fromage, under the shade of a century-old cedar tree.
With our bellies full of picnic we continue through the vines, passing one wine estate after the other. Pictured below is Château des Fines Roches, built in the late 19th century.
Our reward for walking all day is the visit of Château la Nerthe, whose 16th century cellars make it the oldest wine estate in Châteauneuf du Pape:
But better yet is the wine-tasting. N'est-ce pas Hélène?
After sobering up in the taxi ride we reach our destination for the next two nights: the town of Vaison la Romaine. The ruins of its medieval castle are pictures below. We had them all to ourselves during our visit:
The cobbled streets of town have remained timeless, its 15th and 16th century buildings marvelously intact:
Hélène entering the medieval gates:
Approaching the village belfry, behind which our hotel "Le Beffroi" welcomes guests in its charming rooms:
Dinner at Le Beffoi: tough decisions between the duck and the tenderloin...
The following morning at breakfast with Hélène and David, overlooking the "new" town, and filling up on energy to climb Provence's highest mountain...
...Mont Ventoux. No, it's not in the program. But on the previous day's walk I could see that all were fit enough, and I felt like adding a bit of adventure to this, well, adventure. And so we scrap plans to hike around the vines at lower altitudes and head toward the upper slopes of Mont Ventoux:
David walking upwards on the steady zigzagging path under a canopy of fir, spruce, and larch...
...beyond which all is left is the crunch of our footsteps atop the bare limestone.
But why not add a bit of luxury to adventure, like a molten chocolate cake with crème anglaise as we approach...
... THE SUMMIT !
The following morning we trade mountain for village, and one of the pretties in Provence -- Gordes -- with its golden-stone homes rising in concentric circles up to its renaissance castle, the whole lot perched dizzyingly above the Calavon valley:
Climbing up through the cobbled streets of Gordes:
Our goal, the 12th century Cistercian Abbey of Sénanque, complete with its lavender field? Isn't it a bit early for lavender in bloom. Turns out it was indeed early: in the picture below the purple impostor is actually another type of flower. The picture is still pretty, non?
John admiring the cloister:
And me admiring my chicken at dinner, in the otherworldly Auberge de l'Aiguebrun hotel, our home for the next two nights.
Dinner at the Auberge de l'Aiguebun, 5km from the village of Bonnieux -- but otherwise in the middle of nowhere -- nestled against the Aiguebrun river:
My chalet for the two nights:
The hotel grounds:
Breakfast at the Auberge: all was perfect except the coffee that wasn't served quickly enough, which we almost had to fight over.
Our walk the following morning begins in the picturesque village of Lacoste, where we meander through archways and along centuries-old village streets.
The views from the medieval gates, including Mont Ventoux in the background:
Sue exploring the cobbled streets of Lacoste, crowned by the ruins of the castle of none other than...
... the Marquis de Sade
But we don't believe in sadism -- we prefer hedonism -- eating wood-oven pizzas in the village of Bonnieux for lunch.
After lunch our walk continues, passing wildflowers along the way:
In the afternoon, upon arrival at our hotel, a heated game of pétanque ensues:
And in the evening we are taken to Paula Marty's herb farm where we learn about the uses and medicinal virtues of thyme, rosemary, sage:
Herbs basking in the hot Mediterranean sun, releasing their wonderful essential oils:
And then back to our hotel, where the day-beds await:
The following morning we leave our hotel by foot to reach the 3000 year-old Buoux fort. Sonal can't believe her eyes:
Wild bell-flowers growing out of the limestone:
I'm not quite sure that the conquerors of the Fort would pose as Sonal does below, but she's pleased with her visit nonetheless:
Part of the Buoux Fort: its medieval ramparts:
But the most stunning part of the fort is its 3000 year-old secret staircase leading back down to the plains:
After our Sénanque dissapointmant, we do get to see some lavender in bloom after all, with the village of Lacoste in the backdrop:
Reaching the village of Roussillon for a visit, with our favourite taxi driver, Sébastien:
Hélène and her post-meal-happy-face, in Roussillon:
The village of Roussillon, listed among the most beautiful in France:
After lunch we explore the former ochre quarries set beside the village:
In stark contrast to the austere limestone of surrounding villages, Roussillon boats a burst of colour, ranging from pale yellow to deep red:
In the afternoon we transfer to the town of Saint Rémy de Provence for a two-night stay:
Our first walk based in saint Rémy takes us into the Alpilles mountains...
...where we climb up to its very crest, for awe-inspiring 360° views:
We manage to complete our walk before lunch, and then we are treated to the most special meal of teh week. Lolo Maurin, pictured below, lives in a 2000 year-old Roman farm and has been making farm-to-table meals for groups for the past 25 years. Lolo cooked the meal and served us too. He turns 90 in a month:
Lolo sitting with his cousin, who helped with the service. Between each service Lolo would sit down and eat with us:
Lolo's famed olive omelette:
After the omelette we begin to feel a bit full. But then comes the fish stew... And then the chicken and white beans... altogether we would eat for about three hours, probably my most memorable meal in Provence.
Later that afternoon another game of pétanque is in order. And we improve our technique... (unfortunately those are the other team's balls)
Morning breakfast at the Hotel Gounod in Saint Rémy de Provence, seated at a round table with an olive tree growing in the middle. Marijean is contemplating her morning coffee and assortment of organic fruit:
And the coffee seems to work: back atop the ridge of the Alpilles mountains, Marijean storms ahead of the rest of us (she could have stormed ahead of us without the coffee...)
Visiting a Roman limestone quarry after the walk:
I've almost finished them off after a week of hiking in Provence:
Camille celebrating after a week of hiking the hills of Provence, with the village of Les Baux in the background.
A big thanks to Camille, Marijean, Sue, John, Sonal, Helen, and David for one of my most memorable weeks since I began guiding...
