November in Provence

For the winter I've been recruited by a travel agency in Avignon. They specialize in guided walking and cycling. I'm being paid to more or less scout the walks and take loads of pictures: not a bad way to earn a living over the winter...
I was recently in the town of Gigondas. The grape harvest there took place in mid-October, and below are the vines, a picture taken just last week. The leaves have now taken on a gold colour, a veritable golden blanket stretching over the Rhône Valley.

The walking is beautiful this time of year in Provence: the fiery red hues of the cherry orchards, the crisp late-autumn air, the ripening olives, walking paths virtually devoid of people, and hilltop villages without a single tourist.

Below are three pictures taken yesterday in the village of Séguret. Though listed as "one of the most beautiful villages in France", there wasn't a soul along the narrow cobbled streets... well, I was there...

The tea shop was closed... and I had forgotten my thermos...

though I could fill up my water bottle...