A 3 day taster trip to the Vaucluse – where do I start?

Posted on by vauclusedreamer

This last week has been lovely – the house has been full (a great test of the temporary fabric walls & open plan bathroom!) Not only has my eldest son been visiting with his girlfriend, but also my mum, so all the rooms have been put to good use.

Of course my son knows the area well  and he’s been dragged around enough markets over the years, but my mum has only had one previous brief stay in the area & also this proved to be my son’s girlfriend’s first trip to France.

Happily we couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather
My task (on the face of it) was simple……

1. Settle everyone in

2. Feed them

3. Give them a taste of the area, making sure there was something for young & old alike.

The first two things were easy and the fabric walls & shouts of ‘I’m in the bathroom’ seemed to work well and of course you can’t go wrong when pulling supper together using local ingredients. But giving my mum (in particular)  a taste of the area in the 3 days she would be here was much more of a challenge.The main thing was where to start?

Many coffees were drunk whilst I tried to think through what were the best things to do
When I sat down to actually think about what to do I realised I would have to be very picky, as it would have been simple to stick to the main sights, but somehow miss showing her what we really love about the area.

One or two of the local markets were a must!
So where to start?

She was arriving late on the Saturday night & leaving early on the Wednesday morning, so we really did only have 3 full days.

Sunday:

In my mind Sunday is market day and a day for fuddling around Vide-Greniers or Brocante markets and happily I knew my mum would enjoy any or all of these options and what better way to get a taster of some of the towns & villages around us.

Our day started with coffee & croissants at the Café de la Gare in the centre of Coustellet market, listening to a chap singing by our table and watching the world go on around us. We then spent a pleasant hour or so wandering around the stalls, buying fresh fruit & veg from local farmers & taking in the lovely atmosphere that’s always there.

There’s nothing nicer than a freshly cut lettuce from the market
We then headed into L’Isle Sur la Sorgue and took our time looking at the Brocante stalls that line the main road…….

I love finding old chandelier pieces to include in my jewellery designs & L’Isle Sur La Sorgue is always a good place to look
……..and pottering through the market to buy a ‘Poulet Roti’, requested by my son for supper.

L’Isle Sur la Sorgue is always a nice place to visit, but has a wonderful buzz on market days
Before it all got too busy we found a table in one of the river-side restaurants for lunch, choosing one where all the food is handmade on the premises (denoted by the ‘fait maison’ logo), and it was worth it with a delicious, well-cooked 2 course meal costing about €19

The ‘Fait Maison’ logo is worth looking out for
After lunch and a slow wander through the town we headed home via Bonnieux, which was hosting a Brocante market in its main square.

Bonnieux had a great selection of Brocante stalls with a stunning view too
We had a nice look at all the stalls & I was tempted by a couple of things, particularly what looked like very tiny sugar tongs, but we’re actually designed to pick up Calissons – however this time I resisted temptation& actually managed to leave empty-handed, which must be a first!!

To end the day we headed home via the wonderful lavender fields that seemingly cover most of the plateau between Bonnieux & Saignon. I’m sure no trip to Provence at this time of year can be complete without taking in the purple-striped fields that colour the landscape & fill the air with scent.

The end of June & beginning of July are the perfect times to visit to see the Lavender in full bloom
The day ended with wine!

Monday:

As my son is training for the forthcoming massive #MoortoMed bike ride he headed off on his bike first thing in the morning so the rest of us headed off to Forcalquier, where there is a bustling Monday market with a real focus on crafts. The drive across is lovely, with the road lined by Plane Trees & glimpses of the Alps in the distance & I’d ordered a purse for when I’m cycling from one of the new shops in the old town so had a good excuse for the trip. Somehow the morning flew by & it wasn’t long before we were back having a lunch of market-bought bread & cheeses with my son who had returned from his ride.

A commission to the lady who makes these bags gave me a good excuse for a trip to Forcalquier
After lunch we all headed across to Fontaine de Vaucluse & the lovely walk along the side of the river to visit the source of the Sorgue.

A shaded walk by the Sorgue at Fontaine de Vaucluse on a hot day is a lovely way to pass an hour
I can’t help it, but as a family we have a real soft-spot for this tourist-spot & love to see the varying levels of the source where it comes out at the foot of a sheer cliff. This time the level was as low, if not lower than I’ve seen before in June, reinforcing how dry it has been here over the winter.

The source is very low at the moment – to get a aense if perspective the small white flash in the depth of the hole is a person!
After a cooling drink in a café by the river we headed back home via the tourist route ( steep, bendy old road), paying a quick visit to Gordes, stopping for a few minutes at the view-point on the edge of the village, to take in the spectacular view of the perched houses and the Luberon valley dotted with lavender fields, Olive trees & vines stretching out into the distance.

The view of Gordes is worth a detour any time !
The day ended with wine!

Tuesday:

This day’s activities had been set in stone quite early-on as the weather was set to be good & my son wanted to cycle from the house to the summit of Mont Ventoux (a round trip of over 130 km) & I was determined we would be there to cheer him on. Of course it would have been lovely to ride it with him, but that wasn’t the point of this trip & I’m pretty certain my mum (75) wouldn’t have been up to it!!

At 1912 metres high ‘The Giant of Provence’ ican almost always be seen
Mont Ventoux is such an iconic landmark and this would be the first time my son had done the ride on his own, so we all piled into the car to meet him at Sault for breakfast.

With 40km already done – time for breskfast before heading on up the mountain
From there he started the climb & we were able to take it slowly, stopping to encourage him on, but also to take in the incredible views that open up as you climb higher up the mountain. After a brief stop at Chalet Reynard we headed on stopping on the final bend to look at the simply jaw-dropping views North & East towards the still snow-capped Alps, certainly a view that shouldn’t be missed, before we parked to watch him make the final ascent to the summit.

The last few yards
I don’t know what it is about the experience of watching people arrive at the summit, but it never fails to bring a tear to my eye. The sheer effort that goes into the ascent is huge & there is a real sense of happiness for everyone at the summit, which you feel regardless of how you get there yourself. This is something that is certainly worth experiencing along with the views that are indescribably stunning, with the whole of the Vaucluse (and beyond) laid out thousands of feet below you.

I can’t even begin to guess hiw far you can see into the distance drom the summit
After a quick descent we had a good lunch at the restaurant on the terrace at Sault, before we made our way back home, making a final stop at the colourful village of Roussillon, finishing our whistle-stop tour of the area.

Roussillon will always be high on my list of places to visit
The day ended with wine!

So that’s it – 3 days packed with Provençal experiences. There was so much that we couldn’t do – we didn’t visit the Abbaye de Senanque, or walk the Ochre trail at Roussillon. We had to leave wandering around the deserted streets of Oppede Le Vieux and taking in the views from the Chateau at Lacoste until next time. We couldn’t find time to visit the Lavender Museum at Coustellet or the Rose Garden at Valsaintes – in fact there’s a huge list of things that will have to be considered for next time.

Watching the sunset from Caseneuve will be on the list for next time
That’s the thing with this area – there’s so much to do, without having to do much at all and days can easily pass in a blur of a cycle ride and a visit to a market, before you even start thinking of structured visits. Provence for us is as much about the wonderful way of life as it is about its beautiful villages & other sights and I hope I managed to build an understanding of this into, what was a busy few days.

So roll in the next time & doing it all again!
Sharing this blog via October’s #MyFavouriteTrip linkup

Proud Grandma!

18 thoughts on “A 3 day taster trip to the Vaucluse – where do I start?”

    1. Thanks – we had a lovely time & it was just lovely to see the area through the eyes of visitors again!! It’s white scree at the top of Ventoux, but there is a ski-resort on the north face, so skiing pretty much on the doorstep of we have snow this winter x

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  3. That sounds like a perfect three days to get a taste of the wonderful region. I loved seeing people’s excitement as they finished the descent from Ventoux into Bedoin while I was sitting outside at a cafe. My husband has done it twice and thinking about a third time.

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    1. The feel-good factor at Ventoux is incredible & certainly highly contagious . Whilst we were at Chalet Reynard a cycling club had stopped to take a full team photo – probably 25 people, young & old alike with the biggest grins on their faces – it was just so lovely to see! Like your husband I’ve done the summit twice & no doubt will do it again this year. I hope he enjoys it

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  6. It’s always hard to know whether to take visitors to the tourist honeypots or to the secret places that make a place special to you. You seem to have managed an amazing mixture in the space of three days! We’ve lived in SW France for 19 years and have visited some of the hotspots here countless times, so we prefer to seek out places off the beaten track. Lovely post, thank you for sharing. We really must discover Provence some day.

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    1. Thanks – it was a lovely few days & it was really nice to be able to strike a balance between the 2 – certainly we had a lovely time & I’ve just got to think about where to go next time! Shouldn’t be too difficult – but you really should come over & explore a bit if you get the chance

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  7. I reckon you truck a perfect balance of famous places and your own special places, I bet your mum went away with a good understanding of why you love the area so much. Well done to your son for tackling Mt Ventoux. Thanks for linking up to #AllAboutFrance

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  9. You have brought back our trip there earlier this year. I loved the area and did most of the things on your list. Roussillon was beautiful and I just loved the food, wine and scenery. Massive congrats to your son for tackling Mt Ventoux! Impressive. #allaboutfrance

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    1. Thanks – I’m pleased you enjoyed it. I love Roussillon & in fact our dinner service at home was made there & it still makes me smile whenever we get it out! The whole area is just stunning & we haven’t tired of it yet ( nearly 30 years & counting). Needles to say we’ll all be back up Ventoux next year again (it’s becoming an annual event!) #allaboutfrance

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