Cycling along the Veloroute du Calavon in the cool of the early mornings, in summer, I often catch sight of a hot air balloon, floating gently above the vines, near Pont Julien. It is always such a tranquil sight, just the calm, still air, with the soundtrack of the dawn chorus, starting to settle down … More Up, Up and Away
I was going to leave walks until W, on this A to Z, but something else has come to mind for that, and so I thought I’d write about the nice walks, that there are around us, instead. It’s funny how there always seems to be a positive from a negative, and at the moment … More Nice walks in the Luberon
We often find ourselves sitting on the wall at the front edge of the pretty village of Menerbes, whilst we’re out exploring the area on our bikes. In fact I think we must seem like part of the furniture there, and have been recognised a few times now, as we have been sitting absorbed by … More Menerbes, a historic, beautiful village
When it comes to Provence, I always think of the colours, especially in late winter and early spring. It all begins in January, with the hillsides of the Cote d’Azur, turning bright yellow, with the sight of the Mimosa trees coming into flower. Then in February we start to see the first almond blossom around … More Joyful colour of the Judas Tree
I suppose any A to Z of this area wouldn’t be complete without having an entry about Gordes, the beautiful, picture-postcard village that sits high on a hill above the Luberon valley. I have often written about it, whether we’ve stopped on the viewpoint, whilst out on a bike ride, or perhaps as our destination … More Gordes – the picture postcard village
It’s hard to imagine that there may be any hidden gems left to discover in our little part of Provence, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, as I’ve really discovered over the last few weeks. Of course, there are delightful places, that are hidden due to their location, as they just aren’t on … More Discovering hidden gems
The first time we visited Provence, over 30 years ago, we arrived in a desperate effort to escape the rain that always seemed to dog our snatched, two week holidays in France. At that time we were simply ‘holiday cyclists’, and with a busy working life at home, we only really got out on the … More Cycling the back roads of Provence
Something happened here yesterday that made nature turn off the freeze button. I don’t know what made it flick the switch, but whatever it was, it made it a very pleasant day. The last few weeks have been bitterly cold, with snow, ice, hail and even ice rain, that hideous weather event that literally turns … More Off the beaten track in Provence
It’s funny isn’t it that we always seem to feel bad things tend to happen in multiples of three. I’ve never really wondered why, but always wait for the third thing to happen when I seem to be having a run of bad luck. I thought it was a particularly British thing, but it appears … More Jamais Deux Sans Trois
I can honestly say that yesterday felt like a holiday. I know that probably sounds a bit ridiculous – I’m in Provence, I cycle almost every day, I have stunning villages to visit and explore, surely every day should feel like a holiday. The fact is that generally it does and don’t get me wrong, … More Back to a Brocante – with a bit of planning ahead.
Vaucluse Dreamer 