For the first time since starting the A to Z this month, we’re hopping across to the other side of the Luberon to the pretty little village of Lourmarin, set at the foot of the southern flank, at the bottom of the Combe, the little pass that cuts between the Petit & Grand Luberon hills. … More Beautiful Lourmarin
Ever since I was a child I have found the concept of borders, a little bit odd. More often than not, we have lived very close to a county boundary in the UK, whether it was Wiltshire and Gloucester, or Devon and Cornwall, where a wavy line, drawn on a map, marks huge changes in … More Hopping into ‘Haute Provence’
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
I can’t help but have rather a soft spot for Fontaine De Vaucluse. I can’t really explain why, but there is something about it that just makes me smile. The word Vaucluse derives from the latin ‘vallis clausa’ or ‘closed valley’ a perfect description for the setting of this village, that gives its name to … More Fontaine De Vaucluse.
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
I woke up this morning with a plan, and it seemed a good one too. After a week of doing lots of long walks with the dog, I had decided that we could both do with a slower day, so planned an early drive to the market at L’Isle Sur La Sorgue, to get a … More Walking to the Colorado Provencal
Although we always like to think that every day in Provence is warm and sunny, that really isn’t the case. In the last week we’ve had sunshine & blue skies one day… then heavy snow the next…. before a couple of days of icy wind and a milky sky…. and then today simply leaden skies … More Another walk to Roussillon with Millie for coffee
We’ve just returned from our 3rd visit to the Cote d’Azur for our February fix of colour and fun at the Carnaval de Nice and (of course) the superb Fete du Citron that takes place in the beautiful setting of Menton from mid February until early March each year. If you haven’t read one of … More Lemons and Lights in Menton & tips for visiting the Fete du Citron
A few weeks ago, when I was back in the UK and Andy was in France he did a ride that he was particularly excited about. He told me about it and yes it sounded lovely, until he said it was about 110km and had nearly 1500 metres of climbing. At that point I was … More Beyond the Véloroute #14… Sault and back the long way round… On a bit of a mission
Bizarrely we sense and feel the changing seasons more in Provence than we do in Devon. Back in Exeter the proximity to the sea seems to soften the edges of summer as it shifts into autumn and likewise, autumn into winter. That’s not the case here and today it was almost as if someone had … More The sweet shift of summer towards autumn….
Postcards from Provence and beyond 