France 2022 – Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Roman ruins, van Gogh, and an Alpilles hike

April 12 and 13, 2022

I travelled from Roussillon to Saint Rémy by bus and arrived in the late morning. Luckily, I was able to check into my accommodation early so I quickly dropped off my back pack and set off to visit the first of three sites here that I wanted to see. After a brief stop in the centre of town to visit the tourist information office, I carried on down a rather busy road towards the Monastere St. Paul de Mausole asylum where Vincent van Gogh spent a year of his life after he cut off part of his ear. The kilometre-long walk beside traffic was made more enjoyable by the presence of nineteen panels along the route that displayed reproductions of works painted by van Gogh while he was in Saint Rémy. Like in Arles, it added an extra dimension to view the paintings in the area where they were painted (yes, I see the olive trees, the cypresses, the Alpilles hills). The accompanying quotes on the panels, extracted from letters written by Van Gogh, really caught my attention – such beautiful words on each, expressing his emotions about the nature surrounding him and his efforts as an artist to capture the colour, form, and essence of his subjects. When I get home, I plan to find a book of letters written by van Gogh.

Here is the approach into St. Paul de Mausole which still operates as a psychiatric hospital today.

The lovely cloisters and a peaceful chapel are open to visitors.

There are several rooms which provide information and displays about the life of van Gogh and the time he spent here, and there is a re-creation of his room which I found to be quite moving.

Vincent’s room overlooked a large walled garden area, and beyond that were fields and olive groves. Here is a view of the asylum from the gardens.

While at St. Paul de Mausole, van Gogh was able to leave his room daily to visit the countryside and paint. In his 53 weeks in residence here, he completed 143 paintings and more than 100 drawings! I find it quite sad that van Gogh created so much of his beautiful art in the south of France (over 350 paintings and drawings over 27 months), and yet there is only one van Gogh painting on permanent exhibit in Provence, at Avignon.

Here are several more photos from the quiet and peaceful St. Paul de Mausole. The sculpture of van Gogh, by Gabriel Sterk, is entitled, ”Le voleur de tournesol” (the thief of the sunflowers).

From the monastery of St. Paul, it is just a bit further of a walk to reach two Roman monuments, known as Les Antiques, that marked the entrance to the Roman city of Glanum.

The Arc de Triomphe, built in 20 AD, is missing its upper level but is impressive nonetheless.

The taller structure, the Mausoleum of the Julii (30 BC), was built by three brothers to honour their father and it contains reliefs on all four sides depicting scenes from the battles of Julius Caesar.

Next, across the road and a little further down, I visited the Site Archéologique de Glanum. Once buried beneath an olive grove that van Gogh painted, this ancient site was discovered in 1920 and has been excavated over the subsequent decades to reveal multiple centuries of settlement. Most obvious are the remains of a Roman town that existed here between around 40 BC and 260 AD. There is also archaeological evidence of a Hellenic settlement here from the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, and of Gaulish occupation (of the Salluvians, a Gaulish people of Celto-Ligurian origin), from the 6th and 7th centuries BC.

It was so beautiful here! I loved the the geometry of the ruins contrasted with the natural forms of the Judas trees, all in pink/purple bloom, and the dark green cypresses and other trees surrounding the site.

And then, at the far end, the dramatic, rocky Alpilles hovered over the site and echoed the colour and solidity of the stones but not their symmetry.

This is the main street which runs through the site, with the remains of shops and homes found on the right. On the left, beyond the wall, is the rounded apse of the curia which was used as an assembly hall and as a tribunal, and beyond that was the forum.

Here are the foundations of the thermal baths, an important part of Roman social life.

Farther up the central road one nears an area where two temples stood, one to the goddess Valetudo, the Roman goddess of health, and one to Hercules. A sacred spring here was thought to have curative properties by both the Gauls and later the Romans.

This upper area of the site, near the sacred spring, is also where the remains of the Gaulish village were found as well as stone ramparts that worked with the topography of the hills for defensive purposes.

At the far end of the site, beyond the tall columns, a path rose up onto the hill on the right enabling views down onto the site. As yet, only about ten percent of the total area of the Roman town has been excavated.

It was quite busy at the site when I first arrived, but I lingered for a long time, reading the information boards and listening to the excellent audio guide, and by the late afternoon there were far fewer people about so I was able to freely take photos of this very beautiful and multi-layered, historic place.

After visiting Glanum, I returned to Saint Rémy. The town centre, as I passed through, was very busy with people strolling about or enjoying an afternoon aperitif at a café, but lingering here held no appeal for me. My apartment, in a quiet residential neighbourhood, and featuring a garden, was my refuge for the evening in order to think about and savour all that I had seen today.

Up into the Alpilles

The next morning my plan was to do a small hike of only about 3 km, but it necessitated a road walk of almost 6 km in order to get to and from the trail. I was feeling a bit lazy and briefly thought about not going, but the lure of seeing a small lake and of climbing up, over, and through (via a rock tunnel) the Alpilles hills was enough to have me putting on my hiking boots and heading out the door.

The road walk went surprisingly quickly, but I was still very thankful when I was able to veer away from the traffic and off onto this dirt track. Ah, green all around!

A couple were just ahead of me which I resented a bit, but it soon proved useful as without them I might have missed the start of the small trail that would take me up and over the promontory on the right in the photo. I walked to the end of this road, expecting to see Lac Peirou spread out before me, but upon turning the last corner all that was in front of me was a tall narrow dam rising up at least 15 metres! No lake in sight! (I was a bit miffed at the dam and didn’t take its picture!)

I had known of course that there was a dam there but had thought that I would still be able see the lake. No matter, I retraced my steps and found the small trail, almost hidden in the scrubby vegetation, that the couple had taken. I started to climb and this is the first view of the lake I had.

I climbed higher up on the steep rocky trail,

and stopped to take a photo back towards Saint Rémy where I had started.

Stopping to look at plants gave me an excuse to catch my breath! I have seen so much lovely rosemary in bloom all throughout Provence, but here I began to see wild thyme. It is so pretty that it deserves its own large photo!

Wildflowers grew from tiny crevices in the limestone, or they found areas on the hillside to grow in larger patches like the pink cistes (cistus albidus) and mounds of pretty purple flowers that looked a bit like bachelor’s buttons.

The path took me over the top of the promontory through a thin gap,

and I began the steep climb down to the lake.

I finished the descent and walked along the peaceful lake shore to the far end to take this photo looking towards where the dam is placed. I had climbed over the hill on the left, and now it was time to walk around to the right side of the lake and climb up to a tunnel that would take me through the hill on the right!

After walking around to the far side of the lake and towards the dam, I took this photo looking back. Cars are able to access a parking area beyond the trees and the lake is popular for fishing and family outings, but swimming is not allowed as the lake serves as a water reservoir.

I found the trail to take me up. The dark oval in the wall of rock is where the tunnel is!

There were chains attached to the rock, and then metal ladder rungs attached in the tunnel to help hikers as the limestone underfoot has been worn quite smooth over the years.

I climbed around the corner, and there was the tunnel going up in two steep sections, with a natural landing in the middle. The photo on the left is looking up from the base, and on the right is looking down from near the top.

Fun! I had left for my outing fairly early in the morning, hoping to arrive at the tunnel before it got too busy but I was the only one there which was wonderful. After emerging from the tunnel, there was a quick descent down the steep hill to arrive, far too soon, at the main road about a kilometre from Glanum. The traffic immediately made me want to retrace my steps and return the same way I had come (the trail portion was too short!), but I was mindful of the distance back to my apartment, so I headed on down the road towards Saint Rémy and tried to hang on to my ”zen”. I succeeded fairly well, and my sense of peace was replenished by a brief stop in an olive grove by the roadside where the tiniest wildflowers were growing in the grass, like a mini meadow. The flowers of the little poppies were less than three centimetres across, and I found a few of these beautiful tiny white star flowers.

Zen replenished, I walked through town, again declining to ”do city things” and returned to my apartment and its garden, very happy with my time in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

Addendum: Now, I’ve been meaning to mention the skies. Since my arrival in Provence, most of the days have been very hazy and the bright white light has not been the best for taking pictures. That’s why you have not seen many photos with deep blue skies in my posts. It’s been a little frustrating, yes, but it is what it is!

France 2022 – The ochre cliffs and town of Roussillon

April 10 and 11, 2022

My Bonnieux hostess, Véronique, offered to give me a ride to my next destination, Roussillon, when she heard that I was planning to walk the 14 kilometres there with my big backpack. I hesitated a moment, because I didn’t want to miss seeing the rather elegant three-arched Roman bridge, Le Pont Julien, but then I decided that a ride would be very welcome indeed. (I did get to see the bridge from the road, but only in passing.) Veronique drove fast along the narrow roads in her snazzy BMW, down from Bonnieux and then up to Roussillon, a rose-coloured town that sits atop Mont Rouge. Located in an area known as the Colorado Provencal, the world’s largest known ochre deposits have been mined here since the time of the Romans. All of the town’s buildings are in shades of yellow to pinkish-orange to, well, ochre.

From the village terrace located in the lower left of the above photo, one looks across at this!

I would be exploring the area beyond the top of that hill, ”Le Sentier des Ocres” later in the afternoon, but first it was time to check into my studio apartment, ”La Goutte d’Or”, located at the bottom of a steep staircase which is aptly named “Le Passage du Mistral” because the Mistral wind was indeed blowing fiercely today, very cold and very strong, down this passage and all through the town.

My studio (with the blue door and shutters) was excellent, with two big windows to let in the light and fresh air. But, …. no internet?! Darn! I don’t know how I missed that important detail. I had planned to get really caught up with posts here but now I was going to fall even further behind. Oh well, it was time to tour the town which was very fun indeed.

First, I headed up my staircase and then continued finding routes up to the very top of the hill where a 10th century castle once stood. I had to pass under this beautiful bell tower which marked the entrance to the fortified town.

Next I passed the 11th century Church St. Michel and spent a few moments inside its modest and peaceful interior.

At the top of the hill there is a terrace with far-reading views to the north, east and west, but the wind was blowing too fiercely (as in almost push you over) and so I quickly returned to the somewhat more sheltered, narrow streets of Roussillon. Here are several more photos from my walk around town. The grapevine in front of the La Trielle restaurant is 176 years old!

Now, I have managed to get many photos with no or few people in them, but in fact the town was quite busy with many tourists and locals out on a sunny Saturday, the first day of Spring Break for families here. I returned to my apartment to have lunch and do laundry which I hung out to dry in the sun and the wind in the pretty garden just above my studio. In the later afternoon, when I thought that perhaps the tourists had thinned out a bit, I headed to the “Sentier des Ocres,” two interpretive paths that lead down to and around some of the town’s ochre cliffs.

The contrast of the orange-red soil with the dark green conifers was beautiful!

Now, when I say that the Mistral wind was blowing strong today, my photos cannot usually show that, but the next one does!

Here are two more photos from my walk around the very beautiful Sentier des Ocres.

Happy with my outing, I returned to my apartment to make some dinner, bring in my laundry, close my blue shutters, and have an early night of reading.

The next morning, I was still a bit peeved (at myself) about no internet. I had intended for today (Sunday, no buses) to be a big, ”stay in, rest, and catch up on the blogs” day. I took my time over breakfast and wondered whether I should make the 12 kilometre roundtrip hike to Joucas, a nearby small hill town with a picturesque windmill. The decision would have been easy if the route was on trails, but most of the hike would be done on paved roads which didn’t appeal. So, I wandered about Roussillon again and this time I entered many of the shops selling locally crafted items and gourmet foods. I also entered a few of of the many galleries and artist’s studios to be found around town. It was fun to slow down a bit and peruse all of the beautiful things on display.

But, one can only window shop for so long and it was still early in the day so I descended below the town to check out the road to Joucas. Here is a view looking up to the lookout point where the castle once stood.

Again, the idea of a lot of road walking didn’t appeal, and the day was proving to be very warm with Le Mistral completely absent, so I made a firm decision to stay put and then I decided to treat myself to a coffee, pastry, and internet at this wonderful little bakery that had a few tables available inside.

I took this photo of the bakery early the next morning on my way to the bus stop. I love the little dog waiting for its master, in profile very much like the dog in the ”no dogs” sign in the window.

I stayed in the bakery café until they closed for the day at noon. Then, hmm, what to do, what to do? I considered springing for lunch somewhere to get more internet but I had groceries at the apartment. So, in the end, I just ”whiled away the afternoon”, which wasn’t so bad.

Close to dinner time I had an idea. Ah ha, maybe I can use the bakery wifi just outside of their premises? It worked, and I did. It felt very good to sit on an outside bench and get my post to Bonnieux finished and published, and I decided to end my day in Roussillon with one more walk around town, finding a few roads I hadn’t yet explored. Here are three last images of Roussillon – garages dug into a hillside of ochre, lit by a setting sun. Not terribly romantic, I’ll admit, but certainly unique.

Goodbye from the beautiful ochre cliffs and town of Roussillon.

France 2022 – The hilltop towns of Bonnieux and Lacoste, and the serene Abbey of Saint Hilaire

April 8, 2022

Okay, I’m skipping ahead! I’ve already started a post about Arles (lovely, jam-packed Arles), but I’ll have to return to it later as I really want to be here, now. “Here” is sitting on my little balcony in Bonnieux listening to morning birdsong. Last evening, the birds were very busy flying from tree to tree and onto the rooftops and their calls to each other were amazing. It was a symphony!

I arrived in Bonnieux yesterday afternoon after travelling from Arles. The scenery en route was wonderful as we drove past the craggy limestone mountains of Les Alpilles and then into the forested hills of the Luberon, a protected natural area. From Loumarin, the road climbed steeply up through a narrow valley and around to Bonnieux, a hilltop town perched dramatically on a hillside and crowned by its 12th century ”Vielle Église” or old church.

I went directly to my apartment in the upper medieval town to meet the proprietress, Véronique. I was very excited about this accommodation because of its small balcony with a view over the hills. This apartment is on the upper floor of a house which has been in Véronique’s family for more than four generations.

After settling in, I set out to explore Bonnieux, but first I wanted to walk on the road, back out of town about a kilometre or so, to capture this view which was my first sight of Bonnieux as the bus approached town. Once you are in the town, you can’t see the town!

The hilltop town of Bonnieux, with its ”Vielle Église” at the top of the top as well as many tall cedars of Lebanon.

In Bonnieux, you are rarely walking on level ground – it is either up or down! Even my “street”, Rue Droight, starts with staircases!

First I headed up towards the “Vielle Église”, a 12th century Romanesque church at the very top of the hill. I climbed up one long steep “street” and then up another tall flight of stone stairs.

The church was not open, but the climb up was very worthwhile as there were beautiful tall cedars of Lebanon on top of the hill and it was very peaceful and park-like.

There was also an excellent view down to the lower town, including the ”Église Neuve”, or new church which was built in the 1860s.

Once, a castle stood up on this hill and the town has a heritage trail walk with small plaques describing some of the features of the remaining medieval walls, gates, buildings, and walkways. I really enjoyed walking up, down, and all around this quiet hilltop town.

In the lower town, I strolled by many restaurants, art galleries, and gift shops selling Provencal products on my way to purchase groceries. From a viewpoint in the market square above the new church, I took this photo across the valley towards Lacoste in the distance, my intended destination this morning via walking, a distance of about 4.5 kilometres from Bonnieux. Down, then across the valley, then up again!

Before heading out for my walk, I spent just a few moments at the Bonnieux’s Friday market. I love the Provençal fabrics and wish I could take some home!

The food, of course, is also exciting and I had a sample taste of cured wild boar.

But, I didn’t linger as I was excited to finally get out into the countryside for a walk. Luckily, the turn-by-turn directions that I had found on the internet took me to Lacoste via trails and small country roads.

I passed alongside many orchards and fields of grape vines, as well as through small areas of scrub and woodland. Here are several photos from my walk.

I love the lines in this next photo. From near to far are lavender plants, grape vines, cherry trees which have finished their bloom, cherry trees in bloom, tall deciduous trees just coming into leaf, successive orchards, and then hills.

Of course, I kept looking ahead as Lacoste, topped by its ruined castle, became ever more near.

After a steep climb into the village I made my way to the Tourist Information office housed near the Le Sade restaurant. The castle atop the hill once belonged to the de Sade family and the Marquis de Sade, famous for his debauchery, lived there for more than 30 years in the late 18th century. The castle is now owned by Pierre Cardin.

The town’s small square. I like the juxtaposition of the cross and church bell tower with the ”Le Sade” restaurant sign.

I made my way up the narrow streets of this very tidy town towards the castle. There are many art galleries and studios here, and many American students studying at the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). It seemed a very fashionable town where I overheard comments like, “Remember, we met in New York at the opening…”

And at the top of the hill, here is the rear wall of the castle.

There were four sculptures there, including the profile outline of the Marquis de Sade surrounding the access door. The sculpture in the bottom right photo is inscribed: ”Le Marquis de Sade” by “Alexandre Bourganov, à Pierre Cardin.” Just a bit creepy!

I had already decided not to tour the castle as only three rooms are on view and they are apparently filled with some modern art (such as a giant stuffed giraffe) that has befuddled and exasperated some reviewers. I was curious, but I was much more interested in continuing another several kilometres down the road to a most beautiful and peaceful place, the Abbaye Saint Hilaire.

Built in the 13th century on a prior religious site, this abbey is still associated with the Carmelite Friars. The interior is an oasis of serenity.

As well as the main chapel, there was a small cloister and I was able to view the monks’ refectory and the chapter room which contains items from the history of the abbey.

The garden was beautiful and serene as well.

There was a terraced grove of olive trees, with views down into the valley and across to the hills. At the far end of the grove there are paths leading into the woodland that is part of the abbey lands.

I spent quite a bit of time in the garden and had the place all to myself. I ate my small packed lunch in a shady corner, and then spent more time appreciating the interior, exterior, and gardens of this very special place. The circular sculpture in the top right photo below is made of an ancient hay wagon wheel from the abbey. It symbolizes the Chariot of Fire that carried the prophet Elias, the patron saint of the Carmelites, into heaven.

I could not read the sun dial in the image below, but it did make me realise that it was time for me to start the long hike back to Bonnieux. I said goodbye to the beautiful Abbaye Saint Hilaire, very appreciative of the time that I was able to spend here.

Despite some fatigue, and a very warm afternoon, I enjoyed the walk back to Bonnieux and it went more quickly than expected. I walked back along the road to the chateau, back down the steep streets of Lacoste, and back across the quiet trails of the valley. Here is a view, midway, of Bonnieux ahead.

I delayed the final ascent into town a little by enjoying some wildflowers along the path. The honey bees and very big bumble bees were enjoying them too!

Goodbye from Bonnieux in the beautiful hills of the Parc Naturel du Luberon, Provence.

France 2022 – Day trips from Avignon – Pont du Gard, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

March 27, 2022

Pont du Gard

Avignon is a good central location from which to plan day trips to several nearby towns and sites of interest. The transport options by rail or bus are excellent and I was impressed that my 35 km coach bus trip to visit the Pont du Gard cost less than two euro in each direction! Far cheaper than taxis, and without the stress of renting a car, riding the bus or train gives one the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the passing scenery while someone else does the driving. On this trip, the scenery encompassed vineyards, olive groves, and many orchards of cherry trees, all in bloom with their bright white blossoms.

The Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct bridge which crosses the Gardon River. Part of a 50 kilometer long aqueduct that ran from Uzes to Nimes, it is the highest of all the Roman aqueduct bridges, one of the best preserved, and the only one built with three levels. A short 15 minute walk from the bus stop led me to the site entrance with its museum and recommended introductory film, but I was anxious to get to the aqueduct right away as it is a popular site for visits by large organized tours. Here is my first glimpse of the aqueduct as I made the approach on the path from the museum area.

The path brings you to the top of the first level of the bridge where a road was added in 1745 to enable people to cross from one end to the other.

On either side of the bridge there is easy access to the river where you can walk both downstream and upstream. There are several small gravel and sand beaches tucked into the mostly rocky shore which makes this a popular place for families to come and swim on hot summer days. I crossed over to the far shore for this view,

and then walked a distance downstream and to the river’s edge to take this photo, zoomed in, of the beautiful arches. The main arch above the river is the widest arch in the Roman world.

The speck of a person on the bridge deck helps give an idea of the scale!

I spent some time walking along the river and then returned to the bridge to climb many stairs up to the top of the third level where one can view the small space where the water actually flowed. The passage is six feet tall and four feet wide and was created with waterproof mortar. Entry onto the third level for an amazing view is possible when on a guided tour offered by the museum.

I explored a trail on the forested hillside for a distance and then retraced my steps and descended the stairs back down to the river level. Then I walked upstream in order to view the bridge from the other side and I saw three snowy-white egrets on the shore. They are very shy birds though and flew swiftly away the moment I began to approach.

I walked farther upstream to where all three levels of the bridge were nicely reflected in the river.

I sat here for a while and then a loud splash caught my attention. ”That was a big fish,” I thought, but then a few minutes later I heard it again and turned in time to see a river otter surface and then curve back down into the water. I saw the otter rise three more times as it travelled upstream, likely hunting for fish. It was quite a bit bigger that the river otters I have seen in B.C. and I found out later that the European otter has only recently been reintroduced to this river.

The view of the river upstream and all around was serene and very beautiful!

After sitting for quite a while in the peace and quiet of this place, I made my way back under the arches and up the stairs to the first level. The largest blocks of stone weigh between one and two tons each, and the entire bridge (except for the water passage) was constructed without mortar!

The people on the walkway help give a good idea of the scale of this UNESCO designated World Heritage monument.

As well as the opportunity to spend time at the bridge and the riverside, the site offers several interpretive paths available for walking. I chose to walk the 1.5 kilometer “Memories of the Garrigue” path which highlighted some of the native plants and agrarian uses of this landscape. I started out trying to read the French-language information boards, but on this warm and sunny afternoon I soon gave that up and just enjoyed the plants and scenery around me, including yellow broom, a pink giant orchid, still-dormant grape vines, and olive trees.

Back at the museum I had a little bit of time left before I had to catch my bus so I watched the brief but very informative video of the bridge. The Romans continue to amaze. Built in only five years in the 1st century, from rock quarried 600 metres downstream, the bridge and aqueduct enabled water to be transported to the 20,000 inhabitants of Nimes for almost five centuries!

March 28, 2022

My second day trip out from Avignon was to the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, about 30 kilometres away. Again I travelled easily and comfortably by coach bus at a cost of less that two euro each way. Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is sometimes called the ”Venice of Provence” because of the canals that run through the town. I don’t think it quite deserves that grand name, but it was definitely a pleasant and unique town to visit.

The medieval center of the city is compact and easily walkable and I set out to photograph some of the waterways and waterwheels that are to be found throughout the town. In medieval times through to the 1800s, waterwheels (of which at one point there were more than 70) powered the town’s silk and wool cloth-dyeing industries.

The canals were shallow and the water was crystal clear. The source of the water is the Sorgue River which is spring-fed and which maintains a constant flow and temperature in all seasons. In many places, the water was a bright green colour because of the aquatic plants growing from the base of the canal. It was very exciting when I saw two beautiful trout swimming against the current in one of the canals.

The buildings of the medieval town centre are quite picturesque and there are many shops, galleries, cafés, canal-side restaurants, and antique and bric-a-brac stores.

I next visited the town’s 12th century church, Notre-Dame des Anges. Here is the relatively modest and sober exterior.

But inside…, so much gilt! (And, possibly, guilt?) The church interior decoration dates from the time of Louis XIV and is loaded with Baroque excess.

One could not help but be impressed at how over-the-top it was, but there was definitely beauty to be found in the details.

I was quite taken by the statue of Jeanne d’Arc and have seen her represented in two other churches.

Next, I visited the Tourist Information office and they provided me with a map of cycling routes in the area because I was interested in visiting the town of Fontaine de Vaucluse where the source of the Sorgue River is found. Buses only run to Fontaine in the summer, and a taxi was too expensive, so I rented a bicycle nearby at KVelo from the very charming and helpful owner who generously let me rent a bicycle for the day at the half day price of only ten euros.

After getting used to the bike on some side streets, and then negotiating a bit of traffic on the way out of town, I was able to easily find the first of several quiet country roads which would take me to Fontaine de Vaucluse. The route was relatively flat and easy and the scenery was lovely: farmhouses, fields, vineyards, olive groves, and many cherry orchards with the trees in full bloom.

Many of the fields were planted with lavender for which Provence is famous. In July, this field will be stunning with all of the plants in dark purple bloom.

Before too long, I reached the very picturesque town of Fontaine de Vaucluse. Wow! The River Sorgue here is stunningly clear and vividly green from all of the plants growing in the water. Here is a view upstream from the bridge over the Sorgue. The source of the river, a very special spring, is about one kilometre upstream at the base of limestone cliffs.

Here is the view downstream from the bridge. The town boasts many restaurants with riverside terraces and I passed one that has a Micheline star.

And this is the view looking straight down into the water from the bridge! The fronds wave beautifully in the current.

I crossed the bridge and turned in the upstream direction to begin the climb to the spring. On my left, the narrow lane was lined with cafés, snack shops, souvenir stands and ice cream parlours, but their attractions and enticements could in no way compare with the view of the river and that bright green water.

Across the river, though, there was some competition for my attention from the craggy limestone cliffs with a ruined castle perched on the edge!

Soon, the path narrowed and became steeper and the river rushed by below the trail.

The path leads towards what is essentially a dead-end, with the sheer face of a mountain of limestone rising 750 feet directly in front of you and curving around on both sides. At the base of the cliff there is a wide hole about 90 feet deep and within that hole lies the surface of the spring that feeds the river. During times of high rainfall and snow melt, the level of the water in the hole rises and gushes in a fast torrent down into the channel of the river. This spring is the largest in France by volume and the fifth largest in the world.

In 1954, Jacques Costeau, one of my childhood heroes, dove to a depth of 243 feet but could not reach the bottom. Attempts were made by others and in 1985 a submersible robot finally touched bottom at a depth of 1001 feet!

I made my way slowly back down the path and stopped several times to sit for a while by the river, reluctant to leave. The colour, clarity, and flow of the water were mesmerizing.

A view upstream, towards the source, from the bank of the river.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Luckily, there are almost always more good things on the way such as apple blossoms, deep purple-blue flowers, and a French farmhouse surrounded by a lawn of buttercups. I greatly enjoyed my bicycle ride back to Isle-sur-la-Sorge on this wonderful day trip from Avignon.

Vaison-la-Romaine, Le Mistral, and snow!

April 2, 2022

I do not like getting behind with my posts as it makes them much harder to write. My days are just so full, and I’ve had some technical issues and slow wifi, so I’m going to skip ahead to this morning because…it is snowing! Yesterday I travelled from Avignon to Orange and then on to Vaison-la-Romaine where there are two large Gallo-Roman archaeological sites. While waiting for my bus transfer in Orange, and again when I alighted in Vaisson, ”Le Mistral”, a cold and strong northwesterly wind, was blowing and the temperature hovered around four degrees! After finding my studio apartment and stocking up on groceries for my three day stay, my intent was to have a quiet afternoon and evening of rest but the late afternoon light called me back outside to go explore the castle-topped Cité Médieval which is perched on a bluff across from the modern town (which is not so modern!). To get there, I had to cross the Pont Romain, a stone bridge over the river Ouvèze that was built by the Romans in the second half of the 1st century AD. The bridge is still in use today by pedestrians and vehicles, some 2000 years later! It has survived many floods including a massive flood in 1992 which completely covered the bridge and took out several modern bridges further downstream!

Bundled up against the wind with almost as many clothes as I had brought with me, I climbed the steep and narrow road that zigzagged up to the medieval city. The sun, when it managed to occasionally push its way through the clouds, was very welcome and there were very few people about. It was exciting to pass first under the city gate and then beneath the splendid bell tower with its bell housed in an open wrought-iron frame in order to let the strong Le Mistral winds flow through. As I toured the narrow streets, I considered which of the characterful stone houses I would choose as my own. Perhaps the tall, narrow, and captured princess-worthy tower shown in the photo on the right?

Or perhaps one of these two? (I very much wanted to peak into the courtyard of the house on the right).

Finally, I choose the one below, on the left, which actually had a handwritten ”Maison à Vendre” sign with two phone numbers listed! The house sits beside a charming shop that sells tapenade, wine, and other gourmet items. Handy! (Remember that you can click on any photo to enlarge it. If you buy the house, you must let me visit!)

I climbed higher up the hill to the castle that was built in the 12th century by the Count of Toulouse who claimed the town when he defeated the last of the prince-bishops that had ruled Vaison since the 4th century.

It was very atmospheric being all alone up on the rocky hill with the blustery cold wind, and there were excellent views all around.

A view to the northeast of the lower town of Vaison-la-Romain where the Romans once lived. Archaeological evidence has also been found of occupation here during the Iron Age and the late Neolithic.

A view east of the Ouvèze River valley, with Mont Ventoux in the distance.

A view below the castle to the south, zoomed in, of vineyards and forested hills.

Chilled but happy, I returned to my apartment to have an early night, and now I will venture out into the still (lightly) falling snow to visit the archaeological sites of Vaison-la-Romaine…

A sculpture of the Emperor Hadrian, found in the excavated theatre, has been placed in a niche here in the ”Sanctuary with porticoes”, a vast building that was open to the public for religious purposes.

The Roman city of Vasio Vocontiorum flourished here between around 100 BC and 450 AD and covered an area of over 70 hectares. The excavations, begun in the early 20th century, encompass about 15 hectares over two sites and comprise the largest archaeological center open to the public in France. Revealed are streets and the foundations, walls, and columns of homes, shops, religious buildings, baths, and even a theatre that could seat 6000. Extensively restored, this theatre is still used today for performances.

I had delayed my morning outing to wait for the air to ”warm up”, but that did not happen. The wind was bitterly cold and so I soon had to find refuge indoors in the excellent on-site museum. Here, there were two very good films available in English which described the history of the site as well as aspects of the day to day lives of the Romans and Vocontii who lived here. The museum featured displays of marble sculptures, pottery, glass, coins, tools, craft and religious items, as well as beautiful mosaics found during the excavations.

Back outside I tried my best on focus on listening to the informative audio guide while juggling map, glasses, camera, pen, paper and listening device with frozen fingers. It was still snowing (!) and the wind was still strong and fiercely cold so I headed back to my apartment (that was thankfully nearby) to find warmth, sustenance, and a very welcome afternoon cup of coffee.

Suitably fortified, and with an added layer of warmth provided by donning my hiking rain pants, I returned to tour the second site, La Vilasse. The snow was still falling in tiny, dry, swirling flakes but the wind seemed to be a little more settled and the afternoon sun, hiding behind thin clouds, had warmed things up a little. Okay, enough about the weather (did I mention it was snowing?)!

Here are several photos from the ”La Villasse” archaeological site.

This Roman street had shops lining it on either side.

This pool is part of the enclosed garden that belonged to the largest residence unearthed in Vaison. The vast home of 5,000 square metres included the central garden, courtyards, kitchen, dining room, study, baths, sleeping areas, servants’ quarters, etc. It also included a row of shops that were leased from the owner of the home.

This area was part of the Dolphin House, another large residence owned by a wealthy family. Beyond there is a very large green field that was the town’s Palaestra, a place for sport, with the public Thermae (baths) nearby.

This fishpond, once fully lined in white marble, was part of the large garden of the “Dolphin House”. I learned from the audio guide that the Romans planted decorative trees such as acacia, oak, cypress and plane, as well as fruit and nut trees such as cherry, apple, pear, pomegranate, fig, chestnut, almond and hazelnut. Vegetable crops that they planted included asparagus, squash, beans, melons, pumpkins, and herbs.

A view looking over the various rooms of the Thermae with its cold, warm, and hot bathing areas.

The audio guide also provided information about the Cité Mediéval that I had visited yesterday and the nearby 11th century cathedral, Notre-Dame de Nazareth. Outside the cathedral, in the area beneath the apse, the foundations of the massive church are exposed to demonstrate how Roman stones were often used in the construction of medieval buildings.

The cathedral, built in the Romanesque style, is very simple in design with few embellishments.

The interior space is also starkly simple. With no flamboyant Gothic decorations, the beauty of the stones and the architecture shows through.

The adjoining cloister was a serene place that featured beautiful stonework.

And while I was in the cloister, I received a wonderful gift. A woman who was there with several friends began to sing “Gloria in excelsis Deo” so beautifully! Back in the cathedral, she sang three more hymns, impressing us all with the acoustics of that glorious space and with her own exceptional voice. It was the best way possible to end my day in Vaison-la-Romaine.

April 3, 2022

It’s still cold out! The temperature is supposed to rise to eight degrees today but with the windchill it will continue to feel much colder. My plan today was to do a ten kilometre hike to the small and picturesque hilltop town of Crestet. I took a morning walk through the town to test both the weather and my resolve, and after much deliberation I decided to have an inside day. I don’t really like to ”cross anything off of my list” but I think it was the wise choice. I can catch up on blogging, do a load of laundry, and rest up my feet for my next destination of Arles where more monumental Roman ruins await. I hope everyone back home is well and enjoying Spring. Thank you for joining me on my journey. 🙂