Bastille Day!

Sunday 14 July

Today is the French equivalent of Australia Day I guess, but it doesn't seem to  have the same kind of commercial hype that is generated in Australia. In Lourmarin last night there was a bit of live music and a few of the towns in the Luberon had a fire works display.  One of the locals told us that because it was a Sunday that not much would be going on, especially at night time as it is a work day tomorrow,  Also forest fire is a very real danger in this hot, mostly dry summer climate so fireworks are not encouraged.  We gathered that Bastille Day would mostly be a day for families and friends to get together at home or somewhere nice for lunch or a picnic.
It was lovely to take it easy this morning, to catch up on some laundry and to enjoy our new rental home.  Just sitting on the terrace and enjoying the birdsong with a coffee and a bowl of delicious, ripe cherries is a very nice way to start the day. 

Garden at Lourmarin

Lourmarin house terrace - so pretty

Later in the morning we took a stroll around the village which has a few small hilly streets, but is mostly flat. 


Strolling into Lourmarin

The narrow streets and tall pale stone houses are very picturesque - especially the ones adorned with wisteria, Virginia creeper and roses.  The little shops are very quaint and the wares are beautifully displayed. 

Lourmarin - typical street

It certainly does not take long to get around the whole village.   On one edge of Lourmarin is a large open grassy area dominated by the local castle.  We sat under some shady plane trees and enjoyed really good ice-creams while  taking in the lovely views.  The Luberon Mountains (hills really) rise up behind the village - a mixture of pale rocky bluffs and deep green pine forest.

Lourmarin Castle

 The village was crowded with people and most of the shops were open - unusual for a Sunday in France, but maybe not so for such a popular destination during the summer holidays.
We have been restauranting heaps so it is good to be able to make a nice salad and sit in the garden for lunch - accompanied by a frosty cold glass of Burgundy chardonnay - 6 euros at the SuperU.
This afternoon we decided on a short drive after so many hours in the car during the past two days.
Nearby to Lourmarin is one of the several Plus Beaux Villages de France in the region so it seemed like a good idea to check it out.  It was just a short and scenic drive through the vineyards and up a bit of a hill to the village of Ansouis - a typical Provencale place of pale stone, flowers, plane trees and cobbled lanes.  The castle of Ansouis is on top of the hill and looks quite forbidding - huge walls that seem to grow out of the rock. 

Ansouis - view across the vineyards

We didn't bother with a tour of the castle - jut had a wander around and visited an art show in the local Presbytery. The art work was beautiful - oils mostly, and local scenes. It is not surprising that so many artists make Provence their place of work - something to do with the light as well.

Pretty streets of Ansouis

 
We had read in the guide book at the house that there was a swimming lake nearby and Jess was keen for a dip so we carried on to the L' Etang de la Bonde .  There were a lot of people enjoying the walks and cafes around the lake and plenty of children splashing about.  It did look inviting but in the end we just had a coffee beside the water and took in the view. 

L'Etang de la Bonde

On the way home on country roads Maree had a go at driving. The roads have good surfaces but tend to be narrow and windy - rather daunting, as are the crazy French drivers who like to hog the middle of the road or even cross right over - especially on blind corners.  The outcome was that I would drive - pas de problem!
Then it was home for a light dinner and an early night for Maree and me.  The neighbours seemed to be celebrating Bastille Day with some friends by singing along with opera CDs - not very tunefully!   Luckily they packed it in at a reasonable hour.  Jess and Melanie went into the village to check out the action.  They reported next day that they had made some French friends and that there were a lot of people out and about.  Lourmarin is not really a mecca for twenty year olds I guess but they had fun.