A Nice Round Trip

Thursday 25 September

The sun was shining again this morning with a lively breeze whistling down from the hills - back to weather a la provencale!  Unfortunately Gerri's legs had not coped well with yesterday's cobble sotnes so she decided on a rest day.  My plan was to make a north-westerly loop into the departments of Drome, Ardeche and Gard to visit four recommended villages (Plus Beaux, of course) and to see something of the wild country in the hills which rise from the Rhone River towards the Massif Central, the backbone of France.
The trouble with taking a nice drive in the countryside is the need to stop at unexpected spots of beauty or interest that pop up with great frequency - it kind of plays havoc with the timetable!   Fortunately the narrow roads often mean that stopping is dangerous or impossible, otherwise I would have taken a week to complete my day trip.  The first leg took me north into the Drome, through rollling hills and vineyards towards the Rhone - a very hazy morning so the higher hills were only just visible on the horizon.  There are plenty of villages along the way, some with a gigantic chateau dominating the skyline and always a surprise when they suddenly appear.Everywhere there are signs of the vendage - people working amongst the vines, little tractors pulling trailers loaded with the juiciest looking grapes coming and going along the narrow country roads.
The road led up to my first destination, the village of La Garde-Adhemar which is perched on a bluff overlooking the Rhone River.

La Garde-Adhemar

  From the carpark beside the massive village walls it is quite apparent that this valle is not only a wine producing area (Cotes de Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape, Hermitage) but is also quite industrialised.  The busy Autoroute du Soleil and the TGV line follow the river and ther are a number of sizeable towns as well as the giant towers of the Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant. Across the vally are the foothills of the Massif Central.

Rhone Valleyfrom La Garde-Adhemar

I wandered throug La Garde-Adhemar and found it to be a pleasant medieval village with a pretty square and a large church.  It was very quiet this morning, just a few visitors, some masons repairing stonework and a happy, noisy bunch of children in the school playground.  I bought a pain au raisin and decided to descend into the valley and continue westwards to the hazy hill of the Ardeche department.
After crossing the wide river at Donzere on an old single lane bridge, I stopped briefly to admire the huge rocky cliffs which form the eastern bank at this point.

Rhone River near Donzere

  Further along the busy road I was suddenly confronted with the sight of a large ornate cathedral on a hilltop, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  A few kilometres on I discovered that it stands above the town of  Viviers which judging from the number of churches and grand buildings plus the giant Madonna statue on one of the surrounding peaks, it is obviously a place of some significance (I found out later that is is home to a Catholic bishop). Viviers seemed worthy of inspection and proved to be a curious mix of grand houses, churches, medieval lanes and shabby modern commercial structures.

Approaching Viviers

On my way again and the road wound into the hills, mostly forested with odd patches of cultivation and now more sparsely populated.  After climbing gradually for some time I saw a lookout pint ahead and joined a small group of vehicles in the carpark.  What a view! The panorama included fertile farmlands, rolling vine-covered hills, small village and eventually in the distance the mighty mountains of the Massif Central.  Well worth the break in my journey.

View towards the Massif Central, Ardeche Department

A few kilometres along the highway I turned south and arrived in the picture-postcard perfect village of Vogue settled comfortably on the banks of the Ardeche River (famous for kayaking) - high cliffs, clear tumbling waters, pretty houses, an old chateau - all basking in the glorious sunshine.

Vogue and the Ardeche River

 My plan was to find a place for coffee and a walk along the riverside main street led me to a restaurant which was literally hanging over the water.  The La Falaise was quite busy and seemed like a great place to sit and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.  So, lunch it was and what a good choice.  A bowl of steaming mini ravioli with a mouth watering cheesy sauce, a nice glass of vin blanc and a good milky coffee to finish.  Perfect, and very friendly service too!

View from my table, La Falaise Restaurant, Vogue

Vogue - the restaurant is on the green terrace

Reluctantly I tore myself away from this lovely place and continued on down the river - a very scenic drive.  It was only a few kilometres to my next beautiful village, Balazuc.   Whereas Vogue had been charming and benign, Balazuc was nothing short of spectacular.

Balazuc

  It is the usual medieval village really, but the setting on a steep hillside where the Ardeche River has cut deeply into the landscape gives it an atmosphere of grandeur.

River crossing at Balazuc

 As I stood by the road that descends from the village to the river a low flying jet (Tornado?) came screaming up the valley - what a din!  Kind of surreal in a way - the lady in the postcard shop explained that there is an Air Force base at nearby Orange and that such fly-bys are nothing unusual.

Looking across the river from Balazuc

With time getting on I continued further down the river, by passing the famous Gorges of Ardeche (next time) and taking a winding road through the hills in a south-easterly direction rejoined the river at Aigueze, my final stop for the day.  The hills are mostly forested in this area which is in the Gard department.   Aigueze sits on a bluff above the river and there are lovely views from its viewing terrace.

Aigueze

 The pretty square is safely tucked away behind the remains of fortifications and the main street is shaded by enormous plane trees.  If these villages all sound the same, well yes, they have much in common, nut each has its own distinctive character, mostly determined by the geographical features and the unique local history.

The Ardeche River flows into the Rhone Valley at Aigueze

As I drove out of the hills towards Sablet I was touched to see a gigantic poster in one tiny hamlet which was a photo of a beaming young man and the words "Bravo Quentin, world kayaking champion'.  Obviously a local hero!
After a slow trip through peak hour traffic in Orange and some snail's pace progress behind the little grape tractors I was finally back in Sablet.

Stuck behind a grape tractor near Sablet.

As i drove into Sablet the evening sun was shining beautifully on Les Dentelles.

Les Dentelles - approaching Sablet

Gerri has rested and feels better and I thoroughly enjoyed my day of exploring some wonderful off-the-beaten-track treasures of the region.

Our lovely village - Sablet

Out and About - Around Sablet

Tuesday 23 September, Wednesday 24 September

We are enjoying the house here in Sablet so much - lots of room, very comfortable beds and every  convenience of home.  Our house owners are very thoughtful.   The temperatures have dropped a little from the high twenties so it is very pleasant for daytime activities and cool at night for sleeping - still nice and sunny!
On Tuesday morning we again followed the suggestion from the guide sheet  left in the house and drove a short distance to the town of Vaison-la-Romaine to have a look at what is one of the biggest markets in the region.   Vaison is also a town that is famous for its large Ancient Roman site, its Roman bridge which crosses the Ouveze River and its medieval quarter.   We were fortunate to find a street side park a short walk from the beginning of the market which stretches out over a number of streets and squares in the middle of the "new" town.  The very hilly medieval quarter is on the opposite bank of the river.

Medieval Quarter of Vaison-la-Romaine

 As we had been warned, Vaison was crowded with tourists and locals and it was shoulder to shoulder past the market stalls (around 450 of them apparently).  Lots and lots to looks at and more variety than the smaller markets.  After our browsing and a little bit of shopping we found a pleasant restaurant in the main square and ordered three course menu  - antipasto, steak and dessert - which was pretty good.   The market packed up in the middle of the day and we decided to drive north to the Drome department which is in the region of Rhone-Alpes - and marks the beginning of the great mountain chain of the Alps.

Making paella - Vaison-la-Romaine market

 We certainly would like to return to Vaison and visit the historic parts of the town before the week ends.  Markets are fun, but when so crowded they are a bit exhausting.
We took a route through the large town of Nyons, crossed the Eygues River and then drove through some rolling vine covered hills which eventually gave onto steep slopes of the garrigue.   In the distance, to the east we could see higher and more rugged peaks.
Our destination in the Drome was the Plus Beaux village of Le Poet-Laval, built in the 12th century as a fortified outpost for pilgrims and crusaders heading for the Holy Land.  Later the village became a Protestant stronghold and there is a small museum dedicated to this period in its history.  Le Poet-Laval today must be little different to the way it was in the Middle Ages and from the approach road it looks very ancient.

Le Poet-Laval

 There are no roads in the village, only cobble stone lanes and lots of steps up and down the hillside and there is little evidence of modern life.

Lovely lane - Le Poet-Laval

  From the top of the village there are lovely views to the valley below and to the distant hills.

Le Poet-Laval - view from the top of the village

The overwhelming feeling here is one of tranquility and peace - although the calm clear weather today no doubt enhances this aura.  I can imagine that in the depths of winter with a gale howling up the valley that the village may not feel so benign.

Ruined building given an artistic touch, Le Poet-Laval

Our homeward journey was via a different route, through Valreas and as we descended the hills to Sablet we were treated to a spectacular view of Mt Ventoux and Les Dentelles standing out clearly in the evening light.

Wednesday morning and we were greeted by grey skies which made us a bit slow to get going. We have becoe so accustomed to sunny weather that the evidence of last nights showers was a bit of a surprise.

Seguret is barely visible in the morning drizzle - from my bedroom window

First visit this morning was to the Plus Beaux village of Seguret, just five minutes away in the car and in plain view from my bedroom window. The village is tucked into the side of a steep hill and looks westward over the Rhone Valley.  there have been people dwelling here since pre-historic times, but the current village is medieval.  The centre is completely given over to pedestrians - steep cobbled lanes and many stairs.  As we walked through the village light rain began to fall and of course the views out over the countryside were rather gloomy and somewhat limited.   Seguret is very quaint and well-maintained with a couple of artist's galleries and several restaurant.  We decided on an early unch and sat under a pretty shelter beside an ancient fountain.  Lunch was a treat - a savoury clafoutis and very good coffee.  I have only ever come across dessert clafoutis (usually cherry) so this was a new experience and very tasty too.

Lunch location - Seguret 

Wth the rain seemingly set in we drove home for a while and then set off for Vaison-la-Romaine, just 10 kilometres away.  Today the town was quieter and we explored the south bank of the town, the medieval quarter - very beautiful old stone houses, some quite grand, on narrow streets which lead up to a rather crumbling chateau.

Medieval Quarter, Vaison-la-Romine

We stopped by at the gallery of a celebrated local artist, Leon Zanella, whose works are very striking, and also viewed an exposition of wood sculptures in the church.

Work by Leon Zanella - very cheerful on a gloomy day!

  It was umbrella time all the way and Gerri was feeling the effects of too many cobblestones, so we called it a day and returned to Sablet without visiting the extensive Roman ruins that lie on the northern side of the town.  This week there are flowers placed around Vaison in memory of the 37 residents who lost their lives in a huge flood on 22 September, 1992.  It is hard to imagine the current creek-like river as a raging torrent.

The Roman bridge at Vaison

So, our first totally wet day and the rain continued into the evening - just drizzle really and due to clear in the morning.

I loved this street sign in Vaison

Market Day

Monday 22 September

Sleeping late does not seem to be an option here on the square in Sablet - lots of cars parked overnight and they all seem to be on the move quite early.  Another sunny day and for the first time quite windy - enough to keep us cool.
After driving a lot in the past two days we decided to take the advice of our house owners and visit the market at nearby Bedoin this morning.  The drive was about 40 minutes through very lovely countryside.  We looped south of Les Dentelles mountains and into a landscape of vineyards, olive groves and attractive small villages - all with the seemingly obligatory avenue lined with tall shady plane trees through the centre.  The views to Mt Ventoux were particularly good from the route - the pale limestone summit was gleaming in the sun above the tree line.  It is by far the highest mountain in these parts at 1912 metres and is of course famous as a stage of the Tour de France.  The whole area is a mecca for cyclists and we saw many out on the roads today.
As we drove into Bedoin we were surprised to see a couple of fields being used as a car park and even more surprised by the large number of cars there.  Obviously the Monday Bedoin market must be a popular event.  It was not far to walk to the main street and we began to make our way along between the market stalls - my goodness, they seemed to go on and on.

Market Day, Bedoin

We reached the town square which was also given over to the market and then discovered that the stalls stretched on up yet another road.  The place was humming - heaps of people, musicians and some great products on offer - fresh produce and local crafts, as well as the usual clothes, table linen and knick knacks.  It was a lot of fun  checking out all the stalls and sampling some of the offerings.

This vendor sells peppers!

And beautiful dried flowers

The streets are shaded by plane trees and we joined the thirsty throngs at a busy cafe in the centre of town for a coffee and a yummy patisserie tart that Gerri had bought along the way.  We were also talked into buying some nougat from a very charming young man - it was extremely delicious.  Bedoin seems like a very attractive town with plenty of facilities and a beautiful location beneath the southern slopes of Mr Ventoux.

Mt Ventoux looms over Bedoin

The market began to pack up around 1 pm so we decided to move on south across a valley of more vineyards to the edge of some fairly rugged hills called the Monts de Vaucluse and the Plus Beaux village of Venasque which clings to a hillside.

Typical Venasque street

It is easy enough to drive to the top of the town and then wander down through its narrow streets to a lovely terrace where the views north to Mt Ventoux and the surrounding countryside are quite simply spectacular.

Mt Ventoux from the terrace at Venasque

The most significant monument in Venasque is the 6th  century Bapistery, one of the oldest religious buildings in France and it has some very rare architectural details, most especially the carved capitals and the central well for whole body immersion.

The church and the view - Venasque

By the time we were feeling hungry lunch time service in the two restaurants was over, but we were able to sit at the terrace bar of the Les Remparts Hotel where we could have great coffee along with entree and dessert - so that is what we did - and no extra charge for the fabulous view.

View towards the Nesque Gorges from Venasque

Our journey home took us through the large town of Carpentras so we took the opportunity to stop at a huge LeClerc supermarket.  We did not need much but it is always fun to check out the big French supermarkets.  I bought some St Nectaire cheese, and a freshly baked baguette - just the thing to have with fig confiture and the bottle of Picpoul de Pinet wine sitting in the frig.  Bliss!  After this indulgence I went for a walk around Sablet village - up to the church on the top of the hill.  Wish I had brought my camera to capture the brilliant red sunset over the Rhone Valley.

A little ancient history

Sunday 21 September

Our lovely village house overlooks the main square of Sablet so all the comings and goings of the village cannot be missed.  This morning at 6 am we were woken to the sounds of banging and chatter and it was barely daylight.  Of course, it is "vide grenier" in Sablet this morning - the words mean "empty the attic" - what we would call a car boot sale. The whole square and the streets around were filled with stall holders unloading their wares and setting up shop.  By 7 am the first customers were browsing the rather motley collections of offerings - mostly used toys, crockery and other household items, books, and clothing.   Gerri and I eventually joined the throng of people who seemed to be looking but not buying very much.  I have certainly seen vide greniers with more unique and interesting items on sale.  Nevertheless everyone seemed to be having a good time and the cafes and boulangeries were doing a roaring trade. A good place to come for some cheap gear for the house or for the kids!

View of the vide grenier from our terrace

Today we had an appointment to meet up with Gerri's friends from Melbourne who are staying in Avignon for a few days so mid-morning we set off for Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, about an hour away.  Our GPS was not very cooperative so we had a couple of navigation whoopsies en route - no biggie though as we allowed ourselves plenty of time to reach this touristy but very pretty riverside village located at the source of the Sorges River.  Fontaine-de-Vaucluse has for many centuries been a rather mystical place situated beneath high limestone cliffs - there is a ruined castle on one of the peaks.  At the base of the cliffs is a huge cave and it is from here that the crystal clear waters of the river emerge and tumble down through the forest and rocks to the town.  From the centre of town there is a lovely riverside walk to view this cave and it is a very popular site for Sunday outings and tourists (lots of restaurants and souvenir shops in town). The sonnet writer Petrach lived here in the 14th Century.

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

We met Romain, Craig and TJ by the bridge in the centre of town - they had come by bus from nearby Avignon and had spent the morning walking some of the trails around the town.  We chose a very pleasant riverside restaurant for a nice three course menu lunch and lots of chat and reminiscing (well for Gerri and the guys).  They were really great company and it was a pleasure to meet them.

Riverside restaurants, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

With our leisurely lunch done we strolled the short distance to the cave and then decided to drive to see the Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard, which is to the west of Avignon - about an hour away from Fontaine.

Riverside walk, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

We crossed the Rhone River on the Europa Bridge at Avignon from which there are splendid views of the city, then made our way to the valley of the River Gardon and the huge parking lot on the Rive Gauche.  To our surprise it was very full even though it was almost 5 in the afternoon, but we soon discovered that this weekend is a festival of "European Patrimony" at the site, attracting many visitors - perhaps because the usual 18 euro fee for 1 car plus 5 people had been waived.  The was a huge photographic display of "grands sites" - of France, of nature, of the world etc - and of course Pont-du-Gard is one of these sites.  The infrastructure buildings at the site are very modern and well secluded - after passing through them there is a side path through the trees to the edge of the river and the first view of this mighty feat of engineering.

Pont-du-Gard

 Not only is the aqueduct beautiful architecturally, but it is also awe-inspiring in its size and age - it is part of the 50 km long Nimes aqueduct and dates from around 40 - 60 AD.  How ever did they build something like this without heavy machinery, computers etc?  The arches are huge and perfect and the slabs of stone are gargantuan.  The whole structure is 150 metres high and 275 metres in length, spanning the whole river valley.

View from the Right Bank

We walked across to the other side, enjoying the views downstream and getting rather warm in the late afternoon sun.

View from the Pont

 Soon it was time to head back so after a surprisingly good cup of coffee we drove back to Avignon ( again with a few GPS hiccups) and said good bye to our Melburnian companions who like us had enjoyed the day immensely.  Leaving Avignon was very slow because of heavy traffic, but once away from the city we had a speedy and uneventful trip back to Sablet in the fading light.  The weather looks good for the coming week and we have certainly picked a lovely part of Provence to explore!

Northward Bound

Saturday 20 September

It is only possible to drive in the centre of Collioure early in the morning when the bollards are temporarily down so we made a quick exit from our lovely townhouse and packed up the car at the front door.  It was a bit slow getting past Perpignan with all the traffic, but once on the A9 autoroute we were able to speed along towards our destination in Provence.   We planned a lunch stop in St Guilhem-le-Desert, a UNESCO world heritage site which meant a detour away from the Mediterranean coast towards the Central Massif on the A75.  Just before the highway begins its ascent into the high hills rise up to the Auvergne we took a bumpy country road for about 15 km, winding up a gorge beside a rushing river and into a mountain valley.  This is called the Route of the Vignes and Garrigues - firstly fields of vines and then the scrubby, limestone landscape that has a very distinctive Mediterranean look and feel.
We arrived at the lower part of St Guilhem, adjacent to the river, where we had to park and then walked up the gently sloping cobblestone streets admiring the wonderful old stone houses and checking out the many art galleries.

Street view - St Guilhem

 There is a huge and very attractive garden containing flowers, vegetable and vines behind the church of the Abbey of Gellone (founded in 804 by Guilhem of Orange - French born, his name is Occitan).  The village is on a route of the Chemin de St Jacques de Compostelle which leads from Arles, and is also one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France.

Abbey garden

This is certainly one village that truly deserves its inclusion in Beaux Villages.  It is not only stunning but has an air of total tranquility.  Everywhere is the sound of running water - little waterfalls in the Verdus River which cascades down beside the village, beautiful fountains and water spurting into drinking troughs (totally potable too).

River Verdus at the edge of the village

 The high limestone cliffs which tower above the village are dotted with ruins of former fortifications which are now home to sweetly chirping birds.  We continued on and up and finally arrived in the absolutely gorgeous village square.  Overlooked by the rugged hills, encircled by beautiful medieval stone buildings and location of the largest plane tree in France (a 6 metre girth), this Place de la Liberte was the perfect spot for a lovely lunch in the shade.

Place de la Liberte - lovely spot for lunch

Gerri ordered her favourite salad with roqueforte cheese and walnuts and I had a scrumptious tartiflette - my first one on this visit and my all time favourite French dish ( I know - I am a simpleton!).

Very large plane tree and fountain with drinking water

After lunch we visited the church which is large but quite simple in style and the remains of the cloisters of the abbey - very, very beautiful.  I was surprised to see a bright red bottlebrush flowering gaily in the courtyard along with the lavender and olives.  There is a real feeling of spirituality here in St Guilhem and to wander the streets is like being transported back in time.  It is one of the loveliest places imaginable.

Cloisters of the abbey

We spent ages in St Guilhem and finally had to resume our journey in order to meet our new landlords in Sablet.

Un petit coin - St Guilhem

  We drove east and then hooked back up with the A9 after a slow trip around the outskirts of Montpelier.  As we neared our turn-off point at the town of Orange, we crossed the Rhone River and this and the landscape of vines and olives and pale pale houses with terracotta tiles told us that we were well and truly in Provence.  Orange was a bit of a surprise - typical country town but there in the centre we came across a huge site of Roman ruins - something to explore during the week.  The GPS led us along a few rickety lanes but we finally reached the hilltop town of Sablet - surrounded by vines and looking across to a small but curious range of little mountains known as Les Dentelles (from the word meaning lace - referring to the jagged or lacy peaks).

Eveining view from my bedroom window in Sablet- Les Dentelles

Our three level house opens directly onto the main square and it is just steps away from the little supermarket, several restaurants and two boulangeries - what more could we want!  The house is beautifully restored and decorated and the living room on the top floor opens onto a terrace with fantastic views across to the next village, Seguret.  We settled in, made a quick trip to the supermarket and the wandered up to one of the restaurants and shared a pizza.  Tomorrow there is a vide grenier in the square which should be interesting - not too early I hope!