This week we took a hike south of Denia, Spain to a 16th century watchtower perched on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was used to spot pirates and marauders that might try to take the city.
The Hill Towns of the Luberon
No trip to Provence is complete without visiting the hill towns of the Luberon Mountains, foothills of the French Alps. We decided to rent a car and tour these picturesque hill towns and were not disappointed.
Ménerbes
If you have ever read the book, “A Year in Provence,” then you already know about the hill town of Ménerbes. This is the place where Peter Mayle, an English expat, settled with his wife in the 1980’s and wrote a couple of books popularizing the area.
The Ghost Town of Oppède Le Vieux
Not too far from Ménerbes is the the ghost town of Oppède Le Vieux. We were told about this place from a friend of ours in Arles (thanks Cat) and were intrigued to check it out. Our French guidebooks made no mention of this place and we definitely could not resist the temptation to crawl around the ruins of a town with a castle ruin perched on a hill. Most of the old buildings are overgrown and it is a great place to explore.
Roussillon
If you want to see a really colorful town, Roussillon is the place! The town is situated on multi-colored cliffs of ochre. Reds, oranges, yellows are everywhere. Roussillon once supplied much of the world’s ochre and now is just a tourist destination.
Gordes
Gordes has got to be the ultimate hill town. Much of the town has been beautifully restored and is extremely picturesque.
Photo Essay: The Doors of Provence
During our one month stay in Arles, France we could not help notice the really old doors everywhere. Many where painted in mute colors, while others were vibrant; and some looked neglected for decades, or more. While we visited the other small towns around Provence we noticed that it was not just Arles. In fact, everywhere we went in Provence we saw these same kind of doors.
We thought we would share a few of the doors we found around the Provence region and hope you find them as interesting as we did.
Click on images to enlarge
Photo of the Week: Les Baux at Night
During our last few days in France, we rented a car to explore some of the medieval hill towns in Provence. One of them was the city and chateau (castle) of Les Baux. We arrived there late in the afternoon and stayed late until sunset when the chateau is lit up by lights. We drove out to an olive orchard down below and got this amazing shot of Les Baux at night.
Photo of the Week: Spices
Since leaving the United States we have come to love the street markets. Not only is the food fresh, but the colors are a photographer’s dream come true. Enjoy these spices that we found in Arles, France.
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