Lauris

La boulangerie in La Motte has opened again after its conge and we can see that we will have a much better selection which is nice.

Lauris was on our list of little villages so we set off to do it Tuesday morning. The girl in the Tourist Office gave us a walking route of the village with all the things of note listed. We seemed to be the only tourists in the place and only a few villagers were to be seen.

Le Lavoir.

A beautiful cast iron campanile, dated 1857, by Soler.

Fontaine du Canard. I am reminded of The Ugly Duckling because this is, in fact, a swan, not a duck!

A view of the Durance Valley from Rue de la Roque.

The second  terrace of the Castle Gardens. The first is called the White Garden because they grow only white blossoming plants there. No photo as there was little to see.

The monumental staircase which leads to the Cour du Chateau.

A fountain on the second terrace - dry!

Sculpture - stones.

The brochure we had said that the most important garden, the Jardin Conservatoire des Plantes Tinctoriales was open in the afternoons only. However, the gates were open and we sauntered in, toured the garden, talked to a gardener and nobody put us out! This garden is known as a remarkable garden since 2011 because it contains more than 250 species of plants used for making inks, paints and dyes.

Pomegranate.

The garden also has fruit growing there - apples and pomegranate and a fruit that looked a bit like a big green apple but, when we looked more closely, we knew it wasn't an apple. A conversation with the gardener revealed that it was a Kaki. We didn't know what a kaki was and she didn't have the word in English. A bit of research has revealed that it is a Japanese Persimmon. These ripen in winter time according to the gardener, when, I presume, they will be orange in colour.

No. 13 Place du Chateau

These flags are everywhere in Lauris - don't know what it signifies.

18th century fountain restored in 1966. The 2 bas reliefs are the works of Gastaud, an Aixois sculptor.

Notre Dame de la Purification. On the facade a Virgin and Child sculpted by Ollier in 1854

Organ dating from the beginning of the 14th century, attributed to organ builders Gazeau and Borme.

House of the Colonel recently restored. The right facade is decorated with a harp and Irish shamrock, arms of the 75th infantry regiment. Dates from 1898

Niche on very old house sheltering a statue of Sainte Catherine.