More little villages!

Today, Friday, we decided to see some more of the villages in the Pays d'Aigues. A few kilometres from Grambois we could see the village perched high on top of a hill. We wound our way upwards till we arrived at La Place de l'Eglise where we parked.

Notre Dame de Beauvoir Church

The foundations of this church go back to the 11th century and it has been added to and expanded up until the 17th century. It's not the only thing in the photo to have been added to and expanded over the years!

These words of Frederic Mistral affirm the agricultural nature of Grambois. Today the village is surrounded by grain fields, olive groves and vineyards.

La fontaine aux bartavelles

In 1989, the film maker Yves Robert used this square and fountain for the boules game and for the return from hunting of the partridge hunters in his film "La gloire de mon pere" (Pagnol).

The belfry

This clock tower was constructed after an earthquake in 1708 and crowned by the campanile in the 1900s.

A view of the Luberon from Grambois.

Passage des Templiers.

La Maison des Templiers

A nice little shady area.

Jim can never resist cacti!

                                                                Or lizards!

A renaissance house.

Le portail neuf.  The newest gate of the village.

On leaving Grambois, we decided to go to La Bastide des Jourdans where there is a 16th century Chapel - La Chapelle Notre Dame de la Consolation - but we were in need of consolation as we didn't find it!

But we found this - an ancient statue.

And this - Bastide des Jourdans' 17th century belfry.

And this - a view up to the castle..

La Bastide des Jourdans did not seem very suitable for lunch so we headed off in the direction of Mirabeau. This brought us over much more rugged territory. Mirabeau was not to our liking either so we crossed the rive Durance amid spectacular scenery which we didn't stop to photograph and stopped in Jouques where we had a lovely really plat du jour - salade paysanne for Jim and travers de porc avec spaghetti et legumes pour moi.

Our final village of Friday was Cadenet, another perched village, where we parked in La Place du Tambour d'Arcole. (Little drummerboy square). Armed with a map and a walking tour we toured the town. Muscles that didn't know they were muscles are getting a good workout on this exchange as there is no such thing as walking on the flat!

Place du Tambour d'Ancole

, Andre beat the charge on his drum. The Austrians thought they were surroundedLe Tambour d'Arcole (Little Drummer boy) was Andre Estienne, born in Cadenet in 1777. He joined the Luberon Regiment at the age of 14 and was with the troops in Nice in 1796 when Napoleon arrived to take command of the army. After several victories, the troops were pinned down at Arcole, Italy. Every wave of attacking soldiers was mowed down by Austrian gunfire. The little drummerr boy. and a few soldiers, swam the river with his drum on his head. Reaching the other side and Napoleon's troops were able to charge the bridge and take the position. Napoleon decorated Andre with silver handles and point and Cadenet's star was born!

La Place du 14 Juillet, a former market square. In the centre is a large fountain, characteristic of the 19th century. It is an obelisk surmounted by a globe. Its waterspouts are 4 dolphins.

La Place de l'Horloge with its belfry.

The birthplace of the Little Drummer boy.

One of Cadenet's troglodyte dwellings.

L'Eglise St.Etienne

L'Eglise St. Etienne.

In the Centre Culturel la Laiterie there was an unusual exhibition - an exhibition of straw hats - which I really enjoyed.

When we returned to La Motte we had to go to the local supermarket for bread (the bakery is closed until next Tuesday). It was due to open at 4.30. It was 4.30! Talk about a palaver. Jim got reprimanded for I don't know what - possibly poking at a button thing that, seemingly, is an alarm. We were told to wait until she had taken out the displays of fruit and vegetables. That got delayed as she got into conversation with someone in a car who was asking directions. Then the trolleys had to be put in the right place. Finally, 15 minutes later, she said "Voila" and we were allowed in. And all for a baguette!

A view of Grambois perched on a hill, taken as we passed by on Saturday.

Villages of Le Pays d'Aigues

Thursday we devoted to villages in the Pays d'Aigues. In the morning we went to La Tour d'Aigues, a village on the banks of the river Eze within the Parc Naturel Regional du Luberon. The Pays d'Aigues is an agricultural area so La Tour d'Aigues is surrounded by cultivated and harvested fields and vineyards. Everywhere along the road and at the entrance to the little villages are signs - Attention, Vendanges - so the grape harvest has begun. I am looking forward to getting a closer look at what is involved.

The most outstanding feature of La Tour d'Aigues is the remains of its Renaissance chateau. Its gateway is still intact and takes the form of a splendid triumphal arch. It is a unique example of Renaissance architecture in Provence. The castle is being gradually restored and its cellars house a musee de faience (earthenware museum) with exhibits of earthenware found during the restoration. Just inside the gate are banks of seats for viewing the theatre, music and dance spectacles that are held there each summer. At the moment Alice in Wonderland is on there. We then took a look round the Church of Notre-Dame de Romegas. It is a 12th/13th century church with well worn walls and floors. It was almost pitch dark when we entered except for the light coming through the stained glass windows.

One of the side altars.

We returned to La Motte for lunch and to await the arrival of Christine and Lucien's femme de menage, Catherine. Then we left her to her chores and set off for more of the villages.

Ansouis is classified as one of most beautiful villages in France. The village is dominated by the castle which is over 1000 years old.

Left and below the castle at Ansouis.

The view from the castle.

The village has lots of little streets and alleyways, including a tiny one called Traverse Esquicho-Couido. It is extremely narrow at one end.

Above, Traverse Esquicho-Couido from the narrow end. Right Traverse Esquich-Couido from the broader end. Imagine being my size and being chased by something undesirable from broad end to narrow end - no escape for me!

A more normal sized narrow street.

We visited the 12th century St. Martin Church and learned a bit about Saint Elzear and Blessed Delphine who lived in Provence at the Court of Naples. They got married very young and practised chastity, virtue, charity and asceticism but assumed the charges and duties linked to their rank. Elzear died in Paris where he had been sent as an ambassador by the King of France. Delphine, an inconsolable widow, gave all her goods to the poor and lived as a recluse and a beggar at Cabrieres d'Aigues and then at Apt.

The side altar dedicated to Saint Elzear and Blessed Delphine.

St. Martin Church.

Next stop was a little village called Cucuron surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. There are several cooperatives in the village devoted to olive oil and wine production.

The belfry in Cucuron.

2 views of the castle.

A very significant feature of this area of France is the number of centuries old plane trees that line the entrance into the villages and that line the main streets. They are really beautiful. In Cucuron there are lots of them.

The centre of Cucuron has a large pool of water, called a bassin, but large enough to be a lake, in its main square shaded by towering 200 year old plane trees. Cucuron is also classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The 1995 film "Le Hussard sur le Toit" ("The Horseman on the Roof") was filmed there.

Cucuron's main square with its pond and plane trees.







Our final stop of the day was Lourmarin which is a village fleuri and one of the most beautiful villages in France. It had a real buzz about it - unlike most of the other villages which are very quiet and sleepy. We think it would be nice to go back and have lunch in one of the many restaurants there.

We parked beside an area where lots of groups were playing boules. They didn't invite us to join them - in fact, they were so engrossed in their games that I don't think they even saw us!

Albert Camus lived and worked in Lourmarin and is buried in the local cemetery.We didn't pay him a visit. We made our way to the castle where there was a magnificent exhibition of painting on ceramics. I had a conversation with the artis herself who tried very hard to ge me to make a purchase. Although It was very beautiful, I declined - much too expensive at 190 euros upwards. We didn't dare take a photo! The castle itself was worth seeing.

The exhibition was in the doorway at the right.

Olive trees in the grounds of the castle and olives growing.

In the grounds of the castle.

Lots of the plane trees have huge holes in them.

A plastic sculpture. It looks like a globe and the black and white figures are men.

The belfry in Lourmarin.

We returned to La Motte in time for an aperitif at Le Stunt, the pub. As the beer and the wine came in very small glasses we did have a pair of them!

First trips in Provence.

La Motte d'Aigues is a fortified village founded in the 11th century. It was condemned by the Merindol decree as a Waldensian village and destroyed in 1545. It is built on a hill with really narrow streets, many of which can not be accessed by car. It has a pub/pizzeria, a bakery, a Vival small supermarket, a wine co-op and a hairdresser - what more would you want!

A view down rue Jaubert Appolinaire from where we are on the left. The evening we arrived the family in the house with the chairs and table were all outside enjoying the sun (and showers). Below that are steps that lead down to opposite the pub - very handy! We try it this evening for an aperitif or even a pair of them!

We have sussed out supermarkets - a Hyper U and a Carrefour, both near Pertuis which is the closest large town. We stopped in the tourist office in Pertuis, situated in the dungeon of the old castle, and got more information to add to the huge folder that was left for us.

As far as I can figure out we are in the Vaucluse region of Provence. Vaucluse seems to be  divided into different districts/regions and La Motte d'Aigues is in the Luberon region. We have already discovered that the wines from the Luberon are very good. The wine co-op in La Motte d'Aigues sells only wine from the vineyards around the village. The young woman who works there is very nice and offered us huge tastings of some of the wines - surprisingly enough we did not consume all she offered!

On Wednesday afternoon, we took a walk through Pertuis which is described as the economic heart of the Aigues valley. It is a former fortified city where some ramparts remain. As we had left it rather late, we strolled around and will do a more detailed exploration another day.

Sculpture and fountain in Place de le Diane, Pertuis.

On our way back to La Motte, we stopped to look at L'etang de la Bonde, a lake which is used for swimming.

2 views of L'Etang de la Bonde. I think there are nice walks around there which we must check out.






We had dinner on the terrace but were annoyed by the wasps. Must think of some ways to distract them!

Arrival in La Motte d'Aigues

We have arrived in La Motte d'Aigues after an uneventful journey, a slight bit of confusion coming out of Nice airport, a stop at a motorway for some food and a bit of difficulty finding somewhere to park reasonably near Lucien and Christine's house. It is a slightly insecure feeling to park so far away from the house when we are used to being able to see our car in the back yard. Of course the weather chose the minutes of our walk to the house to provide a Provencal downpour. It quickly cleared and we were looking for our abode in a clearly obvious fashion when a man who was passing said "Bonjour - La, la" pointing to the house. (I wish I knew how to put the accents in on my computer but you will have to make do - the two las have an a grave.)

The entrance fro Rue Joubert Appolinaire.

This is a typical Provencal house set within narrow streets. The entrance we used to gain access is, in fact, the upstairs of the house. There are 7 levels to this house - so lots of stairs. I am being very vigilant as I have no desire to break any more bones! Inside the front door is the dining room with a stove for the colder months.

Dining Room and stove.

The living room.

Up a few rustic steps is the living area where we relax, listen to classical music or use the computer. There is no tv but we can watch DVDs on the computer. It has a roof window which gives lots of light and, when we open it in the evening, some cool air. The temperatures are around 28 / 30 degrees.

Down a short flight of stairs is the kitchen.

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Christine and Lucien left us a lovely Daube de Provence for our first evening meal. It was delicious and we were delighted to taste one of the region's specialities.

Up a few steps is the piano room which has a big glass patio door, again letting in lots of light.  The terrace looks out over rooftops to the Luberon hills. It is nice and relaxing to eat out here in the sun - couldn't do that at home!

View from terrace.

In the piano room, a ladder rises to an elevated area where there is a double bed.

Down a flight of stairs, to the right, is Frederic's bedroom and to the left, Christine's and Lucien's bedroom where we are sleeping. Behind a door and up a flight of stairs, leading from our bedroom, is a most beautiful newly decorated bathroom. The only problem is at night time when we are groggy from sleep (or even groggy from grog on occasions!). I'm sure Jim would not appreciate being woken from his slumbers by me tumbling down the steps! I have found myself talking to myself saying things like: 'Be careful, mind the steps, there's another step when you reach the door'. Would that qualify as talking in my sleep or sleep walking or both?

Our bedroom.

Down another flight of stairs and to the right is a guest room with ensuite bathroom. To the left is a guest toilet and farther on is a storage area and laundry room. Up a few more steps is another large storage area. So it is a really big house with lots of stairs! The real inconvenience is that the first available toilet is our ensuite which is 26 steps down and 7 steps up and vice versa to get back to where I started! It might be a problem if we had diarrhoea! I'm hoping that frequent trips to the loo will increase my fitness levels and help to decrease my rotundity!