Provence, France - Roussillon, June 20, 2015 (I had my very first lavender ice cream here!)

Provence, France  Roussillon, June 20, 2015 (I had my very first lavender ice cream here!)

 

So, this is the last of the 3 villages I visited in Provence today. I had a hard time picking out a photo that I liked to showcase this town. The defining feature of this town doesn't show up so much in this photo. This town, Roussillon, in on a hill and can be seen from a distance.

Also, Roussillon is built on red rock.

and the houses are multi-colored unlike Gordes where the houses are all cream colored.

Each town has it's own unique feel and character. 

 

That's what makes it so interesting to walk through these towns!

 

These are trellises that are built over many of the patios here. During the winter there is nothing on top. But during the summer, they have beautiful grape leaves. And a lot of French people love to eat "Al Fresco" (outside). Great food, a beautiful environment, a great view and great conversation. Sounds good to me! 

This was a little nook on the side of a house that the owners
"beautified". Beauty and art everywhere you look!

 

And, here is the view from up here. Pretty spectacular, isn't it?

Just a little more beauty that I captured here.

 

Sorry, 2 more photos!

 

I have taken over 4,000 photos on this trip and now you see why. Breathtaking beauty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provence, France - Abbey of Senanque, June 20, 2015 (One of the things they produce here is lavender oil. I bought some!)

Provence, France - Abbey of Senanque, June 20, 2015 (One of the things they produce here is lavender oil. I bought some!)

Ok, so I have to say that I am pretty proud of how this photo turned out. But I cannot take all the credit! Benoit (my tour guide) told me exactly where to stand and exactly where to put my camera to get this shot. I took another shot of this abbey but the lavender field doesn't show up very well.

 

So this is what you see as you are coming down the canyon to this abbey. There are only 50 monks that live here now. It used to be more heavily populated.  They grow all their own food and, they grow lavender to sell. A bigger picture of the hills around this abbey shows that their are vineyards and gardens for the crops that they grow. I bought some lavender oil that was produced here.  Heck, how many times am I going to get lavender oil from the Abbey of Senanque?

 

 

So here's my less than perfect photo of the Abbey. Now you know why I showed the other one first. The lavender doesn't show up near as well in this photo.  The monks put up signs along the edge of the lavender saying to beware of the snakes and scorpions.  I asked Benoit if there was really snakes and scorpions. He said, "nah, but it used to help keep the tourists from picking the lavender." He said some tourists would come out of here with armfuls of it!

 

 

 

 

 

Provence, France - Gordes, June 20, 2015 (I learned about the varied tastes of many differnt olive oils and bought 3 very different types here)

Provence, France - Gordes, June 20, 2015 (I learned about the varied tastes of many different olive oils and bought 3 very different types here)

 

This is Gordes. It is over 2,000 years old. When we stopped to take pictures coming into the city, this site took my breath away. It was magnificient! I cannot show you how incredible this view is in 2 dimensions. You need to be there. The Romans occupied this area at one time.

 

 

The homes in this town are all one color. That creamy beige color. Also, the homes in this area are multi-million dollar homes.

 

The views up here on the hill are spectacular! This area is known for its "Le Mistral" or, the winds. It is windy a lot so the air is clear, and fresh, a lot! A very desirable place to live.

 

Here is an olive grove growing by the side of the road.

 

There are also beautiful landscaped yards along the way.





I think I mentioned in a former post that I went on a tour of Provence when I was in Avignon. There are 4 directions to travel outside of Avignon, and I went to the east. There are 3 villages that I visited and Gordes is one of them.

This is a well where they used to draw water for home use. If you look closely, you can see 2 metal rails coming out from the fountain to the wall of the fountain. These were used because the vessels to carry the water were very heavy so the person gathering water could rest the vessel on the rails while filling it up. 



Here is my wonderful tour guide, Benoit Vincent of Avignon-PrestigeTours (Avignon-prestigetour.com).

He knew exactly what sights I wanted to see,

where to take the best pictures,

where to taste and purchase the best olive oil. I tasted 3 kinds of olive oil. They all had completely different tastes and uses. I only knew of one taste and one use for olive oil before!

 

Benoit really knew his trade and I was very grateful to have him guide me through this beautiful and amazing countryside!