2023 - Provence Drives
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Last year when we visited Vaucluse, the landscape was purple. We lucked out and experienced an earlier than normal bloom across the endless fields of lavender. I knew we were too early this year, but this year I found we were surrounded with endless fields of poppies. The red as far as you could see. It was wonderful.
Ménerbes
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Ménerbes, located about 40 km from Vedène (45 minutes), is home to many famous artists. The town became famous again when author Peter Mayle wrote about life in Provence. TimeOut lists this town as one of the must see villages of France (March 2023). I must say I was very pleased to have this on my list of villages visited. It is a scenic walled town. Le Castelet is a small château built on the ruins of an ancient fortress.
I was there early in the morning so the richly decorated 14th C church was closed, but I did enjoy walking the streets of the old centre and just soaking in the ambiance.
Not far from the village is Saint Hilaire Abbey (Occitania Region, Aude Department), now a designated historical monument. The abbey was built in the 8th Century. Over the centuries and village grew to surround the abbey. It was prosperous, but in the 13th Century it suffered the devastation of war (Hundred Years War), the ravages of the Black Death and periods of famine.
Ménerbes
photo: mytravellinglens.com
The streets of Ménerbes has so many scenes to appreciate and enjoy.
Ménerbes
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Oh yes, like so many villages the town is built on a hill and there are plenty of stairs. But the climb was certain worth the effort.
Le Crestet
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Road D938 is a very scenic drive, and it links a number of important towns. Crestet, located 6 km south of Vaison la Romaine, drive along the D938 and turn off on the smaller D76 to access the village. This is a village to put on your list to see. A beautiful village with sloping cobbled streets. You don't have to worry about dogging traffic, the streets are narrow, winding and with plenty of steps. There are vaulted passageways, stone archways and restored Renaissance buildings.
The old château stands, it has been converted into a private residence. But back in the 12th Century it was the residence of the bishops of Vaison la Romaine. The Bishops would seek refuge here for safety during the conflicts of the day.
Crestet
photo: mytravellinglens.com
The communal fountain in the small square, in front of the church, dates back to the 1200s. Walk about this village is about as peaceful as it can get!
Séguret
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Séguret, located in the northern part of the Vaucluse department is a small village on the side of a hill overlooking the vineyards. It holds a "Most Beautiful Village in France" designation. I enjoyed my early morning walk through the village. Nothing specular, just a medieval village of cobbled stone streets, lined with old houses, that has great atmosphere. Although I did say my walk through the village, most of it is a climb going along the steep streets. Be prepared for plenty of stairs. Below the village there is a small parking lot. Park and walk up to the Rue des Poternes, with one of the gates to access the village. There is located the 17th Century Fontaine des Mascarons and a wash-house from the Middle Ages.
I did walk up to the Sainte Thècle Chapel, with its 17th Century bell tower but during the early hours I was there, all was closed.
Séguret
photo: mytravellinglens.com
The doors tell a story, and with elegant doors like this the town has a prosperous past.
I walked the road up to to the very top of the hill where the ruins of the château stand. Although the name "segur" means safety, not so for this village. In 1563 the Protestant Chief Gaspard Pape de Saint-Auban's troops took the village and massacred 130 people, one in every seven people living in the town.
Le Barroux
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Le Barroux, on the scenic D938 route through Vaucluse, is also one of the many noted Most Beautiful Villages of France. But I thought the the sight to see is the impressive castle. The castle dates back to the 12th Century and was built to defend against the Saracen and Italians. The castle looks good today as it was partly rebuilt in the 15th and 16th Centuries. Then after that, it was damages in the French Revolution. Finally in 1929 it undertook major repairs.
Malemort-du-Comtat
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Malemort-du-Comtat is located at the end of the Gorges de la Nesque. The town has a long history, and some rough times. in the 12th Century the town was fortified by ramparts which had eleven towers and three gates, which like the gate in the photo above, are still in place. In 1348 the Black Death took more than half of the people of the town. Other plagues hit, and when you are in town find rue underground, and street built to separate the plague victims from the rest of the people in the town. it was a passage that allowed plague victims to leave the village to go the specific houses in Villes-sur-Auzon.
Malemort-du-Comtat
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Beautiful old streets of Malemort-du-Comtat.
It is a big town, and after a few hours of exploring the village I was totally lost and it took quite a time to find the parking lot outside of town where I parked.
Velleron
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Velleron was just a short drive from our town of Vedene. It has a well known evening farmer's market. In summer (April to September), the Velleron market opens from Monday to Saturday at 6 p.m. (except public holidays). In winter (October to March), the Velleron market is held on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The market is ranked among the "one hundred exceptional markets" in France.
Velleron
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Streets of Velleron.
The old centre of Velleron is around the Château de Crillon, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century. Its facade and medieval-looking defensive towers make it a striking building. It is now the location of the Town Hall. When I saw the ski board at the front door of this old house I just got the feeling there is more going on in this town than it may first seem.
Arles
photo: mytravellinglens.com
We traveled to Arles for a visit. We enjoyed market day, quite a major market takes over an entire section of the centre of town. We did not get a chance to visit the Barbegal aqueduct and mill, a Roman watermill complex located at Fontvielle, a few kilometres from Arles, so I guess we have to come back!
The Romans took over the town in 123 BC and built it into an important city in the Empire. They built a canal to link it to the Mediterranean in 104 BC. Structures that still stand include an amphitheater. You can see the antique theatre and the Therms de Constantin.
In 1888 Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Arles, staying for over a year and produced more than 200 paintings.
Arles
photo: mytravellinglens.com
But Arles has more than historical buildings to admire. Architect Frank Ghery designed the impressive Tower for the Luma, an tower that holds a library, exhibition galleries, archives and offices. It is covered with 11,000 irregularly arranged stainless steel panels.
Malaucène
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Malaucène, is located 9 km south of Vaison la Romaine, It is on the "famous" D938 and I lost count how many times I drove by the town. The massive church always caught my attention and I often would say, I should stop there and see what is in the town. Well one day I did, and this town became the find of the holiday. I probably visited this town three or four times, each time just enjoying walking the walkways in the old town which was mainly residences. The Nodes was a previous retail location that I was taken with.
Malaucène is the capital of the Ventoux, the old town surrounds the hill where the ancient fort stood. Surrounding the old town is the more modern area. You will see plenty of bike shops as this entire area is know for biking and an access point to one of the segments of the route for the Tour de France.
In 1309, Pope Clement V moved to Avignon. But at that time, Avignon is small, unhealthy, overpopulated, and the magnificent palace of the popes was not yet built. Pope Clement V decides to spend his summers at the monastery of Groseau, located in the country side of Malaucene. He had the monastery enlarged and embellished.
There are a few old gates remaining from the ancient walls. The Soubeyran Gate was used as gallows for public hangings in the 14th Century. Pope Clement V had his summer residence located just outside the town. In the old town are houses from the 16th to 18th centuries, fountains and wash-houses. The clock tower dates to 1539.
A few kilometers on D97 on the road to Mont Ventoux, is the chapel of Groseau, it is all that remains of the 7th Century monastery. It was destroyed and rebuilt ion the 11th Century.
Malaucène
photo: mytravellinglens.com
I stumbled across the Chapel St. Alexis. British artist Michael Bastow purchased the chapel and commenced a multi-year project to paint the interior with an evolving exhibition. The The first project were mixed media drawings evoking the seven ages of woman (2006/07). You can contact the artist to arrange a visit to see the work up close inside, I was able to view the work for the outside.
In the 1800 the town became an industrial city. You would not imagine that when you see the town today. There were paper mills, oil mills, flour mills etc. all benefiting from the power of the river. As early as 1890 a power plant supplied the town with electricity. But that all ended and the last the papeteries closed in 2009. There is now no industrial activity in the town.
Malaucène
photo: mytravellinglens.com
The Church of Saint-Michel-et-Saint-Pierre was built at the end of the 11th century as directed by Pope Clement V. It is built behind the walls of the old city. During the wars of religion its structure was strengthened. Although the grand porch was never completed, the voussoirs are decorated with sculptures. Inside the church it is dark and moody. The original 1711 organ was rebuilt in 1784.dates from 1209. Along the southern wall is a stone bench, which is written up as being the longest bench in Europe.
Sainte-Marguerite
photo: mytravellinglens.com
The area around Malaucène is very scenic. I was out to find something different and I found it. Nine hamlets, all with a different look and charming in their own way. This old water pump was in the first of the hamlets I visited, Sainte Marguerite.
Column 25
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Another of the hamlets, Beaumont du Ventoux, with a population of around 300, there is a very laid-back feel to the hamlet.
Vaison-le-Romaine
photo: mytravellinglens.com
I have been to Vaison-la-Romaine before but never visited Our Lady of Nazareth Cathedral. It has beautiful 11th Century cloisters. I arrived only to have to wait for a funeral to finish but as the ceremony ended, a priest saw me at the locked door to the cloisters. He returned with the key and for about five minutes it was just me and the stunning capitals and columns of the cloister.
Vaison-la-Romaine
photo: mytravellinglens.com
We have been in Vaison-la-Romaine a couple of times, 30 years ago on one ofour first trips through France, and last year on our travels in Provence. The town is famous for its Roman ruins and the old medieval town (Colline du Chateau) up on the hill across the river Ouvèze - oh yes, you get across the river by cross an original Roman bridge. Be prepared to climb endless stairs and just take in the beauty of the old town centre.
Vaison-la-Romaine
photo: mytravellinglens.com
Ther are endless narrow streets to explore. Beautiful old buildings to see.
