Town of Lourmarin

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Lourmarin is at the foot of the Luberon valley in Provence.  It is in the Vaucluse department of France.  This is what Wikipedia has to say about Lourmarin:

Extremely picturesque, the village is a magnet for tourists. Prominent sites are the village itself, the pretty Renaissance castle, the Catholic and Protestant churches and the view from the village of the Proches Bastides, a large fortified farmhouse dating to the Middle Ages. From the village itself it is 20 minute drive down to the Durance River and then about 40 minutes on to Aix-en-Provence.

Driving in Provence II

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One of the best ways of seeing everything in Provence, is to rent a car and drive through it.  That way you will not miss the quaint villages, the funky cafes, the beautiful scenery and the enchanting ambiance.  This drive is 5 kilometers from my favourite Provence village -- the village on Bonnieux.

Grand Mas Near Loumourin

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A mas in Provence is a farm house where the owner of the (prosperous) farm lived.  The farm includes vines for wine, and orchards with cherries and olives, as well as other fruits.  This mas is a grand one, with an observation steeple.  There is a bulls-eye window on the observation tower and a stone railing atop.  Beautiful.

Breakfast Nook Overlooking The Provencal Fields

With a coffee pot full of Van Gogh irises, and a glorious view of the farm fields separated by a stone fence, one can enjoy a simple breakfast and a restful, beautiful bucolic view of the fields.  Now that is a vacation.

Private Allé Entrance

An allé is a small road way or path derived from the French verb aller - to go.  They are used for vehicle and pedestrian ways.  This entrance is private and guarded by a picket fence.  Plantane (or plane) trees line the way.  The trees are easily propagated with cuttings.

Beautiful Stone Guest House -Gite

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Often times, land owners will take small outbuildings and convert them to guest houses or gites.  This is the case here.  This charming guest house in a bucolic setting is called La Borie, and is in a simply stunning setting in Provence.

Tourists in the Square

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One of the big elements of Provence is tourism.  French people from the north come to enjoy the weather, and people from all over the world come to enjoy the charm and ambiance of Provence.  Here tourists stroll among the heritage buildings, shops and cafes of Rousillon.

Ocher Deposits

This is another shot of red and yellow ocher (or ochre) deposits in Provence near Rousillon. This is interesting in the fact that you can see a yellow band through the red.  These colours are woven in the life of Provence and you can see them on buildings, in art, in pottery, paint, and of course in nature.

Topiary on the Balcony

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In the entry below, I profiled some shaped trees that were larger than life.  Here are some topiaries that are of a smaller size on a balcony in the Camargue.  Even removed from the countryside, there are plants and flowers everywhere in Provence.