History in the Restaurant

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I was blown away by the stone arch roof of this restaurant in Provence.  The building was obviously re-purposed as a restaurant considering the construction of this ceiling.  Like many quirky restaurants, this one was named after a classical French movie, hence the big movie poster on the wall.

Display of Desserts in Restaurant

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This restaurant had its desserts on display in a glass case as soon as you entered the door.  It was also like a sign board as to what was available and not.  You could wander up to the dessert bar after your meal and pick the dessert that catches your eye.

Gateway to Provence ~ Marseilles Airport

The Marseilles airport (actually in Marignane) is a steel and glass structure that is the gateway to Provence.  This modern facility near France's second largest city is a pleasant place to fly into.

Looking from the hilltop to the valley

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This is the view from the ruined church at the top of the village of Eygalieres down into the valley.  Rising in the background are the hills surrounding Mont Ventoux.

Stunning massive Doorway

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This majestic doorway was installed on the lower floor of a hilltop village.  It was the only logical place for the grand entrance.  But you also needed a servants' entrance.  That is why you see the unassuming door to the left of it.

Wrought Iron Belfry and Clock Tower

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This wrought iron belfry is very Provencal in design.  This particular one is on the active church in the village of Eygalieres.  In days gone by, villagers lived their lives according to the clock tower and church bells, and here, like in many villages, the two instrument to mark the times of the day are combined in one.

Days Gone By in the Village

It's nice to see the past preserved, even it if it relates to mundane things.  Here a hand-powered gasoline pump and an old post box (mail box) are preserved on a village wall.  You can see the lever sticking out of the pump.  As you pumped the lever back and forth, it would pump gas into the glass container above the tank, which was like a huge measuring cup.  It measured the gas by the liter.  Then gravity would feed the gasoline into the fuel tank of the car.

Complex Village House

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The large entrances below suggest that in the past there may have been a commercial venture in this elegant village house. The simple shutters are to keep out the sun and the biting Mistral wind.  The turret in the background looks like it may have been a storage structure of some type -- perhaps for some agricultural products?

Mont Ventoux in the Background

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When you climb to the very top of the hilltop village of Eygalieres, and look out in the distance, you will see this -- majestic Mont Ventoux in the background.

Strange Cars in the village

The last thing that you would expect to see in Provence are very strange cars.  It seems like a very conservative place.  I can understand luxury cars, but these two are just strange.

Beautiful Shady Restaurant Courtyard

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This has to be one of the most beautiful restaurant courtyards that I have ever seen.  Unfortunately I was just walking the streets after eating at a cafe and I didn't record the name of this restaurant.

Atelier D'Art

I can't think of a more beautiful and inspiring place to have an art studio than in Provence.  There would be inspiration everywhere.  That is where Van Gogh found his inspiration.

Arresting Mural ~ Eygalieres

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I saw this arresting wall mural above a convenience store on the main street of the scenic village of Eygalieres.  I had no idea of what it was advertising, but this type of large signage is very very rare in Provence.  The photography is striking.

Church Ruins - Eygalieres

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It is amazing that the highest position on the hilltops are usually always dominated by churches.  These are two separate ruins of two different churches atop the same hill in the beautiful, scenic town of Eygalieres in Provence.  They date to the 13th century.

At the Sucrerie

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A Sucrerie is a sugar shop or sweets shop.  All sorts of goodies can be had, anything from candy, chocolates, caramels, cookies and fudge to whatever treats have sugar in them.  Sweet shops are quite ubiquitous around Provence.  This one was a huge beautiful store in a tourist area.

Carousel in Aigues-Mortes

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Carousels or merry-go-rounds seem to be a feature of many Provencal towns.  This one is just outside the walls of Aigues-Mortes.

Medieval Festival - Aigues Mortes

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A medieval festival was held outside the rampart walls at Aigues-Mortes in the Camargue area of France.  Not only were there vendors selling medieval clothing and such, but there were battle re-enactments, buskers and a fair as well.

Aigues-Mortes - City Gate

This is one of the gates of the walled town of Aigues-Mortes in the Camargue.  I have posted other pictures of the walls and ramparts of this beautiful medieval town.

Sweet Perfume of Wisteria

The sweet scent of wisteria perfumes the air in the Camargue.

Window Flowers

The bars on this window are not traditional Provencal, but what is traditional, is that there are flowers almost everywhere in this special part of France.

Poppies by an ancient canal

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This ancient canal was hand-dug in the 1500's as an irrigation canal.  It is located in the Camargue region of Provence.  Poppies bloom canal-side in the spring.

Noah's Ark Lookout - Camargue Museum

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The Camargue is considered the "wild" place of France.  It is the area of the Rhone River delta.  It is a flat area created by the millions of years of sediment deposition from the Rhone.  It is also perhaps the most interesting area of France.  It is rich in medieval tradition.  Two crusades departed from its fortified town.  Ancient tradition says that the Saint Marys (Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus) landed there after being blown off course en route to Ephesus.  The history is rich.  They raise the Camargue horse (a white war breed that is now ubiquitous in dude riding places all over the Camargue) and the black Camargue fighting bull with the upswept horns.  They grow a decent rose wine in the sediment sands -- "Vin Sablons".  All of the saulniers or salt making places are there, and the Carmargue Fleur de Sel is world famous.  Rice is grown in the flooded paddies created by the pump stations and the irrigation canals some of which were dug in the 1500's.

The Camargue Museum is a mostly outdoor museum currently undergoing renovation.  One can see over the flat fields by going on the Noah's Ark lookout.  The most ironic thing about it, is that it was designed by a Japanese, not French architect.

Shepherd's Grass House in the Camargue

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These grasses are thick sedges that grow in the Camargue.  They are stitched together, and used as walls against a wooden frame.  Then mortar is applied to the surface creating a strong wall.  The roof is thatched over.  These cabanes are rounded at the back and the rounded back faces the north wind and the mistral winds.