Stone Barn on a Country Road

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A quiet country road has a field and a stone barn on a gentle curve. This pastoral scene was shot near St. Remy-de-Provence in the countryside.

Along A Hammeau Lane

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A rustic country laneway winds through a hammeau, and the path is lined by irises growing wild.  A cherry tree, the blossoms already gone is in the background.  This is Van Gogh country at its finest in the spring.

Roads in Provence

Roads in Provence are generally excellent, well marked and with good indication of the next town and how far. The road system in France is generally very good.

From The Village to the Valley

A couple walk with their dog from the village down into the valley on a sleepy Provencale road.

Slippery When Wet

When I had to work, I had to be connected to the internet, so I would sit all day in a cafe in Bonnieux, connected to Nassau by the internet.

At the end of the day, I would walk home, past this sign.

It is surprising to think that the roads are slippery because of the mental picture of eternal sunshine, grapes and vines, and the Mediterranean. However the valley has its days of rain, cold and even snow.

House in the Hills

A country house lies nestled in the hills of green in the Luberon valley.

Road Markers

The respect for tradition in Provence is shown even in the milestones and road markers. In days of old, these were carved from stone. Today, the old shape is preserved and they are made from modern materials.

The Perfect Way to Explore Country Roads

Certain roads in Provence are designated bike routes along with excellent signage. They tend to be scenic back country roads.

One day while I was sitting in a medieval mountain-top village, writing software while connected to the outside world via a cafe's WiFi, I was inundated by a group of British middle-aged men on bicycles. These were well-to-do Brits who paid a pretty penny to do this, and they had the carbon-fibre touring bicycles to prove that they were in an upper socio-economic class. One of them was a surgeon. Let me tell you, there is nothing as unflattering as a pair of bicycle shorts on a middle-aged man.

They had bought an organised bicycle tour of Provence. They flew to Marseille along with their bikes. There was a chase car that provided snacks, drinks, a videographer, and spare bike parts. The chase car had a very fat man in it who couldnt even ride a bicycle.

The group was going to bicycle up Mont Ventoux, which is a significant mountain. I saw the group the next day, half way to the mountain, pedalling in the pouring rain. It didn't look like fun.

But pedalling through the vineyards and orchards on a back country road with nothing but the birdsong can be idyllic. The bicycle on the left is the bike that the Lovely One brought to France several years ago.