Provence

Provencal Poodle

A French poodle waits for its owner in a village square in a Provencal village. The dog's owner is in the cafe behind.

Antique Provencal Clay Pot

I saw this antique piece of clay pottery made out of ochre clay in a shop.

Winter In Provence III

These are the final six images in the series of Winter in Provence -- the big snow storms of early 2012.

Winter In Provence II

Some more pictures of Provence during the devastating winter storms of 2012. Provence hasn't had it this bad since 1956.

The winter storms in Europe have dumped snow in Provence. This area of France rarely sees snow, however a huge dump of close to 20 cm blanketed the south of France this year. Even parts of Italy that never see snow got a dump.

Some House Pictures of Provence

Many of the houses in the south of France are made of field stone. In the first photo, we have a hilltop village house that has been modernized and updated.

The second picture is a farmhouse in a hammeau or a farming village compound.

Both of these construction techniques show a use of the indigenous building materials that make the domiciles part of the terroir.

I consider these buildings to be beautiful.

Chocolat Thermometer on a House Wall

A thermometer advertising chocolat hangs on the wall of a village house in the town of Apt in the Luberon valley of Provence.

Terrace of a Gite

Shown above is the terrace of a gite or a guest house in Provence near Orange, in the northern part of Provence. Click on the image for a larger view.

Beautiful Guest House

Imagine spending a vacation in the South of France in this beautiful little guest house called a gite in the countryside. Provence is full of these. They can be found near vineyards, orchards, lavender farms, quaint mountain-top villages and majestic valleys.

Herbs and Spices of Provence -- Rosemary

Rosemary is a spice and herb grown in Provence. It is a member of the mint family and is a woody perennial often grown as a hedge. Here a bee pollinates the rosemary flower.

Close-up of Spring Cherry Blossoms in Provence

This is a closeup photograph of the cherry blossoms in the orchards of Provence.

Steeple Dominates Skyline of Saignon

Like most mountain-top villages, the steeple of the Catholic church is the highest point in the village, and the church is built on the highest point. It would be a major chore to walk to church on Sunday morning.

Cat in the Window

A calico cat sits in a shuttered window of rustic farmhouse near Saignon in Provence.

Springtime in Provence -- The Cherry Orchard

One of the surest signs of spring in Provence is cherry blossom time. This cherry orchard is awash with the fragrant blossoms of spring and cherries.

Cherry Blossom Time In the Spring in Provence

The cherry trees blossom in the spring announcing the arrival of the vernal climes and the coming season of delicious fruit from the trees of Provence.

Purple Hyacinths in Provence

These purple hyacinths were growing in the Luberon valley, high in the hills near the village of Saignon. They are beautiful.

French Château in Provence

A château sits regally on a hilltop near Loumarin in Provence. These lordly houses usually had an attached chapel, vineyards and various outbuildings of that denoted the wealth and agriculture potential of the owners.

Wisteria Over a Blue Doorway

A wisteria vine hangs over a blue doorway on an ancient stone building in Provence. This pic was snapped near the village of Saignon in the Luberon valley.

A Borie Among the Forsythia

In the background you will see a quaint stone structure. It is called a borie. They were built to house both the sheep and the shepherd in inclement weather. In the tight quarters, there is usually a very small loft where the shepherd sleeps and the animals congregate in the shelter below.

Built of fieldstone during the idle hours of watching sheep, bories dot the entire countryside of Provence in old alpine meadows.