Larry and I spent more time exploring the Luberon region the past couple of weeks. Last week our excursion got off to a late start due to our car being towed on account of the traveling carnival for Bastille Day (see Larry’s Bastille Day post). I will say this – the local Carpentras police were very kind and helpful, even giving us a ride to the impound lot so we could pay out the nose to spring our little Pierre (that’s his name) from prison. They even chased us down as we were leaving the local supermarket the next day to tell us that Larry left his international drivers license at the station.

We had decided to take the scenic (and very windy) route up through the Luberon mountain range on our way to check out some of the other Luberon region towns and track down a couple of the filming locations for A Good Year just for kicks, since we both love that movie. It’s a good thing both of us have stomachs of steel because if you are prone to car sickness, this is not the route for you. Especially with Larry driving.

Along our car sickness route

Interesting rock formations along the road

While up in the mountains we saw one of the easily recognized historical marker signs, this one labeled “Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque”. While neither of us had heard of it, we decided to follow the road to see where it led. This is what I love about our travel style: we do a lot of research but don’t overdo it or don’t overschedule, we’re curious and spontaneous, and we end up discovering little treasures that we may not have otherwise found.

The Abbaye is a 12th century abbey surrounded by lavender fields, nestled in an isolated valley between mountain peaks. We were both thrilled with the sight. Unfortunately because of our aforesaid late start, the valley was already in shadow. We vowed to come back another day, earlier in the day, to check it out and get some proper pictures.

Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque

We continued down the road to the outskirts of Bonnieux to Chateau La Canorgue, the vineyard where the majority of A Good Year was filmed. Unfortunately the chateau used as the main house in the movie is behind a locked gate and you can’t really get a good view. So – we moved on to Gordes, another beautiful hilltop town and another filming location (location of Fanny Chenal’s bistro, for those of you who have seen the movie).

Gordes

One of the many beautiful vineyards

After driving through there, we drove on through Rousillon, Menerbes, then on to Lacoste where we discovered a haunting and beautiful ruined castle at the top of the mountain. We got out and hiked around a bit, before we noticed a strange modern sculpture of a head enclosed in a cage, surrounded by oversized arms and hands. The sculpture was labeled “Marquis de Sade”. Larry instantly interpreted it to mean that although his body was in prison, his arms and hands (writings) were more powerful, and reached outside the cage in which his body was enclosed. My husband is smart. A quick Wikipedia search when we got home confirmed that (when he wasn’t in prison, or in an insane asylum) this was once the home of the infamous Marquis de Sade. It was purchased by Pierre Cardin in the 1920′s and now they hold an arts festival there every summer.

Lacoste: the Marquis' chateau is at the top

Looking across the valley from the chateau at Lacoste

Remains of the chateau at Lacoste

The Marquis de Sade outside his former home

By the time we left Lacoste, the sun had set, so we started making our way back home, with a quick stop to admire the beauty of Gordes illuminated at night.

Gordes at night

After two weeks on the road, we’ve had enough and are ready to settle down for a while. Our digs for the next month are in a 17th century building in a town a little east of Avignon. The apartment is huge (way more room than we are used to in New York!), and beautiful, with two floors, 20 foot ceilings in the living room, and big provincial windows that open wide onto a pretty little courtyard. We are in Van Gogh country. Van Gogh painted the majority of his famous works while living in Arles, and while at the asylum at St. Rémy de Provence, which are both just south of here. And I must admit, it does look like a Van Gogh painting. Most of these farmhouses and towns have been here since before Van Gogh’s time, so really, the scenery hasn’t changed all that much. The sun shines brightly in clear blue skies each day, punctuated occasionally by intense afternoon thunderstorms. The intensity of the sun down here reminds me of Arizona, so, of course, I love it.

We arrived last Saturday afternoon and spent Sunday exploring the towns and countryside of the Luberon a bit. The Luberon is the area made famous more recently by Peter Mayle in his book ‘A Year In Provence’ and the follow up works surrounding it. If you’ve seen the movie ‘A Good Year’ with Russell Crowe (also based off a book authored by Peter Mayle), it was filmed in this region. I got to see my first lavender fields in full bloom! We were especially enamoured of the towns of Lourmarin and Bonnieux. The pictures speak for themselves.

Sun setting on the French countryside, on our drive to Provence

Our little courtyard

Exploring the Luberon countryside

Beautiful farmhouse

In the town of Lourmarin

Village home

Little baby olives. Harvest time isn't until November.

Looking down from the town of Bonnieux

Town of Bonnieux

Lavender field