One day last week we decided to return to the Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque in proper daylight to explore the abbey and the lavender fields surrounding it.

Stone house in the Luberon

Looking down at the abbey

Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque

One of the small lavender fields next to the abbey

Sea of lavender . . .

We weren't the only ones enjoying the lavender

Another one of Larry's brilliant hand-held self portraits

After leaving the Abbaye, we made a quick stop at Chateau La Canorgue (known as Chateau La Siroque in A Good Year) to try to get a better view. Not much luck. We were amused by the “Beware of Serpents” sign though.

The best shot we could get of the chateau

The actual 'cav' where Chateau La Canorgue sells its 'bio' (organic) wines

Serpents!

We drove through some other nearby towns before stopping to explore Menerbes. Menerbes became the most famous of all Luberon towns the minute Peter Mayle published his book. It’s the town he lives near and wrote extensively about.

Menerbes and one of its spry residents

It’s yet another gorgeous hilltop town, complete with colorful residents of both the people and animal variety. As we were walking up the road towards the 12th century church, we were greeted enthusiastically by a Jack Russell terrier who took it upon himself to be our personal tour guide up the road, constantly looking back at us to make sure we were still following him, until he had to stop for more pressing business – to have an argument with a nearby shrub. Apparently they had quite a history, and he lost this battle, as he gave the bush a piece of his mind with several growls, and then scuttled back down the road.

Up the road with our new tour guide

The brawl

The vistas from the top of the town were just beautiful. It was peaceful, and poetic.

Looking down below

The Mairie (Mayor's Office)

One of the many pretty houses

Self portrait up on the terrace

Panorama of the valley below

Another self portrait

Remains of some of the old fortifications

Finally, as we drove home near dusk we stopped to take a picture of one of the many fields of sunflowers we drive by on a regular basis. So majestic.

Sunflower field

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