We set off to go touring around Provence. First, a stop at the Gordes village in the Vaucluse mountains. Said to be one of the most beautiful villages in, France. I could believe it, seeing the houses clinging to the mountainside was one of those WOW moments. Marc the guide dropped us as close to the center as possible and left us to wander the charming cobbled streets around the village and castle The occupants must be very fit, having to cope with cobblestones and steep streets! We stopped to get the wonderful photo on our way down from the 10th-century castle.
Then another interesting hour in the car on our way to see Les Baux de Provence. Passing through St Remy where Van Goh stayed in a Psychiatric hospital. St Remy is also famous in its own right, although time was against us today. Marc, the guide gave us lots of interesting facts and figures as we drove to the Les Baux castle. I’m sure I won’t remember any of them, but it did give context to what we were seeing and enjoying.
Again, Marc dropping us off as close as possible, we wandered up the slopes of the castle, more cobbled streets with stunning landscapes from various lookout points. Lots of small cute expensive shops, I bought a very tasty panini as I was starving having missed lunch. Sat and ate it in a warm nook out of the wind that had plagued us all day. Steeper, narrow roads, how people in the past handled all these in their day, speaks volumes of their character. Many tourists, I was fascinated by someone pushing an even larger person in a wheelchair up the cobbled streets, surely a labor of love!
Having had our fill of the castle we moved on to the Pont du Gard. This was an aqueduct that I had been looking forward to seeing. I find Roman architecture fascinating, and this was amazing, built over the years, in the middle of the first century AD to take water to Nimes. The actual distance is around 27kms, but the building goes over 50kms because of the twists and turns to allow the water to flow. The two Canadians and I climbed to the top and through the actual water tunnel. The aqueduct was a beautiful sight in the setting sun but made photos difficult to take. Walking across, I was struck by the views and the bluish color of the river below.
Marc was kind enough to drop me off at the hotel, it was powdered soup again as the day had left no time to shop for food!
