Provence

On Monday we took a tour to do some serious exploration of Provence. We joined our guide, Remy, who was charming and even shorter than me, at the tourist bureau. We were joined by two other couples and a mother/daughter pair - 6 Aussies and 2 Poms. It turned out to be a lovely group of friendly people, possibly helped by the fact that no one was into football at all.

Our first stop was a lavender farm where we learned the difference between lavender and lavendine and how they distil the stuff. We didn't buy the many products on offer, which was a frustration to the ever present sales people.
Then it was off to Roussillon - a beautiful hilltop village where there are the world's biggest deposits of ochre. All the houses are coloured with ochre and it explains the concept of Tuscan colours.

The cliffs there show the red, yellow and whitish colours. Remy took us to the best vantage point which was a cliff top a bit like Sydney's Gap but without any of your sissy railings. Sorry,can't get the photo again! Next it was off to Gordes where the houses are all built of stone without mortar. This was meant to protect the people from wind and rain. It's all up a mountaintop and you need to be a mountain goat to negotiate the streets. Here's a photo.

We had a lovely lunch overlooking the valley below then set out for the final goal - the Pont du Gard. I remember learning about it at school - but the reality is stunning. Here we are in front of it. The tour group all ensured that everyone had a photo. Thank you Justine!

A couple of vats of wine and we are ready for the Pope's palace tomorrow and a gourmet tour of the markets!