In Bonnieux a visit to the Musée de la Boulangerie (bread museum), followed by a flawlessly executed warm baguette snack perched on a wall over looking the valley floor, was the perfect way to start the day.
After a slow walk through Goult for a late morning café au lait at Café de la Poste, we felt like locals. Goult is not as popular among the tourists and it was truly one of our favorite villages because we could see life happening around every sleepy corner.
Gordes is officially one of The Most Beautiful Villages in France. It is always hard for something to deliver when it has that reputation, but Gordes does not disappoint. We loved watching the style in Gordes.
Families strolling near the imposing castle wall after church, mud-splattered mountain bike riders, taking their morning coffee after a vigorous ride through the hills and couples that had been together for decades arm and arm in their Sunday best. The style felt effortless and aspirational all at the same time.
Roussillon is a Technicolor light show that mother nature puts on daily. Every hour that we spent exploring the ochre cliffs revealed a different shade and shadow of this majestic village. The style is grounded and comes from something much bigger that its place at the top of must see lists.
Fontaine de Vaucluse and Les Baux are villages we spent time in outside Le Luberon AND just as fabulous in all their splendor.The river that literally gushes up from the Plateau and carves its way through Fontaine de Vaucluse is truly a sight.
On a Thursday in March, we could not find parking in this popular gem. What we did find was a spot downstream where school children were lounging with their families for an afternoon picnic. We spread our blanket by the river and dined on fresh tapenade and red pepper spread from the market in Les Baux.
Lex Baux literally took our breath away. The evidence of this villages’ numerous renaissance periods were accentuated by the sensational natural landscape. The siege machinery and cross-bow demonstrations at the Medieval Castle that crowns the village were a huge hit with our kids and the view that has inspired artists the world over was an incredible backdrop. It was easy to understand how many leaders felt very powerful from their position atop Les Baux.
I love feeling like I have so much to learn from the french. The language, the fashion, the juxtaposition of the old and the new, and the subtle kindness of the people made for an experience full of grace and style that was truly enduring.
