Provence (Part II) — RachiePie

One of the most popular destinations in the Luberon area of Provence is the village of Roussillon. The concierge at our hotel described it as the “Grand Canyon of Provence!”. Roussillon is set at the top of the world’s largest ochre vein and the rust-colored rock is a sight to behold. Although, certainly not as big as the Grand Canyon, it was a beautiful area to explore and really popped against the green of the hills and valley below.

The Ochre Trail is a walking path which circles Roussillon’s old ochre quarries. There are two paths to chose from - one that takes 30 minutes and a longer path which takes one hour. We chose the one hour path and it was a perfect way to see the red sand up close.

We had lunch reservations in the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorrgue and on the way stopped outside of Gordes at the Village des Bories. Known for it’s beehive-shaped bories (stone huts), this little village was built during the Bronze Age and inhabited by shepherds until 1939. It was abandoned until their restoration in the 1970’s.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Isle-sur-la-Sorrgue and where we had lunch at Restaurant Le Vivier. Isle-sur-la-Sorrgue is situated along the banks of the Sorgue River and is best known for it’s antique shopping.

Rain was expected on our last full day in Provence, so we headed to the Carrières de Lumières (Quarries of Light). Another recommendation by the hotel concierge (he was amazing!), this abandoned quarry of the Grands Fonds is now home to a large light installation project with moving graphics and coordinating music displayed on the caves’ walls, ceilings and floors. It’s something to see to believe and we really enjoyed the exhibit.

We then drove to Avignon, known as the “Gateway to Provence”. It’s one of the largest cities in Provence and is home to the Pope’s Palace. In the 15th century, the papacy left Rome during a time of civil and religious unrest and made Avignon their new home. After touring the Pope’s Palace, we spent the rest of the day walking around the town and eating lunch in the city center.

On Friday, we left Provence and took the train to Marseille where we dropped off the rental car and had a day to explore before flying back to New York City. Marseille is the "oldest city in France" and as well as one of the oldest in western Europe. The city was founded as Massalia around 600 BC, and soon developed into an important port in the ancient Greek world. We were pretty worn out by the time we reached Marseille, but made a point to walk around the Old Harbor, climb to the top of the Notre Dame de la Garde and enjoy the sights over the water.

We had quite the week in France and came back tired, full and happy! What more can you ask for from a vacation?!!? This area of Provence was beautiful and it was great to explore all the small towns and villages. Already looking forward to our next visit!