PROVENCE, PEINTRES & ÉCRIVAINS

LES BAUX DE PROVENCE - MAY 2005

This post pays tribute to Peter Mayle, an enthusiast for Provence, whose books – A Year in Provence, Encore Provence and Toujours Provence - I read after coming back home, and recommend to anyone intending to visit the region. You’ll find there many good reasons to make the trip! Here you'll find pictures of two beautiful villages in Provence: Les Baux and Fontaine de Vaucluse.

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LES BAUX DE PROVENCE is surely one of the most beautiful places in Provence; I would say in the world. These pictures don't show such beauty, but you may have a look at the official site of Les Baux and make the virtual visit! Les Baux is famous in different ways: Dante visited France between 1308 and 1310 and gives details of the Alyscamps cemetery in Arles (see last post), as well as of Les Baux; Van Gogh painted at Les Baux; Bauxite derives its name from Les Baux, as it was from samples from Les Baux de Provence that double aluminium chloride was made...



"VIEW from the La Calade Street"


"ON THE WAY TO THE CASTLE. A castle at Les Baux is mentioned in documents from the second half of the 10th century. When we got to its entrance, the ticket office of the castle was already closed: we were taking these pictures and were three minutes late! Nice pretext for a next visit!"


"ARTS AND CRAFTS. Shopping is also possible at Les Baux"

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FONTAINE DE VAUCLUSE (The Fountain of Vaucluse), located at the foot of an abrupt cliff of 230 meters, is the largest source in France. It is also classified fifth in the world, with an annual water flow of 630 million cubic meters. At Fontaine we were on the way to the Luberon, one of the most beautiful areas in Provence!




"The emerald green calm summer waters become spectacular in the wet seasons: 90 cubic metres of water per second spill into the bed of the River Sorgue"