The Environs

Not far from the via Domitia, that was laid in 120 BCE to link Rome with the newly-created Provincia Narbonaise, Roussillon, about which Willian Wylie wrote in A Village in the Vaucluse, is an ideal setting to explore the many layers of Provencal history. The Pont Julien remains a testament to the genius of Roman engineering. Throughout the Middle Ages, pilgrims walked this same road to Compostello and to what was then the third shrine of Christianity, the tomb of Mary Madeleine, just beyond the Sainte Victoire Mt. immortalized by Paul Cezanne. Just an hour and a half away, the Mediterranean offers the possibility of sandy beaches, bird-watching, and one of the five oldest cities of Europe.
 

Cherries strawberries and asparagus

Cavaillon and Carpentras maintain the memory of the Jewish presence in Provence. The Marquis de Sade committed his name to posterity in the chateau of Lacoste. Peter Mayle lived and wrote here, providing the subject for a film by Ridley Scott. Taste the wines that vary depending upon the nature and the lay of the land. Samuel Beckett picked grapes while waiting for Godot during WW II. The weekly Saturday market in Apt will entice your senses. Savor olives and olive oil throughout the year.
 
  

Ascend the Mt. Ventoux

Ascend the Mt. Ventoux, part of the UNESCO MAB program and often included in the bicycle tour de France. In winter, ski on its southern slope, or penetrate further into the nearby Alps. The lavender fields are in flower on the plateau d’Albion in July. Learn all about the distillation and uses of this aromatic plant at the Musée de la Lavande. At SIRENE Observatory you may examine the constellations and the planets year-round. Discover the Colorado Provençal while sliding along ropes and suspended bridges or on horseback. Learn how to mix and apply ochre and other pigments throughout the year at the Conservatory of Ochres and Colors. To crown the experience, there’s nothing like the view from a hot-air balloon.