Roussillon is a town best known as a source of ochre pigment. This is evident not only in the landscape but also in the buildings with their disctinctive hues.

We went into Bonnieux one evening to watch the sunset and have dinner. The weather had cooled down and it was a really pleasant breezy evening. We got a little sweaty climbing up to the top, but once we got there the views and the breezes were wonderful. We watched the sun go down and then went to a great little pizza place for dinner. A very nice way to spend the evening.

The second place we stayed in Provence was in the Luberon Valley just outside of the hill town of Bonnieux. It was a cosy old farmhouse in the middle of a vineyard.

I can still hear (and sing) the first line of a folk song we learned in High School French class: “Sur le pont d’Avignon…” On our abbreviated trip we didn’t actually go see le pont (the bridge) but we did go to the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes). While wars raged in Rome, Avignon became the seat of the Catholic church. And during the great schism when there were two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon.

Although we mainly used Arles as a base for exploring Provence. There is plenty to see in the city itself.

The Maison Carree in Nimes is probably the best preserved Roman Temple still standing. You can see in these photos the difference between the parts of the building that have been restored and the parts still awaiting restoration. Unfortunately they have put a touristy kind of movie thing on the inside now, instead of leaving it closer to its original interior.