Some shore excursions we loved

The hilltop village of Gordes featured stunning views of the countryside and cobbled streets lined with restaurants, gift shops and even a five star hotel or two. It is known to be one of the most beautiful villages in Southern France and is a holiday venue for the well-to-do! Sleek Italian, French and German cars were sliding around corners or waiting outside the holiday homes.

 

Like many of these old villages there was also the remains of a castle, but I didn’t venture inside. Instead I enjoyed wandering through the streets, admiring the gorgeous houses at each twist and turn. Much of the town was built on quite steep roads, and the classy hotels feature panoramic views with exclusive pools, built to make the most of their position.

On the same day we toured through Gordes we also ventured into the waterside village of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Scores of cafes and restaurants filled with people watchers lined the waterway near the town hall. There are now only 15 waterwheels left in the town, but apparently there used to be hundreds. The water looks so clean and fresh.

 

The shops were plentiful and the markets a delight. What a shame to only have an hour to enjoy what was on offer!

 

The church also was a stunning work, with the interior featuring paintings from the Baroque period.

 

Les Baux-de-Provence was another favorite excursion from our stopover in Tarascon. It was again a hilltop village, where cyclists were a common sight even carrying their bikes up the 50 stairs or so as they wound their way up and down the windy roads, apparently in preparation for the Tour de France.

Following our visit to Le Baux-de-Provence we were fortunate enough to meet the only female olive oil producer in France. She was so passionate about carrying on the family tradition (usually reserved only for men) of ten generations of olive growers.

She guided us through the olive groves themselves, explaining about the history of the trees they have on their land. She also showed us their private chapel in the fields, where we met King - her Carmargue horse.

 

The tasting was a wonderful experience as she taught us the proper way to taste olive oil, before we each tasted some from a spoon, before then trying the two tapenades they also produce. She proudly explained that her olive oils (though only from her very small farm) are now used by a number of Michelin star chefs.