Colours of the Luberon Revisited
03.11.2024
25 °C
Avenues of giant plane trees shade us from the sun as we drive through the Provençal countryside, and we are frequently enticed to stop as we glimpse an ancient church, or the remains of a castle, perched on a mountainside and silhouetted against the intensely blue sky. This is the chateau of Oppède in the Luberon Massif…
But something is missing in the Luberon and on the slopes of the Vaucluse mountains this year.
In 2016 when we were here at exactly this time the vineyards were a kaleidoscope of fall colours as the newly picked vines prepared for winter. This is how we saw the vines of the Luberon at that time…
But now, just eight years later, the scene has changed. It has been 4 or 5 degrees warmer than on our previous visit. Despite some well-publicised recent rains, the vines appear exhausted following a hot, dry, summer, and they lack the energy to put on a colourful autumnal display. The vine leaves that were previously so vibrant are desiccated and brown now and we are disappointed as we look across the valley from the hilltop village of Bonnieux to the ruined castle of the Marquis de Sade in the village of Lacoste….
Not all is lost. There is still plenty of colour in Provence where almost every grave is adorned with bouquets of chrysanthemums in memory of the dearly departed…
…and the Provençal markets are full of life and colour. No matter how many times we stumble across one, we can’t resist the allure of the local produce – especially the breads and cheeses… 
Some, like the Sunday artisans’ market in Aix-en-Provence, are clearly geared towards the tourists, while others like the Thursday market in Orange are packed with stalls selling clothing, shoes, household appliances and even beds, alongside all manner of foods. However, one of the most eclectic and interesting markets that we stumbled upon in Provence was the Saturday market in Lourmarin…
The winding Medieval streets and tree lined boulevards of this village in the Luberon were heaving with stallholders and shoppers on the sun-filled long weekend of All Saint’s Day. Once we had bought some local callisons and jellied fruits we sat down for lunch and watched the world go by. This is truly La Vie en Rose in the Luberon…
Now we are in the elegant city of Montpellier – only an hour by train from rural Cavaillon, but in another world.
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Looks fabulous! I’m having a wonderful time here in Mexico, but wishing dad was here to cook for me 😘 and mom was here to hablar con le gente😎Keep being fabulous role models, you two💕
by The teenager