Puddling Around Provence

Living in St. Rémy de Provence for five months was a delight! We didn’t feel like tourists most of the time. We went to the gym, did the shopping, hung out with the neighbors…all normal things one does when one is a resident. No need to go see the tourist sites because we’re not tourists!

But every once in a while, it seemed important to explore our little corner of Provence, so here are some of the places we enjoyed during our sojourn

Gordes

Built on the foothills of the Monts of Vaucluse, facing the Luberon, Gordes is one of the most well-known villes perchées in the region, and one of the most beautiful in France. Its houses and buildings of white stone root themselves into the sharp cliff of the mountain, its labyrthinth of “calades” (narrow cobblestone streets) can leave one swooning. And the views over the Luberon valley as you wander thought the streets are breathtaking!

The origin of Gordes begins when the Celtic people of Vordenses built a defensive settlement on the rock where the village is now located, to defend Cavaillon. There is evidence that Gordes was part of the Roman occupation of this area. The Roman Road ran nearby going from Carpentras to Apt. And there are excavations of Roman era columns, amphorae and skeletons.

Gordes is well known as the site of two abbeys: The Abbey Saint-Chaffert, built in the 8th century on the ruins of a Roman temple, and the Romanesque Senanque Abbey built in 1148 by Cistercian monks from the Mazan Abbey in the Ardèche.

Another prominent feature of Gordes is the castle, visible across the canyon as you drive in. The castle was built in 1031 and reinforced and made into a castle of nobility (castrum nobile) in 1123. In 1525 the castle was partly rebuilt in the Renaissance style.

The main agricultural products of the area are – wait for it – wine grapes and olives! But tourism leads the way as the economic engine that supports the town – restaurants, hotels, B&B’s, gites – all available to keep the tourist comfortable. The two times we visited, in the fall and winter, the town was fairly subdued with only a few shops and restaurants open. That said, it was nice to wander the streets without a horde of other tourists crowding us! We enjoyed some meals, drank some local wine and delighted in being in a place that we had dreamed of visiting for years!

An interesting note about Gordes: It was the site of a very strong Nazi resistance movement. In 1948 the entire village was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star for being “one of the most active centres of German Resistance under Occupation”. After a German coastal patrol was attacked, the Germans retaliated by entering private homes and shooting villagers. Homes were bombed, blasted, burned and looted.They also burned down the building which housed the town’s records. Thirteen villagers were executed and twenty others fell under enemy fire. Five villagers were deported to prison camps. The resistance fighters who were executed are honored in the town cemetery as Les Martyrs de Gordes.

Aigues Mortes

This lovely little walled village rises up from the salt marshes of the Camargue. It is located at the intersection of Canal du Rhône à Sète and Canal de Bourgidou.

Aigues-Mortes was conceived by King Louis IX in 1240, and the walls were finished by his son in 1302. It was built to give Louis and his armies access to the sea and a launching point to head out on the Crusades and conquer the Holy Land. Charlemagne, France’s great post Roman king, had erected a tower on the site in the 8th century to provide security to local fishermen. And monks had run salt-production operations in the area for centuries. But Louis is the true father of Aigues Mortes, as his little town became an important strategic point on the Mediterranean. King Louis departed on three crusades from Aigues Mortes, unfortunately dying in Tunis of dysentery before he could complete the third one. (Maybe not so unfortunate for those who were being crusaded against!)

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Left: The Tower of Constance. This powerful circular keep, some 131 feet high, was built from 1240 to 1249. Templars and rebels accused of treason were imprisoned here. Right: A four-dolphin fountain honoring King Louis IX.

Aigues Mortes remains girded by its wall and ramparts. Although one is able to walk around the entire wall on the ramparts, LuLu was interdite and so we declined the opportunity and stayed grounded. We explored the gates and gargoyles and wandered around a largely deserted town. Of course, it was January!

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Gargoyles are more than decorative. The also serve as spouts to direct water away from the building.

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L to R: 1. Walking outside these walls their defensive capabilities are evident. 2. A small stone hut, known as a bourie. These were used for a variety of purposes including storage, stables, housing for shepherds and later small weekend get-away homes! 3. Another view of the Constance Tower from outside the walls.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

Patrick, the owner of Bar Tabac des Alpilles, one of our favorite restaurants in St. Rémy directed us to l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue when we admired (and lusted after) his cast iron, marble topped bistro tables. He, of course, had gotten a deal on them from a friend, and could offer no other source. But, he said, if you go to l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue on a Sunday, there is a huge brocante market! Brocante is one step down from antiquité. Not quite as polished, no guarantee of provenance, probably a little worn out and rusty. More second hand, if you will! Just what we were looking for!

So, off we rambled one cold Sunday after Christmas. And HUGE does not begin to describe what we found!

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a kind of an island city, surrounded by the river Sorgue. There are many little bridges to cross and mossy waterwheels decorating the ancient winding streets. Previous generations lived off the abundant crayfish in the river. The paper and silk industries made good use of the hydraulic power of the River Sorgue.

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As close as we ever came to having our ducks in a row. Donna comforting LuLu after telling her we were going to ride the ferris wheel. A sculpture of three herons dancing in the turbulence.

Today, there are about 300 permanent antique and brocante shops in Sorgue itself. And the town hosts antiques’ fairs at Easter and over the August 15th holiday that have given a worldwide reputation to this small city. More than 500 antique and second hand dealers gather here to show their treasures to customers from all over the world. But in between these well known fairs, every Sunday brocante and antique dealers from all over the area show up with their wares and line the streets with tables and stalls.

We were mostly looking for bistro tables, although a few other items were purchased. After several hours of looking at table bases and researching the feasibility of cutting down a base to a coffee table height, we decided to let this idea go for a while. We found an outdoor café with a heater near the river, and had apéros before we toddled off home to St. Rémy. We will definitely go back there!