Another market, but not just another church!

Since Alan hadn’t been to Gordes, we decided to hit up their market and explore the town. It was more of a goods market than a food market, but he got the last few photos he needed to finish out his market project (the class ends next Wednesday! Can the quarter really almost be over?). The rest of us did a little more shopping for needs as well as wants, enjoying just wandering and looking around.

On the way home we stopped by St-Pantaléon, whose church dates back to the 5th century (just the nave – the rest dates to the 12th like almost all the churches in the area). After tracking down the key to the church from a local, we were able to get inside the to see the stained glass window, which were very pretty. The church is built on a rock, and carved into the rock are tombs, most of which are child-sized. According to legend, people would bring babies that had died before baptism here to be resurrected for the length of Mass and baptism, after which they would die again and be buried. Kinda crazy!

Tombs in the rock

Mourre Négre

Mourre Négre is the highest point of the Luberon (it’s the mountain behind Bonnieux in all the photos) at 3,692 ft. We were a little undecided about climbing it, assuming that we had seen most of the views we would see from the top already, but Alan said it must be done. The rain had stopped, but the sun wasn’t out and the chilly 50º F temperature was not supposed to get any warmer all day. The wind had picked up as well, and with the realization that we were going to be on the top of a mountain where the wind would be even worse than in the valley we each took two coats. Half way down to the car I was already feeling cold, so Mom and I turned back, me for my tights and Mom for her rain/wind pants.

We drove through Bonnieux, past Saignon to the start of the hike in a little town called Auribeau. The fall colors have been getting better every day; the trees along our hike had more yellow than red, but a mountain to the north had a distinctly red-ish hue. The trail proved easier than we had thought, and while we gained about 2,000 feet it was a steady incline and a smooth trail. About half way up while waiting for Mom and Dad at a turn in the trail Alan followed a little branch trail and came on a great view to the east and north of the Alps covered in fresh snow. It was one of the nicest mountain views I have seen, but the dark grey cloud rolling towards us was not a pleasant sight.

Click here to see larger image on Flickr

 A glider sailed silently overhead, with a crow catching the same currents as they both circled higher and higher. We had reached the top, with Dad waiting behind the last shelter of trees to tell us we’d better put our extra layers on as the wind was waiting to pounce just around the bend. He was right! We climbed through an open field, leaning in to the wind and shouting to be heard. Dad’s thermometer read 35ºF, and I don’t think it accounts for the 50 mph wind chill! We had thought to eat lunch on top, but it was obvious we would have to wait. We walked to the summit with its power station whistling in the wind, and then eagerly headed back down for a valley. Unfortunately, we had a little way to go, and no sheltered spot with anywhere to sit seemed to be in existence. Then all of a sudden we saw a little house; it was for shepherds, and had a little bench and table on the outside. We sat down for a quick meal; I ate with one hand at a time, always keeping one warm in my pocket.

If we thought we were cold before lunch we were really cold after lunch. The gray cloud of sleet was almost upon us, and Mom and Dad opted for an old road that lead down while Alan and I stuck with the trail. Alan decided to take off a layer as he warmed from walking, and so I put it on, as I couldn’t get warm. The sleet started, but thankfully was light and didn’t last long.

We finally warmed up as we neared a chapel close to the bottom of the hike; it was undergoing restoration and the ruins of the old town and a moss covered borie actually interested us more, but mostly I was ready to be in the car with the heater going! We made it back to the car, where Mom and Dad we waiting, and headed home. Hot drinks were at the top of everyone’s list, and we decided to stop at the patisserie in Bonnieux on the way home for treats for conquering the mountain and the weather.

I love this photo!

This borie made me think of hobbits : )

mmmmm....

Shopping and Raining

The morning started out with a bit of unwanted electrical excitement; we suddenly lost electricity for no apparent reason. Having read that the strike was affecting electric production as well as gas production, we were worried for a second that there was no electricity to be had! But no, it was just the radiator in the living room had flipped the main breaker when the plug (which we knew was in bad shape and had been trying not to touch) finally melted and started to smoke. Our only heat options were now the two little heaters in the bedroom, and the main fireplace. We brought a little heater down, and all put on an extra layer.

Yesterday’s clouds turned into today’s rain. Alan wanted to take another trip to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for the market to take photos, and I wanted to go to get some souvenir shopping done, so we all set out in the gloomy weather. We tried to stop for some gas along the way, but our usual station was boarded up. Luckily a station in town had diesel (but no gasoline) and we got line to fill our tank for the week’s explorations.

The clouds we nice enough to let the sun through and keep the rain somewhere else while we wandered the market after setting a time to meet back up with Mom and Dad. It’s hard to keep up with four people in a crowded market! Some stalls have been the same each time we go, and some after different, which makes for a new experience every time.

We returned home with packages, some for us and some for other people : ) The clouds had just been waiting for us to get inside before letting the rain come down again, so we settled in for a lazy afternoon, drinking hot chocolate and playing a game of Risk.

Abbaye de Sénanque

Having had our eye on a walk from Gordes to the Abbaye de Sénanque, we finally set out to follow what was supposed to be an easy hike—and for once, the book was right! A few parts of the trail made Mom nervous as we walked along the edge of the hill with steep drop-offs to the valley below, but for the most part the trail was smooth with only gentle inclines, even if they were long. A nice flat rock offered a fine setting for lunch, with the Abbaye in view below; the only down side was the gray weather that we seem to be getting every weekend. But, as Dad pointed out, about 25% of the rainy days are during the weekend no matter where you are. Verrrrry funny, Dad!

Lots of areas are marked for hunting; this time we did
actually see some hunters across the valley.

A photo Alan took while working on his woods project.

You can take a tour of the abbey, but we decided to go to None instead. Eight monks came out to perform the 10-minute singing service. We thought that all the monks came to every service, but that’s not very many of them if there are only eight! The abbey was founded in 1148 and prospered greatly, with so many monks that they expanded to found another abbey in Vivarais. The monks are of the Benedictine order, and so the buildings are all austere and without decoration, although for a while at its peak in the 13th century the wealth of the abbey gave was to the pressures of corruption. Revived to the ideals of their order by the rule of a good abbot in the 15th century, the abbey survived until 1544 when the monks were hanged and some buildings razed in the Vaudois Revolt. It never really recovered, was sold as private property but thankfully kept intact, and eventually returned to the church.

This is the most famous view of the abbey,
usually taken in June when the lavender bushes
are in full bloom.

We returned to Gordes along the old mule path, through narrow lanes with high stone walls on either side; we had seen others like them only when going to the Village of the Bories just outside of Gordes. Perhaps it is just the local style, or maybe they just have too many masons in town with nothing else to do : )