Provence
REGIONBOOK
France · Rhône to the Alps
Dry hills between the river and the Alps, with stone villages and a wind that clears the sky.
Ver
- 01Lavender rowsPurple lines across the plateaus through June and July.
- 02Hilltop villagesStone built into the rock, one road up, one square at the top.
- 03Roman remainsTheatres, arches and an aqueduct still crossing the valley.
- 04Ochre cliffsRed and yellow earth quarried for pigment for centuries.
Hacer
- 01Market morningEach town its own day; olives, soap, cheese and melon.
- 02Walk the plateauOpen limestone, thyme underfoot, very little shade.
- 03Wait out the windThe mistral blows for days and leaves the light hard and clear.
- 04Swim in a gorgeGreen river water between limestone walls.
Comer
- 01Vegetable stewSummer vegetables cooked separately, then brought together.
- 02Olive oilPressed in village mills, sold in the same street.
- 03Goat cheeseFresh, ash covered or dried hard, depending on the week.
- 04Rosé winePale, cold, drunk young and mostly in summer.
Artesanía
- 01SoapOlive oil boiled with soda, cut and stamped in blocks.
- 02Printed clothSmall repeating patterns on cotton, printed with blocks.
- 03PotteryEarthenware from villages with their own clay and glaze.