The Luberon is an area of hills and valleys on the other side (north) of Mont Ste. Victoire from our village. It is a prime lavender-growing region, so when the flowers are in bloom there is a lot of purple in the fields. Unfortunately, it is past the time of the lavender harvest, so we could only imagine that part. Of course, the crags and cliffs and valleys are still impressive, as are the vertiginous roads clinging to the hillsides.
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| Lunch tailgate party! |
Gordes is an official "plus beau village", climbing up the side of a steep hill. In a valley nearby is the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, one of the "Three Sisters" of Abbeys of the Cistercian Order in Provence. It is a functioning abbey, so silence is requested and "appropriate clothing". The lands were nationalized during the Revolution, but later returned to the Order. The monks raise lavender in fields all around the abbey.... plus a vegetable garden they hide in the back. We made the mistake of arriving on a feast day (the Assumption of Mary) so parts of the abbey were closed, although we were able to see the spartan but beautiful church. We also were able to walk the grounds and took a path up the side of the valley. Once again, our cameras were not up to the task of capturing the grandeur of the steep valley slopes with the bell tower peaking out through the trees, but here is the picture nonetheless:
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