On the Monday of our week in Provence we set off to explore Bonnieux, the village we had been looking across at all weekend, along with Lourmarin and Vaugines.
Bonnieux was a short 6 km drive through the valley and up the hill. The village itself is spread out down the hillside. We parked the car and spent a bit of time strolling along the streets checking out the sights. (Click any photo to open Gallery)
Road to Lourmarin
Then it was back in the car and off to Lourmarin. The first part of the drive was down windy mountain roads before emerging onto a wide open plain. Probably the most prominent features of Lourmarin, which is often called one of the prettiest villages in France, is the Chateau de Lourmarin. Our visit started here with a walk around the grounds to find a statue that Finn had told us about.
After checking out the grounds (we returned later in the week to tour the Chateau) we walked into town to check it out. We found a nice little cafe in a square for lunch. There were lots of people strolling through the square so we were able to people-watch as we ate lunch.
(Click any photo to open Gallery)
Our final stop was Vaugines. This village doesn’t attract the numbers of tourists the previous two locations do, so I was able to spend a very pleasant hour photographing a lot of beautiful buildings.
Wind At Your Back 