Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
The route south from Lyon to Provence can be done quickly via major highway or more slowly using the side roads to experience the lovely countryside with vineyards and lavender fields. We chose the latter. Our goal was to see as many of Les Plus Beaux Villages (the most beautiful villages) as we could enroute to visit our friends, Don and Debra, in Taillades (just East of Avignon).
Many rural old villages in France are at risk of becoming ghost towns due to rural flight. Les Plus Beaux Village association was formed to promote their tourist appeal. In order to achieve this designation of a ‘Plus Beaux Village’, it must be small and rural (below 2000 residents), of sufficient age and beauty and with cultural and historical relevance. So, as one can imagine, these villages are truly charming!
We had only time to see one on our way down, Mirmande, and 3, Gordes, Menerbes and Roussillon with our friends. These villages are, in my opinion, somewhat similar to the hill-top towns of Tuscany: walled towns, perched atop hills, medieval and/or Renaissance stone buildings and churches, cobblestone streets. Some though have more to attract and keep visitors and residents. For instance, we felt that Mirmande though stunningly beautiful, did not have sufficient permanent trade or retail to service permanent residents and therefore we could not see that it could survive for long. Whereas Menerbes has been for many years, a vibrant artist community (in fact Picasso lived there for a time), and has many options for its residents and visitors.
Regardless, there are over 156 of these villages throughout France and so, if you, as we, knew nothing of France and what to see and where to go, a visit to one or some of these villages is a must!
Taillades
Driving through the village and winding our way up the hill of Taillades, our GPS was having some difficulty in leading us to the home of our friends Don and Deborah. We knew the address to be No. 1 Rue d’Eglise, and so logically reasoned that we should look for the church and find the first house next to it.
We parked the bike and started walking up a hill and through the iron gates at the top into a pebbled courtyard to a front door set thick into stone walls. Nobody was home and so, for a few moments, we felt like this could not possibly be our destination, but sure enough our friends were only out stocking up on the local wines and arrived within moments!
Their home defies accurate description, but I will try. Centuries of stone quarry work carved away the landscape to leave the medieval village perched atop a hill, the top of which is naturally the 13th century church as well as the attached presbytere, the home of the priest!. In keeping with its original function, Don and Deborah have designed and decorated the interior to match: a balance of rich and austere with chairs upholstered in purple, a painting of a pope (painted by Don), beautiful rugs cover the stone floors. Worn stone steps lead up to bedrooms and then to the roof from which they enjoy the highest viewpoint over Taillades overlooking the open quarry, in which the village hosts musical and theatrical productions.
We spent 2 idyllic days with Don and Deborah, during which they served amazing meals (i.e. monkfish liver and fois gras), took us to amazing local markets where we shopped for antiques and ate fresh oysters and drank wine with the locals, walked the ochre footpaths of Roussillon and drank more delicious rose` than one should!
We were lucky enough to chance seeing both a concert and a play in the quarry (we think it may have had a King Tritan/Star Wars theme but it hard to tell as it was in French!), a wedding in the church and the Obama daughters at the market in Isle sur la Sorgue! Thank you, Don and Deborah, for sharing your precious time and home with us: it was a magical experience!
Bellissimo Travels 