The north slope of the Grand Luberon (east of Apt)
We’ve come to Provence this time with a list of things we want to do, some new places to see, another layer to uncover. This area is so rich with opportunities for new experiences, especially in the summertime.
Today we placed a partial check against one of the items on our list: “See more of the Grand Luberon.”
We know much of the Calavon valley well: the valley between the Luberon mountains and the Vaucluse Plateau to the north. We’ve visited many of the villages on the northwest side of the Petit Luberon numerous times: Bonnieux, Lacoste, Menerbes, Oppède, Goult, Roussillon, Gordes, St. Saturnin, and Saignon. Because of our walking, we also know many of the lesser-known villages and small hameaus (hamlets) in this area. But we’ve explored the area east of Apt only a couple of times. It’s a different landscape, a narrower space, dominated by the massive Grand Luberon mountain. Today we decided to head that way to see another part of Provence.
The Grand Luberon mountain is significantly higher and larger than the adjacent Petit Luberon. It rises up from the Combe de Lourmarin near Bonnieux and spreads east perhaps 30 miles, to Forcalquier and Manosque. The highest point is Mourre Nègre at 3690 feet (vs. the Petit Luberon peak of 2359 feet). In the fall of 2004 Charley, Kelly and I hiked from Ansouis to the top of Mourre Nègre, and I’ve become somewhat fixated on its peak.
“There’s Mourre Nègre,” I’ll say from some new vantage point, as Charley and Kelly look at each other and roll their eyes. Sometimes they try to say it before me. For some reason the distinctive communications tower always reassures me that I know where I am, a benchmark to my location.
On the north side of the Grand Luberon—our side of the massif—the mountain slope is seems more heavily forested, less rocky and rugged than the Petit Luberon. The agriculture shifts from vineyards and olive trees to fields of grain—golden at this time of year—and more frequent orchards. The valley is much more narrow and the villages are more dispersed, just a few actually on the northern slopes of the Grand Luberon. There are also a lot fewer tourists.
It was one of those days, and we got a late start. Taking a tip from Bob and Sue Winn’s driving guide to the Luberon, we decided to begin with lunch near Reillanne, about five kilometers east of Céreste. We stopped along the way to watch a young man harvesting lavender with a scythe and bought a bunch from his roadside stand.
We had lunch at the Auberge Pierry, located in a large stone farmhouse just off the N100. There were several cars in the parking lot when we arrived, but we were the only people eating in the pretty shaded garden. Later we looked inside the farmhouse and saw two large and attractive dining rooms in vaulted stone caves with several tables of diners, cool places to dine on a hot summer afternoon.
Charley and I had the plat du jour menu for 13 euro: a large salad with goat cheese, a main course of fish in a light sauce (some type of white fish—we didn’t’ quite understand the waitress’ explanation) served with vegetables and pasta, and wonderful desserts. I had apricot tart (absolutely wonderful) and Charley had crème caramel (different, but equally luscious). I really enjoy eating in Provence, and I thought the plat du jour menu here was an especially good value. One of the waitresses told us that all their dishes were homemade, except for the ice cream.
The village of Reillanne
After that very satisfying beginning, we drove a few miles north to Reillanne, which like Céreste is in the département of Les Alpes de Haute Provence. Reillanne is an old fortified village, perched high on a hilltop, sleepy in the heat of the afternoon sun. There are just a few remains of its old chateau and fortifications. We parked and climbed to the summit where we found the ancient ruins of an 11th century church tower and the 19th century Chapel of St. Denis. The view of the surrounding countryside and the Grand Luberon was outstanding, and we also enjoyed reading several panels describing archaeological projects. This entire area was once occupied by the Romans; in fact, much of the N100 road runs the same course as the Via Domitia, the ancient Roman road from Spain to Italy.
From the top of Reillanne we drove back down into the countryside to the Prieuré de Carluc, the ruins of an 11th century pilgrimage church and ancient burial tombs. A large grassy spot by a nearby stream was an attractive spot on this hot afternoon. A group of cyclists was sleeping under the trees while their tour leader loaded their bikes onto a large cart pulled by a bus. It looked like the cyclists had had enough for the day.
We planned to walk around the ruins of the priory, but a sign seemed to indicate that visits were not permitted. (We’ve heard that you need to arrange a tour through the tourist office in Céreste.) Although we peeked around a bit, I was just as glad not to get much closer to the old stone tombs.
Those shade trees looked inviting, but we continued our explorations in our air-conditioned car and headed north on a small unmarked road that eventually turned to gravel. Charley is an excellent driver on these roads, and we wound down and around, not quite sure of our whereabouts but confident we wouldn’t get lost. Finally we emerged on a paved road again, near a farm that advertised alpaca goats. We passed several large lavender fields. This is very quiet and absolutely beautiful part of the Luberon, and we didn’t see many people out and about. While the tourists were trouping around Bonnieux, Gordes and Roussillon, today we had this.
We somehow found our way to Viens near the Gorge d’Oppedette. Viens is another ancient village perched on a rocky hilltop. The village has about 500 residents and was also very quiet on this sweltering afternoon. A few men clustered under the plane trees on the boules court, but it must have been to hot to play. Viens was picture-perfect with a 14th century chateau, small winding streets, and a panoramic view to the west. We saw just one small shop selling honey and a sign about a restaurant around the corner, but otherwise Viens seemed a residential village. Members of a painting class had set up their easels in various parts of the village, an ideal and very peaceful spot for inspiration.
One of the beautiful views from Viens
After these stops, we decided just to wander and enjoy the views from the car. Kelly dozed off in the back seat, and I hopped out a couple of times to take more lavender photos. We meandered through St. Martin de Castillon (population 614) and then across the N100 to Castellet (population 110) and Auribeau (population 60) at the foot of Mourre Négre, making our way down to Saignon. We have a special affection for Saignon, the village where spent our first week in Provence in June 2003. It’s one of the most unique villages in the Luberon, and today we viewed it from above.
Finally we made our way across the Plateau des Claparèdes, a lonely and desolate plain beneath the Grand Luberon that stretches from above Saignon all the way to Bonnieux, some seven miles. We always enjoy this drive, sometimes encountering only a few cyclists. Although the views are limited due to the scrubby vegetation, we like the desert feel and the many unique stone bories we can spot from the road. Today we also enjoyed the fields of lavender, some of which have already been harvested.
Lavender on the Claparèdes Plateau (and Mourre Nègre in the background!)
