The Trail's Our Thing

We got a fairly early start, parked by the children's playground at the bottom of Bonnieux, and were walking by 8:15 am. I'd planned a route using a little French guidebook of hikes around Bonnieux. We needed to be out of the forest by 11 am, and since all the walks in the book needed more time, I constructed a route that used pieces of two of those hikes. Several different trails originate in that little corner at the base of the mountain, and we fumbled around at the beginning, confused about which path to take. We actually ended up going up the way we'd planned to go down, though at the end of the day we decided that was definitely the best way to do this hike.

At the beginning we walked in the foothills at the base of the mountain, passing through a couple of farms. I saw signs for one of the local hunting clubs too, and I wondered if this was a route the sangliers (wild boar) take when they come down off the mountain to forage for food.

A peaceful farm at the foothills of the Petit Luberon

Near an orchard we found a little plateau with a great view of Bonnieux back behind us.

First look back at Bonnieux and the old village walls

Soon we left the farm track and began to ascend the mountain on a narrow and rocky path through the trees. We crossed the access road to L'Enclos des Bories, which we'd visited a few weeks ago, and continued upward.

On the rocky path through the forest

In various places there were old stone walls and what seemed liked blocked off caves. We even spotted a troglodyte house built into the rocky hillside, buried now in the brush. Back in the mid 1500's a Protestant sect called the "Vaudois" ("Waldenses" in English) was persecuted in this area. A few thousand people were massacred in several Luberon villages and others fled to the hills. I could easily envision some Vaudois families, those hundreds of years ago, creating a hidden life on this mountainside.

Old stone wall, high on the mountainside

Perhaps an old cave or dwelling... hidden away on the mountainside

Through the trees we occasionally got a glimpse of the valley slipping away behind us as we climbed higher and higher. I also tried to remember to stop and look behind us, as on the way up the mountain the best views are often behind.

The area where we lived a few years ago (you can see Menerbes in the distance)

The walk up was only 2.1 kilometers, and it wasn't especially difficult, but the path was rocky and we definitely needed our good walking shoes. We emerged on the Fôret des Cèdres road, just below the little "buvette" (snack bar). The "Tour Phillippe" was just ahead. Tour Phillipe is a tall narrow tower... what's known as a "folly"... an architectural structure built simply for pleasure.

La Tour Philippe (built at the end of the 19th century)

We had a family debate about which way to go at that point-- up or down on the forest road. I finally told Kelly that this was a time I got to decide because I was the parent, and so we climbed up the road another kilometer or so, gaining another 200 feet in elevation. It was quite windy on the top and much cooler. I was wearing a tank top and walked quickly to keep warm.

The views from this road are fantastic, and it was especially clear today. There's a place near the ticket booth that we like to stop: a clearing on the hillside that I can actually see this very moment from my chair on the terrace where I'm typing this. From this spot you can see at least 25 miles on a clear day. Bonnieux and Lacoste were now far below, the Marquis de Sade's castle now strangely tiny.

Way up above Lacoste (from the forest road)

We know this valley so well, and we love to pick out the places we know-- the villages, the house where we used to live, the house where we're staying now. It's like looking at a living map with an entirely different perspective. On the other side of the road, the Grand Luberon rises to the east, and there are views to the south... of the Durance and even today the sharp western side of Mont St. Victoire. This time of day we were all alone on the road-- most vacationers were probably relaxing over breakfast.

We can see this house in this photo-- and as I type this, I'm looking up on the mountain at the place where I took the picture!

Finally-- just before reaching the cedar forest-- we saw saw our downward path on the right. The path cut down the side of a deep ravine-- a gash in the mountain-- sometimes in the woods but with clear and very grand views across the valley, a slightly different angle than we've seen before. We could pick out at least ten villages and maybe more. I think I could even see a glimmer of Avignon, far to the west.

The path angled around and there was Bonnieux.

We also had a unique view of some beautiful farms below us... their orchards and vineyards arranged in absolutely perfect rows. We really liked one big estate tucked in at the base of the mountain complete with a tennis court and large swimming pool.

Beautiful farms in the Terres Blanches

Soon we arrived at a quiet farm road, a section of Bonnieux we haven't explored before. We followed this road to the D3, the road between Bonnieux and Menerbes and finally spotted our car by the playground. We had walked about seven kilometers and were gone not quite three hours. We could have made better time, but we stopped today to make notes, take photos and explore little side paths.... and have a few family debates!

Bonnieux across the vineyards

We arrived back in Bonnieux just in time for the Friday morning market... but more about that in the next post!