Saturday, February 03, 2007

Gourdon the Saracen

Meredith proposed that we should all post a photo of our home towns or villages and, obedient as I am, I was just browsing through looking for something appropriate when I came across these.
They're not recent photos. I took them last October during the Indian Summer which faded into Indian Autumn and thence to Indian Winter and have never got round to posting them.

The 3rd photo shows the village from the road perched on its crag safe from invaders from the sea. It's called Gourdon the Saracen and these days it's been invaded by tourists and the old houses have been turned into shops and boutiques selling all sorts of local products.

The village is lovely with a handful of winding lanes filled with houses whose stones are easy on the eye even in the dazzling light of high Summer. There's a Chateau with a gem of a garden designed by Le Notre and featured on the BBC, no less, and on a clear day there are the most breathtaking views both from the Chateau and the viewing table.

I stopped and had a cool drink at the cafe/restaurant which, I promise wasn't the one in the fly-in-a-pizza incident.

PS Thanks for all your comments which I really do love reading.
Browsing through this two days later (sometimes I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer) I hope no one thought I actually live here because I don't. Where I live's much more ordinary but at least the roads are less suicidal...
Meredith: the path is called Chemin du Paradis which has to be the biggest misnomer ever as it's a, in theory, 30 minute slog up a near perpendicular, rock strewn path, the sort where you put one foot forward, it slips and you end up grazing your knees.
But the view is superlative.

17 comments:

Pam said...

Wow! Those photos are spectacular!

Anonymous said...

We have never ventured there but will go visit when next down that way!

J xx

Shaz said...

Wow gorgeous pics ang, I am so jealous that is postcard stuff.
Love it. xx

Shaz said...

I forgot to tell you 4 whole weeks 1 month 30 days and so on since I have had a cigerette, I am so prould of my self. I only smoked for 5 years but thats to much and my girls are thrilled. Hi 5 to me.
lol

Gigi said...

Gosh - that's beautiful! When are you inviting us all down for apéritifs then, eh? Eh? :-)

Betty Carlson said...

Great! I now have an idea for my next post!

Anonymous said...

What beautiful photos. It certainly looks like a lovely part of the world.

Darlene said...

Each photo is a dream, not very much compares to them, certainly where I live.

XOXO
Darlene

How are YOU? :)
missing u

Pardon My French said...

So beautiful -- what a spectacular view!

deedee said...

Merci:)
Now, there is a trail from Gourdon down to Le Bar sur Loup, I think, have you ever walked it? I always wanted to, but never did.

Betsy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Betsy said...

Gorgeous photos!

We've been camping down in the Provence almost every summer for the last 10 years. (The last three in the area around Digne-- we pass your way on the way to the coast.) Your pictures gave me a little bit of a vacation feeling! Thanks! :-)

Open Grove Claudia said...

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing! :)

How's your orange tree doing?

blueboat said...

Wonderful photographs - and a gorgeous blog. Its lovely to see a little bit of summer in February!
ps, thanks for visiting Belfast!

Unknown said...

Beautiful. I wish I could have spent more than a few days in Provence. Well, maybe next year!

savvycityfarmer said...

Oh, my....my breath just left me for a moment

Betty Carlson said...

So you're in Gourdon. We have friends in Oppède; so I've spent quite a bit of time around there. Great area...