Gordes

Built on the edge of a plateau on the hills of Vaucluse is Gordes, a small village where everything seems to be built in stone, giving the village a tough, even austere appearance. At the very top is the Saint Fermin church and the ancient castle, which existed in the 11th century but was rebuilt in the 1500s and which just seems to dominate the village. Today the castle functions as both Town Hall and a museum.

We spent time strolling around the narrow, cobbled streets and viewing the bucolic Luberon valley, and then enjoyed a local lunch at Le Provençal, one of the restaurants on the main square.

Very close by, hidden in the green valley behind Gordes, is the Abbaye de Senanque. A community of enclosed monks lives there and makes a living producing honey, and growing lavender, which unfortunately was not in season.