Colorado Provençal

Yesterday's updating expedition in the Luberon  began with a 3km climb by bike to the perched village of Saignon, wheeling my out-of-shape legs up a steep road. The village itself is huddled below the ruins of its castle, a few rows of majestic stone houses perched some 300m above the town of Apt, below in the valley.

The Belfry in Saignon:

An old, stone fountain in the centre of the village:

The walk took me from Saignon to the village of Rustrel, on the opposite side of the Calavon valley.

Rustrel is set by what the locals call the "Colorado Provençal": an ochre deposit of red, orange, and yellow sands, a veritable playground of walking paths and sandy pinnacles:

A path through the sands:

The almond trees in full bloom, and the sweet scent of honey in the air: