My Provence in all zenitude... E-Book

Rafael. F.

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 100

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

For more than 15 months, my "faithful" camera and I visited about thirty Provençal villages. I wanted to make this book a guide that will help you discover (or rediscover), thanks to my photos, my historical research and my feelings, a beautiful region! "My Provence in all zenitude" will take you to the Luberon, the Vaucluse, the edge of the Mediterranean, the Var and its hinterland; in search of scents, colours, stories and flavours that will remain, I hope, forever etched in your mind.

Leseprobe

PREFACE :

I was just four years old when my family and I came to live in Provence. And since then, I have never left this beautiful region; it is now almost fifty years. I have always considered myself a provençal of adoption. To be honest, if I had to leave it, it would “break my heart”. I like Provençal customs and expressions so much. Not to mention the love I feel for its landscapes, its reliefs, its colors, its villages and its smells.

And then one day, I thought, "Why not discover or rediscover its authenticity with this guide?"

So I went to visit villages, cities, forests; in Luberon, Var, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpilles, etc.... Through my photos and stories, I tried to convey to you all the emotions and happiness I felt during my excursions.

I hope you will share the pleasure I had in writing «My Provence in all Zenitude».

Rafaeel. F.

CONTENS :

Cassis (13)

La Sainte-Baume (13)

Cotignac (83)

Aix-en-Provence (13)

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (84)

Fort de Buoux (84)

Lourmarin (84)

Moustier-Sainte-Marie (04)

Forêt de Saint Pons (13)

Avignon (84)

Zoo de la Barben (13)

Ansouis (84)

Barjols (83)

Roussillon (84)

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (84)

La Sainte-Victoire (13)

Les Baux-de-Provence (13)

Oppède-le-Vieux (84)

Sanary-sur-Mer (83)

Pernes-les-Fontaines (84)

Cucuron (84)

Le Castellet (83)

La Ciotat (13)

Saignon (84)

Bormes-les-Mimosas (83)

Le Beaucet (84)

Saint-Remy-de-Provence (13)

Vaison-la-Romaine (84)

Gordes / Village des Bories (84)

THANKS

Cassis...

When you decide to make a trip to Provence, if there isone city that remains unmissable, it is the commune of Cassis.

I have been going there regularly for many years now. And everytime, I feel this sense of discovery, the color of the water, the smells. Not to mention the sun illuminating the façades with multiple shades that change throughout the day. It’s like the photographer putting a new filter on every photo.

Area : 26,86 km2

Population : 6782 (2020)

This small Mediterranean port with narrow and intertwined streets, fraternises with a sea with such unpredictable character and its limestone cliffs where you can see a castle dating from the Carolingian Empire of the 8th century.

I love strolling by the water on these worn and time-shiny cobblestones. Looking at them, it is very easy to imagine the millions of people who have done the same thing in past centuries. Over the decades, Cassis has kept his identity. Its architecture did evolve over time, but its leaders never distorted or unravelled it.

Personally, I always make sure to arrive around noon. So I can sit on the terrace. And whether you’re in winter or summer, wearing a T-shirt or a big jacket, restaurants and brasseries are always busy with tourists and locals.

I can admire these magnificent “pointus” (Marseille boats) in bright colours and so well maintained by their owners.

And if you’re patient, you’ll probably be lucky to see restaurateurs buy their morning catch right on the spot. Hard to eat fresher... right? A word of advice: listen to the conversations that emerge from this “transaction”. Because everyone will go from his comment which will prove to be more or less relevant, it must be admitted!

Then, in order to digest this good meal with Mediterranean colours and flavours that will have awakened my taste buds, I walk along the dike, on these stones with uncertain reliefs, to reach at its end its lighthouse, polished by the whims of the sea and the weather. And there, there is no escaping the pleasure of the spray that will come to tread and refresh your face, before crashing on the rocks. And if, like me, you like to meditate or simply decompress in front of a water reflecting the soft rays of the sun: you will be in the right place....

But Cassis is not just a port and shaded alleys. It is also a beautiful natural park protected and respected by its inhabitants, where you can go hiking or cycling, alone or with your family, on marked and safe trails. When I go there with my backpack and camera, I can’t get enough of the scenery.

It is as if I were alone in the world in front of this beauty that nature makes available to me. What is strange and reassuring is the respect that walkers of all generations can have. We speak without shouting, we greet each other by crossing each other, we make sure to walk on the stones, also polished by time, without ever deteriorating or tearing away the plants. During this walk, you will also have the opportunity, for the bravest, to swim in water of such intense blue that it would make jealous the most beautiful beaches called paradisiacal.

When I say “the bravest”, it must be known, in all objectivity, that the waters of Cassis are known for their invigorating freshness. Especially if our beloved mistral visited us the days before swimming!

However, if you do not have a sporting temperament, or the appropriate physical ability, you will still be able to see the Cassis Natural Park by the sea. Indeed, the city offers guided tours of its coasts and calanques by boat, leaving from the port. Having had the chance to do so, I can assure you that it is worth a look.

A word of advice: in high season, remember to book a seat!

Historically, the peninsula once lived with its quarries. Their remains are still very well preserved and easily visible. It was on this site that the famous Cassis stone, renowned for its solidity and longevity, was extracted. In previous centuries, many of the kitchens in Marseille had sinks carved into this rock. Nowadays, these “batteries”, as we call them in France, are sold at a high price and are often used to decorate summer kitchens. If one day you have the chance to walk on Alexandria’s docks, you will tread on Cassis stone, among other places...

In short, if you are like me, if you love the beauty and authenticity of a place where you can escape for a few hours, you cannot pass Cassis without stopping!

By the way, we don't pronounce Cassis's "S." It is for the fruit that it is pronounced.

La Sainte-Baume...

The highest point is the Yoke of the Eagle and the signal of the Beguines at 1,148 metres.

Then, some forty kilometres from Cassis, stands the Sainte-Baume massif, in the commune of Plan-d’Aups-Sainte-Baume. It is with majesty that the latter comes to be established, making the junction between the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var.

Area : 45 000 hectares

However, it will take a few kilometres of narrow pinhead bends to reach the site. So, adorned with my backpack, a pair of walking shoes, and my inseparable camera, I am ready for my ascent.

The first feeling you get when you enter this forest is the very imposing aspect of the place. You feel so small at the feet of these trees, tens of metres high and centuries old. It is as if each of them tries to make contact with the heavens, but never succeeds. Their trunks are long and regular.

My favourite season to go there is autumn. Nature is literally changing. The colour scheme that heralds the end of summer and the beginning of winter is so beautiful and varied that it is difficult to describe it in simple words. The base of the trees and the edges of the trails are covered in a moss of a green so intense that it looks like it was painted by hand.

Even if it is only a combination of high humidity and plots that never see the sun, the result is sublime. The trunks cut by the hand of man or simply broken by the whims of nature, are also covered with mushrooms, admittedly inedible, but so pleasant to look at and immortalise. So atypical and indescribable are their forms.

With all these smells, colours and magic, you don’t have to have a vivid imagination to think that at any moment you could see an elf or a fairy coming out of nowhere.

However if I can give you a little advice, stay focused on the trails. In autumn, between winding paths, centuries-old polished steps, and damp leaves that cover them surreptitiously, it is very easy to catch a gadin, as we say here. Despite this brief aside, the promenade remains largely accessible to all.

Then, when you have walked for about 45 minutes, 30 for the more experienced. That you will have come across benches carved out of the stone. That you will be refreshed at the famous Source de Nans. You will arrive as if by magic at the foot of the steps of the Dominican Sanctuary dating from the 13th century which is one with the cliff. According to legend, the first witness of Christ's resurrection lived in this Sanctuary. And one does not have to be a true believer in Christianity to feel its mysticism. The first time I crossed his threshold, I was so emotional that my eyes misted. It was as if a current of positive air had flown through me from side to side.

Up the stairs, you can admire scenes of Christ, thanks to life-size statues. In front of the church, built right in the cave, you will see a panorama of a rare beauty that will leave you breathtaking.

But I think the moment that moved me the most was when I entered the cave. The originality of this sanctuary cannot leave you insensitive. Its simplicity and uniqueness make it a special place. The humidity is so high that the drops fall continuously from the rocky vault, forming small puddles of water on its irregular soil. Allowing the candles and stained glass windows to make their reflections ripple. For those who want to pamper themselves, you will have the opportunity to sit on benches patinated by pilgrims and tourists facing an imposing altar.

Then it is full of emotion that you will come out of the monastery to finish your “pilgrimage” to the highest point of Sainte-Baume. And if you are as lucky as I am that the sky is clear, you will see Marseille and its coastline.

Generally, to conclude my trip, I always stop at the small restaurant/snack, next to the car park, to have a cold drink or a hot chocolate, depending on the season. This allows me to review my photos and thus extend this beautiful hike by thought.

Cotignac...

Then, I decided to leave the seaside, to go a little further into the Var hinterland, to go to Cotignac; small town about forty kilometres from Saint-Maximin. It was my first time there. And believe me, I wasn’t disappointed! A real concentrate of discoveries of all kinds.

Having parked at the foot of the cliff, I decided to start my journey by visiting the remains of the two towers of the feudal castle, dating from the 11th century.

Area : 44,26 km2

Population : 2254 (2015)

During the ascent of the paved paths, admirably preserved by time, I was able to admire, over the few hundred metres to climb, quite unusual objects. Such as facade ruins that were once certainly beautiful and large houses; or arches dug into the rock that is now used as garages for the inhabitants; or fountains with worn stones and covered with moss. Not to mention the superb stone houses; or simply this olive press so well maintained. Among the many crafts that are very present in Cotignac, olive cultivation gives rise to olive oil that has a high reputation beyond our Provençal borders.