Mary's Visit 2007: Rousillion & Gordes

Our next stops were Roussillon, Fontaine de Vaucluse and Isle Sur la Sorgue; places that I visited as an art student over 20 years ago which left me with an indelible impression of their natural beauty. Mary was immediately enchanted by them as well. The ochre cliffs have inspired many artists to this day and make good painting supplies. We bought some local watercolors and painting supplies as keepsakes and took a short hike through the woods to view these magnificent cliffs up close. After our hike, back in the village, we came upon the studio of a very talented "en plein air" artist Francoise Valenti where I bought a a lovely oil painting of the countryside that has already found the perfect spot in our dining room in Biot.

Fontaine de Vaucluse is the source of the Sorgue river which you can hike up to. We didn't quite make it that far but stopped at a shady riverside restaurant for lunch where I had fresh Sorgue river trout and Mary the Sorgue crayfish. Leafy underwater plants make the water appear a brilliant shade of green and the sound of the river is energizing yet soothing. Next we were off to Isle sur la Sorgue a few miles from Fontaine now famous for selling Antiques. The Antique market starts on Saturday so we missed it but were able to wander through a few stores to get the idea and admire some cheese displays.