My friend Alix lives in a gorgeous village in the Luberon. Join her on her daily walk, in which she finds inspiration in a common material that reveals the very soul of the village, and shares it with us in words and photos.
"Every morning that I can, I love to walk up and down the hills of our village for exercise. Since I have been back here I have not been able to locate my IPod. So I have been walking to meditate and I don't relly know how. But I try to see, name and appreciate everything I see.
Most days it goes like this:
sky
stone wall
flower
stone lintel
bushes
stone, stone
dog
stone, stone.
So needless to say I began to really think about stone, in Provence.
Firstly the word for stone in French is
pierre, which is also one of the most common names here, translating to the more classic Stone, as in Stone Phillips, or the more modern, Rock as in Rock Hudson.
Secondly, almost everything around here is made in some way of stone. It is everywhere in the earth, so if you begin to dig a garden you will soon have enough stone to build a little wall around it when you finish! Stone walls surround the village and sheild the homes from prying eyes. The walls keep people in, and people out. Upright stones at the top of walls create a jagged edge, hard to bypass! Stones set into the walls at right angles create simple steps, for the young!
But the uses are so much more varied. Stone can be carved into a beautiful lintel and balcony. It can be set on the roof tiles to discourage the strong Mistral winds from taking off the roof. It is warm in the sun and makes a welcoming setting for a cat nap. It can be used to send a little message, "I was here!", or to build a
tiny house, called a
borie, for a guardian to use in lambing season. A niche on the corner of the street, dated 1628, shows the name of the street for those who could not read. Or perhaps a little oval window to check out what is going on on the other side of the wall! A stone garden bench adds a cool touch to a garden of white. The paths are small stones, gravel, and some walls are huge stones, too large to be moved so just accomodated into the landscape. They keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter.
Minus my music in the mornings I am noticing so much and appreciating the variety of my surroundings! Rock on Provence! Music is in the breezes and the rustle of the leaves. But when your mind is free it creates a music of it's own. Sometimes we are too dependant on those tunes from our headsets!"
Below, cue up Neil Diamond: "Stones would play inside her head/And where she slept/They made her bed…"
Photo below, Alix by a stone wall in her village, with her precious dog Mignon and her chauffeur
Merci, Alix!
In the COMMENTS: Christine (of the Pen at the Ready blog) has a good Semur story–keep trying, Chris! Paula, love your diet advice. Lisa (of https://provenceinannarbor.wordpress.com), Buxy is so lovely, a favorite town of mine. Vicky, you must come back and find Phillipe! John, I don't know Dijon well—does anyone have apartment recommendations for John in Dijon?
Favorite Reads: My friend Sandi sends a thumbs up to two books by Elizabeth Bard. We've talked before about Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
(I agree: a really fun book). She has a new book out called Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes
, in which this American/French couple open an artisanal ice cream shop. Sounds yummy!
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10 thoughts on “A Rocky Road in Provence”
I couldn’t find the blog post on Semur in the Pen at the Ready blog. Is it possible to provide a direct link to the specific article? We’ve been looking at property in Semur and I’d love to read her entry. Thanks!
I promised a review of our stay in a gite on the 4/15 post. It is there now as the last reply on that post, and I hope our marvelous experience will be helpful.
I don’t know if John will come back to the post today and see my recommendation, but I would say he should just go to the website http://www.dijon-rentahome.com/ Beatrice Renau is English (married to a Frenchman) so no problem communicating. She has a large assortment of apartments in centre-ville. My husband and I stayed in several different ones over the years until we bought our own place in the city (ours is one of her rentals now). There are other options, but Beatrice has the largest selection.
Lynn,today’s post is wonderful!
Gorgeous scenery and words which just capture my imagination!
And!Alix and little Mignon are adorable!
Thank you!
PS I agree with Sandi,Elizabeth Bard’s new book is a gem.
She brings her readers right into her life.
Entertaining and you want it to go on forever!
Love the post and the photos.
What Luberon village is this?
Congratulations, Alix, on discovering the joys of walking without being plugged in to an IPod (or other device)!
I can relate to Alix in some ways. When my ipod isn’t charged, it’s no excuse for me so I still go for walks. I love old stone so very much. There’s that time worn charm that I think most people admire. Alix is such a beautiful woman & I love her little dog. Your photos Lynn are beautiful as always. Loved the blogs you have referred here.
If I had stunning scenery like that, I’d be out walking every day!
Alix, thank you for the perfectly delightful story and pictures. I’m looking forward to following your pattern in October.
Alix ~ I LOVE your dress in the photo! Where did you get it ?
It looks like an Etsy item or from an art show.