Hilltop Villages in Luberon

Before we left our base in Aix-en-Provence, we took a half-day tour by mini-van to the hilltop villages of Luberon.  Still active hill towns guard access to winsome valleys, while carefully managed vineyards producing inexpensive wines play hopscotch with cherry groves, lavender fields, and cypress trees.  The towns we visited were Lourmarin, Roussillon, and Gordes. 

 Open fruit stands and cafes line the streets of the small town of Lourmarin.

 The village church in Lourmarin.

 A cozy courtyard in the village of Lourmarin.

 A medieval castle in Lourmarin.

 Fields of lavender and vineyards checker-board the landscape.

 The Village of Roussillon over my left shoulder.

 All the buildings in Roussillon are built with Ochre colored clay.

 Tourists hike among the natural formations of Ochre rock in Roussillon.

 The Alps of France are not far off.

Our van driver was named Leonardo from an Italian canton of Switzerland.  He's made his home in Aix-en-Provence for many years.  We were hungry after all this sight seeing and were searching for a hearty meal in Aix.  We decided on hamburgers and found a popular spot called the Hand Burger Place.  The burgers and French fries were great.