Provence :: Roussillon

I'm so glad that nobody has asked me to pick my favourite part of my week away, it would honestly have been an impossible task. The tour was packed chocka-full of great things to see, do and experience so that every day seemed like a dream. However, there was one particular place that really earnt itself a place in my heart, and that place was the village of Roussillon.

Like many of the other villages we visited in the region, Roussillon is perched high up on a hill. But the thing that made this place different was the abundance of colours . Oh, the colour of every single bit of Roussillon was just sublime!

The town is built upon a ridge which is rich in ochre deposits, and up until the 1930's there were big quarries here which mined the ochres for use in the textile and art industries.

I hadn't really known much about any of this before I arrived, I only had a vague idea that the buildings would be a slightly reddish colour. I hadn't anticipated the stunning array of colours to be found within the earth itself....isn't it beeeeeeautiful?

Even though natural pigments are no longer mined from the ground here, we came across a fabulous art and gift shop on the edge of the village which still sells them. Hundreds of jars full of powdered paints, an incredible variety of colour all taken from the surrounding landscape. I was absolutely mesmerised by it all.

But then.....the landscape was nothing compared to the beauty of the village itself.

Oh My.

Come on, I'll take you through the streets of Roussillon and you'll see what I mean....

This incredible door is at the very bottom of the main street. It takes your breath away with surprise as you kind of come across it around a corner and there it is.

This is the main street up through the village. It is full of beautiful little gift shops and art galleries.

The colours everywhere in this small place are intoxicating.....

....the hues in the old walls and buildings seem to glow in the morning sun.

The little streets and alley ways wind upwards, quite steep at times.

And everywhere you look there is beautiful old stone work in mellow colours....

....and cute little vistas around every corner.

There is an ancient, rambling feel to everything here....

....yet it also feels loved and cared for somehow.

So funny! I've just had a flash back to myself walking around these beautiful little streets, you should have heard me! I was sooooooo excited by all the colours that I sort of went into verbal hyperdrive. I exclaimed a lot!! I also had some really cute design ideas pop into my head as if from nowhere, I really got inspired here you know!

We wandered around Roussillon at a very leisurely pace and there were hardly any people at this end of the village. It was sooooo quiet and tranquil (except for my exclamations and rabbiting over excitement). We were very fortunate visiting in October as I imagine it gets terribly busy here in high season. I appreciated the tranquility and the lack of other people very,  very much.

You can see how high up we were, we are right at the end of the village here, looking out over the wooded valley and cultivated fields down below.

As the morning edged towards midday, the haze lifted and the most amazing blue sky was revealed. It made the colours of everything look even more incredible, especially this glorious pyracantha bush with it's bright orange berries.

These morning glory flowers were so lovely, they were rambling up over a gateway to a small perched house right on the edge of the rocky ochre cliffs.

By now, I had kind of talked myself into a frenzy and was suddenly in dire need of a good coffee and a calm down. So we turned and began to walk back down towards the village square.

Awwwwww!

We walked past this window on the way up to the top of the village, but I hadn't really taken in the detail then. On the way back down, I suddenly noticed how pretty the curtain was....

....isn't it delightful? I may have swooned a little right here.

I just love love loved these windy little narrow streets. The weeny thin views of the buildings ahead were so charming, it was a real pleasure to just put one foot in front of the other and Stroll About here.

Almost there....you can just see the central square and the town hall there which is at the heart of the village. I can smell the coffee!

Ahhhh, what a beautiful, happy and atmospheric place to stop for morning coffee, I totally loved sitting my bottom on those lime green chairs and passing some time chatting over a drink....

....speaking of which, my café au lait was completely divine. Mmmm-mmmm.

Such an amazing, stunning place. Oh, the colours!!!! Still in raptures over the colours.

Roussillon, you stole a little bit of my heart, and I feel sure I will come back to revisit you again one day. I can't wait.

♥

So......I think my friends, that might possibly bring us neatly to the end of my Provence Travels. I hope you've enjoyed sharing my memories with me, it's been such fun reliving it all. Excepting of course, we've still got some hooky to come, oh yeah, I've not forgotten, of course not! I've simply saved the best till last. So do please come back tomorrow for a little bit of a colourful Ta-dah moment, I can't wait to show you what we got up to under those sunny blue skies. See you then.......

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

Comments

[One-oh-four]

Stunning pictures! What a pretty place....

[Jolande]

What a beautiful trip you made! France is lovely.. and so are your pictures. Looking forward to see what you all hooked up there!!

[Lara]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your trip!

[sue]

Absolutely a delight. Love your photos and thank you so much for taking me to an this breath-taking town.

[Abigail @ Rosy Hill]

Thank you for sharing your holiday snaps and your memories of your travels. I have loved reading them. Southern France is one of my favourite places, so magical (especially when the views are accompanied by cheese and wine!). That door is wonderful and I love the cute little stone archway.
Look forward to seeing what hooky you all got up to! Abigail x

[Sarah H]

Lucy- thanks so much for the wonderful photos of Provence. The Luberon stole our hearts 14 years ago, and my husband asked me to marry him in a village right near Rousillon. We have got to go back!

[Becky]

Absolutely beautiful pictures. Would love to see this area in person.

[Ellie F]

Dear Lucy
What a beautiful place. It must have been really hard to leave it. The colours and vistas must have been very inspirational.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos.
Best wishes
Ellie

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy Heavenly pictures! You just can't beat nature for that feast of colour! I have enjoyed your tour very much. Looking forward to seeing
your crochet colour soon.xx

[Sandi]

Hi Lucy, Roussillon still looks as beautiful as when we were there in 2000. Thanks for helping us reminisce about our visit there.We love all the photos.xx Sandi

[eskimo*rose]

It must be 10 years since I went to Rousillon, it really is a stunning place. It is very near a place that we stop off at each year on our summer travels, you've reminded me that we must go back next time we visit - thank you! Such is the beauty of Provence, I was beginning to think that you had forgotten to do any crochet while you were there!! Can't wait to see tomorrow ...
xx

[Helen]

So so beautiful, the light in these pictures is incredible. This sounds like a truly perfect break
http://ahandfulofhope.blogspot.co.uk/

[Beate]

This place looks divine! The colours are truly magnificent! Thanks for sharing all the lovely photos, and I can't wait to see the big hooky Ta-Dah!

[Chel]

Thank you for sharing all your memories. It all looks so beautiful and the colours of the pigments in the arts and crafts shop are a sight to behold. Do they have an online shop???? Looking forward to seeing the project tomorrow. xx

[Maria Lewis]

What beautiful places you've shared. Thank you :)

[Susan]

I'm enjoying every one of your Provence photos, going back again and again. Rousillon is breathtaking, I can't help wondering what it must be like to live in such a place. Thank you for making and sharing. Can't wait to see the project!

[Mrs Craftypants]

Pictures I could only dream about, thank you, can't wait to see the hooky stuff!

[Atie Holmes]

Loved your posts about Provence so much, I visited there more than 60 years ago and it still as beautiful as ever. I am too old now to travel that far, so thank you for taking me back. Love your blog, it is always the first one I look at.Atie

[Marilyn]

Sigh!! Beautiful! Oh the memories of the time I walked these streets. Thanks for the memories and reminding me of it's beauty.

[Kate]

Those colours are pretty special- that art materials shop, well, I want a jar of each please!

[Shirley Flavell]

I don't want the journey to end.Such beautiful countryside and your photos are terrific.Each nook and cranny you walked around must have been so exciting and like you Lucy I would've been squeeling and rabbiting on with enthusiasm and excitement as well.Now I look forward to you "hooky" stuff. Shirley

[Val Johnson]

Loved every minute of sharing your trip via photo's.....thanks so much for brightening my day with your adventures....and can't wait to see the project you have been working on....tah dah....until tomorrow with anticipation....

[Patti in Pa]

thank you for taking me places I will never get to! What an experience for you! The pictures are beautiful, I always love how your enthusiasum comes through when you are explaining the pictures! :)

[Margaret]

Oooh I think I am in love with this beautiful town. Looks exactly like something in a dream. Thanks for sharing - looks like a wonderful trip!
Margaret

[diana]

Thanks again for this lovely photo tour of your travels. I wish I wasn't on the other side of the Pond right now. ;-)