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

[Aubrey C-S]

Lucy, the photos are just divine, your holiday must have been absolutely wonderful, making life memories. I do love your blog, you are so generous with your ideas... and everything. Love abrey

[Nicole]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!! Thank you so much for showing us. Nicole

[Mrs Pearce]

Awesome :-) thank you for taking us x

[anne@andamento]

Just gorgeous, as were the photos of the rest of your trip. Looking forward to seeing the hooky pics too.

[Kate Grabalowska]

LUCY:) Your blog is fantastic - lots of colors, interesting places and some home stuff:) very nice! Greetings from Poland (Krakoów).

[Ruth]

Dear Lucy, I love your photos and your description. I felt as if I was there. You're wonderful to share your visit with us.

[Verity]

Hi Lucy
I love that red. It is so warm and rosy. What a lovely village. That was such a sweet picture of pussy.

[Ann]

Just amazing colors in such a lovely town. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Inge]

Thanks for the beautiful pictures!

[idiosyncratic eye]

That terracotta is gorgeous! :)

[Ella Rook]

Amazing beautiful photo's! I never had much with France but I really wanna go now :-)

[jeannette]

i forgot to mention the tiny universe on the shelves of the paint shop. what a picture! thanks again.

[jeannette]

thank you for taking us along on your walks. i love the sense of windy narrow steep streets and little vistas -- the trompe l'oeil door, the crochet curtain (WHEN ARE YOU TAKING UP FILET CROCHET? DUDE!), the cade au lait, and the idea that you come to the edge of this world, this self-contained community, look down, and see -- green pastures, still waters.
xxx

[Unn]

Hello, France is so beautiful, but I love
England more...Lovely photos you are showing
us here.

[Laura]

Wonderful pictures! Can't wait to see your ta-dah moments!

[Angela-Southern U.S.A.]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I can see why you were so inspired! The mind is spinning.Can you imagine living there!I forsee Roussillon inspired projects ;))Looking forward to the hooky bit.

[Val]

Thank you for your lovely photos, it looks like a lovely place. I could just sit at the little cafe and have a coffee, but sadly I am at work on my lunch break. Thank you for brightening my day. I look forward to lots more colour.I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Bye for now, Val x

[carla]

wowwwww!!!! (still waiting to the crochet post!!!!!!!!!!)
carlafromspain

[Lianne]

Wow, it looks like a gorgeous place indeed, thanks you for sharing!!

[Mellie]

Oh my I am loving the slow reveal of your trip I can't wait to see the ta-dah moment and what was created despite all of these beautiful distractions!!

xxx

[maypole]

Your photography is just fantastic and the colours, oh the colours are just beautiful, thank you for letting us see this.

[Alison]

I am really enjoying the pictures of your holiday, but what I have to tell you is that your Nespresso coffee machine is on offer at Achica right now. I have bought from them before and it was good, in case you were wondering. Happy shopping!

[Rita]

These pictures are amazing! My husband and I have visited Roussillon and a couple of other beautiful villages in the Lubéron in March, and it feels so good to go there again by watching your pictures. I love the way you catch the colours. Thanks for bringing some light into this grey and rainy day!

[sarah]

Lovely pics Lucy, you say you would like to go back. Just hook up the connievan and take the kids! Its a wonderful way to see France, and wonderful way to holiday with young children, we did for years with ours and they loved it so so much. xx

[Kate]

I've loved looking at all your pictures but the ones of Roussillon are the most beautiful and Oh that window with the lace curtain!! x