wine, ochre and stones - the Vaucluse

Just occasionally, Juan and I don't head for the Ecrins at the weekend. In between seasons, when the high mountains can feel hellish chilly without the magic of snow, the south beckons. Taking advantage of Juan's days in lieu we headed for the Vaucluse region in Provence for a short break based - on our friend Isabelle's recommendation - at a friendly B & B just outside the former ochre-mining village of Roussillon.

On our way we cruised the Route des Vins, the autumn vines sumptuous gold and magenta...

We were just 2 hours south of Grenoble but the light and vegetation felt like driving in another country. Seeing the villages of Gigondas and Vacqueyras, after having so often enjoyed the wines at home, was a real thrill. At Gigondas any sense of awe at the wine-tasting experience was dispelled by this reassuringly funky translation, writ large on the wall:

And bewitched we were, having fun tasting wines using the most spurious of criteria.

In contrast to classy Gigondas we stopped at Vacqueyras at "Vins du Caractère", a highly commercial wine superstore. The deals - of a "3 crates for the price of 2" variety - were amazing. After a short time tasting, everything was going to our heads as we tried to make the right decision, remembering that we only drink together at weekends and do we always want to be drinking Côtes du Rhone. On my own I think I would have bought half the shop but Juan's restraining influence limited us to just 18 bottles...

This was Toussaints, the last holiday weekend of the year, and when we arrived at Rousillon it was pulsing with every nationality of tourist.

We had arrived in all ignorance that the extraordinary soil and colours make this a mecca for artists. Courses, exhibitions, and gift shops were a constant temptation (resisted):

But Roussillon's main claim to fame is its ochre, and mining heritage. Mining, and the associated manufacture of pigments, ceased after synthetic dyes replaced ochre in the mid-20th century. As a tourist you can walk the little sentier des ochres trail...

... and do a guided tour of the nearby mine at Gargas (all but Juan and I in post-Halloween fancy dress). At least in our imagination, we had a sense of the mining process in previous centuries:

The 40km labyrinth of vaulted tunnels was dug by miners from the top down (to avoid digging through harder rock that was immediately above). The spaciousness and regularity of the arches suggested a series of temples - pleasant to walk through. It was hard to imagine the cramped, dusty working conditions of that time. But oil-lamp scars on the upper walls were a reminder of the reality of the work. The mine is now waiting for a new use. (Mushroom farming failed as recently as 2000 when the supply of local horse manure ran dry.)

Within a small radius of Roussillon are several fortified hilltop villages, each attractive in a different way. We explored several of them (Juan musing on how we always seemed to gravitate, like goats, to the top - our mountain-climbing obsession?!). One included Lacoste, home to the infamous Marquis de Sade, and now a real jewel, not a cobble out of place: 

Lacoste

Saturnin lès Apt



looking east from Saturnin lès Apt



reservoir and castle at Saturnin lès Apt

Ménergues

On the way back north, we were curious to see the ancient dry-stone settlement of "Bories":

These buildings probably date from the 14th century, but could be much older. It's hard to imagine how life would have been in such cramped, windowless holes. And strange to think that people all over the world, from Ireland to Peru to Spain, were living similarly.

As we lit the fire at Vaulnaveys we were newly appreciative of the comforts of the 21st century.