Sunday, August 12, 2007

Roussillon

The view of Roussillon from, you guessed it, the parking lot.

One of the hill towns in the Luberon area has a very particular characteristic. It's built on land that is rich in ochre. The mineral colors the dirt in the surrounding hills a deep orange/red. The pigment has been mined and used throughout the ages and is apparent in the wall color of nearly every building in town.

Roussillon's main place.

Naturally the town is now a prime stop on the tourist circuit, and it shows. Your first clue is the giant modern parking lot just outside of the town center and the ice cream and crêpe stands parked there. And the tour buses.

Much of the charm of Roussillon is in details like this door.

Still, I think we were lucky and hit a slow moment. We didn't feel like part of a crowd and we enjoyed our stroll through this little town of fewer than 1,200 Roussillonnais.

Just another courtyard.

2 comments:

  1. ooh la la....not just another courtyard to me....beautiful! I just set it as my background.

    Thanks for the picture.

    Victoria, Bellingham, WA

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  2. Victoria, thanks ! The simplest things are often so beautiful - like this courtyard that is not elaborate, but has just the right mix of color to make it special.

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