Day 10 - Provence - 01.06.2013

Real holiday begins!

We woke up at 5am to prepare ourselves to catch the train from Geneva to Provence. At the train station, we grabbed our takeaway breakfast and a cup of coffee and made our way to the appointed train platform. The only thing we didn't manage to do successfully was our attempt to claim back the VAT for the watch which I purchased the day before. Well, it was obvious rather to forgo getting the refund than to miss the train ride. Thus, we gave up the thought and boarded the train at 640am for a 3 hours ride to Provence.

We reached Avignon station at about 945am. We then went to Europcar to collect our rented Peugeot and drove for about an hour plus before we arrived at Gordes.

Gordes is stunningly beautiful. After checking into Hotel Mas des Romarins where we would be spending a night, we took a slow walk to the central area of Gordes where all the galleries, restaurants and cafes and souvenir shops are located. We surveyed the area and went in search of the vantage point where we could have the picture-perfect view of the inspiring landscape of Gordes. After much perseverance (in walking), we found it and I couldn't resist clicking on the camera to capture every angle of the vast forested greens and the plain that were set before our eyes.

It was time for lunch and we randomly chose one of the restaurants whose menu seemed to be comparatively cheaper than others. It was so-so and after lunch, we continued our walk around the village.

It was about 3pm. We then walked back to the hotel but we didn't rest for very long, knowing that we still had lots of time to goof around before dinner would be ready. So, we ventured out to Roussillon, which was about 20min plus drive from Gordes.

When we arrived, the beauty of the village was the uniformity of the ochered walls. We spontaneously went for a 35 min trek along Le Sentier des ocres (The Ochre Footpath) and though the journey was tough (lots of walking up steep slopes), it was worthwhile. The interesting point was that even the sand and the quarries were all ochered too (consistent with the walls that we had seen earlier). When we were done trekking, we were tired and went for a drink. We then continued our walk around the village and left Roussillon about 530pm. Roussillon is a very unique place; a staff at the hotel where we stayed in described it as a mini Colorado. I was so awed by everything that I had seen in this remarkable village.

Dinner was at 730pm. We dined at the hotel premise itself. The food was good and we were very satisfied at the end of our dinner.

After penning this entry, I went to bed at about 1130pm. I look forward to visiting many more nice places around Provence.