Issue No. 25

It feels like little has changed in the last few
centuries as you leave your car in the car
park below and begin to climb to the top.
The streets of Oppède are narrow, cobbled
and steep and the backstreets and houses
defy gravity.
The impressive church of Notre-Damed'Alydon
has both a gargoyle and a
hexagonal bell-tower and it’s certainly not
what you expect. It’s also home to some
fading frescoes as well as music recitals in
the summer. But sadly, the adjoining castle
is little more than ruins.
A quirky little Café
When you’ve drunk in enough of the
Vaucluse below, you twist and turn your
way back down to the main square. Stroll
past intriguing doorways in hidden corners,
15th and 16th century walls and clusters of
geraniums trailing from pots in pretty
courtyards.
Below, and at every turn, are majestic, wide
angled views of the plains. It feels like the
whole of Provence is spread out beneath
you. And, even in late October when I went,
the skies are still blue and the Vaucluse
mountains and Mont Ventoux can be seen
in the distance. It is silent. Spellbinding.
Stunning.