Gazing out from the ramparts of Les Baux-de-Provence, high up on the Alpilles hills
visitors are treated to a vista of Provence that dreams are made of.
Acres of silvery, green olive groves splashed with sprawling vineyards,
interspersed with pines and scrub oaks
and in the early summer the occasional tuft of Provence’s most defining bloom, lavender.
If time is short, come for just the view, you won’t be disappointed
Winding its way through the valley floor below Les Baux is ‘Le Crau’,
an important stretch of the Via Aurelia, the Roman road connecting Arles and Aix-en-Provence.
Staring across this abundant, timeless vista you can imagine
the marching of leather sandled Romans
dragging their chariots by the silvery branches of native olive trees
and carefully planted vines.
For since the time of the Greeks, who bought the first grapes to Provence,
For since the time of the Greeks, who bought the first grapes to Provence,
the region has been synonymous with wine making.
A wealth of wineries and olive mills for you to sample and discover
From your rocky pinnacle at Les Baux, if the weather is kind,
one can the distant sights of Nimes and far off Marseilles.
A breathtaking picture to record with your camera,
a treasured memory of Provence.
The soulful passion, stirred in the hearts of visitors to Les Baux
exudes from this beautiful extract,
by a writer from Marseille, who asked to be buried here.
“…I longed for the pine trees and olive groves….
Everything here speaks of families and eternity.
I know of no place more admirable than Les Baux.
The countryside separates us from all that we find offensive..
It reveals all that we have which is great, all that is real;
it turns this inner greatness into a vocation
In Les Baux, grandeur has charm and charm is filled with a sense of grandeur.”
André Suarez, (1868-1948)
André described this enchanting place better than I ever could.
If a visit here was part of your visit to Provence, what might you say about it?
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