RED CLIFFS & ROUSSILLON
Without the colorful clay at Roussillon there might have been no van Gogh at Arles, no palette to bring his bold technicolor visions to canvas. Without the ochre quarries outside of town, which supplied pigment for paints and dyes around the world, Provence would be a drab place indeed, not the dream world of warm pastels, reds and yellows set against lush green forests, purple mountains and vivid blue skies that stirred the hearts of Impressionist painters. The quarries are closed now
Ancient Roman ingenuity is on full display at the Pont du Gard, an aqueduct that once carried millions of gallons of water a day to Nîmes
except to tourists, and pigment manufacturing has moved on, but the legacy of Roussillon is painted all over this cliffside medieval village of wandering cobblestone streets and alleyways lined with houses, shops and cafés, as close together as crayons in a box, bright with Mediterranean shades of yellow, pink, and terra cotta (17 shades of ochre alone) and fiery red, hung with flamboyant blue, violet and green doors and shutters – a celebration of color that makes this one of the most charming and photogenic places in France. Enjoy the surprise around every corner, the red dust on your shoes, and be warned: Roussillon may awaken the artist in you.
Pont d’Avignon celebrated in song, you’ll also visit another famous bridge, the Pont du Gard, which is actually a Roman aqueduct 160 feet high with three sets of arches spanning the River Gardon. This ancient engineering marvel once carried millions of gallons of water a day to the city of Nîmes, and the secrets behind its genius are revealed to you at the Pont du Gard Museum through fascinating life-size models, drawings and multimedia exhibits. Return to the ship for a festive Avignon wine party before dinner. Meals BLD
8. ROUSSILLON / CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE You’ll travel to the Luberon region today by coach, where you’ll find trees sculpted by the famed mistral wind, narrow scenic roads and tidy buildings of stone. Sightseeing begins in Roussillon, a town with a picturesque main square, that is best known for the soft yellow-orange shades of ochre found on many of its buildings. Roussillon sits in the middle of one of the world’s largest deposits of ochre (a clay pigment) and after a walk on an orange-hued walking path, you’ll see why the town’s livelihood was once dependent on this colorful natural pigment. After lunch on the ship, you’ll head to the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, whose residents have benefitted from the proceeds of flourishing vineyards since the 13th century. At one time the village was encircled by a wall that included the château built by the popes of Avignon as a summer palace. Today life in the village, which dates back to medieval times, still centers around growing and producing wines of the same appellation. Later this afternoon, you’ll enjoy a tasting of these bold and richly colored wines – which might include Syrah, Grenache and Clairette varieties – before returning to ship. Meals BLD
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