View over Gordes from

View over Gordes from the secret garden Antiques heaven - l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue all put brush to canvas here in Gordes. It’s busy on Tuesday mornings year-round as locals come from far and wide for the street market. Halfway up the steep rue de Belvedere, if you blink you could easily miss the Caves du Palais Saint Firmin, 1000-yearold caves built deep into the hillsides. And if you’re there for national event days, Rendez- Vous aux Jardins (the 1st weekend of June) and Heritage Days (the 3rd weekend of September), you can visit the extraordinary terraced gardens that make you feel as if you’re in the sky. Menerbes Goult Lavender Museum: Whatever time of year you visit, lavender, the healing and symbolic ancient aromatic, is an integral part of the heritage of the region. And even if it’s not in bloom (mid-June to early August when its harvested) a visit to the Musée de la Lavande of the Chateau du Bois where they’ve been making lavender for more than 130 years, is to experience the secrets and history of lavender in Provence. They also have a superb shop, and workshops including one where you can make your own lavender bag. museedelalavande.com Menerbes: On the day I visited, it was quiet and almost empty of visitors, hard to imagine that it was once overrun with fans of the late, great Peter Mayle, one-time resident. Don’t just stick to the main street like many do; get lost in a labyrinth of cobblestone streets where perfect views over the countryside await on every corner. Pop into the Dora Maar museum, Picasso’s muse and lover and an artist ahead of her time. Dine outdoors at Bistrot Le 5 for the magnificent views and dishes (leave room for dessert - they are worth it). Roussillon: Surely one of the most photogenic villages of France - hilly streets lined with buildings the colour of sun-kissed oranges and lemons overlooking cliffs of ochre. Visit at the end of the day to see the sun cast shadows and the colours zing. And pop into Bals’Art for a vinegar tasting - yes, really. This is no ordinary vinegar, we’re talking Balsamics and creams, thick, syrupy and addictive! balsart.com Roussillon Goult: Part of its charm lies in the fact that it is not so well-known as some of the villages. I visited with local photographer, American Raina Stinson, who runs photographic tours and workshops in the area. As she showed me how to improve my photography skills and practice mindfulness to help really soak up the ambience, we explored and photographed the unspoiled preserved buildings, secret © Raina Stinson Tours shepherds’ huts, hidden squares and the hilltop Moulin de Jerusalem. Sorgue: If you love antiquing, this is the place to go. Six ‘villages’, 300 dealers selling antiques, vintage and bric-a-brac year-round. Don’t miss La Boutique de Francine - an outstanding collection of textiles that have taken decades to source. Olive Oil tasting: Olive oil is one of the essential tastes of Provence, and at the family-run Moulin du Clos des Jeannons, you’ll get to experience quite possibly the best olive oil you’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping. Yes, sipping, because when olive oil is this good, you do a tasting as if it’s wine, and as you stand at the tasting bar, a guide will explain how the olives have to be picked at the perfect moment from their 6000 trees, and bottled by hand. Leave room in your case to take some home. Wine tasting: At the Château Saint-Pierre de Mejans in Puyvert, just 3.5km from Lourmarin, enjoy a wine tasting alongside art in the gorgeous gardens. A former Benedictine chateau, dated to 1118, is incredibly wellpreserved with a Romanesque chapel and thick stone walls. Its vineyards produce delicious, organic rosé, white and sparkling wines - a true taste of the Luberon. Visits include a gourmet cheese and charcuterie tasting, and a picnic in the garden surrounded 12 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 13