Sumptuous Ochre
Trip Start
Jun 28, 2007
1
20
36
Trip End
Jul 27, 2007
Where I stayed
Roussillon, Provence, France
Thursday, July 12, 2007
It was with some regret that we left La Maison d'Amelie, but new adventures await. A 40 minute drive took us north, past Bonnieux to Roussillon, famed for its rich ochre deposits. The town is beautifully colourful and had a nice little market. After a short hike through the ochre canyon, we returned to the market to purchase lunch.
Celine's Thoughts
We were up early, packed and ready to go by 08h00. Danielle and I walked down to the boulangerie for bread and breakfast pastries - yum, yum. I then sat by the fountain in the sun and waited for Christine Marc to arrive. Once she did, we had a lovely visit, inviting her to Canada (perhaps for a house swap). We exchanged addresses and parted Parisian style with kisses on either cheek. What a lovely lady and such a great abode.
We drove to Roussillon and enjoyed both the marche, le sentier des ocres, and a delightful conversation with a lunch vendor. Roussillon is well known for its ochre coloured walls. Ochre is a natural pigment mixed with sand. Iron oxide gives the yellow to purple pigmentation which can be used in painting. In fact, I purchased some ochre paints for Sue and Spence to paint with. We walked le sentier des ocres and it was a brilliant colour. Stephane actually took some sand and proceeded to liberally cover his feet and sandals beyond recognition. It took days to get his sandals clean again. We enjoyed a refreshing lunch in the shade after a great conversation with the vendor. He recognized we were Canadian, thought I was Quebecois, and was very outgoing!
