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Tourtour and touring the hills

lindaglamour
May 19, 2016
2 min read

Tourtour is an ancient honey coloured village set into the hills - it lures in passers by rather than screams for attention. It is somewhat off the tourist trail though it is a designated 'beautiful village of Provence". And it is beautiful. It has a sweetness that emanates not only from the light but from the buildings themselves. The central village square is bustling - it is market day though it is not I'm told at full strength. A stall with linens swinging in the breeze and the scent of lavender from little bags and soap. Another stall selling cheese and meat, yet another fruit and vege. To the side, one selling syrups and sauces.

I walked every narrow path through this little village. The sound of running water through little channels to the side of buildings, a fountain or two - in the smallest of places there is a sense of lush growth and greenery. Vibrant pink roses festoon a doorway while a set of steps made even more picturesque by violet coloured tiny flowers flourishing in the cracks of stone. The walls are solid and thick with doorways recessed into them - just as well for one would step out straight into the street and cars do go past including my black rhino (Nissan XTrail).

From Tourtour to Cotignac. A different village entirely. More 16th century prettiness rather than medieval. Built into the side of the hard stone cliff, Cotignac is anything but hard. Its 3 story buildings with pretty porticos at each window line both sides of a wide tree lined boulevard. The trees hard pruned are springing back into life with tufts of green leaves shooting forth. I sit with a coffee and gaze out across the boulevard and admire its charm. The people here are chic, slim and well coiffured. A man at the table in front of me, longish greying hair but still thick, tanned skin, white blazer, cream pants, a cigarette floating at his fingers, I admire. Doesn't hurt to look LOL.

From Cotignac one leaves the hills behind. I am glad. Navigating the black rhino through narrow roads and tiny villages takes utter concentration and it is tiring. Out into the countryside the land flattens and the roads broaden. There are vineyards to either side of me now and various signs show the names of Chateaus and wineries.

The autoroute has the traffic driving at 130 kilometres an hour but the locals all go faster. It takes a little while to get comfortable being slower (110KM) in the far right lane ahh! for driving on the 'wrong'/right side of the road from home. But it is done and I arrive safely into Aix-en-Provence.