Provence, France

In Southern France, we followed the Rhône River, visiting Lyon and Dijon before proceeding to the Provence region. In Provence we used Arles as a base to explore Avignon, Les Baux, Pont Gard, and numerous charming towns. We were able to return later to explore other parts of this region. See Mediterranean Meandering: Marseille
 

Dijon is one of the best preserved medieval towns in France. The central Place Francois Rude is a gathering place for travellers.

Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers. Its architecture reflects a 2000 year old history from Roman to Renaissance to modern.

           

Pedestrian-only streets past half-timbered buildings provide easy access to Palais des Ducs and Saint Benigne Church.
 

Shops feature many varieties of mustard as well as olive oils and wines.
 

From 1309-1377 Avignon served as Vatican headquarters. The Palace Square is lined with the Popes Palace, the Petit Palais and the cathedral.
 

St. Benezet Bridge is the Pont D'Avignon of children's song fame.
 

The old town of Arles is a world heritage site. Roman ruins and medieval landmarks lie in a tangle of streets and squares.

       

In Arles Republic Square, citizens gathered to protest the government's new austerity measures, a sight we were to see repeatedly in Europe.
 

The Church of St. Trophime  built between the 12th century and the 15th century is an important example of Romanesque architecture.

The 2000-year-old Roman Arena in Arles was second in size to Rome's Coliseum.

 

Hill towns such as Roussillon, Gordes, Sault and Joucas dot the striking landscape.
 

    

Until the 1970's the villages were largely abandoned. Now buildings are being bought and restored by European and North American investors.
 

The characteristic architecture of the region is stone buildings with painted shutters.

Since medieval times, each town has been assigned its weekly market days. Streets fill with craftspeople and vendors of vegetables, cheeses and meats.
 

    

The Luberon region is a rocky, windy area full of captivating hill towns, crumbling castles and abbeys and vineyards. Between canyons and ridgelines, gentle valleys yield vineyards, lavender fields, cherry groves and cypress trees.
 

The Pont du Gard is a perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct built about 20 B.C. The span across the Gardon river is an engineering wonder.
 

   

The game of Boules is played in every village in specially reserved areas. 
 

 St. Remy is famous as an artists' retreat, where Vincent Van Gogh's work is featured.

    

Les Baux is a deserted 11th Century castle on top of the rugged Alpille Mountains. The Lords of Baux controlled 80 towns.
 

The cobbled 15th Century "new Town" below the castle ruins has ties to the Huguenots and the Grimaldi family.

The Grand Canyon de Verdon is an extensive natural area of rocky canyons, alpine meadows and stone villages.
 

Pont d'Artuby is Europe's highest bridge. The drive to this point is harrowing along cliff edges and through tunnels.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and Provence offer a range of culinary delights.
 

Having a good GPS system is essential for driving the main thoroughfares and tiny backroads of Provence. We had 2.