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Climb every mountain - Mont Ventoux

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Climb every mountain - Mont Ventoux

Being situated in the Mont Ventoux UNESCO World Heritage Site means the mountain looms large in La Verriere’s outlook. Standing separately from anything nearly as high around it, Mont Ventoux is called the ‘Giant of Provence’ and is credited in some circles as being part of the start of the Renaissance era and by most people as an incredibly hard stretch of the Tour de France. Seeing this majestic and infamously windy mountain every day made us curious about it so here are some of the most interesting things about it:

The Lavender of Provence

The Lavender of Provence

Provence is a region famous for wine as we well know but it is equally famous for growing another highly desirable crop, lavender. The lavender fields of Provence are legendary for their beauty and amazing scent. Growing lavender in this region is so established that lavender is perceived as the scent of France but the lavender oil produced here is sold all over the world. Many of the visitors we have here at La Verrière enjoy our own lavender, but they also visit the larger lavender fields and we feel it is a real source of pride for the region so here is a little more about lavender in Provence.

Abbaye de Prebayon

Abbaye de Prebayon

Back when La Verrière was a priory in Medieval times, it was a dependency of the local Abbaye de Prebayon and the Abbey’s ruins are now a beautiful place to visit as part of a scenic walk through picturesque woodlands from La Verrière. We did that walk recently and were struck not just by the beauty and peace of the place but also by the depth of the history surrounding it. It is impossible to walk around the site and not wonder about the lives of the people who lived there throughout the years. As such, here is some information about the history of Abbaye de Prebayon, the first female abbey in Vaucluse.

Chocolaterie de Crestet

Chocolaterie de Crestet

A visit to our beloved “Chocolaterie de Crestet” this week reminded me of what I love about France. We are so lucky that even in a tiny town like ours we have a world-class chocolate and nougat artisan, Yves Telleron, who has trained with the best and now supplies his delectable creations even to the most demanding international clients such as Fortnum and Mason.