An Introduction to Provence
3 MONTHS IN EUROPE, Day 45 (part 1):
St. Tropez, France to St. Julien, France. space
Soon after we retired, a dear friend gave us a DVD copy of the PBS miniseries A Year in Provence, based on the book of the same title by Peter Mayle. In the 1980s, British ad executive Mayle and his wife quit their jobs, sold their London flat, and moved to southern France intending to enjoy the idyllic country life while Mayle wrote a novel. What came out of his typewriter instead was a memoir of the trials and tribulations, joys and celebrations of the couple's first year in France as they tried to learn the language and adapt to the local customs.As our friend predicted, we were intrigued with Provence and have since watched the series a couple of times and read several of Peter Mayle's other memoirs about this picturesque area in the south of France. Like so many others who have fallen under the spell of his witty descriptions of expatriate Provencal life, we looked forward to the day when we could make our own sojourn to Provence. For us, that visit began today.
Leaving the exotic French Riviera and its mega-hyper-superyachts behind, we drove north in search of the bucolic pleasures of the simple life. And in the course of our quest, we hoped to locate a few treasures in a Provence series of letterboxes. On our way to the first letterbox in the town of Mansoque, we saw in the distance a hill town of the type we loved to explore in Tuscany.
Shortly after we caught our first glimpse of this promontory, a signpost pointing in the right direction lured us to set off for Saint Julien, only 6 kilometers away. Half an hour and innumerable twists and turns later we arrived in the charming Saint Julien-le-Montagnier (pictured on the previous page). Its official name is just Saint Julien, but since France has so many towns by that name, the unofficial le Montagnier, a reference to an earlier name of the town, is often added.
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| Saint Julien's Table d'Orientation |
A proper tour of a hill town requires that you at least try to make it to the top. So we wound our way through Saint Julien's narrow cobbled streets to the apex of the 1,896-foot hill on which it sits. What we found there was quite a surprise. Near the ruins of a castle and the town's medieval church at the summit, the village had built a table d'orientation, or viewpoint, at the top of a low water tower.
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| A panoramic view with captions |
Stairs invite visitors to the top where not only do you have an unobstructed 360-degree view of the surrounding countryside, the orientation table tells you exactly what you are looking at, including the compass reading for the direction you're facing. The table is built in the form of a ring around the top of the observation point.
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| And to the north you can see... |
Painted tiles mimic a watercolor mural of the panoramic vista, pulling you into a game of matching the reality you see with the representation. This little village definitely believes in maximizing its assets.
Perched on its ridge above other towns, Saint Julien still retains some of its ancient stone walls from the days in the late 12th century when the city's first leader was a woman, Laure de Saint-Julien, known for her beauty. With its medieval architecture, 11th century Romanesque village church, and magnificent view, the same could be said for Saint Julien today.
What a fitting introduction to Provence, we sighed as we drove out of the town on our way to the location of our first letterbox of the day. Only later did we discover that we had not quite made it to Provence. Saint Julien lies in the department of the Var, known for its famous seaside resort of... you guessed it, Saint-Tropez.
Perched on its ridge above other towns, Saint Julien still retains some of its ancient stone walls from the days in the late 12th century when the city's first leader was a woman, Laure de Saint-Julien, known for her beauty. With its medieval architecture, 11th century Romanesque village church, and magnificent view, the same could be said for Saint Julien today.
What a fitting introduction to Provence, we sighed as we drove out of the town on our way to the location of our first letterbox of the day. Only later did we discover that we had not quite made it to Provence. Saint Julien lies in the department of the Var, known for its famous seaside resort of... you guessed it, Saint-Tropez.
So, if this isn't Provence, where is it? Can we really find something more appealing than the winsome St Julien?
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| Trinity Chapel on the hilltop |
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SAINT JULIEN STATS - Population: 1,625
- Year founded: 1182
- Elevation: 1,896 feet
- City Government: 1 mayor, 1 deputy, 4 assistants, 13 aldermen
- Other Saint Juliens in France: 88 (some with official suffixes, some without)
THURSDAY, 14 APRIL 2011
