Thursday, 4 August 2011

A village in the Luberon


The village of Goult, according to this source, is 'one of the least known and visited' in the Luberon ...


... which is why, perhaps, it's not shown on this tourist-friendly map of the Vaucluse area of Provence - where my X marks the spot, roughly ...




It's perched on a hilltop in the middle of the Luberon valley, which is itself in the middle of Provence, around a 12th century church with clocktower and campanile ...  


One of my favourite things about being here is having the hour of the day chimed out by the church bells (twice, helpfully, on the hour).


Goult is an ancient fortified village, some of the streets carved out of the rock on which it was built, and the houses made of the same stone.



It has two boucheries, two boulangeries, an épicerie, a handful of tiny and excellent restaurants, and a busy café on the village square that's always humming ...



'Our' house is a maison de village in a narrow street, flanked by a tower and the remains of an old castle ...



It's tall and narrow, but as soon as you step inside from the street, you discover its hidden secret - it's centred around a secluded, sunny courtyard with a small pool ...


Small seating areas in different parts of the garden courtyard give shade at different times of the day, lanterns and hanging candle holders give light for late-night eating, and a back gate behind a huge ancient tree leads to another alley-way of the village ...


Inside is cool stone and winding worn stairs leading up and up ...



... to these views of the village rooftops and surrounding valley


... and a neighbour's washing hanging to dry alongside a rooster weathervane!


It's perfection, isn't it? How could we ever leave?