Provence Blog by ProvenceBeyond

La Roquebrussanne and Forcalqueiret in the Var

Two new Var villages have arrived in Beyond. La Roquebrussanne is southwest of Brignoles between the Montagne de la Loube and the Massif de la Sainte Baume. The village of Forcalqeiret is south of Brignoles on the farming plains of the Issole river.

La Roque-d'Anthéron added to Beyond

We've added the village of La Roque-d'Anthéron to Beyond. Famed for its annual international piano concerts in the summer, this medieval village beside the Durance is a next-door neighbor to the Silvacane Abbey, one of the "three Provencal Sisters" Cisercian monasteries.

Rians village in the Var, on Beyond

The Medieval Var village of Rians has been added to Beyond. This small village, located northeast of Aix-en-Provence and the Sainte-Victoire mountain, is a frequent café stop on our Beyond trips into the Var, Vaucluse and the Luberon.

Vinon-sur-Verdon added to Beyond

Vinon-sur-Verdon is a small but active village,  located between the Luberon and the Verdon Gorges, and sits astride the Verdon river. Sitting at the junction of 4 departments, Vinon-sur-Verdon has for a neighbor the Cadarache nuclear research center.

Saint Julien-le-Montagnier and Windmills

We've added Saint Julien-le-Montagnier to Beyond. A pretty, Medieval village in the Haute Var with windmills, a lovely 12th-century church and a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view.

Cucuron Medieval village in the Luberon

We've just added Cucuron, one of our favorite villages in the Luberon, to Beyond. A lovely walled village, welcome cafés and restaurants and a very pretty pool (bassin) add to the attractions here. Our first visit to Cucuron was in 1997. Our most recent was a couple of days ago.

Silvacane, the Third Provencal Sister, in Beyond

We've added a Beyond page for the 12th-century Silvacane Abbey. Located in the wide Durance valley of the Vaucluse, northwest of Aix-en-Provence, Silvacane is known as one of the Three Provençal Sisters, three Cistercian abbeys built in the 12th century. The other two are Senanque Abbey and Thoronet Abbey.

La Garde-Freinet village photos added

We've added a lot of new photos to Beyond's La Garde-Freinet page. Admittedly our previous page was pretty lame, with only 3 small and ancient pictures. The current bunch of photos include some taken from a visit a few days ago along with some much earlier photos.

The annual Chestnut Festival in La Garde-Freinet happens the next two weekends: 18 and 25 October, 2009.

Tour de France 2009 Photos

We've added a few photos of the 2009 Tour de France as they passed us on stage 2, near Seillans in the Var.

Roumoules village on the Valensole Plateau

The little village of Roumoules has been added to Beyond. Roumoules is located beside the village of Riez on the Valensole Plateau, a main site of the Lavender Fields of Beyond. It's a tiny village, with a shady terrace café, and a great little restaurant.