Banon

Quaint and quiet, the hillside village of Banon ; a perfect match for our holiday stay in northern Provence.The house we stayed at, was fully independent and furnished ; ready to rent for the summer. The view of the mountains from the patio was simply breath-taking and a short walk down the village road lead to a few lavender fields, while a walk on the other side lead into the main town.

On we went, strolling through the local weekly market, which is held every Tuesday.

A fountain in the middle of the square, filled with laughter of kids running about mischievously splashing water, the local produce being sold at one corner, artwork at another, summer clothes & hats stalls lined the street side and for the foodies, there was a variety of snacks to dig into. The locals carried their bags filled with weekly supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the further end of the market, under a little corner tent, was an old man selling goat milk cheese, which is a speciality of Banon.A walk at the end of the market lead to the beautiful town library. Le Bleuet as it is known, is a huge library in Banon which is as amazing on the inside.

~ Travelling deeper ~
Alpes-de-Haute Provence sure has some hidden gems and I was so amazed at discovering its beauty as we travelled along.

Seeing a road sign that pointed to a church on a hill top nearby, we decided to go that way and see where it would take us.The view of the picturesque valley from atop, simply took my breath away. Lavender fields at a distance and coloured patterned roof tiles on ancient houses made of stones…could it get any prettier than this?

This beautiful 17th century bell tower is perched high up on the hill next to an old church turned museum. We totally loved the calm of this place. Standing up here felt surreal.

This is a glimpse of a 14th century gateway, only a part of the remains of fortification now stands here, up on the Banon hill.

Wandering further, soaking in the quiet of the place, we stumbled upon the loveliest hidden path. Wild and pretty flowers adorned the narrow cobblestone pathway between old houses.Our feet moved on, walking this beautiful alley and our eyes widened in wonderment. In the end, we came across a few stone steps that we had to climb up to get back to where we started.Sometimes it’s all about the journey than the destination – this phrase couldn’t be truer for our entire trip to the South of France. Just like this random stop we made while on the road, to simply admire nature.

Here’s a stream of mountain water, meandering at this point but running wild to become one with a large river much ahead. Click play to see the video below.

Click below for more on this journey….

Lavender fields – photo diary & beyond