Le Château des Baux, fortified castle built in the 10th c.
The Château seen from an upper promintory; view of wild flowers; scenes of the lower town.
Looking down into the valley; the upper area from the edge of the plateau; a reenactment.
Why I can't trust Steve with a camera! The MOST delicious coffee at Café Au Porte Mages.
Steve & Paula pose for photos around Les Baux; Steve tries bull meat... and that's no bull!
LES BAUX-DE-PROVENCE
Set high atop the Alpilles mountains surrounded by countryside is the ancient and remarkable pinnacle that is Les Baux-de-Provence. Its Provençal name means "rocky spur" and that it is! Remnants of habitation date back to a mind-boggling 6,000 years BC with the site dominated and controlled by different factions over time. Nowadays, it's a splendid rocky summit and plateau comprised of a town with shops in the lower section rising up to a flat plateau and culminating further up to the destroyed castle, its brokenness a powerful testament to the backlash from Cardinal Richelieu's 1632 response to the town's bold Protestant attempt at revolt.
I'd describe Les Baux as 'where Masada meets Petra and a little of SW Native American' landscape thrown in as well, as evidenced by its impressive rock and massive cliffs, white washed in a brilliant sun like a lunar landscape, smoothed surfaces with swiss cheese style holes, deep valleys scraped away below into geometric patterns of vineyards, olive trees and other pastoral/farming concerns. A note of interest: the aluminum ore, Bauxite was discovered here in 1821, its name drawn from this village!
Wandering Les Baux takes an entire day. Exposed, the May sun, although not summer-strong, is fierce upon my skin. Despite this, how can I not rise to the highest point? Go to the medieval reenactment? Meander upon the expansive plateau feeling like a rock climber in a Master Card commercial? Touch the flag pole and gaze into distant Alpilles? Included in our roamings was a splendid aerial tour video of the sights of SE France inside the chapel, visiting the museum, as well as a quick look-see at the photo exhibit of 20th c French photographer Lucien Lorelle. Time to people watch is mandatory as we ate at the picturesque Café Au Porte Mages, later a cool beer at an outdoor umbrella'd pub.
Open topped cistern awaits the next rainfall; small chapel on site.
A flag waves from a high point of the château; the chapel; a local shop entices customers.
Black & White photo display by renown French photographer Lucien Lorelle.
Artful decor outside the small museum; Life among the ruins.
Looking down at the lower village shops from up high; Finding Roman ruins in the outskirts of Les Baux.
Olive grove and local farmhouse flanking Roman aqueduct and mill at an obscure pastoral area in Barbegal (near Les Baux).
