I’ve posted photos before of this garden but, as I always return once or twice a year, I am always taking more. It is in a winery called Val Joanis not far from Pertuis.

Roses are blooming everywhere

Don’t these pink roses look great against the grey green bushes?

They could have left the poles that they are training pear trees to grow on plain but they topped them with these cute little things.

These aren’t real birds

This little birdhouse has been there a long time. I think bark mustn’t make a good roof-it gets curly.

I wrote last year about the invasion of snails here. When we first came to Provence over three years ago I saw hundreds of little white snails miles from us down in a valley and was glad there weren’t any to be seen where we lived. The next year I saw them closer to our house and, finally, somehow, they arrived to our yard. First there were just a few but this year there are literally thousands. I don’t know how they got up here-maybe passive migration on sheep?-but once they did, they laid millions of little snail eggs at the base of plants and weeds and the darn things hatched all hungry to munch down on everything is sight. I spread some snail poison around some of my bushes and I trimmed down the high grass and weeds around others. I discovered, accidentally while picking off snails from plants, that they have very delicate shells that break easily with a little pop so I was out there stamping on as many as I could all around areas where I didn’t want them to move any further, such as newly planted flowers and darn if it doesn’t seem to work. I actually have a few snail free areas. I remember that last year I asked our neighbors what they were doing about the snails and they pantomined taking a snail off of a plant, throwing it on the ground and stamping on it. I was hoping for an easier solution. Maurice thinks I should just live with them, rather like with our fly issue, but I don’t think I can.

Here’s a closeup of some of those snails on poppies in my yard.

Of course, there are areas that I can’t get to the ground to stamp on snails-I’m sure my neighbors must wonder what I am doing-under large plants or up the sides of hills. I do get out and pick snails off of my lavander plants because the new growth seems very tender and rather delicate and I want lots of blooms this summer. I’ve been anxiously checking my newly planted vegetable garden looking for snails but so far they haven’t moved from the surrounding vegetation into my tomatoes. While we were gone for a few months some men working next door used my empty vegetable patch to burn some weeds and bushes they had pulled up at our neighbor’s. I was worried about how it would change the composition of my soil-all of that ash-and I still have to see how everything does, but I’m thinking that fire may have killed the snail eggs, if there were any there, and there don’t seem to be as many around the general area either. Maybe I can do a ring of fire here and there every year-ha.

As you can see from this photo, we had a weather change. It has been very cold the last few days and I’m thinking this couldn’t be good for the snails. Maybe a few will get wiped out. I’ve become rather obsessed by the whole thing. Nature,while wonderful and beautiful, can really throw in a few unpleasant surprises to the gardener.

Being such a colorful village, it is hard to resist taking many photos as you explore the village of Roussillon.

A stariway up to a gate to, I think, a private home. I loved the rust hues.

The pinkish clock tower

An arch leading to a lookout. You can see that the country beyond isn’t ochre hued but the regular greens and browns seen down below in the valley.

I was rather taken with these chickens but, as I need furniture and really don’t have a place for said chickens, I passed.

I liked these dishes too. I think they would be fun to serve hors d’ouvres in or maybe desserts. Didn’t get them, though.

Roussillon is a beautiful village to visit with some great architecture and shops. Most of the buildings are an ochre color-hues of yellow, rust, brown, pink and gold-and it is lovely to behold. Roussillon was the main place to mine ochre used in paint and to dye cloth until a synthetic way to produce the color was found. The earth and rocks surrounding the village are various shades of ochre and you can see where alot of mining has been done. They even sell the colored dirt in jars and you can use it to paint with.

Here is one of the cliffs seen from the village.

This doorway is seen in many guide books of Provence. It has been freshly repainted from the old faded one that was there for years.

This very nice lady is the artist of the posters you can see in front of her. She lives in the building where she sells her art. I have one of her posters framed on a wall. Most of them are of Provence and the Roussillon area but she has branched out into paintings of Paris. The one behind her is of les Deux Magots on Blvd St Germain. No posters of those yet but I will buy one when there is.

A gate to a hill leading up to the chapel at the top and a very fabulous view.

I honestly do take photos of more things than doors and windows but lately I seem to be stuck in a rut. Like most Americans I am charmed by the shutters and flowers, that European feel. Anyway, here’s just a few more.

There’s nothing more appealing than roses tumbling around a window.

I love this planter. I think I looked at one once to buy but it was too expensive but this makes want to buy one anyway.

I’m betting that the person who did this is in love and a romantic to boot.

See, everything isn’t perfect. In fact, I took this photo in Lourmarin which is almost Disneyland perfect, very well maintained and home to some wealthy people. This door makes me wonder if there is a termite problem in Provence.

So far Aix is my favorite city in Provence, despite getting my wallet stolen there. Many of the buildings have been built with golden stone, the streets are cobbled and there are always interesting doors, windows and courtyards to see.

These windows are above a shop called the Dreaming Cat. Why there is a goat in the window, I have no idea. Once they had a giraffe up there too.

A lock on a door leading to the country of Alice in Wonderland, I’m guessing. Bet the key is heavy.

A fascinating door on the beautiful Cours Mirabeau which is lined with plane trees with the balcony being held up by two suffering men.

They always look like they have a headache to me.

Many corners of building have statues of saints or Mary high up overhead giving you a feeling of being looked after.

Another fountain that I like-Aix is full of them-but I have trouble getting a good photo as there is renovation going on all around it.