Trompe d'Oeil - The Art Of Illusion

I was recently browsing around looking for a large picture that would work for an indoor/outdoor space, and found this fun tapestry that is a little more than six feet wide by four and a half feet tall, which fits the space beautifully.  Now, every time we look at that tapestry, instead of seeing a white wall, we'll be instantly transported to a lovely terrace in Provence overlooking the vineyards.

A view across the vineyards through the stone arches

It reminded me of the very large painting that hung in the dining room at Les Abeilles - a striking and colorful view across a field of Sunflowers....

Sunflowers under a dramatic Provencal sky in the dining room at Restaurant Les Abeilles

It was so pleasant to look from at across the room - bright yellow sunflowers under a dramatic Provencal summer sky. Looking at that sky, you could almost feel a the intense humidity that builds up just before short but intense Provencal thunderstorms.  It hung on the wall opposite the large windows which looked out onto the courtyard, and really gave the feel of an indoor/outdoor space with sunflowers on one side and enormous plane trees shading the courtyard outside.

But ... art illusions are not restricted to indoor/outdoor spaces.  If you are travelling in Provence, keep your eyes open for the large murals in large and small towns and villages, often dressing up an otherwise rather plain space. Trompe l'oeil  - the art of tricking the eye by the use of perspective and lighting, has been used in Europe since the early Renaissance. Here are some more contemporary Provencal expressions.

In the village of Entreaigues ...

... the blunt end of a row of narrow village  houses, shows the occupants on a pretty upstairs balcony while downstairs a child plays near a water fountain sheltered under a stone arch.

A corner in the middle of Entraigues

On a walk through the pretty village of Venasque...

Venasque, Provence - a dog relaxes in the courtyard

... we walked past a narrow opening between stone buildings, and noticed a picturesque gravel courtyard - windows with colorful shutters where the family dog lay relaxing.  

Looking again, we realized that our eyes were playing tricks on us, but it was a very pleasant trick.

In the town of Loriol-sur -Drome ... one corner of an intersection takes our eyes to a neighborhood shopping area, surrounded by olive trees .. an stone arched door leads to ... perhaps another garden .. who knows ...

But in reality .. we are en route to the A7!

A busy intersection in Loriol-sur-Drome, Provence

Got a large blank wall? 

 Give it some decorative windows!

Or perhaps a fountain, like the one that adorns this exterior wall in Buis les Barronies...

Nowhere to plant a large olive tree? No problems, again in Buis les Barronies 

Buis les Barronies is in the heart of Olive growing country

Our "window view" towards Seguret in the kitchen at Maison des Pelerins

... And when we couldn't have a window above the stove top in the kitchen at Maison des Pelerins ...

... a very talented ceramic artist gave us one that looks at Seguret ... just like a real window in that wall would!

A Walk Through The Vineyards - Sablet to Seguret

A walk through the vineyards from our village of Sablet to the closest neighboring village of Seguret is a favorite activity of ours as well as many of the guests who visit us a Maison des Pelerins and La Baume des Pelerins.

I thought it would be fun to do a picture blog of a walk we took in October last year ... I hope you will enjoy the pictures of the trail through the vineyards and also of the beautiful little village of Seguret.

Getting started - from the Route de Carpentras, turn onto L'Olivet and this is what you see along the road ahead ...

Along the road - Brightly colored Virginia Creepers decorate fences and the walls of houses ..

In the vineyards - the vines range from yellow to orange and various shades of pink and burgundy ..

This is almost harvest time for olives and all the olive trees are laden..

Climbing up the small road towards Seguret, we see the first signs of the rocky outcrop that forms the backdrop to this perched village ..

As you walk up the hill and onto a level area, the village is now in plain view as are the sharp rocky walls that look like the Dentelles de Montmirail ..

Around the corner, walk across a small bridge and up into the village ..  near the entrance to the village -a terracotta cat climbing a roof!

In the village and it's time for lunch ... decisions, decisions..

Cafe Poternes or Le Mesclun?  They're both open today..

We decided on Le Mesclun and settled in at a table under a large fig tree with a view over the valley ..

Lunch was great - but dessert really got my attention -  wasn't sure if we were supposed to eat it or save it as a hat for the next Royal wedding!

We decided to eat it! Yum! Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate!  Now .. time for a walking tour of the village after all that chocolate.

A pretty fountain in the square..

A baignoire that has no doubt seen a lot of use over the centuries ...

The story of this fortified village and its renovation ...

A communal oven that would have been used by all the villagers at their allotted day and time ... 

Tall village houses made from local rock cling to the hills behind them ...

Village houses huddled together for protection around narrow ruelles ....

The Chapelle Ste Thecle where you can see lots of great "expositions" - including a Christmas Eve 

"Cacho-Fio" celebration which is the beginning of the Provencal family traditional Christmas Eve dinner. The oldest member of the family together with the youngest, carry a fruit tree log to the fireplace, circling the dining table three times (a symbol honoring the Holy Trinity) and then places it in the fireplace. The oldest member of the family then douses the log with wine saying, "God give us his grace to get through the New Year, and if we are not more, let us not be less."  Some say that this log which burns slowly until the New Year is the source of inspiration of the Yule Log that is a traditional French Christmas dessert.

More pretty ruelles..

Must taste some wine!

More walking ....

There's always time to take a peek at Santonnier Marcel Carbonel's work ... He's closed today but peeking in the window reveals his great craftmanship ...

L'Eglise St. Denis ... where each Christmas Eve the whole village joins in to celebrate the Pastoral Midnight Mass which is celebrated in the Provencal language and features many residents of Seguret in a living Creche.

The rich interior of this Romanesque Church 

Time to return to Sablet ... we've spent most of the day walking to an from and around Seguret so the sight of our little village across the vineyards is a welcome sight as we head back along the same roads. You can take a different road back, but this time we decided to go back on the same road.