The Triple Play

We planned out this day quite carefully. First, we'd go to Gordes, another of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", as Menerbes is. Then, we'd go to the Abbaye de Senaque, one of the most photographed buildings in Provence. And we'd end the day at Fontaine du Vaucluse, the source of the river that runs through Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. All are tourist spots, but all are close to each other and we planned to make a day of it.
Gordes is wonderfully picturesque, and we got there quite early and parked in the lot nearest the town center. It was market day, which wasn't going to help the agoraphobics in the area. We were duly impressed with the streams of people walking the narrow streets as we drove in, as well the folks leaving the parking lot heading the direction we were.

We spent some time in the market, but after doing the rounds, it just proved to be too crowded and touristed, so we returned to the car for the next leg of the journey.
We drove through some tortuous two lane roads up over a ridge and down into the valley where the Abbaye is. It was quite beautiful, and apparently, earlier in the year, when the lavender is in bloom and runs right up to its walls, it's quite the sight.

Maceo was asleep and the one hour tour started over an hour after we got there, so we just wandered around outside for awhile, and then we piled back into the car to go to Fontaine du Vaucluse. There, we found a parking lot and had a picnic on the banks of the Sorgue, which was quite lovely, cold, and fast-flowing. Maceo enjoyed wading in a little canal off to the side, and we all enjoyed the ham, cheese, bread, and peaches we'd bought in Gordes.

We finished and walked on into the town.

There's a Petrarch museum, but we didn't want to pay to enter. Instead, we followed various paths up the side of the river until we finally reached the spring that is the source. At various times of the year, there can be lots of water flowing out. At this visit, the pool at the source was a bit stagnant and yucky looking.

As we walked up the path to the source, we passed many touristy things, including glaceries, where Mom, Kate, and Maurice got some cones. They all shared with Maceo and he preferred salted caramel. As you can see.