Les Tres Source, Bonnieux, France

Our next stay was one of my favorites.  One of the more simple places compared to the castles and chateaus that we experienced.  It was an old stone mas (farmhouse) and it's beauty was so "Provence."  The light, the stonework, the landscape with medieval towns and castles perched on the surrounding hilltops. 

It sat, surrounded by grape vines, rows of lavender and cherry trees in full fruit, just below the medieval town of Bonnieux.   It had been used, in the 1800s as a factory for silk worm production.

These photos are of a wall in the courtyard.....the stone stairs leading to our room....and finally my new french shoes!!   I LOVE these shoes!!

A Gypsy Wagon outside of St Remy

They are called a Roulette...a gypsy wagon!   Can you even imagine a life lived within this space?

Cooking...sleeping...bathing.... traveling the dirt roads.

The name of the mas ( stone farm house ) where we stayed is Mas du Pastre.

http://www.masdupastre.com/roulottes.anglais.htm

It was wonderful!  There were fabulous stone buildings and rooms on manicured grounds, and out in the back was the little encampment of 3 roulettes of different sizes and ages.

They were painted and decorated in bright happy colors and while we sat at a little round table in the yard, enjoying our bread and cheese and a lovely glass of wine....and as we watched the full moon rise....we could just imagine life in a gypsy camp.....another time...another world.

The traveling crowns had landed.....

We begin our road trip through Provence...

After spending a wonderful week in Durfort, learning all sorts of new techniques and gathering great inspiration from our art retreat, Phyllis and I rented a car and headed off to discover the back roads of Provence.

Phyllis surprised me with a fantastical crown that she had made.  One for me and one for her.

Our journey was now labeled "Journey of the Traveling Crowns!"  Since we were to be staying in castles and chateaus, we certainly needed our crowns!

Our first day brought us to the beautiful town of St. Remy and Eygalieres.....

Where we found our first accomodation..... a Gypsy Wagon!!   Pictures of that tomorrow.    Whaa-Laa!