Roussillon

According to a French tourist sign, it is one of the most beautiful villages in all of Provence.

It sits on a hilltop overlooking the ochre quarries in the vicinity of Apt, France where ochre was industrially mined in the 19th and 20th centuries. The red and yellow earth is a dramatic contrast to the greens of pines, oaks, and chestnut trees.

The view of Vallée du Calavon looking north and east from the town is dramatic. The top photo below looks out toward the town of Rustrel where we will be spending a week starting tomorrow.

The village of Roussillon was almost as red and the ochre ground. The mortar used in the construction of the buildings is a warm red brown.

There are beautiful red poppies everywhere this time of year. You see them along the roads, and in fields of grape vines and orchards.