Bonjour, friends! if you're bracing for the Big Snow Storm that's coming across the country this weekend, we wanted to give you something to dream about!
We hope you’re all doing wonderful. As we count down the days, we wanted to give you a true taste of the magic awaiting you in Venasque ~ your stunning home-base village in the very heart of Provence. We couldn’t decide which video captured its soul better, so we’re sharing both!
Venasque is a breathtaking medieval gem, carved from golden stone and perched just a mile down the road from our villa, Château du Soleil. To give you an idea of how special this place is: out of over 32,000 villages in France, the French Ministry of Culture has designated only 164 as Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages in France). That less then ½ of 1%! It is an elite title, and the 12,000-square-mile region of Provence holds just 17 of them. We’re taking you to four! Get ready to explore Venasque, Gordes, Roussillon, and Les Baux-de-Provence... These are indeed "The Most Beautiful Villages in France". We'll brief you on all of them here on the Blog, but today we're just focusing on Venasque!
Video 1: This stunning drone footage shows you the sheer "cliff-hanger" beauty of Venasque. You’ll feel the thrill firsthand as we navigate the switchbacks leading up to this perched paradise! By the way, take note of that Church Steeple at the beginning of the video... It's beautifully lit up at night, and you can see it well from the Villa!
Video 2: Take a virtual stroll through the winding pedestrian lanes of this ancient hilltop village... Pro tip: Pause at 4:05. Look straight ahead in the distance—you’ll see our very own “big yellow villa,” Château du Soleil!
Keep your eyes on the horizon at the 1 o'clock position; that’s Mont Ventoux (affectionately known as "Old Baldy") towering in the Alps. That "monster" of a mountain is the site of our Le Provençal Classique Road Rally this Monday! It’s one of the most legendary climbs of the famous Tour de France, and once we’ve conquered those heights in our rally, you’ll have a whole new respect for the cyclists who pedal to the top!
