The unexpected, ...

After hilltop villages, markets, ochres, there are still and always treasures to discover in this land of plenty. The company Blachère, world leader in illuminations, located in Apt, hosts a foundation of contemporary art.

The founder, Jean-Paul Blachère has managed to combine his two passions : Art and Africa.

The discovery is all the more remarkable as the Fondation Blachère voluntarily appears in a surprising place : the industrial area of ​​the city, close to the company.

The exhibition centre

Do not be surprised by the free entry. Art must be accessible to all; it is how the firm thinks.

Every year, exhibitions follow one another, all astonishing or moving, regardless of the medium, photo, sculpture, painting, ... The Foundation notices artists at the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Dakar, the Photographic Meetings in Bamako and of course, in the field. It finances rewards and residences.

Follow me!

Departure around 7:15, in July the temperatures are ideal and at this time, the scents of our Provence are even more developed. [Return planned for 8:30 maximum, hopefully no one will notice your morning getaway and you can even go to the bakery to bring breakfast back to your loved ones!] This circuit goes from Bonnieux, takes the route "Around the Luberon", D3 at the beginning, then follows the D106 to Lacoste, on this road you will have an extraordinary view of the Luberon and Lacoste facing you, Bonnieux in your back with sunrise: grand! In Lacoste, admire at a glance the castle of the Marquis de Sade on your left at the top of the village. Follow the D106, to Lumières, many vineyards line on the road, sometimes a few sunflowers fields... and on the heights, stands Goult !

Go through Lumières, follow the D60 to Joucas, the crossroads on the right will indicate Roussillon "Les Dauphins" D169.

Ride on a few more kilometers!

Direction Bonnieux on D149, an astonishing construction on your right will necessarily attract your eyes: Pont Julien, built on order of Caesar, is over 2000 years old! Today, the bicycle path "Véloroute du Calavon" takes the bridge: to discover soon with family!

Back to Bonnieux where a 4 km climb awaits you!

+ Do not forget to stop at the baker's! And for breakfast, show your photos to your family! You can even post them on social network with #paysaptluberon 

We may meet on the road or at the Bonnieux office where I will welcome you with pleasure!

The Lavender Museum

At the crossroads of the Luberon tourist routes, a traditional farmhouse invites you to discover the history of the true lavender of Provence. The Museum founded by the family Lincelé, lavender growers since 1890 allows to share know-how and passion of this queen flower. Today, Sophie and Jack surrounded by their team develop thematic tours and workshops to address the different uses of lavender in aromatherapy, perfumes, cooking and organic and natural cosmetics.

A morning take-off

The Colorado Provencal is still asleep. It is 6 a.m. but the early bird catches the worm.

In the middle of a field, Hervé Maucci spreads a 28 meters long canvas. The fans are turned on. And it grows and grows below the sun rise.

The passengers seem impatient: an entire hour flying over the ochers! It is a first for me... in a hot-air balloon. Since 1783, the brilliant Montgolfier brothers have given a dream to generations of adventurers and poets with a balloon.

I am reminded flame and heat will make it take off.

Everyone is aboard in the small vessel: a wicker basket that accommodates up to 12 people. Hervé the pilot starts the four burners, the ball rises slowly, very slowly. The ground is moving away, the sky is mine! No jerks, it is incredibly steady.

We can see the Luberon hilltop villages Rustrel, Caseneuve and its fortress, the lavender grid patterns, vineyards and wheat fields. Below, the colored ochers, hoodoos, cliffs as cut by a giant artist. Some early-morning walkers even wave to me!

We rise again, almost up to 1200 meters. It is so quiet, it seems barely real, the world is so small.

But time goes by. We are looking for an old field to land and the wind makes the decision (if necessary, the basket keeps propane reserves for more autonomy). Loosing altitude, we rely on the expertise of the pilot who knows how to fly using the air currents.

Vol-Terre car followed by road. The hot-air balloon lands with a surprising softness and we all happily take part in packing the gear. The sun is now up.

As a souvenir, Hervé gives everyone a beautiful flying diploma to exhibit home with pride!

As for me I am going to quickly look for a Jules Verne novel.

The Pont Julien

Do you know that the Pont Julien has been used for road traffic until 2005 !

If I were a Gallo-Roman trader living in Narbonnaise Gaul (around 120 BC), I will have crossed the Pont Julien to go to Rome or to the Spanish provinces. Equipped with my of Vicerello itinerary, the "Michelin" map of the time, I have all the useful information: lodges, relays and distances in miles; the shortest and safest route.

Soldiers, civil servants, merchants, travelers, pilgrims, the imperial post office, travel on the Via Domitia, which is already very busy. Thanks to the texts and the archaeological research, it was put together on almost all of its course from the Rhone to the Col du Montgenèvre. It is a public road, maintained by the Empire. At the approach of cities, this route, the oldest in France is 5 to 6 meters wide, and paved inside. This is the case near Apta Julia (Apt) and Cabellio (Cavaillon). Out of town, the road is covered with gravel. The layout is made of rectilinear segments in plain and adapted with a good practical sense to the ground conditions. Every mile (1480m), a column-shaped stone is erected. There were also roadside stops, such as "Ad Fines" (boundary lines) located at the edge of Apt and Cavaillon, between "Albici" and "Cavari".

Structures made of stone or wood equipped the way. Consul Domitius Ahenobarbus built the Pont Julien.

This work of art is one of the best preserved Roman bridges. Located on the Calavon, the bridge is firmly anchored on a rocky outcrop. More than 80m long, 6m wide and 11m high, it is composed of three semicircular arches, the central arch being higher gives the structure a donkey like shape. Large arched openings are arranged to facilitate the evacuation of water during floods. The work is made of local limestone (from Luberon quarries) with the use of wooden or metal spikes embedded in lead (the holes can be seen). The work is preserved in its entirety.

The name "Pont Julien" has been attested since the Middle Ages. It is related to the name "Apta Julia" (Apt), founded between 45 and 27 BC. JC. Julia's title refers to the emperor, Caesar. It is the only city described as "Julia" in the Empire on the route from Rome to Cadiz.

The bridge was built in the first decades of our era. In constant use since, it has undergone over the centuries only punctual repairs as in 1789.

Classified Historical Monument in 1914, this bridge is not adapted to the traffic of our time. Thus, today, the building is highlighted and another bridge allows vehicles to cross the Calavon between Apt and Bonnieux.

Secrets of distillation

Moreover, at the distillery, I was told that the heat favours the rise of oil in the flower. During distillation, the water vapor releases the essence contained in the glands. The first distillations were made with fire : the water was mixed with the flowers. Then, steam distillation arrived. And since from the 90s, to improve productivity, the technique "en vert broyé" was developped. The harvest is chopped in a containe directly mounted on the boiler. 100 to 120 kg are needed to obtain 1 kg of a golden yellow essence.

On the path to discovering the garden...

Conservatory of forgotten vegetables and rare plants, the "Potager d'un curieux" created by Jean-Luc Daneyrolles is a farm and a paradise for gardeners. In the vegetable garden, he collects and produces seeds respectul for the seasons and the environment. Located in the village of Saignon in the Luberon, since 1984, Jean-Luc Daneyrolles has become a reference in his field. He first transformed a hill into an exuberant garden that looks like him and mixes old flowers and strange vegetables, pickaxe handles and shards of bottles, colored cans, old watering cans or buckets having suffered the ravages of time. Paths separate the garden into vegetable parts where flowers, fruits, leaves and roots are listed according to their uses. The ground of the paths is sometimes covered with fragments of ancient tiles, found on the oppidum which occupies part of the farm, pieces of Apt's earthenware, pebbles and stones. A modest garden shed houses the usual garden tools.

Passionate about ancient vegetables, every year Jean Luc-Daneyrolles grows among others, more than 50 varieties of tomatoes. The "apple of love" suspected of evil powers in the 16th century, is now the essential vegetable of Provencal cuisine. Common varieties are known, from tiny cherry tomatoes to perfect round tomatoes. In the vegetable garden, you will find the real Marmande, the Roma, the Banana, the White Cherry, the Green Grape...: an extraordinary diversity of forms, colors and flavors to make yours again.

And no one knows salads like this partisan gardener... The chefs call Jean-Luc Daneyrolles for the design of their vegetable garden. He also creates gardens and vegetable gardens in schools and trains future gardeners. Author of several books on the art of creating gardens and forgotten vegetables, his goal is to save this living heritage and to pass on the diversity of seeds, outside museums or laboratories.

In your turn, you can today enter this extraordinary garden.