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.

Freedom for everybody with an electric bike

The whole family, my husband, my two teenagers and I, join our guide at Luberon Bike Shop : a colorful journey awaits us for half a day. Electric bike is a first for us all. Our guide puts us at ease for the handling. As soon as the first kilometers, a feeling of freedom overruns us, we take small roads, then, we find ourselves on trails.

The adventure begins, ...

Quite a change of scenery !

The ocher hills are exceptional and along the way we discover sand roses, a jewel of the hills, to leave imperatively in their spot ! The Massif des Ocres magic places are to be respected and preserved.

The kilometers go by smoothly, I cannot believe it : biking with little effort is fun; a treat for the teenagers !