le Barroux.....

Looking southeast towards le Barroux

A little over a week ago we returned to the little village of le Barroux which we had passed through a few months earlier. Of course our first visit was at the end of the day but the town appeared to be worth coming back to and taking a closer look.

This small village is dominated by a 12th century chateau which was built to protect against invasions that plagued the area during medieval times. It went through major additions in the 16th and 17th centuries but was damaged during the French Revolution. It was repaired in 1929 but because of French resistance during World War II the Germans set it on fire in 1944.  New owners in 1960 took on the task of restoring this castle to its original state.

The castle is open for tours but when we arrived the last tour for the day had just started so we missed out on that. We had more than enough daylight left to walk through the town which was very quiet and peaceful. Not alot of shops & restaurants in the village but it has its fair share of nice homes and scenic views especially towards the south into the valleys below.

Already the middle of October and I know the trees back home, at least in some areas are showing some brilliant fall colors. It's starting to feel like fall here but so far I haven't seen any leaves turning color although some have already fallen to the ground. The camera is ready so I'll be on the lookout for any leaves that start to give off any hint of changing to shades of orange, red or yellow......wish me luck!

City hall in the shadows of the castle. 

Church next to the castle. 

Fountain near the center of town. 

Looking to the south...many small villages and towns in that valley below.

After leaving le Barroux we passed through the very small village of la Roque-Alric...population: 75