East of Avignon the town of Gordes centers a region
of villages including Roussillion, Menerbes,
Lacoste, Bonnieux,  and the Abbaye de Senanque,
all hilltop villages connected by back roads for
biking or hiking.

High speed train from Paris Gare de Lyon station
takes under  three hours to reach the Avignon TGV
station where rental cars from Autoeurope are
available .  Book online
Lacoste,    
Lacoste attracts artists to its school. Plien air painters work in the one-street village that
was once home to the Marque de Sade

country roads connect the hilltop villages
Hiking and biking near  Lavender fields in the hills near Sault on the Plateau de Vaucluse
where the bloom is in late June for a mid July harvest
Market day at Lacoste
Mines in the hills near Roussillion supply the minerals for ochre colorant used in oil paints
The fields around Gordes and Goult  glow with lavender ripening for an early to mid July harvest
Hiking Provence, The South of France
Hiking the Villages in Lavender Country
For hiking and biking in Provence the
South of France a good bet is
Lavender Country east of Avignon.  
On the lavender trail the Hiking ad
Biking trails and back roads connect
each villages where lavender  grows  
for an early July harvest.
The area east of Avignon and north to
Sault is lavender country.  
If you do your hiking and biking in Provence in June, the cherries,  apricots, and melons  will be ripe and
available at the farm stands along the way.
June makes the after-hiking cooking of the many healthy Provence recipes easy.  Try to find a vacation
rental, gite, or villa with a full kitchen that includes a food chopper, grinder, or a processor and a complete
gas oven so that you can use the local produce and spices to do some healthy French cooking.
Provence chicken recipes use herbs of Provence and traditional Provence recipes that use Provence lamb
smothered in thyme and savory and  cooked over a bed of Rosemary will do it for occasional meat recipes.  
Provence vegetable recipes can include tomato, eggplant, and squash. Provence dessert recipes can
include fresh fruit like apricots, cherries and melons with Provence goat cheese served with a  Cotes du
Rhone.
Breakfast is a pastry or two from the village bakery
A country road from the back side of Gordes through steep hill country reaches the Abby
where fields of lavender ripen at the end of June.
Hiking in  
Provence

Well marked hiking
trails course all
through the olive
groves and vineyards
around Les Baux
de-Provence, St.
Remy, Mouries,
Eygalieres, and,
Auriele.
Do You need an International Driving Permit to Drive in Europe.
In France and Italy you can rent a car and do not need to show an International Permit, only your drivers
license    Italian law, however,  requires that.....  see Article
Shop online well ahead of your trip and choose diesel (more economical) or gas, luggage space,(important)  
standard or automatic,(important)  two door, four door and other options.  Renting for more than 17 days; see
their options      see  renting a vehicle in Provence
Speed limits will be clearly marked and the Rotary will be a welcome site with its directions to various
towns.  Gassing up is similar to US with credit card and automatic shut-off at modern pumps. Car rental are
available in all large cities and at many TGV Train Stations..
Information for those renting a vehicle in Provence
Hiking Provence the South of France in Lavender Country
you find the Hiking and Biking trails connect to the villages.
The area east of Avignon is lavender country.
Back roads  make up the lavender trail.
The Abbey of Senanque Provence, The South of
France, near Gordes
Bonnieux,      
Hiking Provence the South of France in Lavender Country to towns like Bonnieux and Lacoste
 picture above you find the Hiking and Biking trails along back roads that connect to the
villages. These are hill towns near Gordes. The area east of Avignon is lavender country. Back
roads  make up the lavender trail.
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