All the magic of Provence, with avenues of plane trees, Roman roof-tiles, and the sunshine, but a bit closer to the mountains, so luxuriant and green: such is the "Drôme Provençale". It’s the land where scented lavender comes from, with whole fields of it among the wooded hills and valleys.
Dieulefit (alt. 400 metres; pop. 3,000) is near the Rhône valley, with its excellent north-south communications, not far from Montélimar - the world capital of Nougat, made from the local almonds and honey. The village is famous for its hand-made pottery and traditional ceramics, with shops selling quantities of tableware, flower vases, and other gifts, often with the characteristic blue and yellow Provençal glazes. It’s a thriving place, which in the summer season attracts a discerning clientele. There is a large hotel / wellness centre, in a beautiful estate, run by the Club Mediterranée.
"Dieu-le-fit" - Did God make it, in fact? Surely! No-one meeting the friendly, outgoing people of this lovely little town and seeing its pristine environment, its traditional pale blue shutters against the golden sandstone, its lively markets, its artistic products, and above all experiencing its authenticity, could doubt its divine origin.
La Lavande is a practical, easy-to-manage house, all on one level, built in 1986 on a hillside on the outskirts of the village, overlooking a wooded valley. There are four bedrooms, one large and three smaller (total area: 149m2), for up to 5-6 people. There is a spacious, glassed-in veranda, ideal for meals, and an attractive barbecue area. Most of the 11,000m2 of terraced land, planted with several fruit trees, is above and behind the house. It is surrounded by a fenced garden, with shady trees, so is perfectly safe and ideal for children. Perhaps its best feature is the delightful swimming-pool, (open June - September), enclosed by hedges for privacy, and with underwater lighting.
The surrounding area, with its unspoilt, wooded country and hilltop, picture-postcard villages, is a treasure-chest of natural and cultural attractions, and ideal for hiking, riding and cycling (mountain bikes can easily be hired in the village.) The following villages are a delight:
Le Poët-Laval, 10 minutes away, is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France, with an ancient Commanderie of the medieval order of the Knights Hospitallers, who cared for pilgrims going to the Holy Land.
Grignan: The Chateau de Grignan, made famous in the 17th century by the writer Madame de Sévigné, is a noble example of renaissance architecture. Perched high on its rock, the Château offers fine views over the village, famous for the Old Roses which line the narrow streets, towards the mountains of the Massif Central, across the Rhône.
Further afield, the Vaucluse offers, among other attractions, Vaison-la-Romaine, with its Roman ruins, the Mont-Ventoux, well-known to hill-climb specialists in the Tour de France, and the Fontaine de Vaucluse, where a river emerges from the cliff. For a day’s excursion, Avignon, with the world-famous bridge and the Palace of the Popes, is within easy reach by the autoroute.
And the Drôme Provençale offers the Good Life, of course, to those with a healthy appetite!
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