Le Mistral et le muguet - Perne les Fontaines

Last weekend the wind blew like crazy, the Mistral was blowing. The famous Mistral is a wind from the north that blows cold air into Provence.  The wind can blow for days at a time and the gusts can be as strong as 100 kilometers per hour.    Being from upstate NY, I am accustomed to fierce Canadian winds bringing cold air from the arctic, and the Mistral definitely outranks what I am used to.  At times, I thought it would blow me away!

We decided to go out and face the winds.  We bundled up against the pounding winds and made our way around Perne-les-Fontaines, a small village near Fontaine de Vaucluse and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.  I chose this village because of the many fountains and examples medieval architecture that can be seen throughout the town.  We started our walk  in a park that also allows the little river, la Nesque, to flow peacefully through town.

We arrived at Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, a Romanesque church, which was put on the Historic Monument list of 1840.  We did not go inside because there was a mass in  progress.  

The Gothic western door - dating from the XIV century 

The Southern facade and bell tower

Right:

La Sainte Marie-statue outside of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth

Left:
Fountain Place et Jardin Dominique Corti 

We continued our exploration of the village by entering the Porte-Notre-Dame.  This fortified entrance was built in 1548.  The Chapelle Notre-Dame is located do the bridge crossing the Nesque river.  Today you can visit an art gallery in the perfect little chapel.  

It looks like the Chapel and the Gates are connected, but they are not.  There is a span of bridge separating the chapel from the gates and fortifications.

Close up of the fortifications

Once inside the ramparts, we entered Place Cormoran.  In the center of this small square is the Fontaine du Cormoran.  The wind was blowing so hard that the water was going everywhere but in the basin.  We had to walk around to the dry side to take a picture.

We made our way into the village following the signs for the clock tower.  We found another fountain on the way. According to the map this is the fontaine de la Place de Brancas.

My daughter says that if there is a hill or a tower, I will want to climb it!  She is right! I convinced Sophia and her friend Emma to climb up the clock tower and to face the Mistral. I bribed them by promising hot chocolate at in indoor café when we came down.

Looking at the clock tower from the base

Le Mount Ventoux - Chapoté
The mountain is wearing a "hat"

Trying to stay out of the wind

Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth

The Café was full and we were not able to get a table because they were getting ready for lunch.  Drinking hot chocolate at the bar or "zinc" probably tastes better anyway!  If it weren't so cold out I probably would have had a pression instead of my café au lait.  

Sunday, was May 1st, or Labor Day - Fête du Travail and we stopped by the florist to purchase our muguet or lily of the valley. The tradition of giving muguet on May 1st is said to have started when King Charles IX of France was presented with some lily of the valley flowers on this day.  He decided to give the same flowers to ladies of the court every year on May 1st.  The flowers, sold in planting pots, were beautiful and they smelled so good!  It is said that the muguet brings good luck!  

The tourist office says that you can visit 40 different fountains in Perne-les-Fontaines.  I wanted to share some of the pictures of a few other fountains.  There was no way we were going to find all the fountains in the crazy wind.  Instead we decided go home and have a home-made, wonderful, hot couscous lunch.  Thanks Nat!

Trompe l'oeil fountain!

Couscous meal! YUM!