Lavender, hill villages and long lunches in the sun
Provence is the south of France of the imagination: hill villages like Gordes and Roussillon perched above the Luberon valley, plane-shaded squares, and fields of lavender that bloom purple in early summer. Weekly markets pile up olives, cheeses and melons, and lunch runs long. The region is also dense with Roman history, from the Pont du Gard to the arena at Arles, and the light that drew Van Gogh and Cézanne is still the main attraction. A car is the best way to explore.