An Unmissable Corner of Provence: Gorges du Verdon & Moustiers Sainte Marie l SIMPLY SLOW TRAVELER

Come with me for a day spent at one of my favorite areas of Provence. Our day started with traveling around two hours towards Lac Saint Croix from Nice. I suggest going early in the morning, since it is before noon that the light brings the most vivid turquoise tone of the waters. From the lake, we took a kayak and pedaled upstream towards the river Verdun, cutting through the rugged mountain's mouth. To either side, you will be greeted with vertical limestone cliffs that are hundreds of feet tall, raw and untouched vegetation and a few waterfalls along the way. The water glows in a deep turquoise green tone when the sunlight passes through the canyon and hits the river's surface. By entering the gorges, you are effectively making your way into the French Alps and the feeling is that you are rapidly transported to a new landscape within just a few paddles. We pedaled up and down the river for a couple hours, enjoying the scenery and marveling at its beauty, and then we returned to the lake margins. It is here that you will find nice bedding areas as well as stalls renting kayaks, pedalos or even electric boats to explore the river and the lake. After relaxing by the lake and having a picnic on its margins, we went to spend the afternoon at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, just 10 minutes driving from the lake. This town is one of my favorites in Provence and one that feels very authentic. It is built upon a hill against a massive white limestone cliff with views to the Provencal landscape down below. High up on the cliff rests the chapel of Notre-Dame Beauvoir, from where you can have a wide open beautiful view of the landscape. Beware that a climb up can be strenuous, especially on a hot afternoon. I didn't go up this time around and preferred to wander through the town's streets and shops. A small river cuts through the cliffs and runs through the town center, creating a few waterfalls with their ever-present gurgle, bringing liveliness and freshness to the whole landscape of Moustiers. The houses and terraces built right by the river edge, with balconies and terraces hanging above, feel very picturesque. The town has many beautiful stores. Some sell more souvenir type of products, from textiles and decorative pieces with Provencal themes, to all types of lavender-based products. Others sell more locally traditional products, such as faiennes pottery, an historical industry and trade in town, or more modern and arty ceramic sculptures and paintings by local artists. As with every time I visit Moustiers, I had to stop at my favorite ice cream stall, L'Etoile Givré. We took our two scooped ice cream scones and went eat them on the main square, with views to the people across the river going in and out of the stores. The waterfall and the riverside restaurant terraces, and the golden star hanging on a chain between the two cliff tops, a unique symbol of Moustiers. In these small villages, it is always a good idea to wander around its narrow alleyways with no set destination, to go and discover all its little corners, to find about unique stores you won't find anywhere else, and to marvel at the glimpse of landscape that show between the buildings here and there. While I have been a few times to Moustiers, this is something I truly love doing in every visit I make. For me, it is always a happy time visiting this little corner of Provence. If you are in Côte d'Azur or Provence, it is well worth the visit, and if you come in late June or early July, be sure to then visit the Valençaux Lavender Fields at sunset, just a 30 minutes drive away. I hope you enjoyed coming with me on this visit to the Gorge de Verdun and Moustiers. I will be sharing more small tours of my favorite towns in the south of France in the upcoming weeks, so do subscribe if you don't want to miss those.