After 11 hours of driving, we arrived at our destination in the Luberon mountains of Provence....Menerbes, France.  This area of Provence is full of vineyards with some of the best wine in France...at least in my opinion.  The chilled rose wines of Provence match the sundrenched days of summer.  This is also the land of the "perched" villages.  About every 5 miles or so...spread throughout the Luberon Mountains are picturesque villages of the middle ages  built along the ridges of the Luberons.  Literally "perched" on the peaks of the ridges.  With names such as Menerbes, Bonnieux, Gordes, Roussillon and Lacoste...these villages are begging for exploration as you drive through the countryside.

Our base for exploring was Menerbes shown above.  The first of the two Gites ( a holiday home in France rented by the owner) that we stayed at in Provence was about 3 miles from Menerbes.  It was called "Le Refuge."  It was the most unique place we stayed at during our trip.

Dan