The Mediterranean South: Sun and Stone

Descending toward the Mediterranean, the landscape transforms dramatically. In Provence, the rural experience is shaped by sun, wind, and the scent of wild herbs. Hilltop villages, many dating to medieval times when height meant safety from raiders, crown rocky outcrops. Their narrow streets, designed to provide shade and channel cooling breezes, speak to centuries of adaptation to the Mediterranean climate.

The agricultural landscape here differs markedly from the north. Olive groves, some with trees centuries old, create silver-green seas across the hillsides. Lavender fields paint purple stripes across the plateau of Valensole. Vineyards, often planted on impossibly steep terraces, produce wines that capture the essence of sun-baked stones and wild herbs. Yet this picturesque landscape masks the harsh realities of farming in a region where water is precious and the mistral wind can devastate crops.

The Languedoc presents a different Mediterranean face - less manicured, more rugged. Here, vast vineyards stretch across the coastal plain, while the hinterland rises through garrigue-covered hills to the southern flanks of the Massif Central. Villages here often seem to grow from the very rock, their stones the same color as the surrounding cliffs.