MY SIXTH EPISODE OF THE VILLAGE DIARIES. BUOUX AND SAIGNON ARE SMALL BUT MIGHTY.

The phrase “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'” has been used with purpose since the 18th century. It is attributed to Alexander Pope where it was found in his An Essay on Criticism,

Buoux is not too far from Bonnieux. Google maps say 9KM and should take around 16 minutes in the car. I love morning light, so I set off just after 7 a.m. so I could guarantee to be on the ground well in advance of sunrise . Even though as the crow flies, it's not too far from the relatively shallow and wide valley that I wake up to every morning. Buoux and, moreover, Fort du Buoux sit in a tight space sandwiched between very tall, imposing & sheer rock formations.

I thought the best plan of attack was to drive through Buoux to the Fort and get the hike out of the way before it got hot.. I knew that I would have enough time to stop in Buoux on my way back to wander around the village. The parking lot for visitors at the Fort was empty. However very well signed with a ton of great historical information to take in before setting out on the trail.

There are tall and quite ornate iron gates at the trailhead. Unfortunately, only the right gate was open, which for some unknown reason, caused a weird sensation as I walked under the arch & through. I got about 75 meters along the trail, and then I heard a very odd series of sounds. I am aware that there are not many wild animals in Provence except for the infamous boar. Having worked for Parks Canada during university, I have hiked many trails with signs of bear activity. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience of recognising the signs of wild boar.

I stopped for a moment to listen intently. The wind whistled through the trees, but the grunting subsided. I continued on quietly . The path was quickly beginning to climb and, with that becoming more and more challenging. Ten minutes later, I came to a unique site comprising massive granite overhangs and a sizeable rock garden that sat in its shadow. It was eery to be there alone (or maybe with a stalking a wild boar).

I moved on up the trail as the sun appeared and began to warm the valley floor. Several minutes later, I reached a point on the track where the direction changed, and the ruins of the Fort's turrets came into view. Sadly, It was at that point that my hike was over. The trail was boarded up, and barriers were in place to stop anyone from continuing up to the ruins. I tried to get an image from a distance, but it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I returned down the trail slowly, looking for details in the rock formations and how the light was casting shadows. I had a little success, but it was cathartic to have these woods to myself.

As I reached the trailhead back at the car park, I was startled again by the similar sounds that took me by surprise on the way up. I stopped in my tracks again and looked around with the intent to find the source. After about a minute, the next thing I heard from behind me was "Bonjour." I quickly turned to see an older disheveled looking man who was sitting on his haunches in the trees. I replied Bonjour. He didn't move, and I had no reason to continue a conversation. I made it to the car and headed back to Buoux. Not a typical morning in Provence (for me at least). I think that I have either met my first French hermit, or my first deserter from the French Foreign Legion. Bears, boars and summers in Canada’s alpine parks. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! Today I would go as far as to say not so much dangerous as completely useless in Provence.

SAIGNON.

My stop in Saignon was all too brief. This village is quite small and that is very much part of it’s charm. Today, most uncharacteristically, Saignon was overrun by tourists. I have visited here countless times over the years and normally I have have wandered the streets alone. All of the places I wanted to photograph were busy, so to get what I wanted was going to be near to impossible on the day. It seems that Covid has been nothing but good for local business development in the village as several new cafes and restaurants have opened since the last time I was here. This is fantastic for those who have gambled and succeeded. I will return on another morning in September when things have returned to normal. Here are a few shots but I hope to create a gallery from Saignon when the time is right.

Please leave a comment if you have time.

Live well!

Mark

p.s. All images were captured with my Leica M10-R and Leica Q2