Quaint and quiet, the hillside village of Banon ; a perfect match for our holiday stay in northern Provence.The house we stayed at, was fully independent and furnished ; ready to rent for the summer. The view of the mountains from the patio was simply breath-taking and a short walk down the village road lead to a few lavender fields, while a walk on the other side lead into the main town.

On we went, strolling through the local weekly market, which is held every Tuesday.

A fountain in the middle of the square, filled with laughter of kids running about mischievously splashing water, the local produce being sold at one corner, artwork at another, summer clothes & hats stalls lined the street side and for the foodies, there was a variety of snacks to dig into. The locals carried their bags filled with weekly supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables. At the further end of the market, under a little corner tent, was an old man selling goat milk cheese, which is a speciality of Banon.A walk at the end of the market lead to the beautiful town library. Le Bleuet as it is known, is a huge library in Banon which is as amazing on the inside.

~ Travelling deeper ~
Alpes-de-Haute Provence sure has some hidden gems and I was so amazed at discovering its beauty as we travelled along.

Seeing a road sign that pointed to a church on a hill top nearby, we decided to go that way and see where it would take us.The view of the picturesque valley from atop, simply took my breath away. Lavender fields at a distance and coloured patterned roof tiles on ancient houses made of stones…could it get any prettier than this?

This beautiful 17th century bell tower is perched high up on the hill next to an old church turned museum. We totally loved the calm of this place. Standing up here felt surreal.

This is a glimpse of a 14th century gateway, only a part of the remains of fortification now stands here, up on the Banon hill.

Wandering further, soaking in the quiet of the place, we stumbled upon the loveliest hidden path. Wild and pretty flowers adorned the narrow cobblestone pathway between old houses.Our feet moved on, walking this beautiful alley and our eyes widened in wonderment. In the end, we came across a few stone steps that we had to climb up to get back to where we started.Sometimes it’s all about the journey than the destination – this phrase couldn’t be truer for our entire trip to the South of France. Just like this random stop we made while on the road, to simply admire nature.

Here’s a stream of mountain water, meandering at this point but running wild to become one with a large river much ahead. Click play to see the video below.

Click below for more on this journey….

Lavender fields – photo diary & beyond


28 Comments

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Jennifer L · August 19, 2017 at 11:04 pm

Omg what a lovely place to visit. I love these little tucket way gems where it’s so soothing and full of rich history.

rain · August 19, 2017 at 6:06 pm

love the old school look and feel. So beautiful and peaceful looking. What’s the best time of the year to visit?

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 19, 2017 at 6:10 pm

    I would recommend end June through July to be a great time to visit

Needa · August 18, 2017 at 10:42 pm

Banon looks so peaceful to roam arund ! I love reading it and travel through your eyes !

Ankana SIlva · August 18, 2017 at 9:04 am

Thank you for this exciting blog post on Banon. I saw the lavender array photos on instagram and they are beautiful. This village is a lovely place and the isles look so picture perfect.

Angela Milnes · August 17, 2017 at 7:35 pm

This would definitely be a different experience for me! I love the cultural differences compared to what I’m used to and would love to learn more!

Jona · August 17, 2017 at 2:57 pm

I have never been to any place in France or even Europe and it is on my bucket list. I wish someday I can finally tick it off. So many beautiful places to see. Hopefully I can visit soon.

Anosa · August 17, 2017 at 2:54 pm

The place looks very peaceful. I would also prefer this place when I got the opportunity to visit this.

Jessica Taylor · August 17, 2017 at 1:41 pm

Oh wow! What a beautiful place! I would love to visit a place like this one day and see all of the stunning views!

Jenny · August 17, 2017 at 7:01 am

That looks like an awesome place to visit and take photos of. I’d totally bring my dolls with me and get some shots in the streets. Ah someday… someday…

Ride Clues · August 17, 2017 at 5:08 am

The journey and the guide to travel to banon is really helpful, hope to travel to this destination in next year.

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 17, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    Glad to know I’ve ignited the wanderlust for you to travel to this place Pradeep.

Heather Johnson · August 17, 2017 at 2:34 am

The quiet hillside village of Banon looks like an amazing place to visit. I sadly have never been out of the US yet.

Ruth I. · August 16, 2017 at 11:46 pm

The place looks so peaceful and full of history. Those kind are what I really want to visit because I think it has a lot to offer.

Jessica Terry · August 16, 2017 at 11:11 pm

What a gorgeous and quaint little town to visit. Those pictures are stunning and the colour of the lavender is beautiful. I hope to travel more one day

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 17, 2017 at 11:44 am

    Thanks so much. I’m glad you liked my snapshots 🙂

Denay DeGuzman · August 16, 2017 at 10:36 pm

Wow! These gorgeous images look like something straight out of a movie or my wanderlust dreams. I would love to visit the quaint little town of Banon some day. Ahh…to be able to travel on a whim. 🙂

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 17, 2017 at 11:43 am

    Thanks Denay. I’m happy the pictures could portray Banon the way I intended to.

Claudia Krusch · August 16, 2017 at 10:16 pm

Banon looks like a fantastic getaway. I would love to go explore it someday. I will have to add it to my must see list.

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 17, 2017 at 11:39 am

    I’m sure you will fall in love with the place

corinne & kirsty · August 16, 2017 at 6:47 pm

THis village looks so lovely and peaceful! the perfect place for a holiday! I haven’t been in the south of france ofr a while! oh I am missing it

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 17, 2017 at 11:36 am

    It was indeed a lovely place to spend a lazy holiday 🙂

GiGi Eats · August 16, 2017 at 5:15 pm

Ugh. Boy do I miss traveling!!!!! And I haven’t been to France in EONS! I don’t think my husband has EVER BEEN either!! So he and I are going to have to embark on THAT journey!

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 16, 2017 at 5:30 pm

    There are a bunch of pretty french towns ( 🙂 Paris included) that I have listed on my blog. You could look it up and plan the places you want to visit when it is time for that ‘bon voyage’!

Diana · August 16, 2017 at 11:20 am

I’ve never been to that part of France, but it looks so beautiful there. Love exploring such authentic little villages.

    Viveena Rodrigues · August 16, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    Same here – I admire the beauty of such tucked away villages

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