Yesterday afternoon, under misty and grey skies, I revisited the town of Joucas with my dear friend and colleague, Nathalie, to find some new hikes for our trips. After a couple of hours on the trails, we stopped at the only café in town for a glass of red wine, sat outside and gazed across the Luberon Valley at the distant hills of ochre in Roussillon. The locals seemed pleased to have a couple of new smiling faces in town, if only for the afternoon ‘aperitif.’

Canola in full bloom

No matter how small the town might be, every French village has a ‘Mairie,’ or town hall.

Spring Irises!

Joucas is home to a unique husband and wife artist team, Mieke Heybroek and Ulysse Plaud, who have adorned the village with their striking sculptures of human-figures carved from wood (near the 18th century church of St. John the Baptist, you’ll find some sculptures made from 700 y/o olive wood from a Greek isle), and fortified with metal and stone. Check out their small ‘atelier’ as you stroll through town. You can’t miss it.