Day 4: Bories, Abbeys & Boules

A little morning exercise can warm you up for more adventures among the chalk cliffs, fairy tale villages, meadows and moorlands of the Luberon. In a nearby village, pick up the makings of a traditional picnic lunch – perhaps a baguette, fruits and meats, cheese, olives and, naturellement, wine… whatever tempts your palate! Today you'll take a walk to the beautiful Abbaye de Sananque; your path is a treat for the senses. Rich with color, chalk and red ochre cliffs, cedar forests, taupe moorlands and river hewn gorges surround. No matter what time you visit, during lavender season or not, your imagination can picture it in full bloom in the meadows surrounding the 900-year-old Abbaye de Senanque, still home to Cistercian monks. Picnic in a Provençal meadow, then return to Joucas. Spend an afternoon hiking, biking, riding or what-have-you (there is an exquisite spa, pool, gardens) in Joucas; and learn to play a game of boules, a Provence tradition.