Bonnieux

Bonnieux/, is there a synonym better than old for all the hilltop towns and villages that we have been visiting? Stephen and I seem to be able to wonder the small passageways and narrow streets without tiring. Architecture continues to fascinate us despite having seen so many examples of early buildings and houses. Age is no barrier to design nor to functionality of dwellings built by medieval builders and in some instances the Romans. Often restorations have kept the faith and integrity of original structure but it is also reasonable to presume that sometimes preservation rather than conservation has its place. Towers, steps and walls stretch ever upwards on the most precarious footings. How did they do it? Not many buildings created today could expect to remain standing for centuries. Our current apartment has solid, block walls about 50 centimetres in depth along with beams of timber (now limed,) to support the upper level that houses the bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom has a wrought iron railing to allow one to view the floor below. Yesterday Stephen walked the path around the village to find that the apartment also has a cellar. However, there is no internal access from our apartment so we presume that the adjoining dwelling must have some internal door or stairwell to the cellar where an assortment of odds and ends are stored. The steps to the cellar in the apartment in Saint Aignan were steep, rickety and had no handrail so I have no intention of risking life or limb to locate our cellar's entry point. The iron bars set in the window bays are designed to keep out uninvited guests. From town to town these are a common fixture. The jagged iron rusts and the stem-like bars with sharp tendrils would detour even the most daring thief or intruder. Security is paramount. So many buildings and houses are shuttered up and regularly padlocked and bolted too. Who owns all of these shuttered abodes? Do they hear our Australian accents and flee inside? Back to Bonnieux; would I suggest a visit? Yes, definitely worth a notation in the tourist travel log. Go right to the top to the old church as the vista is spectacular. Don't count the steps just keep walking. If you are a patron of the arts Bonnieux is probably already on your list of gallery visitations.