One of the places that are currently on my “must-see” list is Moustiers Sainte Marie, a small village confined between rocky cliffs and jade waters at the entrance to the grand canyon of Verdon in southern France. Moustiers boasts lovely medieval houses perched on steep cliffs, winding narrow alleys, arched passages, exquisite water fountains and numerous ceramic shops as is expected in the capital of faïence. The village is also known for hosting one of the great pilgrimage churches of the Middle Ages, Notre-Dame de Beauvoir, and for the four-foot golden star swinging on a chain between the two robust summits that overlook the community. According to a legend, the star is a votive offering dedicated to the Virgin Mary by a crusader who, while imprisoned in the land of the Saracens, promised to suspend a star from the rough peaks above Moustiers if he survived.
As if the above attributes were not sufficient to rouse one’s interest, Moustiers is located in the Upper Provence region and offers fantastic opportunities for gastronomic exploration in surroundings that are covered in thousands of olive trees and bathed in lavender perfume.
Stay: La Bastide de Moustiers (chef Alain Ducasse’s inn)
Eat: La Bastide de Moustiers, Le Santons
See: Moustiers, Verdon gorges, the lake of Sainte Croix, the neighboring village of Valensole
Until next time,
Bodhi
