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THE VACATION HOME
Experience a piece of living history in “Le Tonneau”, a spacious 3-story stone house high atop the historic district of Rochegude, an ancient rural Provencal village dating back to pre-Roman times. Later, the Romans used Rochegude as a stopover when traveling Via Agrippa, the ancient highway that carried them from Orange to Vaison La Romaine. Still a truly rural village, the loudest day-to-day sound in Rochegude is the urgent peal of church bells glancing off red-tiled rooftops clustered at the base of the 12th-century tower of Chateau de Rochegude. And occasionally, when the air is very still, you can hear the bleat of a goat. This is, after all, the South of France.
Our location provides easy access to some of the most historic, scenic, and oft-visited sites in the South of France. Landmark villages such as Orange, Avignon, Nyons, Vaison la Romaine and Beaumes de Venise are all within 15 to 40 minutes by car. For farther-flung variety, Marseille and the Mediterranean beaches are 1-1/2 hours to the South. Wherever you go, enjoy bustling crowds at boisterous street fairs, arts festivals, or the noisy waterfront, knowing you can return in short order to your own serene home in the French countryside.
Le Tonneau, named for the centuries-old wine barrel we found in the cellar, has been newly-renovated to offer all the amenities needed for long-term and short-term visits, while preserving the charming rural simplicity of the home—rock walls nearly two feet thick, centuries-old exposed wooden beams, quaint fireplaces and winding staircases built on the original stone stairsteps.
At first glance, Le Tonneau appears from the street to be quite small, owing I suppose to its narrow frontage and tall stature. We find, however, as we move room-to-room and floor-to-floor, that we are struck by a sense of spaciousness. The windows throughout are graced with the traditional Provencal style, allowing plenty of light and bestowing a sense of antiquity where the thick rock walls surround bright window light softened by lace curtains.
As we enter the house on the first floor we find ourselves in a comfortable sitting room with a wood-burning fireplace, books and board games. Beyond, to the rear of the house and just a step down from the sitting room, is a sunny, fully-equipped, eat-in kitchen and laundry nook.
From the sitting room we climb a winding staircase to the second floor and a large, comfortable double bedroom, “La Chambre Provencale”, with antique furnishings and its own wood-burning fireplace. Across the hall is a large, bright, tiled bathroom offering double-sink vanity, glass-enclosed shower, and a view of Mt. Ventoux on the eastern horizon. In the next room, the WC, we find a toilet and handwash sink.
Onward to the top floor, via yet another narrow staircase, we visit the last two bedrooms, “La Chambre de Vin Rouge” and “La Chambre Claire”, so high within the house that it is impossible to be disturbed by even a heavy knock on the front door two floors below. We are now high above the winding one-way street lying far below the sill of La Chambre de Vin Rouge, a serene double room with simple architectural accents inherited from a bygone era, La Chambre de Vin Rouge features the deep burgundy and gold colors of the region and a tasteful mix of traditional and antique furnishings.
Across the landing from La Chambre de Vin Rouge, we step into La Chambre Claire, a bright, twin-bedded perch high above the red-roofed village dropping away to the historic Route des Vins, wending its way through the countryside of endless vineyards, lavender fields, and grazing goats. La Chambre Claire enjoys the most stunning view of any room in Le Tonneau, including a picture-perfect purple-hued Mt. Ventoux at daybreak.
LOCAL LIFE
Life in the village is slow-paced yet convenient. Rochegude is home to a small market carrying all necessities from fresh local vegetables and eggs to freshly-butchered meats, a bakery, 3 restaurants (one 4-star!), a café where you can pick up international newspapers, a wine caveau selling excellent local wines by the bottle (or 10-liter! container), and an authentic antiques store—all within easy walking distance of Le Tonneau. Sorry, no bank, but the market owner, Bernard, will exchange up to 100 euros for you on your debit card. Be aware that the local shops do close for an extended lunch, resembling a siesta, and as a rule they are closed on Sunday and Monday. With some exceptions, their hours are from 9am to noon and 2pm to 6 or 7pm, when they close for the day. The wine caveau is the only shop to be found open 7 days a week!
Two nearby villages to the North, Saint-Cecile-les-Vignes and Suze-la-Rousse, lie nestled into the “carpet” at walkable distances of just 2-3 kms each. Suze is home to the Wine University of France, while Saint-Cecile is larger, providing more choices of shops and eateries, as well as a marvelous outdoor market on Saturday mornings. A third picturesque village, larger still and a bit more cosmopolitan with its many restaurants and chic upscale shops, is Saint-Paul-les-Trois-Chateaux, located 15 minutes to the northwest, straight through the center of Suze.
DIRECTIONS
Access is quite easy. We are just 9 km East of the A7 Autoroute. From the Marseille airport in Marignan, take the A7 North toward Lyon. Take the Bollène exit, at the roundabout follow the signposts for Rochegude on the Carpentras road, a direct left turn at a “T” intersection, and a final “bear right” up a sloping hill into the heart of the village. |
