Notre Aventure Française, 2013: 28th October, Dentelles de Montmirail

The Dentelles de Montmirail is a small mountain range running about 15 kms north to south and reaching 800 meters high and hovering over the Côtes du Rhône wine villages of Sablet, Séguret (previously mentioned in this blog ) and Gigondas, Le Crestet, Vacqueyras, Lafare, Suzette and Beaumes de Venise.

Today we explored the area around the Dentelles de Montmirail and what a beautiful Provence day it was. Not a cloud to be seen, no wind and 29° in the afternoon. We continue to be amazed at the continuing and changing beauty of this region of Provence from the lavender fields, the vineyards, the mountains and the valleys, the hilltop villages, the forests and woods.
The stories behind the development, growth, decline, regrowth and current situation of the villages is quite interesting and all have a different tale to tell, but unfortunately beyond the scope of this blog.
Suffice to say that the two villages we walked today, Le Crestet and Suzette, are amongst the villages that have seen big declines in population. Le Crestet has declined from a population of 600 in the 16th century to 35 today. Current rebuilding and investment by other European holiday makers expands it to 55 in the summer months. It is thought that an interest by telecommuters, who apparently prefer the quiet village life to that of the busier cities, may see the population of these villages rise and preserve them for future residents and travellers to enjoy like we did today.
The first village we visited, Suzette, (no relation to the Crêpe) is another one of those villages which appears to float on its hilltop, along with its small 12 century church, a handful of residents and a sign which asks you to Respectez son calme (respect its peace).
The scene on the drive out of Suzette is gorgeous and surprisingly underdeveloped. The lack of water put an end to any thoughts of housing and farming in this area. Water is everything in this parched region and without it you can't cultivate the land. Quickly you enter Le Col de la Chaine Mountain Pass at about 475 meters with vistas that take the breath away.
The peaks thrusting up in the distance are the Dentelles de Montmirail. The rocky tops are the result of a gradual uplifting of the land and then blown bald by the angry mistral wind.
Slightly further on we arrive at Le Crestet in the empty visitors' carpark and begin the climb up the cobblestone walkways to the village. This hilltop village walking caper is hard work, so steep are the walkways and uneven are the cobblestones that knee replacements quickly get put to the test. But by walking you come to appreciate the work that went into putting these villages together rock by rock so long ago. It is a beautiful little place and the views from above are worth the effort. The town had an elaborate water channel and cistern system and disputes over water were a common problem.