Cucuron and skinny-dipping in Mirabeau

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Geo: 43.7561, 5.44552

Cucuron is one of Provence's prettiest villages and every May it hosts one of its strangest festivals - Le Mai de Sainte Tulle which this year started on 28th May. It must be an intriguing sight to see a huge poplar tree, trimmed of its branches, with a child dressed in traditional costume sitting astride the trunk bearing the French tricolore flag, being carried through the streets to the church square. At the church, accompanied by much encouragement the tree is hoisted into position beside the front door. When the bells are rung, the village is safe for another year, and Provencal dancing ensues. The poplar then stays in this place until 14th August.

Le Mai de Sainte Tulle dates back to 1720, the time of the Great Plague that killed 100,000 people in Marseille, and had spread out to the provinces. In Cucuron, 1,000 lives were lost when the villagers prayed to Sainte Tulle for salvation. And suddenly… the plague stopped in its tracks.

On Sunday evening we had a huge treat by dining at La Petite Maison in Cucuron which owes some of its fame to Peter Mayle and now boasts Michelin 1* rating. We took our seats on the shrub-covered outdoor terrace along with just 13 other diners so is quite intimate, besides the chef operates out of a very tiny kitchen to put all seven courses in front of his guests who choose from one or other of the set menus. Over two hours we feasted on the amuse bouche of chilled courgette soup, followed by mushroom and truffle tart, hake with peas, lamb, cheese, raspberry macaroon, and lastly creme with salted caramel sauce. It was all very pleasing on the eye as well as the palate. A bottle of white Chablis was a delicious accompaniment for all but the lamb for which we shared a large glass of local red. A most memorable meal.

On Tuesday we drove out beyond Bonnieux to yet another pretty village - Menerbes - which has survived centuries of strife and Peter Mayle remarkably well. When Mayle wrote 'A Year in Provence' here it brought the coachloads to photograph every square inch of the village. But now Menerbes has returned to what it was - a beautiful, quiet medieval village, exquisitely poised over the Luberon valley with the white summit of Mt. Ventoux visible some 40 miles or so due northwards - the challenge for many a keen cyclist, and often a stage of Le Tour.

Yesterday morning, David and Eric cycled about 13 miles in a SE direction to Mirabeau where they paused for a coffee stop. A conversation began with a woman on a nearby table in the usual way - where are you from, where are you staying, and so on. Although the guys had never heard of her, it turned out that she was Maruschka Detmers, born in the Netherlands in 1962, but moved to France when she was a teenager to work as an au-pair. We later did some online research which revealed that during her time in France, she came to the notice of French avant-garde director Jean-Luc Godard and was signed to play the female lead in 'First Name: Carmen' in 1983. In the racy film 'The Pirate' she acted alongside Jane Birkin (she of the suggestive duet with Serge Gainsbourg - 'Je t'aime'😉. More recently she seems to be doing more TV appearances.

Anyway, back to the present. She said she has a holiday home nearby which she is selling (they suspect she needs the money) and were they, or did they know of anyone who may be interested in buying it (we're talking 320,000€ for a part-renovated, three-level detached house, swimming pool, grounds with a stream and oak trees). They said not but nevertheless she invited them to take a look at the property and perhaps while there they were welcome to have a swim in the pool, saying it didn't matter that they had no trunks with them and could they perhaps help her as since she arrived a day or two ago she had not had any gas for cooking and so on.

(No - this is not a wind-up.) They followed behind her car on their bikes to reach the property whereupon she gave them a guided tour, reinstated the gas supply (a flick of a switch which must have been turned off whilst the house was unoccupied), then took up her offer of a swim after taking off all their cycling gear. She apparently did not bat an eyelid, neither did she join them, I might add. Before they bade farewell she handed them a note with her contact details should they come across any interested purchasers. They did not give her theirs!

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Photos

Church with poplar tree, Cucuron
Norte-Dame-de-Beaulieu

Let dinner commence!
La Petite Maison, Cucuron