Husband’s current pride and joy is a small plastic map that shows Vaucluse and the Luberon in relief. Vaucluse is our Provence ‘departement’. Initially I mocked this miniature version of the region (incidentally he’s also very keen on model villages) though recently I find myself drawn to it.
This map shows that our valley is in a natural harbour created by the Plateau de Vaucluse and dominated by the Mont Ventoux (a regular and most gruelling stage of the Tour de France) and the Montagne du Luberon. I don’t remember being actually present for my Geography O-Level but I think it is this natural harbour that brings so many reliable sunny days; 300 a year according to the weather boffins.
When the cloud does come, the Mistral soon hears about it and comes howling down the valley, chasing the clouds out like an over-exuberant sheepdog.
And that's why it (almost) never rains in the Luberon.
A natural harbour:
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